A review by jaylinsoto
Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book took me by surprise. If you’re a fan of *Yellowface* by RF Kuang, you’ll likely enjoy this one too. The main character is morally grey, making some deeply questionable decisions, and there are strong themes around race and social media. These aspects were particularly engaging, and I loved how they were explored. However, a major subplot involving religious cults and sacrifices felt jarring and disconnected from the rest of the narrative. It seemed out of place alongside the themes of influencer culture, racism, and class, which threw me off a bit. Overall, I was hooked for the first half of the book, but by the second half, I found myself feeling increasingly confused and detached.