Julie Chan Is Dead

A Novel

De: Liann Zhang

Narrado por: Yu-Li Alice Shen

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.

©2025 Liann Zhang (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Hooked from the beginning

The narration was great and it had me hooked from the beginning. The main character is not likeable in anyway as well as the other characters but all in all, it was an interesting story that had me coming back!

different perspective on climbing the social ladder.

a glimpse at behind the lives of those most influential in society and the pressures they undergo, and how it can consume an individual to save face...even when the cameras are off. a different perspective on the social ladder and what individuals are will to do in order to climb it.

Kardashians meet Survivor murder mystery

The storyline was very well written. He reminded me a lot of reality television meets murder she wrote. Has the title of my review. They kept me wondering how long the main character could uphold her lie. If you were not sensitive to the F bomb, this is a wonderful book to read.

spooky in the influencer era

A fun, thrilling book that perfectly captures the influencer, social media age that we currently preside in.

Chilling, immersive, and brutally honest, this one stayed with me

Julie Chan Is Dead completely pulled me in from the start. What begins as a dark and emotionally raw story about estranged twin sisters slowly unravels into something far more unsettling. The plot dives deep into identity, influencer culture, race, privilege, and how performative the world around us really is. Just when I thought I had a grip on what the story was about, it twisted again—in the best way.

The narrator absolutely nailed this audiobook. She gave every character a distinct voice, tone, and energy. It didn’t just feel like someone reading to me—it felt like I was watching a movie in my mind. I could see the characters, feel their shifts, and even anticipate their lies. It made the entire experience so immersive, I binged the last few chapters like I was glued to a screen.

Julie is one of those rare characters you go back and forth on. At times I felt for her deeply, especially knowing what she endured. But I also couldn’t ignore how much of her darkness was self-chosen. That tension is what made her story so powerful. And as a woman of color, I really appreciated how the book called out the way whiteness—especially white femininity—can silently shape success, desirability, and who gets to rise without even trying. That truth hit hard, and the author didn’t flinch away from it.

Five stars. I already recommended it to three people and I’m still unpacking it in my head.

I disliked when the book ended I audibly yelled out noooo!

Absolutely loved it

This is the type of book that you need to go into knowing it is culty but letting yourself experience the book. I really liked it and it kept me hooked.

Interesting premise, complicated main character

Initially, I wasn’t sure how to rate this book, but the story has stuck with me. There were a few parts that were difficult to get through, but it paid off in the end. I identified with the main character’s background so I went into the book on a personal level, when I probably should’ve looked at it more as an alternate reality.

The narrator was not my favorite; the voice they used for male characters in particular was grating and off-putting, but there weren’t too many male characters so it wasn’t bad.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the narrative on social media. It is definitely worth a listen.

Wow that was not what I expected

What an interesting POV on the horrors of social media, cults, and what people are truly capable of.

Okay work I guess

It has a decent start , strong middle, and confusing ending where I am where is this going ? I had to read spoilers because I was like it gets to the point

I think there was great commentary about social media , race / class issues, and cult following but it kinda lost the point where I was like wrap this up.

I get why people say it’s kinda like yellow face , and I think for a 1st book for a new author it wasn’t so bad

Not for the over 35-year-old age group

I ‘get’ the social media references but could not be persuaded to find the social media backdrop appealing. I doubt anyone over the age of 35 will think differently. Without accepting the hyperbolic social media theme, the story failed me miserably. But I felt that there were many other flaws. For example, I’ve never read a book that didn’t give the reader a single likable character, while simultaneously portraying all the dislikable characters as stereotypical. I was hoping the ending might redeem the book, but the attempt to shock and horrify the reader at the end only bored me. I doubt I will read another of this authors work.