A slickly funny, dark social media satire, Julie Chan is Dead is Prince and the Pauper by way of Yellowface, in which the estranged twin of a popular influencer takes on her identity to solve her sister's mysterious passing. Cynical and emotive in equal measure, Julie Chan is anchored with enjoyable self-centered characters and an enjoyable mystery at its heart.

This is perfect for fans of yellowface, disorientation and the assumed/ stolen identity plotlines .This is also a seethubg almost satirical take on influencer culture and how perception can be shaped and it's very relevant to society in those terms. The book does take several dark and twisty turns, which I did not anticipate and towards the end it veers into kind of almost bonkers plotlines with a cultish Island, which I'm not sure how I feel about. But overall it's a very quick and engaging read.

This was a fun and fast-paced thriller, I enjoyed how entertaining I found it. We follow Julie, a Chinese American young woman who grew up with her greedy aunt while her twin sister Chloe was adopted by a wealthy WASP family. When Chloe, who has become a very successful influencer, dies, Julie decides she won't tell anyone and will just take her place and her life. What could go wrong?...
Elements of the book reminded me of other thrillers I read recently enough about influencers and the beauty industry, "Natural Beauty" by Ling Ling Huang for example (just came out too), and its cultish culture. It reads more like a horror book than a thriller, there's body horror in it and it was definitely far-fetched but I enjoyed it as a fun, quick weekend read.

I’m almost a little annoyed at myself for enjoy Julie Chan is dead as much as I did. Intending only to read the beginning for the Bloomsbury Big Night In readathon, I found it so engaging that I sped through it in record time. I wouldn’t consider myself the biggest follower of influencers, but Julie Chan’s assumption of her dead sister’s identity, on the background of their vast differences, made for the kind of drama I absolutely needed to rubberneck to.

Plot twist? Check. Twisted AF? Check. Dark and weird? Check, check!

In addition, author Liann Zhang delivers a sharp satirical view of influencer culture, and insightful commentary on white-washing, privilege, and internalised racism.

Gosh, I just loved this book. So much drrrrama! I kind of want a sequel, but also kind of not - I like to have room to imagine for myself what should happen to Julie… and what probably would.

I enjoyed this one! It definitely takes a sharp turn in the second half which turns it into a completely different book

Goodbye Julie, Love Chloe is a wickedly smart and compulsively readable thriller that sinks its teeth into influencer culture, identity, and obsession—with style, bite, and a whole lot of nerve. Think You meets The Talented Mr. Ripley, wrapped in ring lights and sponsored skincare.

When Julie Chan stumbles upon her estranged twin Chloe’s lifeless body, she means to do the right thing. Really. But one swipe into her sister’s phone opens a door she didn’t expect: Chloe’s curated, expensive, envy-inducing life. And Julie? She walks right through it. Because who would know the difference?

Thus begins Julie’s twisted rebrand into Chloe 2.0—a detoxed, filtered, and hashtag-ready version of herself. But as she navigates the glittering, backstabbing world of The Belladonnas—a tribe of sleek, high-profile influencers—Julie learns that looking the part isn’t enough. Someone knows she’s not who she claims to be. And the longer she plays pretend, the more dangerous the game becomes.

Authoritatively sharp and outrageously fun, this novel is more than just a thriller—it’s a biting commentary on the dark allure of curated identity, online performance, and the fragile line between self-invention and self-erasure. Julie is a captivating antiheroine, deeply flawed yet oddly sympathetic, and her descent (or ascent?) into this new life is as addictive to read as any true-crime binge or viral Instagram reel.

While the pacing occasionally dips in the middle (in between unboxings and influencer events), the tension always simmers just beneath the surface, waiting to pounce. And the ending? Deliciously satisfying.

If you love your thrillers stylish, savage, and a little unhinged, Goodbye Julie, Love Chloe is the book to add to your TBR.

Skincare. Influencers. And...murder. This is the story of Julie Chan is Dead. After a mysterious call from her estranged twin sister Chloe, Julie heads to New York only to find her dead. What follows is a wild roller coaster after Julie decides to assume the life of her much wealthier, widely adored sister, at least according to Chloe's followers. Julie isn't likeable, and she's not supposed to be—that's not what makes a good influencer. She's supposed to seem likeable, and that's the crucial difference. As the book progresses, it's easy to understand why Julie was primed for this, perhaps better than she even believed. As Julie continues to take on this life that doesn't belong to her, the narrative and Julie herself spiral. If you watch enough reality TV, where we end up isn't a stretch—it's not hard to understand how things escalated. And boy, escalate they did.

