A review by bookishretriever
Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang

dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.0

I will never read another book about influencers after this mess. Julie Chan is Dead is a train wreck from start to finish. It lures you in with a great premise, a broke cashier stepping into her glamorous influencer twin’s life, and then completely squanders it. I thought I was getting a sharp, possibly funny thriller about influencer culture. Instead, it sinks into absurdity and bad taste. 

Once the Belladonnas headed to the island, any sense of direction disappeared. The plot turns into a bizarre mess, highlighted by a revolting scene where a group of white women gang up on a Black woman, restrain her, and tie her to a bed. It is disturbing, and the author handles it with zero care or purpose. Then comes the jaw-dropping “what am I even reading” moment: a character eats a live baby mouse. Not symbolic. Not meaningful. Just gross for the sake of being gross. 

The book is riddled with loose ends. The aunt who is supposedly extorting the main character is never resolved. Entire threads vanish without explanation, making the story feel lazy and unfinished. By the time it ends, you are left with the sense that the author either gave up or never had a coherent plan to begin with. 

What could have been a clever and entertaining thriller is instead a pile of half-baked ideas and pointless shock value. It is not edgy. It is not smart. It is just bad. 

Zero stars. Not worth your time, money, or brain cells.
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