Julie Chan Is Dead

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang joins the chorus of media that takes a satirical look at influencers with the intent of showing they’re not what they seem - but she has a unique take on the modern trope that makes her novel feel fresh.

Julie Chan Is Dead follows Julie, who was separated from her identical twin Chloe when their parents died in an accident when they were 4 years old. Chloe was adopted by an affluent white family, while Julie was sent to live with her Cantonese aunt.

Now in their mid-20s, Julie works as a cashier in a supermarket, and Chloe is an influencer with a large social media following.

They’ve spoken once since they were children due to a brief reunion orchestrated by Chloe for her social media when she gave Julie a house (#EMOTIONAL), so Julie is surprised when she gets a mysterious call from Chloe.

When Julie finds Chloe dead in her apartment from an apparent overdose, a series of (innocent?) errors results in Julie taking on Chloe’s identity and life while Julie Chan is declared dead.

There’s a ton of media out there set up for character mixups, from Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper to the City Mouse/Country Mouse folktale to the movies and shows with mistaken identity we get from your Parent Traps, Sister/Sisters, Double Troubles (am I showing my age here?), Patty Duke Shows (that was before my time but I love it),not to mention your doppelgänger episodes from sitcoms like Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Seinfeld…but Zhang, for the most part, avoids the over the top nature of these to tell a story about nature v. nurture, self-identity, the desire to belong, and the influencer world at large - all while being darkly funny.

I listened to the audiobook and read the ebook (from my Libby app - yay, #publiclibrary!), and the narration from Yu-Li Alice Shen was perfect. I literally laughed out loud at moments, especially during group conversations with the Belladonnas.

I borrowed the audiobook and ebook from my library using Libby, which is a great way to support public libraries. If you decide to buy, support your favorite indie bookstore (and me) by using my link to order the audiobook from https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm60355 OR if you prefer using your eyes to read, support your favorite indie (and give us both 20% off if it’s your first purchase) by using my link at https://refer.bookshop.org/candidanorwood.