No matter how extreme things got, how many poor choices were made primarily by the main character and certainly by the secondary ones, cringe-worthy things were said, I could not stop reading. And I suspect that's entirely the point. Zhang cleverly emulates the experience of scrolling through social media on the page. Reading this book might even be the literary equivalent of doom scrolling, raising some questions in this era of social media that need asking: why are we unable to untether ourselves from our phones? Why do we latch onto parasocial relationships with strangers? How many likes and follows are we away from losing ourselves and what we believe to be reality?

I loved how the book teased apart so many contradictions and binaries of influencer and social media culture. It begins to unpack how influencers are simultaneously dehumanized but are also (re)platformed even in the face of scandal and reprehensible behaviour. This novel has a lot to say about this niche and also somehow pervasive world of influencing, especially how groupthink and echo chambers are exacerbated by the currency of social media likes, shares and follows. One dissenting opinion can cost you the social currency you've spent years tirelessly building and, like the extremes in this novel, potentially much more. With so much to lose including oneself, I think Zhang is asking why bother at all? Is that worth it? Before one is tempted to say it's not that deep, this context is a necessary lens, especially if you're like me, who is still processing the ending of this book. Because Julie is almost impossible to root for. And yet.

Julie Chan is Dead is the perfect horror comedy for the attention economy era. If you've ever questioned stan culture, are an avid watcher of reality TV and love to analyze its mechanics, this is the one for you. It is truly a contemporary novel of our times.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eArc of this book!

This book was so close to a 5 star read. This is one of those books that I didn't want to put down, thought about it throughout the day, and looked forward to the moments I could pick my kindle up and read again. For the guys and gals who haven't read a thriller/mystery before but want to dip their toe in, this is a great one! It's gripping, tense and mysterious. It starts out quite light hearted and easy to read, but wow does it get disturbing! I had to knock off half a star for the mouse incident (iykyk) because I think that was just too far for me and felt completely unnecessary. I understand the vibe the author was trying to go for (desperately trying to not give spoilers!) but I think this could have been done in a less horrific way.

This is a disturbing, creepy, tense and mysterious thriller. It's very well written and I absolutely flew through it. Definitely recommend, but read with caution!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Pubslihing (UK & ANZ) for the arc!

🌟✨️/5

Me: No one can test the limits of my suspension of disbelief like Freida McFadden
Liann Zhang: Hold my beer

Julie Chan Is Dead was a wild, wild ride but not in a good way. I was looking forward to reading this take on racism, influencer culture and the toxic relationships that come with it and of course, my favorite trope: rich people doing bad things (and hopefully suffering towards the end). Unfortunately, this turned out to be a huge mess.

The first half mostly delivered on what it promised. Yes, Julie was insufferable, but I suppose that's the point of the book. Some parts almost gave me Yellowface vibes. It felt rooted in real life, I could believe that influencers could do these things. That said, I did not expect it to be almost slow paced. Personally, it didn't feel like unputdownable, addictive, fast paced thriller it was touted as.

The second half...oh, the second half. It felt like it was written by a completely different person and couldn't decide of it was a normal thriller or horror. The author suddenly decided to pull of Bunny and the result was ridiculous. I can't say exactly what made me intensely loathe this book because of spoilery reasons but feel free to DM me if you've read this and would like to talk about it. Let's just say that it left a bad taste in my mouth.

You my be thinking that I just don't get it, that the absurdity was intentional on the author's part and it's a critique of influencer culture. Look, I get it...I just didn't like the way it was executed, especially because I didn't know that THIS was what I was getting into. And of course, getting the point a book is trying to make and disliking said book are not mutually exclusive. I didn't completely hate the ending, though.

I disliked both halves of the book for different reasons. I understand why it's getting glowing reviews and I'm sure it'll find its audience but it's just not me.

This one was very easy to read! I enjoyed the first half of the book more, where it shows the life of influencers and stuff. Once a trio happens, there is a different vibe and I wasn't as invested. Overall, is a bonkers story and very entertaining!

Reading this book is like eating a doughnut and finding out it has jam in the middle when you thought it was plain.... but then LOVING the jam anyway. I thought it was MAD and absolutely brilliant. There's a level of crazy that I applaud the author for getting to, for really ripping that layer off content creators and just how dark social media really can be!!!

