Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Julie Chan is Dead: 'An absolute masterpiece' Stylist

Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Julie Chan is Dead: 'An absolute masterpiece' Stylist by Liann Zhang, Liann Zhang

128 reviews

firststreetbethreads's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

arnold_shelby's review against another edition

4.5

dark funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I reeeeally enjoyed this read. The premise is a lot of fun and it went even darker than I really expected. I thought it did a good job of raising the stakes and keeping things unhinged but not obscene.

A great read I'll be recommending to anyone into influencer culture!

Content Warnings

sweetpavement's review against another edition

5.0

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Stepford Wives meets Midsomar with a twist from the same lemon Gillian Flynn uses to garnish her drinks. Another Simple Favor if it had been released by NEON instead of Amazon Studios. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it; it's a beach read perfect for the beach in, well, The Beach, or maybe American Psycho for the Instagram generation.

Content Warnings

keilanisaurusrex's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

jazhandz's review against another edition

3.5

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Alonso Duralde, a film critic I admire deeply, says that debut filmmakers all tend to have the same problem: they don’t know if they’ll get another one, so they throw every single idea they have into that first movie. Julie Chan is Dead suffers from this problem and from a terminal lack of subtlety. I liked it but I would have absolutely liked it more with a defter hand.

Content Warnings

miette718's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wow. Damn. This book was a lot of things, but definitely not what I expected. For some reason, I was expecting more comedy, romance, lighthearted vibes. This was not that! Calling it horror might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I don't read scary stuff, so I was pretty good and traumatized. There's a lot more of a cult-y, something-sinister-below-the-surface vibe than was really marketed. The part that scared me the most was the way the dreamy, romantic writing drew you in and made it easy to overlook the very creepy feeling. Overall, great book, but only if you're looking for disturbing almost-horror.

Content Warnings

turidt's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

ilana_pop's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

Holy mother of god. This was unhinged and I did not see it coming. The first half was decent, if not a little boring and really had me questioning: "where is this going?" Never in a million years could I have guessed what was coming. I feel like I have a whiplash from the second half.
Holy hell is all I have to say.

Content Warnings

timetotalkbeauty's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This would have been a clear four stars until it went unhinged!

Julie Chan Is Dead begins as a slick, gripping story with a premise that hooks you instantly — a young woman stepping into her twin sister’s influential, lucrative online persona after her death. The first two-thirds are compelling and unsettling in the best way, teasing out themes of identity, grief, and the blurred lines between authenticity and performance in digital life.

But then, the narrative takes a sharp, wild turn — plunging into something far more surreal and disturbing (the poor mice). As the story descends into chaotic, almost cult-like territory, it becomes clear that Zhang isn't just telling a thriller — she’s dissecting the grotesque spectacle of internet fame. The transformation is jarring, even stomach-churning at times, but it feels intentional. This is a story about how people lose themselves in the machinery of influence, affirmation, and curated perfection, and Zhang doesn’t pull any punches in showing just how ugly that can get.

There are moments that genuinely shock, both in tone and content, and the experience might not be for everyone. But beneath the madness lies biting social commentary. Zhang shines when she's skewering the toxicity of online culture and performative positivity, and there's a sharp thread of critique on race and representation, especially in the novel’s second half.

At times hilarious, at others horrifying, Julie Chan Is Dead is a wild ride — equal parts satire, horror, and cultural critique. It’s not a comfortable read, but it’s one that sticks with you.

Content Warnings

fujo_cat's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Oh my fucking god, this is gold. It works great as soft horror and the critiques of social media, the internet and the influencer "cult"ure are on point! I had a great time.

Content Warnings

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