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Anon Pls.
From the creator behind @DeuxMoi, the popular - and infamous - celebrity gossip Instagram account, comes a fun, charming debut novel that's a perfect combination of Devil Wears Prada, Gossip Girl, and Smile and Look Pretty. Anon Pls. is for those looking for a fun escape and anyone who wonders, "What's it really like to be DeuxMoi?"
When Cricket Lopez, assistant to one of the most notorious celebrity stylists, revamps her old style Instagram account and turns it into a celebrity gossip blog on a drunken whim, she never thinks it will become anything. It's just a way to blow off steam after a terrible, terrible day at work where her nightmarish boss screams at her and blames her for some 18-year-old influencer's screw-up. But when the account grows overnight and, even wilder, when she starts getting gossip from fans - juicy gossip - she has to face facts: her Instagram is now famous. She is now famous.
Though no one knows that she is behind the account, its newfound success is affecting her real life. Her boss wonders why she's disappearing on the job, her friends are increasingly irritated by her dedication to the account, and she has celebrities, investors, and journalists approaching her with bright-eyed interest. Plus, there's a steamy new love interest who she meets through her online persona--except she has no idea if she can truly trust his motives. But as the account grows and becomes more and more famous, she has to wonder: is it - the fame, the insider access, the escape from real life - really worth losing everything she has?
When Cricket Lopez, assistant to one of the most notorious celebrity stylists, revamps her old style Instagram account and turns it into a celebrity gossip blog on a drunken whim, she never thinks it will become anything. It's just a way to blow off steam after a terrible, terrible day at work where her nightmarish boss screams at her and blames her for some 18-year-old influencer's screw-up. But when the account grows overnight and, even wilder, when she starts getting gossip from fans - juicy gossip - she has to face facts: her Instagram is now famous. She is now famous.
Though no one knows that she is behind the account, its newfound success is affecting her real life. Her boss wonders why she's disappearing on the job, her friends are increasingly irritated by her dedication to the account, and she has celebrities, investors, and journalists approaching her with bright-eyed interest. Plus, there's a steamy new love interest who she meets through her online persona--except she has no idea if she can truly trust his motives. But as the account grows and becomes more and more famous, she has to wonder: is it - the fame, the insider access, the escape from real life - really worth losing everything she has?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 2022
371 people are currently reading
10688 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,209 reviews
November 25, 2022
Cricket Lopez is one of the dumbest characters that ever existed.
This book could have been and should have been better. But I think if the book was written better, then the book would have made it a lot more obvious who the person is behind the app. So you have a book that is heavily edited and redacted.
This book could have been and should have been better. But I think if the book was written better, then the book would have made it a lot more obvious who the person is behind the app. So you have a book that is heavily edited and redacted.
November 14, 2022
if you haven’t heard of Deuxmoi yet, you living under a rock?!?! i think she’s everybody’s IG guilty pleasure…
had no idea what to expect with this book but i loved it. it was the first bingeworthy book i’ve read in a few months—I devoured it in 24ish hours (two sittings) and couldn’t stop thinking of it when i wasn’t reading. it’s a work of fiction, but it’s based on some true events and how Deux started the account. i think that was my fave part—trying to think what was real and what was exaggerated. it’s all so believable (except for a detail of the main twist, that made me lol😆).
more to come over on my IG, but if you’re a fan of DM and wondering what this book is about—give it a go! if nothing else, it’s a fun GOSSIP GIRL meets DEVIL WEARS PRADA story 🤓
had no idea what to expect with this book but i loved it. it was the first bingeworthy book i’ve read in a few months—I devoured it in 24ish hours (two sittings) and couldn’t stop thinking of it when i wasn’t reading. it’s a work of fiction, but it’s based on some true events and how Deux started the account. i think that was my fave part—trying to think what was real and what was exaggerated. it’s all so believable (except for a detail of the main twist, that made me lol😆).
more to come over on my IG, but if you’re a fan of DM and wondering what this book is about—give it a go! if nothing else, it’s a fun GOSSIP GIRL meets DEVIL WEARS PRADA story 🤓
January 8, 2023
Anon Pls. is a fictionalized account of the creation of the celebrity gossip Instagram page, Deuxmoi. We follow fictional founder Cricket Lopez as she makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to turn what was created as a style Instagram account into a hub for tips about and sightings of the rich and famous. We then witness how she struggles to keep her identity secret as she continues in her regular life, working as an assistant to a famous celebrity stylist who also happens to be an abusive boss.
