What a fun little thriller that was! Fast paced, nice short little chapters leaving you wanting more and a nice mixture of dark comedy and satire. Second half of the book became totally unhinged and that’s my kind of book!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Chan works as a supermarket cashier and lives with her aunt. Her twin sister, Chloe Van Huusen, is a famous influencer, adopted by white family following the death their parents.
When Julie got weird phone call from Chloe, she decided to visit Chloe in her apartment only to find Chloe's lifeless body.
Tempted to live the glamorous life Chloe had, she transformed herself into her twin. Julie doesn't realise what she got herself into - her lie put her into a spiralling nightmare.
Beware that the story will get much darker and more disturbing. There's one scene that literally holly yuck 🤢
This story brought up about influencers' life, how their day to day is about how many followers and how many likes they can reach. It really gives insight about social media culture.

So, the story follows a young woman who inherits her sister Chloe’s life after finding her dead in her apartment. Initially, she’s mistaken for her identical twin sister, but she doesn’t correct it. After an initial breakdown, she realises that being a social influencer can be surprisingly easy, especially since she and Chloe look exactly alike. However, she soon discovers the constant demands of the job, including taking pictures, videos, and linking brands and other people into them.

The situation becomes even more challenging when she meets Fiona, Chloe’s assistant, who obviously knows everything about her. Despite this, Fiona can’t tell the difference between them, suggesting that she doesn’t know Julie very well.

The book has been well written and Julie is very perceptive in her views of what it takes to be family and the meaning of the word. The book is also quite humorous in places but also very raw and meaningful. But the book primarily explores the world of social media and influencers, and what people choose to see about others. It delves into the constant need to share your life, the intrusion of strangers wanting more from you, and how it’s become more than just a job. Julie finds out that it’s a 24/7 job that demands everything from what you eat and wear to who you socialise with and have disagreements with. It’s about your family and friends, and anything else you can think of. Social media follows you everywhere you go, documenting every aspect of your life and posting it on streaming sites, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and even in iMessage and WhatsApp groups.

Personally, I couldn’t do it, but there are others who live their lives on their phones and tablets and would find it easy. The social influencer’s life is interesting and quite lucrative, with the potential to earn hundreds of thousands of pounds or dollars. It’s understandable why people do it, especially with the free gifts that come with it also.

However, we have to wonder if Julie can manage to pull it off for any great length of time. After all, she’s already been discovered by one person. It’s a fake world out there, so can anyone else see through her lies, especially since she’s an identical twin?

Imagine waking up one day and deciding, “You know what? I’m just gonna become my dead twin sister.” That’s exactly what Julie does, and it launches her into a world of followers, filters, and flat-out madness. What starts off as a jaw-dropping decision quickly unravels into a dark, twisty tale of stolen identity, buried secrets, and influencer insanity.

This book is part satire, part thriller, part what-the-hell-did-I-just-read—and it works. Think Yellowface but with a dash of culty weirdness and a heavy side of social commentary. The writing is fast, sharp, and often hilarious. Julie isn’t always likable, but she’s fascinating—and watching her navigate (or spiral through) her sister’s life is endlessly entertaining.

If you're into books that are unhinged in the best way possible, then this one's for you.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not one that I could typically read, but I was intrigued by the concept.

Julie Chan, an orphan, is struggling to get by in life. Following her parents' death and her separation from Chloe, her twin sister, Julie is forced to watch as her twin sister finds fame being a social media influencer. When a concerning call comes from her sister, Julie travels to New York to find Chloe dead, and very quickly steals her identity in order to assume Chloe's life.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, with the concept of identity theft being a new trope for me, combined with a harsh look into the day-to-day lives of social media influencers.

However, the book very quickly took a funny then when Julie travelled to a secret island getaway with her sister's friends to detox from social media. The plot very quickly turned sinister, involving substance abuse, physical abuse, animal abuse and murder.

The ending of the book left much to be desired, choosing to focus on the social media trope of the book, rather than whether or not Julie was found guilty of her crimes.

