RATING BREAKDOWN:-
Character: ★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★
Writing: ★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Intrigue: ★★★★★
Logic: ★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★
OVERALL: 3.7 ~ 4 stars ★★★★

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I eagerly dived into this book without realizing how much more and crazier I was entering. The plot is dynamic and outrageous—it could be a possible reality! The story comes in two parts: the mystery of Chloe's unexplained death and the weird group that Julie is involved in.

The first part of the story, learning about Julie, her situation, and her relationship with Chloe, was good, even if it was slow. I enjoyed the details and flashback experiences shared with readers. Although there is a massive disparity in life experiences between Chloe and Julie (physically and emotionally) - it was all juxtaposed with very similar types of abuse - manipulation and control. It was blatant and sad to read that although Julie was not living the high life, her sister Chloe had to put up much more and hide it all from the world. Her death might be the result of Chloe trying to do the "right thing" in the latter part of her life.

The book's second part involves Julie juggling being an influencer, evading exposure (of the truth), learning more about Chloe's life and the details leading up to her death, and surviving an important influencer trip.
I was on the edge of my seat as I devoured the latter part of the book for the "unexplained," especially the eerie and later horrific events at an influencer trip. I formed so many conspiracy theories and suspects that few were impossible NOT to get, and I was right! The culprit was totally with the group, and most of the "important people" knew of Julie's secret upon meeting her at Julie's first influencer event with them. I didn't realize how much deeper the book is written - from the intricate plot, complex characters (love-hate going on for me), and nuances that highlight and critique societal issues, injustices, or cultural norms within the "influencer space."

The author may have read many conspiracy theories and tabloid stories to shape this absurdly diabolical ending. I enjoyed the craziness and madness! I hate most of the characters because of how shallow a good chunk of them are, and when I do find an influencer that I like because she seems friendly, down-to-earth, and helped Julie, I am betrayed by the horrible choices this particular character made for the views, likes, and social media algorithms. It was frustrating! I liked how Julie ended the book by seizing the narrative, but it came at a cost. There was no going back to the "normal SuperFoods Supermart cashier." Chloe Version 2.0 is gone, and Julie the Influencer 2.0 morphed from what happened.

In summary, I highly enjoyed Julie Chan is Dead! The book's intriguing premise and great suspense made my reading experience enticing. It reminds me of Yellowface (5 stars), but it isn't so. It's different in how the twists and turns unfold. There was a balance of the murder/mystery genre with implied and explicit social commentary on how our current society sees the influencer relationship. The book has so many pros and cons of the business that "peasants" like myself would never think of seeing without the author venturing into this realm's "toxic" side. I am a fan of this debut author's mind!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for my gifted eARC.