The majority of the tension in the book comes from Cricket trying to stay anonymous while figuring out how to manage an account that has become an overnight juggernaut, especially after the outing of a problematic actor. Cricket considers taking an offer from a media company that would allow her to get paid to run the account and quit her day job. All the while, she's wondering if she can trust a love interest who slid into her DMs.
It was interesting seeing some real-life events that I know Deuxmoi played a part in (like the Armie Hammer scandal) get a fictional spin in this novel, but the plot wasn't nearly tight enough or interesting enough. I don't like the tension in my books to be about whether or not someone should take a $300k deal to buy an Instagram account. It's mundane. And the blatant product placement of Deuxmoi merch at the end of the book made me cringe.
I was hoping for something light and fun out of this, and I only got morsels of both.
Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
The majority of the tension in the book comes from Cricket trying to stay anonymous while figuring out how to manage an account that has become an overnight juggernaut, especially after the outing of a problematic actor. Cricket considers taking an offer from a media company that would allow her to get paid to run the account and quit her day job. All the while, she's wondering if she can trust a love interest who slid into her DMs.
It was interesting seeing some real-life events that I know Deuxmoi played a part in (like the Armie Hammer scandal) get a fictional spin in this novel, but the plot wasn't nearly tight enough or interesting enough. I don't like the tension in my books to be about whether or not someone should take a $300k deal to buy an Instagram account. It's mundane. And the blatant product placement of Deuxmoi merch at the end of the book made me cringe.
I was hoping for something light and fun out of this, and I only got morsels of both.
Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
January 12, 2023
Looooved this one!! I absolutely love it when a book takes me by surprise like this one did. Did not know what to expect but I picked this one up and found I could not put it down very easily. Read it in two days, which is incredibly fast for me!!
This is about an Instagram account that skewers the media and Hollywood with salacious pieces of reader-submitted celebrity gossip, similar to TMZ but only on IG and for Gen Z, which I admittedly had never heard of prior to this, but now I'm definitely following! The account is run by an anonymous source, however in this novel the creator is a fictional character named Crickett, whom I couldn't help but like almost immediately. She's an assistant for a fashion designer who is an absolute nightmare and treats her like dirt, as she does everyone else who works for her. One night after an especially hard day at work she goes out with friends and has one too many shots of tequila and creates DeuxMoi (two me, in French), posting first-hand gossip about celebs. Overnight the page gains traction and an astounding number of followers and the rest is history! Essentially this is Crickett's journey of self-discovery and how to monetize DM, and establish it as her full-time job, and leave behind the daily torment of being an assistant to a tyrant behind. And believe me, this journey has several entertaining, juicy AF moments that kept me entertained throughout! Be prepared for some adult moments in this one!
After finishing this I really wanted to know who the boss depicted in this novel was based on in real life, if anyone knows please DM me, you can remain Anon!! I'm hoping that there is a follow up and this eventually because somewhat of a series, which I don't normally read, if that's telling you anything about how enjoyable this one was! This definitely gave me Devil Wears Prada vibes, which was one of my favorites back when it came out, and I can definitely understand all the positive reviews this novel has received. I recommend this to anyone looking for a refreshing, fast paced, entertaining read!!
This is about an Instagram account that skewers the media and Hollywood with salacious pieces of reader-submitted celebrity gossip, similar to TMZ but only on IG and for Gen Z, which I admittedly had never heard of prior to this, but now I'm definitely following! The account is run by an anonymous source, however in this novel the creator is a fictional character named Crickett, whom I couldn't help but like almost immediately. She's an assistant for a fashion designer who is an absolute nightmare and treats her like dirt, as she does everyone else who works for her. One night after an especially hard day at work she goes out with friends and has one too many shots of tequila and creates DeuxMoi (two me, in French), posting first-hand gossip about celebs. Overnight the page gains traction and an astounding number of followers and the rest is history! Essentially this is Crickett's journey of self-discovery and how to monetize DM, and establish it as her full-time job, and leave behind the daily torment of being an assistant to a tyrant behind. And believe me, this journey has several entertaining, juicy AF moments that kept me entertained throughout! Be prepared for some adult moments in this one!
After finishing this I really wanted to know who the boss depicted in this novel was based on in real life, if anyone knows please DM me, you can remain Anon!! I'm hoping that there is a follow up and this eventually because somewhat of a series, which I don't normally read, if that's telling you anything about how enjoyable this one was! This definitely gave me Devil Wears Prada vibes, which was one of my favorites back when it came out, and I can definitely understand all the positive reviews this novel has received. I recommend this to anyone looking for a refreshing, fast paced, entertaining read!!
