This book wasn’t what I expected it to be at all, and I loved it. The book is expertly written in two different parts. It begins as a great concept - woman has identical twin, the twins are raised separately after their parents’ death, her twin ends up a successful influencer whilst she struggles in a minimum wage job, the twin dies and she takes over her dead twin’s life. The first half of the book shows her trying to fit in with the other influencers, loving her twin’s lifestyle etc. The second half of the book is a twisty horror. I loved the whole thing. It’s a really fun read and I would definitely recommend it!

I was immediately drawn in by the premise of this story and I really think it started and ended really strong!! The middle put lost me a touch tho.
Julie is one of those great characters that you are not sure of you should like her or not, and I love that!! I really enjoyed seeing her move into her sisters life, and take it over. I do think the island portion of the story was a little bit rushed and we jumped from being so involved with everything to suddenly being against it! So I do think we could have spent some more time fleshing that out. But the very end was so good! I love it when a story has an ambiguous ending like this, knowing that the characters have gone through all of this and not really changed that much, and they are still gonna walk the same path.

First part: Fun idea—excited to see where this is going!
Second part: WTF.

Fast-paced, captivating, and definitely intriguing! I absolutely loved the WTF part and honestly wished it had an even bigger presence. Also, I really enjoy how I pretty much dislike every single character.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced copy!

How did the "Belladonnas" become the queens of social media? Well, let's ask Julie Chan....

This book went from dark to unhinged so quickly, but I am absolutely here for it!

This book has everything, social media, true crime, murder and a fantastic monologue from Iz about white privilege....

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this eARC.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

This was one wild ride! I was definitely hooked by the premise and some comparisons to Yellow Face from early reviews, which was one of my favourite books last year. I really enjoyed the beginning of the novel and the tension built up due to Julie’s actions.

The second half of the book is where things start to get kind of weird (not in a bad way necessarily!). The events on the island all felt very Bunny-esque, and whilst it was fun, it just didn’t quite sync with the first half of the book for me - it almost felt like a different story to the one we started with. I also felt like the ‘big reveal’ with Chloe’s death and what happened to her adoptive parents was very rushed.

I found the ending to be pretty lack lustre and was actually surprised where it ended. I get what the author was trying to do, and the message was definitely delivered, but I was hoping to see what happened at Julie’s trial.

This was surprisingly dark in some parts and one particular scene made me physically shudder - definitely a win in my book and testament to some great writing. This was offset with some funny commentary and satire of influencers, so it never felt too heavy. I have to say I do really love a story about influencers being bad and I honestly wish there had been more of this.

Overall I did really enjoy this and I finished it in 3 sittings and could feel myself wanting to keep reading on, and it was definitely very well written. I would absolutely read anything else this author writes!

What happens when your estranged identical twin dies and you "accidentally" take her identity and make a new life for yourself as a highly popular influencer?

Chloe Van Huusen is everything Julie isn't, she's a well known social media personality with tons of cash whereas Julie is a cashier that barely makes ends meet and lives with her insufferable aunt.

I loved that the book highlighted the dark side of social media and Julie had quite a few funny moments.

The book lost me after the halfway mark as I found the Belladonna's to be quite annoying and the book took a completely different turn to the point I wasn't even sure what genre it's supposed to be.

I also feel the ending felt unfinished but perhaps it's setting up for a sequel?

I quite literally tore through this - pacing, tone and general social commentary were stand out elements for me and it actually made me laugh out loud a few times despite the last 40% of the novel being a pretty drastic tonal shift requiring suspension of disbelief. I also think the story could have benefitted from more in depth characterisation in lieu of some of the more on the nose social commentary, and the ending felt slightly incomplete and rushed. Overall it was a great read with lots of engrossing twists and turns, perfect for a beach read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you Net Gallery for the book. It was very enjoyable, very entertaining, lots of twists and turns. I loved the characters. The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that it kept me reading way past midnight, I couldn't put it down! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy 💕

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book- the write up said this was like yellow face meets bunny. Having loved both those books, I had pretty high expectations, but boy this delivered. It was such a wild ride and honestly I really didn’t expect it to go in the direction it did!! I won’t say much about it, because this is one of those books that is best to just go into and enjoy the ride. The story is fast paced and gripping, at no point did I feel any lulls in the narrative- it’s 100% one of those books you can just sit down and read in a sitting because you HAVE to know what happens next. It’s just so enthralling to see what Julie is going to do next- it’s crazy because even though she is literally the worst, I found myself hoping things would work out for her at times. Either way if you are a fan of thriller I am pleasing with you to give this one a try!

Woah!! This is one of the best books I’ve read. It really is not what you’ll expect. If you like tense, page turning reads this is for you. It’s a brilliant debut. You’ll love the characters (or love to hate!) and you’ll want more books from this talent!

