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Julie Chan Is Dead: A Novel
In this debut thriller perfect for fans of Bunny and Yellowface, a young woman steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life, only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade.
Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.
Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.
Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.
Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.
Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.
Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.
Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.
Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.
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Community Reviews
3.5/5 âï¸ (rounded up)
"Julie Chen is Dead" by Liann Zhang delivers a biting, satirical jab at influencer culture with a twist so sharp it might just leave a mark. The story kicks off with Julie, a regular grocery store clerk, discovering her ultra-famous influencer twin, Chloe, dead. In a moment of envy and impulse, Julie decides to assume Chloeâs identity, letting the world believe that *she's* the one pushing daisies.
The first half of the novel offers a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes chaos of influencer lifeâwhere tragedy and trauma are just content fodder for likes and sponsorships. Zhang masterfully peels back the glossy filter to reveal the messy reality, and itâs hard to look away. Like many readers, I was reminded of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, though this book leans even harder into the absurd.
ThenâBAMâthe plot takes a hard swerve into cult-horror territory. The sudden shift cranks up the pace, making it nearly impossible to put down, but it also feels like two wildly different books mashed into one. Both halves had the potential to shine on their own, but the drastic tonal pivot left me scratching my head and struggling to connect with Julie. As an anti-hero, sheâs less "lovably flawed" and more "what even are you doing, girl?"
The novel dabbles with racial commentary in the influencer world, which was fascinating but felt underexplored. Instead, the cult-horror plotline takes center stage, delivering jaw-dropping moments (looking at you, mouse sceneâIYKYK). While the shock factor is high, it sometimes feels like it hijacks a deeper conversation for sheer drama.
Julie Chan is Dead is a wild ride you can devour like a popcorn bucket at the movies. If you loved Yellowface, dig cult-horror, or just want something unputdownable, buckle up and dive in.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for a honest review. Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang is scheduled to be released on April 29, 2025.
"Julie Chen is Dead" by Liann Zhang delivers a biting, satirical jab at influencer culture with a twist so sharp it might just leave a mark. The story kicks off with Julie, a regular grocery store clerk, discovering her ultra-famous influencer twin, Chloe, dead. In a moment of envy and impulse, Julie decides to assume Chloeâs identity, letting the world believe that *she's* the one pushing daisies.
The first half of the novel offers a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes chaos of influencer lifeâwhere tragedy and trauma are just content fodder for likes and sponsorships. Zhang masterfully peels back the glossy filter to reveal the messy reality, and itâs hard to look away. Like many readers, I was reminded of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, though this book leans even harder into the absurd.
ThenâBAMâthe plot takes a hard swerve into cult-horror territory. The sudden shift cranks up the pace, making it nearly impossible to put down, but it also feels like two wildly different books mashed into one. Both halves had the potential to shine on their own, but the drastic tonal pivot left me scratching my head and struggling to connect with Julie. As an anti-hero, sheâs less "lovably flawed" and more "what even are you doing, girl?"
The novel dabbles with racial commentary in the influencer world, which was fascinating but felt underexplored. Instead, the cult-horror plotline takes center stage, delivering jaw-dropping moments (looking at you, mouse sceneâIYKYK). While the shock factor is high, it sometimes feels like it hijacks a deeper conversation for sheer drama.
Julie Chan is Dead is a wild ride you can devour like a popcorn bucket at the movies. If you loved Yellowface, dig cult-horror, or just want something unputdownable, buckle up and dive in.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for a honest review. Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang is scheduled to be released on April 29, 2025.
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