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October 17, 2022
From: [email protected]
Subj: I hate to say this, but I think deuxmoi should stick to social media.
Hey babe, this was okay once I got into the swing of it, but the writing style is cringy (the first chapter opens up into a Wattpad-esque scene where the MC Cricket Lopez describes herself in a mirror) and the MC is just kinda the worst (a nothing character who is always right and treats her friends like tissues even after she's called out on it).
I've been following deuxmoi for a while. Not since the beginning (I'm not that cool), but around the time she had 200k followers and was starting to really blow up. I love the Sunday Spotteds. I love the mundane celebrity sightings and the behind the scenes look at how those on high really treat those beneath them. It's a more realistic version of "Stars! They're just like us!" except...deuxmoi is always very clear to note that they are not really just like us. They have teams of people protecting their images. They have staff and mansions and bigger budgets and perks, and relatability is created instead of authentic. However, she's always kept it real in noting that they are still people, just like the rest of us.
Anywho, this book is a fictionalized memoir. I thought it would be more fictionalized, but the account Cricket (gotta say that name a couple hundred more times) pulls up out of the ether is literally called deuxmoi. There is nothing deuxmoi-esque about this social media account...it literally is deuxmoi, a behind the scenes running of the viral social media account that rejuvenated interest in celebrity sightings...with like, a handful of names changes for legal purposes.
As has been the case, the mystery here is Who IS deuxmoi? (although, as time went on, I think people stopped caring and just started to enjoy the ride—at least I did), but really, I think the book's strengths was the hot celebrity goss (sorry not sorry) and trying to figure out all of the Easter Eggs, and not Cricket Lopez slogging around for eight years as an assistant to an abusive boss (and the even more cringy romance subplot).
That being said, it wasn't bad. It was enjoyable. I came for the goss, and I stayed for the goss.
Anon Pls.
Subj: I hate to say this, but I think deuxmoi should stick to social media.
Hey babe, this was okay once I got into the swing of it, but the writing style is cringy (the first chapter opens up into a Wattpad-esque scene where the MC Cricket Lopez describes herself in a mirror) and the MC is just kinda the worst (a nothing character who is always right and treats her friends like tissues even after she's called out on it).
I've been following deuxmoi for a while. Not since the beginning (I'm not that cool), but around the time she had 200k followers and was starting to really blow up. I love the Sunday Spotteds. I love the mundane celebrity sightings and the behind the scenes look at how those on high really treat those beneath them. It's a more realistic version of "Stars! They're just like us!" except...deuxmoi is always very clear to note that they are not really just like us. They have teams of people protecting their images. They have staff and mansions and bigger budgets and perks, and relatability is created instead of authentic. However, she's always kept it real in noting that they are still people, just like the rest of us.
Anywho, this book is a fictionalized memoir. I thought it would be more fictionalized, but the account Cricket (gotta say that name a couple hundred more times) pulls up out of the ether is literally called deuxmoi. There is nothing deuxmoi-esque about this social media account...it literally is deuxmoi, a behind the scenes running of the viral social media account that rejuvenated interest in celebrity sightings...with like, a handful of names changes for legal purposes.
As has been the case, the mystery here is Who IS deuxmoi? (although, as time went on, I think people stopped caring and just started to enjoy the ride—at least I did), but really, I think the book's strengths was the hot celebrity goss (sorry not sorry) and trying to figure out all of the Easter Eggs, and not Cricket Lopez slogging around for eight years as an assistant to an abusive boss (and the even more cringy romance subplot).
That being said, it wasn't bad. It was enjoyable. I came for the goss, and I stayed for the goss.
Anon Pls.
December 1, 2022
The Devil Wears Prada, but bad
I know this was more than likely ghostwritten, but I still can't believe Melissa probably approved this and thus made me and everyone else read about someone describing her masturbating.
While technically not the worst thing I've ever read, it certainly wasn't good, which is to be expected from fast-tracked 'celebrity' books that are published for the cash grab.
Because it's not meant to be a well-thought-out story, the characters are flat, with their background info dumped on the reader as soon as they're introduced, which only serves to provide context as to why Cricket is speaking with these people rather than flesh them out as characters.
The only characteristics I can think of to give Cricket, the protagonist, is that she's a doormat and selfish. She's suffered being a terrible woman's assistant for 8 years, and even though she's never allowed to do anything, she refuses to leave her job on the off chance this horrible woman might deign to give Cricket a 'thank you.' Cricket is still a doormat by the end of the book, only finally 'gaining confidence' at the very end, where she decided to quit working for Sasha and sell merch.
