Nominated for The Trillium Book Award

Longlisted for CBC Canada Reads 2026

INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
One of NPR’s Books We Love for 2025

2026 Libby Book Awards Best Thriller

For fans of Bunny and Yellowface, this razor-sharp debut thriller blends biting satire with chilling suspense, as 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 barely scraping by, 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 body, she doesn’t call the police. Instead, she slips into her dead sister’s meticulously curated life: luxury fashion, high-end skincare, and a devoted online following who never noticed they weren’t quite the same.

At first, the transformation is seamless. Julie relishes the perks of influencer fame, but quickly learns that behind Chloe’s flawless feed lay secrets far darker than she imagined. Her sister’s final days were shadowed by paranoia, manipulation, and something far more sinister.

Now, trapped on a private island retreat with Chloe’s inner circle—an elite clique of influencers obsessed with status and secrecy—Julie is forced to keep up the act while being haunted by her sister’s untimely death. 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.

Darkly funny, fiercely paced, and full of sharp commentary on identity, fame, and the cost of visibility, Julie Chan Is Dead is a twisted thrill ride where fitting in could be fatal—and the people behind the posts are the real danger.

About The Author

Claire Lam

Liann Zhang

Liann Zhang is an award winning and internationally bestselling Chinese Canadian author. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Her debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead, has won the Libby Award for best thriller, been nominated for an Anthony Award, a Trillium Book Award, a Barry Award, an ITW Award, a Kobo Award, and was longlisted for Canada Reads. Her work has been translated and published in ten languages. She splits her time between Vancouver and Toronto where she lives with her two cats, Juice and Bean.

Product Details

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (April 29, 2025)
Length: 320 pages
ISBN13: 9781668079867

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Raves and Reviews

“A razor-sharp, diabolical thriller that peels back the glossy veneer of influencer culture to reveal its darkest depths. Twisty and provocative, Liann Zhang’s debut is a chilling exploration of the price of online perfection and adoration. If you loved Yellowface, this is the novel for you – gripping, timely, and crackling with tension.”
— KARMA BROWN, #1 national bestselling author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife

“A darkly funny rollercoaster of a read, layered with biting satire and sharp cultural observations. The moment I finished this remarkable debut, I wanted to call my best friends and unpack my feelings about characters who felt unsettlingly real – whose situations seemed both impossibly farfetched and just strange enough to be true. This novel walks a tightrope between satirical fun and unsettling tension, and I couldn’t put it down. Perfect for fans of Yellowface, and the cure for any reading slump!”
— MARISSA STAPLEY, New York Times bestselling author of The Lightning Bottles

“Outrageously fun. Julie Chan is Dead is both a propulsive, heart-pounding ride and a layered examination of social media, status, and obsession.”
— GRACE D. LI, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief

“Edgy, vicious, and impossible to put down, Julie Chan is Dead is a genre-elevating thriller about the temptations and terrors of influencer culture. With unforgettable scene craft and a stunningly rendered narrative voice, Liann Zhang has debuted to the top of my reading list.”
— AMBER COWIE, award-winning author of The Off Season

“Clever, insightful, and biting, Julie Chan is Dead, with its searing look at the influencer industry, lightning-fast plot, and unhinged cast of characters, is the definition of a read-in-one-sitting thriller. Chilling and immersive, this one is sure to leave a mark.”
— ASHLEY TATE, bestselling author of Twenty-Seven Minutes

“Written by a former content creator, this delicious and outrageous exploration of influencer culture has both Yellowface and Yellowjackets vibes.”
— Chatelaine

“Liann Zhang’s Julie Chain is Dead is the Bunny of influencer culture. I laughed, I cringed – I could not keep those pages turning fast enough! Timely, darkly comedic, and utterly unhinged in the best way possible, Zhang’s debut is an impressive thriller from a writer to watch!”
— SHEENA KAMAL, author of No Going Back

“Engrossing and diabolically fun. Zhang's wonderful debut made me cringe, laugh, and cover my eyes. I was hooked until the very last page.”
— MONIKA KIM, author of The Eyes Are the Best Part

“As mesmerizing as it is grotesque, Julie Chan is Dead exposes the rotten insides of the influencer industry with sharp insight and dark humor. It perfectly captures the absurdity of our permanently online modern age.”
— SOPHIE WAN, author of Women of Good Fortune

“I devoured this sharp and wickedly funny novel about the intoxicating and corruptive promise of love and connection telegraphed by influencers. With prose that crackles off the page, Liann Zhang skewers our brave new world where everything and anything is leveraged for likes.”
— LING LING HUANG, author of Natural Beauty