I loved Julie and the other characters, but mainly Julie was just so.... normal? She behaved exactly how I feel i would have done (well up until the island chapters because that's too far for me) but I loved all the behind the scenes, like the PR unboxings and the assistants etc.

Writing was fab, I cannot believe this is a debut. So relatable, so easy to read, fab pacing and I didn't want to put the book down until I was finished.

Absolutely bonkers! Absolutely brilliant!

Julie and Chloe are identical twins who were raised separately after their parents died. Chloe is a popular influencer, surrounded by glamour, wealth and brand deals. Julie is broke and her life is going nowhere fast.

When Julie discovers Chloe’s body, she can’t help but declare the deceased to be, well, herself, meaning she now has Chloe’s identify and influencer life and nobody will know the difference. All she has to do is fit in as Chloe.

Dark, funny and absolutely riveting, this book explores the dark side of social media and influencers lives, reminding us that not everything online is a true representation of reality.

The second half, when a group of influencers spend time on an island belonging to their queen bee, Bella Marie, went a bit too far to be believable, so be prepared to suspend your disbelief for a while and enjoy the crazy ride!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Liann Zhang and Bloomsbury for an ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5 Stars. Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this e-arc in return for an honest review.

Julie Chan is Dead is a fast-paced, dark exploration of identity, fame, and the toxicity of social media. I couldn't help but draw comparisons to Yellowface, which is one of my all time favourite books, especially in terms of the identity themes that both works explore. The first half of the book felt eerily similar, particularly with the jealousy-driven dynamics, though it wasn't necessarily a bad thing—it just made me reflect on how these books intersect in their commentary on identity and societal expectations.

The novel’s portrayal of women acting unhinged is honestly refreshing. I’m here for that “good for her” vibe when characters embrace their darker impulses, even if it’s a little unsettling. Julie Chan’s descent into this chaos is fascinating, especially considering how she starts off so much like everyone else. By the end, she’s fully overtaken by the vicious cycle of fame, making her evolution the most gripping part of the book. And also shocking!

The influencer world, with its unhealthy comparisons and cult-like behaviour, is dissected with sharp commentary. While the narrative didn’t give me a character to root for (Julie included), I think that’s actually one of the book’s strengths. The lack of likeability isn’t a flaw, but rather a reflection of how disconnected and detached these characters have become. I wasn't as emotionally invested in Julie’s fate as I thought I’d be, but the story still had me hooked.

The second half of the book takes a darker turn, and the pacing is fast, which I love. The chapters are short and bingeable, making it a quick read that pulls you through its chaotic narrative. I find long chapters just drag on, so this book was perfect! Well-written, but definitely unsettling in places—like the part with the mice, which... let’s not talk about that, still turns my stomach.

Overall, Julie Chan is Dead is an unhinged ride through the highs and lows of internet fame. The exploration of self-destruction and obsession with social media is a timely and important conversation, though there were moments where I wished the characters were more fully fleshed out. Still, it’s an intriguing, darkly funny, and thought-provoking novel that’s perfect for fans of fast-paced, somewhat unhinged fiction.

THE THRILLER OF THE YEAR!.

This book is not what you think! 👀 From the incipit I would have expected anything but that I read the further I went!

I don’t want to give you too many clues because it is just such a unique experience to slowly enter the life of the late Chloe and I don’t want to give any spoiler. I will just say that it was crazy and sort of hilarious to see the transformation of the protagonist from her initial personality to her influencer one  to an even more delusional one lol. To know more you just have to read this book as soon as it comes out, I recommend it to all thriller fans!

"One thing needs to be made clear: I did not kill my twin sister"

As a guest of honour at Bloomsbury Big Night In, I was given the opportunity to read Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang and it was such a delight. I had expected it to be similar to Yellowface and while there were some similarities, Julie Chan is Dead firmly sets itself apart with a few interesting and jaw dropping twists. There is blackmail, social media pressure and deep, dark secrets.

Julie is separated from her twin Chloe when Chloe gets adopted by a rich couple. Chloe goes on to build a high-end influencer brand and has ignored her twin who feels trapped in her supermarket job. Julie had hoped to rebuild their relationship when Chloe gifts her a house in a video that goes viral but Chloe again ignores her. Until one day, Julie goes to see Chloe after a strange phone call and finds her dead. Strange circumstances result in her being mistaken for Chloe and after a moment of hesitation, she steps into Chloe’s shoes for better or worse.