Julie Chan has always felt like she drew the short straw in life. Her parents died when she was young. Her twin sister, Chloe, was adopted by a rich white couple while Julie had to live with her resentful aunt. While she lives barely scraping by, her twin sister has become a successful social media influencer.

When she finds her twin’s dead body, she makes a twisted and fateful decision to take over Chloe’s life, pretend to be her and pretend that Julie has died instead. Everything is more fabulous than she could have imagined and she joins in with the Belladonna's - a group of influencers who seemingly support each other's success.

But as Julie gets deeper involved, she realises that there are a lot of secrets, and that taking her sister’s identity wasn't the most morally corrupt decision she'll be forced to make.

This book gripped me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. It was entertaining, twisted and addictive. It's so fun to read a book through the eyes of someone who makes such immoral and self-centered decisions. The twists and turns and craziness made for a read that I would recommend to anyone looking for some crazy escapism, with a sobering warning about the dangers of chasing social media clout.

Thanks to the publisher for sharing the advanced copy of this book

The author is a true wordsmith. As a reader, it was like this person had access to my inner consciousness and knew exactly what I was thinking, and they were able to somehow translate it to the pages of this book. I read the synopsis and I was hooked. But what I didn't know, was just how many unexpected turns there would be in this story. It's hard for me to be much more specific without giving any spoilers, but let's just say that I wasn't expecting any of it, and I'm glad I wasn't. If you like plot twists and turns, unexpected layers, and stories that really get you thinking, then you should definitely check out this book.

4⭐️

I don’t even know where to begin with this book 🤯

Julie Chan lives a struggled life, when out of nowhere she is reunited with her long lost twin sister: Influencer Chloe Van Huusen. When Julie stumbles upon Chloe’s dead body, she assumes Chloe’s identity and attempts to infiltrate her career and her social circle - a group of influencers known as the “Belladonna’s”. Then SH*T. GETS. WEIRD.

This had me completely hooked from chapter 1. First it’s the mystery of what’s going on with her sister, then whether Julie will successfully fool the world into thinking she’s Chloe, then…. Things get creepy. This is a dark comedy/thriller which explores “the age of the influencer” in a really interesting way. Very “Yellowface” meets cult.

A Rollercoaster..
Julie Chan has stolen her identical twin, influencer sister’s life. She really didn’t mean to - or did she? Either way, all she has to do from now on in is to act the part. Surely that’s easy - or is it? A rollercoaster of a tale, dark and edgy and spiked with underlying realism with a wry and sharp edged look at contemporary society, peeling back the glamorous layers of influencer culture and exposing the nasty dark debris beneath. Immersive and compelling.

4.5 stars of pure madness! And oh how I enjoyed the ride!

R.F. Kuang's Yellowface meets Mona Awad's Bunny in this crazy, wicked, fantastic, witty, evocative tale of stolen identity.

Julie has nothing. Her twin sister Chloe has everything - except a pulse. After discovering Chloe's dead body, Julie acts on imPULSE (get it?) and takes over her sister's life. This chance encounter with her estranged twin's corpse barrels her into a life of glamour and glory - the life of an influencer. However, Julie soon realizes that her sister's life was not as perfect as she thought (obviously!) and that the world of influencing is much less glamorous than it appears (again, OBVIOUSLY!). As Julie unveils the skeletons in her twin's designer-filled walk-in closet, she is faced with the many triumphs, trials and tribulations that come with stealing the identity of your famous influencer twin... Enter twisted lifestyles, internet addictions, outrageous displays of wealth, blackmail, repressed childhood trauma, and.... *squints at notes* a cult? Yeah, it's wild out there. And trust me, you WANT in on this wildness.

For a debut this is nothing less than brilliant. Liann Zhang expertly wove social media culture, media politics, contemporary racism, t̶o̶x̶i̶c ABUSIVE family dynamics, and capitalist critique into the story of a deeply flawed, deeply troubled, potentially unlikeable young Asian woman. Filled with sardonic humor and a fast pace, this is one book that will leaving you hanging from the pages, eager and DESPERATE for more.

