Chinese Canadian author Liann Zhang heightens the twins-separated-at-(not quite)-birth trope into a savvy, deliciously satisfying debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead. Chloe Van Huusen and Julie Chan are identical twins; at four, a drunk driver killed their parents. Chloe's fast-track adoption placed her with a wealthy white couple who insisted on a single child. Julie landed with their aunt, "a penny-pinching, foul-mouthed Cantonese woman," who only took her for the adoption subsidy.
The twins' reunion happened 17 years later when Chloe, now a high-profile influencer, arrived unannounced (with a film crew) at Julie's supermarket cashier job to gift her a house. Her performative magnanimity earned 10 million views in two days before she disappeared again from Julie's life. Three years later, Chloe calls Julie; she repeats "mistake" and "I'm sorry" before disconnecting. Panicked, Julie heads to Chloe's New York City penthouse and finds her corpse. Chloe's doorman, neighbor, even the police assume Julie is Chloe. "Is it really fair for Chloe's life to go to waste?" Julie reasons. With surprising ease, she becomes Chloe overnight, assuming Chloe's coveted position among the elite influencers. Might all that affirming love and easy luxury have a poisonous price tag?
As propulsive as a cinematic thriller, Zhang exposes addictive social media, racial inequities, rotting wealth, flexible morality--even extreme moments featuring loyalty tests with newborn mice and a human sex toy. "Too much" might apply to the too-long section involving a private island retreat, but any missteps fade with the brilliance of the shocking, shrewdly plotted finale. --Terry Hong