You are drawn to understand Julie’s emotions, her hopelessness, her desperation, her desire to keep the life she adopted, no matter what the cost. Is it worth it really? Or does the cost of losing the fame, and the fortune too much to risk?

The story is cleverly written with moments that made me laugh out loud, literally.

“Some family portraits are so old, I’m surprised a British Museum hasn’t taken them."

Pick this up for a quick, interesting and entertaining read but be warned, there was a moment that had my stomach feeling a bit queasy. It’s a necessary turning point however so don’t let this put you off.

Thank you to @tandemcollectiveglobal, @bloomsbury_export and @theliannz for the opportunity to read this.

After receiving a weird call from her estranged influencer twin sister, Julie feels the need to go check on her. However, when Julie arrives to Chloe's New York apartment, she finds her dead on the floor. After unlocking Chloe's phone to call 911, and getting a glimpse of what her life looks like in the meantime, Julie decides to take over for her twin.

This was completely unhinged from the very start, and I absolutely loved it. Julie makes one bad decision after the other, and it's so frustrating, but also makes for such a page-turner. It is so fun to watch her dive into this world she has no clue about and slowly but surely blend in, while also finding out more and more about her twin's life, and realizing that maybe it wasn't as perfect as she had imagined.

I would say I did enjoy the first half a lot more, and it definitely felt like there was a complete vibe switch in the second one. It got even crazier, in a way that I expected, but also totally didn't see coming, if that makes sense? It definitely wasn't bad or anything like that, it was just sudden and somewhat out of the blue. It got so completely unhinged at one point, and I thought it was going completely off the rails, but then it came out around, but also didn't? The writing was so easy and engaging, it made it so easy to get sucked into this world, and it genuinely was such a fun ride.

"Julie Chan is Dead" by Luann Zhang is a razor-sharp and darkly comedic thriller that delves into the treacherous world of social media and influencer culture.

The story follows Julie Chan, a woman living a mundane life who steps into the identity of her deceased twin sister, Chloe, a glamorous influencer.

The book has an engaging plot, unexpected twists, and incisive commentary on social media, privilege, and identity. It was captivating and hard to put down, loved the exploration of the dark side of online fame and the lengths people will go to for validation.

Overall, "Julie Chan is Dead" is a fresh and entertaining debut that offers a thought-provoking, albeit sometimes over-the-top, ride. If you enjoy thrillers with dark humor, social commentary, and aren't afraid of a wild plot, this book could be for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was engaging and suspenseful. It took several turns I was not expecting but I liked their darkness. The social commentary was strong and compelling. The main character was unreliable and the other characters and the main character were pretty much all unlikeable but it made sense for the story and it did not bother me at all. The writing felt mastered and not clumsy like a debut novel can sometimes be.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The book was not what I was expecting at all.  The premise is that Asian identical twin sisters are separated at around 4 years old when their parents die.  One (Julie) is brought up in a working-class home with her horrible aunt, and the other (Chloe) is adopted by a rich white couple.

Chloe is a popular influencer with millions of followers, while Julie works in a convenience store.  One night, Julie gets a phone call from Julie that is garbled. It sounds like ‘I’m sorry’.  When she can’t get hold of Chloe on the phone again, Julie makes the decision to get a bus to New York to find out what Chloe is sorry about.  On arriving at her apartment, she finds her sister’s dead body.  Long story short, she decides to take over her sister’s influencer life.

All goes predictable in what you imagine an influencer’s life revolves around – events, product launches, lunches, collabs, etc.  We also meet Bella Marie and her Belladonnas – the ‘friends’ that Chloe seems to have.  They all jet off to a secluded island for their annual wellness detox where they go off the grid and leave all social media behind for a week, and that’s where everything goes crazy. 

I’m sure some influencers will do anything to get followers and paid endorsements, but this was so far-fetched.  But overall, I still enjoyed the book. It definitely makes you think twice about all these celebrities that do paid endorsements for certain products.

A MUST READ OMG ?!?!?

I’ve just finished this and let me tell you THE JOURNEY you will be on once you start this book!! The things you will witness, the shock, the absurdity the spiraling the more you keep reading omg

I loved this I loved this I loved this. I don’t even wanna say too much about the plot cause I don’t want to give anything away, I just loved how crazy and also kinda funny it was, especially when we see the change in Julie’s character throughout the book, from her initial self to the influencer persona to the straight-up crazy cult transformation lol

PLS READ THIS BOOK THANK U
(and thank you to netgalley, tandem collective and Bloomsbury export for the copy)