I've rounded this one up to 3.5 stars.
An intriguing premise, Julie Chan Is Dead is full of mystery, ambition, and some incredibly vain and ruthless social media influencers.
I liked the beginning of the book, getting to know Julie, and seeing how the plot would develop. But then, as the book went on, I found it took a completely different turn than I was expecting.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley

Julie Chan is working as a cashier and has nothing so doesn’t think twice about taking on her twin sister Chloe’s identity when Julie finds her body under mysterious circumstances. Chloe is a popular influencer and a Julie finds herself in a life of luxury but soon realises Chloe’s life wasn’t as great as she first assumed.

This sounded like a really interesting storyline so I was keen to read and it ended up being a fun, entertaining read. I enjoyed that there was some dark humour within the story and the themes of dysfunctional families and the influencer world. The characters were intriguing, although I found I didn’t really connect to them. I also found the story a bit of a slow burn and maybe in the realms of the young adult genre. However, this was a promising debut overall and an enjoyable concept. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

The bright cover of this book caught my eye, the blurb intrigued me and I thought I would give it a try. Publishing on 1st May, thanks to Bloomsbury Publishers and NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for a review.

Julie is a twin, but she couldn’t have had a more different life from her sister. When they were 4 years old, their parents were killed. Chloe was adopted by an affluent NY couple and Julie is raised by her cruel aunt. Chloe has made a name for herself as a successful influencer, and when Julie finds her twin dead, it’s all too easy to steal her identity and the lifestyle.

‘She’s writing the end of Julie Chan’s story and the start of mine.’

This is the author’s debut novel and initially I was enjoying the story. There’s some humour, albeit dark, and I was curious to find out what would happen. The book felt quite slow paced and I was amazed that no one seemed to notice the twin swap. The second half of the book felt totally disjointed and weird, almost separate from the first half. It was a bit too unbelievable and ridiculous for me and let the story down.

I wanted to find out more about Chloe’s life, what had her parents done? There were hints at abuse and that Chloe was unhappy but I felt it wasn’t really explored. I was also confused as to where the incriminating tape came from that the auntie had, maybe I missed it.
Some parts could be triggering, there are brief mentions of eating disorders and baby loss.

The book does make you think about influencers, their often shallow, superficial friendships with other influencers and the fake personas on social media. In a way it can also seem cult like and I wonder if that’s what the author was trying to portray in the second half of the book.

Overall I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped. The pacing was too slow and the second half too ludicrous and sometimes disgusting. Unfortunately not a book I would recommend.

2.5 stars rounded to 2.

4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fun! Very much a morally grey main character but I was so entertained!

The book is dark and twisted and led me to having a lot of wtf moments. Definitely a good book to pick up if you’re looking for something addictive and to pull you out of a reading slump. Defo will be reading more from this author!

Liann Zhang’s debut Julie Chan Is Dead is one of the most twisted, whip-smart thrillers I’ve read all year. Set against a backdrop of influencer glitz and filtered lies, this book dives deep into the darkness behind the ring lights. When Julie takes on her twin’s identity, what she discovers isn’t fame—but fear.

The writing is razor-sharp and the pacing doesn't let up. It’s a psychological mystery that explores grief, sisterhood, and the perilous line between performance and reality.

For fans of The Other Black Girl, Bridge, or You—this is one social media feed you won’t forget.

This was a bit of a rough read. It started off strongly enough, and I was immediately hooked & eager to see where the story led. I think the premise itself was good, and I was hoping it would be a psychology thriller.

However, it took a really weird turn once Julie travelled to the island with the Belladonnas. It felt like the author tried to take the story in multiple different directions, but none of them were fleshed out enough to work. I would have loved to have seen more of the focus on one specific storyline; I think the overall book would have been stronger if Zhang had done this.

Look, I do not want to be one of those doom-mongers decrying that TikTok ruined reading, but TikTok did, in fact, ruin reading in more ways than one. Julie Chan is Dead is a Frankenstein's monster of various popular trends, themes and styles, lagging just behind enough the fashion for none of it to land in any meaningful way.

As I went in, I knew nothing about this book, apart from the fact that it has something to do with social media and influencing, and that it had less of a serious and sombre tone than something like Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli. The premise mixes together Yellowface and How to Kill Your Family, as Julie, a long-estranger working class Asian American girl assumes the identity of her twin sister Chloe, a popular influencer who was adopted as a child by a rich white couple.

