Julie Chan Is Dead

Julie Chan Is Dead

Liann Zhang

Enjoyment: 4.0Quality: 3.75Characters: 3.5Plot: 3.25
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In this razor-sharp, diabolical debut thriller, 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.

Publication Year: 2025


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  • Thoughts from 45%

    Not as intrigued by this book as I thought I was going to be. The idea is there but I’m quite bored by the actual execution.

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  • cecee
    Feb 12, 2025
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  • Aleeho
    May 15, 2025
    Enjoyment: 3.0Quality: 2.5Characters: 3.0Plot: 2.5

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  • bookgang
    Mar 30, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

     Liann Zhang is an author to watch this year, bringing a lot of frothy fun to our book stacks with her debut thriller exploring the darker secrets of influencer culture.

    Julie and Chloe are identical twin sisters whose lives veered into very different paths after their parents tragically died in a car accident. Julie is sent to her penny-pinching aunt and is unhappily working a minimum-wage job at a supermarket. A wealthy white family adopts Chloe, and she has become an influencer with a rabid following. These estranged sisters only interact when Chloe uses Julie's unfortunate life for a video, gifting her sister a house, when she realizes philanthropic work is trending, and her sponsorships could be lucrative.

    Despite their complicated relationship, Julie can't help but answer the phone when Chloe reaches out in a bewildering call that indicates she could be in trouble. Trouble is putting it mildly because Julie finds her sister's cold, dead body in her high-rise apartment with few clues as to what could have happened. 

    When confusion ensues on the case, and the cops believe it is Julie who has died and not the infamous Chloe, she decides this could be reparations for all her life's hardships. She swiftly takes over her sister's world in a classic con story moment filled with fun revelations on what it would be like to be suddenly inundated with love and scrutiny by your fandom.

    But the second half develops into an unusual influencer excursion on a private island where she uncovers dark secrets about what it took for her sister to rise on the influencer food chain. Zhang takes the reader on surprisingly diabolical and sometimes grotesque turns as a cult horror subplot develops, reaching a fevered pace until the story's final page. 

    Readers should be prepared for Bunny meets Yellowface as these two halves of the puzzle come together in sometimes farfetched ways that still offer sharp commentary on race, class, and privilege. I enjoyed this story immensely. 

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