As for the selfishness, her friends are constantly worried about being linked to their celebrity gossip blog-running friend, which admittedly, is very 1%/first world problems, but I can see why this is would important to them based on the lives they have. Meanwhile, Cricket constantly downplays their concerns and is more worried for herself, often lamenting how her life is going to be over if anyone finds out about the Instagram account. Which, sure, would make sense if she actually wanted to work with celebrities, but Cricket has no motivation for becoming a stylist.
In a better writer's hands (and preferably someone with no connection to deuxmoi. someone who actually wants to tell a good and interesting story), I could see this being more fleshed out and how it could play into the decision to run the account full time. Instead, we spend the majority of the book with Cricket being terrible at her job as an assistant and see no actual evidence that she would make a good stylist as she is desperately trying to tell the reader she wants to be.
And let’s not forget the “romance.” To be honest, I have no idea why this was even included. It’s clear that the person who wrote this didn’t really have any idea how to write a romantic subplot. Cricket and Ollie’s flirting made me gag it was so bad. Not to mention Cricket turned into a 13 yr old with her first crush when she and Ollie first start talking. Immediately, she’s practically obsessed with him (and for no reason. like the other characters in this book, he doesn’t have any personality to speak of, and his most defining characteristic is that he is into Cricket).
Having to read about a fictionalized Deuxmoi (but still Deuxmoi) having poorly written and cringe-worthy phone sex with this man and masturbating a couple of times was actually horrible. As someone who enjoys romance novels, this was a joke and shouldn’t have been included. In fact, it likely only was because there was no other substance to this book, and it served to add a bit of drama at the end (though only for a chapter or two) when Cricket thinks Ollie is manipulating her to try to gain control of the deuxmoi brand. This, however, is quickly resolved with a page-long conversation, and then the book is over.
This book was so poorly written, if I didn’t know it was only written to cash in on the deuxmoi name, I wouldn’t understand why it was even published. It reads like a first draft because it is the first draft. It holds no substance, and the main character doesn’t truly face any challenges. The worst thing that happens to her is that she gets found out but’s not a big deal because she��s not famous (which we’ve seen in real life. Absolutely no one cares that Melissa is deuxmoi because Melissa is just a regular person, which is fine and honestly good for her if she were ever to decide to ditch/retire deuxmoi).
This book would only be entertaining for those who’ve never read a book outside of assigned readings in high school. So, unless you’re weirdly obsessed with deuxmoi and want her attention, don’t bother reading this book.
My only hope for this book is that the ghostwriter was paid well and, if the hbo max series ever gets made, it’s actually bearable to watch.
Anyway, if you want to play a drinking game with this book, go ahead and take a shot every time a brand name or an actor is named-dropped. You’ll get alcohol poisoning in no time.
I know this was more than likely ghostwritten, but I still can't believe Melissa probably approved this and thus made me and everyone else read about someone describing her masturbating.
While technically not the worst thing I've ever read, it certainly wasn't good, which is to be expected from fast-tracked 'celebrity' books that are published for the cash grab.
Because it's not meant to be a well-thought-out story, the characters are flat, with their background info dumped on the reader as soon as they're introduced, which only serves to provide context as to why Cricket is speaking with these people rather than flesh them out as characters.
The only characteristics I can think of to give Cricket, the protagonist, is that she's a doormat and selfish. She's suffered being a terrible woman's assistant for 8 years, and even though she's never allowed to do anything, she refuses to leave her job on the off chance this horrible woman might deign to give Cricket a 'thank you.' Cricket is still a doormat by the end of the book, only finally 'gaining confidence' at the very end, where she decided to quit working for Sasha and sell merch.
As for the selfishness, her friends are constantly worried about being linked to their celebrity gossip blog-running friend, which admittedly, is very 1%/first world problems, but I can see why this is would important to them based on the lives they have. Meanwhile, Cricket constantly downplays their concerns and is more worried for herself, often lamenting how her life is going to be over if anyone finds out about the Instagram account. Which, sure, would make sense if she actually wanted to work with celebrities, but Cricket has no motivation for becoming a stylist.
In a better writer's hands (and preferably someone with no connection to deuxmoi. someone who actually wants to tell a good and interesting story), I could see this being more fleshed out and how it could play into the decision to run the account full time. Instead, we spend the majority of the book with Cricket being terrible at her job as an assistant and see no actual evidence that she would make a good stylist as she is desperately trying to tell the reader she wants to be.
