Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang review

About The Book

Book: Julie Chan is Dead
Author: Liann Zhang
Standalone or Series: Standalone
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date (UK): 1st May 2025

My Review

When a tragic accident kills their parents, twin sisters Chloe and Julie are separated – Julie sent to live with their poor aunt whilst Chloe is adopted. Years later, Julie stumbles across her twin’s social media channel and is stunned to see her own face staring back at her.

Chloe is now a successful and wealthy influencer. Julie, struggling, is fascinated – and jealous. Then she receives a cryptic voicemail. She heads to Chloe’s swanky NYC apartment, only to find her twin dead. When the police arrive, they assume the body is Julie’s. Realising the opportunity at hand, Julie is no rush to correct them. Taking over Chloe’s identity seems like the perfect escape.

What follows is a sharp, cynical and dark satire of influencer culture. Julie rationalises her deception and new-found career by stating: “At least I’m not running crypto-scams or filming dead bodies in suicide forests or dancing for TikTok in front of Auschwitz.” And it’s absolutely awful that all of these things have happened. Truth is stranger than fiction, right?

Soon, “Chloe” is swept into the elite world of the Belladonnas, a select group of female influencers led by queen bee Bella Marie. But a clandestine luxury getaway reveals darker and weirder undercurrents behind the curated perfection.

Although the book begins with a body and ends with secrets, this isn’t your standard crime novel. There’s no central mystery that Julie is trying to solve – just a biting, brilliant commentary on internet fame, identity and the strange culture of the influencer era.

I read this in one day whilst on holiday, so I guess this photo is a bit at odds with the book. Though it was a digital detox! I’m just glad I wasn’t with Bella Marie…

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.