DNF. I don't think this is particularly well written. I don't know if it's the break-neck pace that's deeply involved in its main character, so much so that we only get a surface level experience of the rest of the world, I found the needless melodrama about Julie's life and the stereotypical archetype of the 'rich influencer' to be lazy writing choices and ultimately, I had no desire to continue on with the book and keep forcing myself to read once I hit the quarter mark. Considering the success of 'Yellowface' it was really only a matter of time before we started seeing books in a similar vein, but of varying quality and I was hoping that 'Julie Chan Is Dead' would give more than it ultimately did.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the concept for this book sounded super interesting and unique, the beginning was really good and I was really invested in the story, but as the book went on with the Belladonna’s just felt a little messy and it just ended up not what I was expecting

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and boy it did not disappoint.

I loved this book. First 5 star of 2025. It felt like you went through 3 different stories in 1. So different and interesting. Definitely a must read for fans of yellow-face. Kept me gripped from the very first page to the last

I was really excited to read Liann Zhang’s debut novel Julie Chan is Dead.

Julie and Chloe Chan, identical twins, were separated as young children after the death of their parents. Julie is raised by her aunt and Chloe is adopted by a wealthy family. They grow up in different worlds with almost no contact - Chloe becomes a social media phenomenon and Julie works as a cashier.

Fast forward - Julie really meant to call the police when she discovers Chloe’s dead body. Instead Julie accidentally steals Chloe’s life and social media following.

What ensues is a whirlwind fun read. It pokes fun at the world of influencers and the current state of social media - warts and all. Also there’s the initial fear of Julie’s secret being discovered.

I can’t wait to read future books by Liann Zhang.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bloomsbury Publishing, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book follows Julie whose influencer sister dies and she assumes her identity. I was really interested in the story at the start and up until the 50% I thought it was going to be a 4/5 start but everything after the halfway point made no sense. I felt like it didn’t add to the story or seem like a natural progression of where it should have went. The first half and second half felt like they were written by two different people. Overall I was disappointed with how it ended

Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang is a gripping and thought-provoking thriller that delves into the shadowy side of social media, identity, and obsession. This razor-sharp debut follows Julie Chan, a young supermarket cashier, who steps into the glamorous life of her deceased twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer with millions of adoring followers. What starts as a desperate escape from her mundane life soon becomes a sinister and dangerous game, as Julie discovers that her sister’s picture-perfect online persona is hiding dark, disturbing secrets.

The novel is both a psychological thriller and a sharp commentary on the cult-like mentality that social media can foster. As Julie adopts Chloe’s identity, she’s forced to confront the shallow, curated nature of online fame and the dangers of living in a world where people believe they know you, yet understand nothing about your true self. Julie's journey through the influencer world is both intoxicating and chilling, as she uncovers the hidden layers of her sister’s life, which were far from as glamorous as they appeared.

Zhang expertly weaves tension into every page, as Julie, initially captivated by the luxurious lifestyle she’s always envied, soon finds herself entangled in a web of deceit and danger. The retreat with Chloe’s influencer friends becomes a ticking time bomb, and Julie is forced to unravel the mystery of Chloe’s death while fearing that she might be next.

At its core, Julie Chan is Dead is a meditation on the way we all present ourselves online, and how, in doing so, we can lose touch with our true identities. The book encourages readers to think critically about the personas we create and how social media distorts reality. It’s a compelling and unsettling exploration of how far one might go to escape their life – and what happens when one takes on someone else’s. This book will have you questioning the nature of fame, identity, and the pressures of living in a world where everything is curated for the public eye.

A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone interested in the dark side of influencer culture, Julie Chan is Dead is a thought-provoking, twist-filled debut that is sure to leave readers captivated and questioning the authenticity of their online selves.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I was really eager to read this once i read the description and it did not disappoint, it actually made me smile in places even though its not that genre of book. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I'm grateful I was given the opportunity. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends 5**

This book makes compelling reading. What a world we live in, when influencers are adored and followed by a susceptible audience. It is positively frightening how much power and influence these individuals can have. Julie appears, at first meeting, to be a more worthy person than her influencer twin sister, Chloe. However, it is frighteningly easy for her to be swept up into a world where fame and fortune are valued more than integrity. To me, the first three quarters of the novel were powerful and convincing, but the final quarter seemed rather too far fetched. However, cults do exist, and followers are frequently brainwashed into accepting the unacceptable. I certainly couldn’t put the book down, and devoured every word until the powerful ending. Definitely worth reading, though you might never view influencer content again.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

The first half of this book is very witty, it made me laugh out loud at several points. The second half sees the story take a darker turn which I also enjoyed.

This story is fast paced throughout which makes it very moreish to read-I flew through this book!

Overall I found this a fun, quick read and I look forward to more from this author.
Overl

Bonkers but I loved it. The term influencer has a new meaning with the Belladonna’s on the scene. Will Julie Chan use her powers for good or evil. Only time will tell. This book makes me want to hide from social media forever - even though I can’t stop watching the clips on Facebook of amazing household tips and tricks (not sure what Facebook thinks of me! Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.