And let’s not forget the “romance.” To be honest, I have no idea why this was even included. It’s clear that the person who wrote this didn’t really have any idea how to write a romantic subplot. Cricket and Ollie’s flirting made me gag it was so bad. Not to mention Cricket turned into a 13 yr old with her first crush when she and Ollie first start talking. Immediately, she’s practically obsessed with him (and for no reason. like the other characters in this book, he doesn’t have any personality to speak of, and his most defining characteristic is that he is into Cricket).
Having to read about a fictionalized Deuxmoi (but still Deuxmoi) having poorly written and cringe-worthy phone sex with this man and masturbating a couple of times was actually horrible. As someone who enjoys romance novels, this was a joke and shouldn’t have been included. In fact, it likely only was because there was no other substance to this book, and it served to add a bit of drama at the end (though only for a chapter or two) when Cricket thinks Ollie is manipulating her to try to gain control of the deuxmoi brand. This, however, is quickly resolved with a page-long conversation, and then the book is over.
This book was so poorly written, if I didn’t know it was only written to cash in on the deuxmoi name, I wouldn’t understand why it was even published. It reads like a first draft because it is the first draft. It holds no substance, and the main character doesn’t truly face any challenges. The worst thing that happens to her is that she gets found out but’s not a big deal because she��s not famous (which we’ve seen in real life. Absolutely no one cares that Melissa is deuxmoi because Melissa is just a regular person, which is fine and honestly good for her if she were ever to decide to ditch/retire deuxmoi).
This book would only be entertaining for those who’ve never read a book outside of assigned readings in high school. So, unless you’re weirdly obsessed with deuxmoi and want her attention, don’t bother reading this book.
My only hope for this book is that the ghostwriter was paid well and, if the hbo max series ever gets made, it’s actually bearable to watch.
Anyway, if you want to play a drinking game with this book, go ahead and take a shot every time a brand name or an actor is named-dropped. You’ll get alcohol poisoning in no time.
October 20, 2022
I went into reading this book not knowing anything about Deuxmoi - apparently one of the hottest celebrity gossip pages on Instagram. Not knowing which parts of this story are based off true stories it was still a fun, entertaining , fast read.
November 15, 2022
I might not been the target audience of this as I'm not very interesting in gossip nor know who DeuxMoi is. But the blurb sounded interesting and I wanted something to get invested in. Did not like the characters. Understood the basics around the heroine but found her a bit selfish. Very drama and gossip filled but not my cup of tea
April 3, 2023
Apparently, I've been living under a rock, because I had never head or Deuxmoi before I saw this book recommended on Grace Atwood's blog. I went into reading it with very modest expectations, hoping for a bit of entertaining fluff, which I was craving. That's not quite what I got. While I would classify the book as fluff (I don't think the author would be offended, since it seems that was the intention), however, I didn't find it particularly entertaining. The writing and plot were very weak in my opinion, and I just didn't care for or about any of the characters, who, to a person, seemed remarkably shallow and underdeveloped. I am not judging this book by criteria I would use for literary fiction, but even so, it falls short. I don't like writing negative reviews, but if you want some light-hearted yet not totally banal entertainment, I don't think this will be for you.
November 22, 2022
It’s very readable. Sex scenes were abrupt and embarrassing to read. Liiike…an entertaining but not good Netflix movie retelling of The Devil Wears Prada, but updated by an apathetic Grade 8 group creative writing project that just wants to be done already? Characters are fairly bland except for Cricket, who allows herself to be physically! abused! by her manager for 8 years but somehow isn’t emotionally broken. (I secretly suspect she’s actually just shit at her job? Lacking ambition? Emotionally broken?) I think her friends are Gay Man and White Yummy Mummy? The recycling of gossip from the early days of deuxmoi is fun for a bit. Then Smarmie Pammer turns out to be a vampire (which is like a really specific cannibal) and Cricket deuxmoi gets to espouse some thin feminism. I’m glad OP gets to tell secrets online and sell sweatshirts so her boss stops coughing in her face and making her weigh her shit and stuff.