The premise is ridiculous enough to clearly signal that Julie Chan is Dead is supposed to be a satire. But satire is meant to be punching up, not down. In this story, trying to keep up with another popular trend, 'let's support women's wrongs', Julie is incredibly unlikable, naïve, rash and stupid, making poor decision after poor decision (many of them quite out of character for the street-smart and crafty woman she is supposed to be). I started off thinking the object of the satire will be Chloe and her social circles, but as this retelling of Yellowface kept the structure of tis already popular counterpart, the object of the satire immediately became Julie herself, relegating Chloe to being blandly and saintly dead (as the only time we meet her in her diaries, she actually comes across as sympathetic and likable). The whole premise is unrealistic, but I found the idea that Julie can keep producing content of the same quality and at the same pace as Chloe laughable. Influencing might not be the hardest job in the world, but it does require skills, and we are told again and again that Julie posts content she makes herself (spontaneous selfies etc), without much of an effect on her following (there is one throwaway comment about it, but it focuses on the vibes of her content, not on the quality of her pics).

Around the 50% mark, the book makes a U Turn to absorb yet another popular TikTok genre - the weird girl soft horror. The novel tries to serve Mona Awad, but the problem is that even Mona Awad does not always write Mona Awad well, and the switch from tongue in cheek How to Kill Your Family clone to Bunny-light is quite jarring. The second half of the narrative still operates according to the worldbuilding and narrative rules of the first, showing a world where everyone is a complete idiot (to make the premise work in the first place), and that takes all the sails out of any menace the Belladonnas, this book's Bunnies, present. This part of the story also requires Julie to be somewhat sympathetic, something the first half of the narrative decisively trounced. Don't forget introducing a Black character just so she can make an America Ferrara worthy speech about privilege levels in content creation with the gusto of an Instagram infographic, whilst not having any further personality, agency or active role in the story.

Was there anything good about this book? It is very easy to read, and despite finding it quite frustrating, I never once thought of DNFing it. The very end I guess was alright, the lukewarm satire landed there better than it had before. Maybe this is my one rage-read of the year.

This was such a fun thriller that took quite a sharp turn in direction the last third that left me gobsmacked as it wasn;t what I expected when I came into this book. The book does explore the world of influencers and drops some commentaries about race and privlage; but not as much as one could hope for. I actually expected more from the influencer space than was given but I still throroughly enjoyed the experienced reading this book.
Julie was a complicated character with enough resentment and lonliness that her actions could be explained and feasable. She was needy enough to be desperate and manipulated to be part of the Belladonnas. So while her actions gradually became more wild, I understood her motivations and reasonings.
While reading this book did I have to suspend my disbelief a bit, sure. But it was a delicous read to experience.

A razor-sharp exploration of identity, ambition, and the dark side of influencer culture — I couldn’t look away.

A similar premise to R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface, but set in the glittering and cutthroat world of elite influencers.

Julie Chan was separated from her twin sister, Chloe, at just four years old after their parents died in a tragic accident. Chloe was quickly adopted by the wealthy Van Hussen family, while Julie ended up with their selfish, truly awful aunt.
Their lives barely crossed paths again, except when Chloe used Julie for content… until Julie finds Chloe dead in her apartment. Faced with a choice, Julie steps into her twin’s life. As "Chloe," she joins the ultra-exclusive Belladonna influencer group... but that's when things start to turn dark.

This book was just as addictive as a scroll through social media — I honestly couldn’t put it down.

Julie is definitely problematic, but is it bad that I found myself rooting for her?

I absolutely loved it!

I feel like there’s a bit to unpack here…
The first half of the book, loved it, can’t fault it, a great deep dive into the world of an influencer and social media, providing a satirical view on the internet performance we all take as real life.
The second half, well I didn’t expect any of it! Dark, twisted and wholly unsettling, albeit, a little weird in parts! Unsure how I rate this if I’m honest so I’ve gone with a generous 4, where it might’ve been a 3.5 if the first half hadn’t been quite as good.