February 21, 2023
Wildly entertaining and seriously unputdownable, here we have the origin story of the famed Instagram celebrity gossip account, Deuxmoi. Some things I couldn’t gloss over — like the boring characters with barely any depth OR DM’s incessant desire to note every piece of clothing ever once mentioned in this book with the brand emblazoned on its tag OR the out of place sext scenes (yes I spelled that intentionally) that never failed to take me by surprise! They just happened all of a sudden! But if nothing else, this book reminded me of a movie I would put on in the background while I painted a Homecoming poster for student council in high school — and that’s actually a compliment, don’t fret! It was like something Anne Hathaway would act in in between her serious projects. I appreciated it for what it was and perhaps my desire to be an objective reviewer (impossible) has brought us to the 3 star rating you see on your screen right now. Yeah.
December 19, 2022
just because you have a famous Instagram account doesn’t mean you should write a book…. this was definitely.. something
November 9, 2022
*Won in goodreads giveaways, all my opinions are my own:)*
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3 stars 🌟 I didn't connect to the characters as much as I wanted to but still had fun. It kept my mind off things too while I sank into its pages.
The romance part felt...weird to me. I skimmed those scenes..
The part with the bad boss, totally sympathize with and understand Crickets actions 🎬 , feeling like she can't leave and hoping for better days. Her boss made some of mine look not as bad.
Wouldn't read it again but will pass it on to someone else I think would like it.
----
3 stars 🌟 I didn't connect to the characters as much as I wanted to but still had fun. It kept my mind off things too while I sank into its pages.
The romance part felt...weird to me. I skimmed those scenes..
The part with the bad boss, totally sympathize with and understand Crickets actions 🎬 , feeling like she can't leave and hoping for better days. Her boss made some of mine look not as bad.
Wouldn't read it again but will pass it on to someone else I think would like it.
December 29, 2022
Addictive AF. This was sooo juicy and impossible to put down! I can't believe I hadn't heard of DeuxMoi until now — what rock have I been living under?
What a fun deep dive into celebrity culture, the cutthroat world of fashion and the digital landscape. I find everything so ultra-fascinating, especially the way we now consume media. It's crazy how an anonymous figure can go viral and even get a book deal just by sharing + reposting unverified gossip when we journalists have to bust our asses to talk to sources, verify tip-offs and fact-check everything. Nothing against DeuxMoi, just a very interesting trend!
Despite being fiction, there are definitely references and parallels to real life that you'll be dying to unpack. I found myself falling into a rabbit hole when looking up blind items, Reddit threads, news articles and interviews to devour as much as I could. I was surprised to learn that Ollie is based on a real person and am dying to know who Sasha is inspired by.
My only gripe is that the author paints the protagonist e.g. herself in an overly positive and favourable light. Cricket clearly has flaws but is somehow always the poor victim even when she screws up or gets called out by her friends.
This actually mirrors DeuxMoi in interviews that I've read; you'll notice that she is always evading accountability, not taking responsibility for anything harmful or damaging or inaccurate she might have posted, and afraid to be criticised.
Lol and super rich of Cricket/DeuxMoi to complain about a journalist invading her friends' privacy when her entire account and fame is built on invading people's privacy.
Nevertheless, this was a highly entertaining read and wonderful escapism. I enjoyed the book so much that I was sad to reach the end!
What a fun deep dive into celebrity culture, the cutthroat world of fashion and the digital landscape. I find everything so ultra-fascinating, especially the way we now consume media. It's crazy how an anonymous figure can go viral and even get a book deal just by sharing + reposting unverified gossip when we journalists have to bust our asses to talk to sources, verify tip-offs and fact-check everything. Nothing against DeuxMoi, just a very interesting trend!
Despite being fiction, there are definitely references and parallels to real life that you'll be dying to unpack. I found myself falling into a rabbit hole when looking up blind items, Reddit threads, news articles and interviews to devour as much as I could. I was surprised to learn that Ollie is based on a real person and am dying to know who Sasha is inspired by.
My only gripe is that the author paints the protagonist e.g. herself in an overly positive and favourable light. Cricket clearly has flaws but is somehow always the poor victim even when she screws up or gets called out by her friends.
This actually mirrors DeuxMoi in interviews that I've read; you'll notice that she is always evading accountability, not taking responsibility for anything harmful or damaging or inaccurate she might have posted, and afraid to be criticised.
Lol and super rich of Cricket/DeuxMoi to complain about a journalist invading her friends' privacy when her entire account and fame is built on invading people's privacy.
Nevertheless, this was a highly entertaining read and wonderful escapism. I enjoyed the book so much that I was sad to reach the end!
November 16, 2022
I have to admit, ANON PLS. by @deuxmoi was not at the top of my TBR list because I ultimately didn't think she had a lot to say, especially because I felt that this debut was going to be loosely based off the formation of the pop cultural phenomenon she manages on Instagram. However, @emilybookedup is a bookstagrammer who I highly respect and when she tells you to read it, YOU READ IT!
This book focuses on Cricket Lopez, an assistant to a popular celebrity stylist who has a reputation that isn't the most favorable in the fashion industry. Feeling stuck, Cricket reignites an old style instagram account and turns it into a celebrity gossip page while drinking with friends. After a successful night of attention, DeuxMoi continues to blow up even farther than Cricket ever expected. However, keeping her identity a secret is more important than ever while she leaks celebrity gossip for millions of viewers. What could go wrong with this plan and is this venture worth the path she's always had for herself?
This book was juicy AF! That's basically my review right there. As mentioned above, this book is based off the inception of DeuxMoi so I just kept trying to piece who is who and what is what when it comes to the story. You can totally tell who is who (Duke?! You already know...), but there's many I had no clue. I didn't think I'd be a fan of this book, but ANON PLS. really hooked me in. If I can enjoy the fast paced celeb gossip, just imagine what fans of the account will say when reading this book. Honestly, this book was a very pleasant surprise and I definitely recommend it if you need something unique and fun.
This book focuses on Cricket Lopez, an assistant to a popular celebrity stylist who has a reputation that isn't the most favorable in the fashion industry. Feeling stuck, Cricket reignites an old style instagram account and turns it into a celebrity gossip page while drinking with friends. After a successful night of attention, DeuxMoi continues to blow up even farther than Cricket ever expected. However, keeping her identity a secret is more important than ever while she leaks celebrity gossip for millions of viewers. What could go wrong with this plan and is this venture worth the path she's always had for herself?
This book was juicy AF! That's basically my review right there. As mentioned above, this book is based off the inception of DeuxMoi so I just kept trying to piece who is who and what is what when it comes to the story. You can totally tell who is who (Duke?! You already know...), but there's many I had no clue. I didn't think I'd be a fan of this book, but ANON PLS. really hooked me in. If I can enjoy the fast paced celeb gossip, just imagine what fans of the account will say when reading this book. Honestly, this book was a very pleasant surprise and I definitely recommend it if you need something unique and fun.
Read
November 12, 2022I've run into this thing in the past couple of weeks where I read a thing and am then unable to succinctly discuss how I feel about said thing.
If I had known going in that this was lowkey a fictionalized memoir would I have wanted to read it? I'm not sure... Like, I get that it's a novel... but a novel about the genesis of a real gossip instagram page co-penned by said gossip instagrammer and former Cosmo Op-Ed edited Jessica Goodman... I dunno if I would have signed on. To be fair I am assuming it was that Jessica Goodman and not some other Jessica Goodman that is out here writing books.
The novel does have some ups and downs and was enjoyable enough to read. I don't regret the time that I spent with the book, but it did only take a little over an hour to read so it wasn't a massive commitment on my time. I've just read more compelling books about stylists, like The Stylist which was also published by William Morrow.... even Cover Story by Susan Riggetti out earlier this year from William Morrow felt like a better time spent in this similar world, but with a more compelling plot. Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen, also by William Morrow and out this year was a better time spent, though that has more in common with Cover Story than it does here.
It didn't help that Cricket was giving off massive Kate Keller from 2021's revival of Gossip Girl... and ain't a person on God's green Earth invested in a book from the mind of one Kate Keller...
It was aggressively fine, and for a very niche audience looking for something light and easy to read as we head into the winter months. Though dropping this in November feels like an odd choice, when it feels like the kind of book destined for Spring and Beach Read type lists, both because it is so short and the content was so eh.
The book also includes a couple of sex scenes for the romance b plot that was boiling under the surface for most of the book. It was whatever, but felt included to shift this into something of a women's fiction market than just being left to wither and die in the 'how do we market this' wasteland that is general fiction.
Maybe if this had taken a different approach than telling some novelized version of the deuxmoi origin myth and had instead focused on a plot that still included the lives of wealthy people and a regular degular person maneuvering through that it could have been more enjoyable. But judging on what the book actually was and what it actually achieve, this was very average and not in a way I think anyone needs to rush out to experience. Let alone purchase before reading, get this from the library or borrow from a friend first.
If I had known going in that this was lowkey a fictionalized memoir would I have wanted to read it? I'm not sure... Like, I get that it's a novel... but a novel about the genesis of a real gossip instagram page co-penned by said gossip instagrammer and former Cosmo Op-Ed edited Jessica Goodman... I dunno if I would have signed on. To be fair I am assuming it was that Jessica Goodman and not some other Jessica Goodman that is out here writing books.
The novel does have some ups and downs and was enjoyable enough to read. I don't regret the time that I spent with the book, but it did only take a little over an hour to read so it wasn't a massive commitment on my time. I've just read more compelling books about stylists, like The Stylist which was also published by William Morrow.... even Cover Story by Susan Riggetti out earlier this year from William Morrow felt like a better time spent in this similar world, but with a more compelling plot. Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen, also by William Morrow and out this year was a better time spent, though that has more in common with Cover Story than it does here.
It didn't help that Cricket was giving off massive Kate Keller from 2021's revival of Gossip Girl... and ain't a person on God's green Earth invested in a book from the mind of one Kate Keller...
It was aggressively fine, and for a very niche audience looking for something light and easy to read as we head into the winter months. Though dropping this in November feels like an odd choice, when it feels like the kind of book destined for Spring and Beach Read type lists, both because it is so short and the content was so eh.
The book also includes a couple of sex scenes for the romance b plot that was boiling under the surface for most of the book. It was whatever, but felt included to shift this into something of a women's fiction market than just being left to wither and die in the 'how do we market this' wasteland that is general fiction.
Maybe if this had taken a different approach than telling some novelized version of the deuxmoi origin myth and had instead focused on a plot that still included the lives of wealthy people and a regular degular person maneuvering through that it could have been more enjoyable. But judging on what the book actually was and what it actually achieve, this was very average and not in a way I think anyone needs to rush out to experience. Let alone purchase before reading, get this from the library or borrow from a friend first.
November 28, 2022
embarrassed to admit I read it, but the instagram account is a guilty pleasure. The writing was awful, cringy, and vulgar. Would not recommend. Stick to the social media, it’s much more entertaining.
November 30, 2022
oh man that was… painfully cringey. thought this was suited more for a YA demographic before getting to the random Ollie scenes. Yikes.
June 4, 2023
My Rating: 3.25/5
Despite not being able to get over how this book was allowed to be published while essentially copying the whole 'The Devil Wears Prada' movie plot, I was curious how an anonymous IG account became such a wild success (with 2 Million followers and counting) and the source for celebrity "news".
My sister first told me about Deuxmoi fairly early on as she often had juicy celebrity tidbits or gossip that was sourced from this account. I think she and I would both liken this IG account to reality TV - light, fun, and nothing to take too seriously.
This book is considered Autofiction, where certain details are changed (people, places, etc.) to help tell the true story while maintaining an air of mystery.
It was a quick and bingeable read but the writing was just average.
Despite not being able to get over how this book was allowed to be published while essentially copying the whole 'The Devil Wears Prada' movie plot, I was curious how an anonymous IG account became such a wild success (with 2 Million followers and counting) and the source for celebrity "news".
My sister first told me about Deuxmoi fairly early on as she often had juicy celebrity tidbits or gossip that was sourced from this account. I think she and I would both liken this IG account to reality TV - light, fun, and nothing to take too seriously.
This book is considered Autofiction, where certain details are changed (people, places, etc.) to help tell the true story while maintaining an air of mystery.
It was a quick and bingeable read but the writing was just average.
August 15, 2023
I love the IG account DeuxMoi, so I knew I would pick this up at some point. It was cute if you are interested in the account, but nothing mind blowing. I guess it's exactly as I thought it would be. One thing I didn't expect was the steamy forbidden romance. This read how I imagine pathways of the actual DeuxMoi's life was and how the account came about. I imagine some of her struggles are illustrated here which was interesting to read about.
November 25, 2022
I genuinely cannot believe that I, after an extremely long reading slump, picked up a book about a GOSSIP INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT and thought it would be entertaining literature. This book made me want to cry for all the wrong reasons.
Listen, it's important to note that I'm not a reading elitist as I enjoy the good trashy novel as much as the next person and I try not to judge other people's taste in books, but anyone who rated this book five stars needs to get their priorities straight. I genuinely cannot see what was appealing about this book. Celebrity gossip is very entertaining, but the way it was written into the storyline was frankly jarring. There was some lengthy smut but it was NOT GOOD and seemed a little bit like it was written by a fourteen year old on Wattpad. I will stand by the fact that a good plot line is a thousand times more satisfying than a badly written sex scene until I DIE.
I had some high hopes for this since an acclaimed ghostwriter was involved, but it all fell so incredibly flat.
Listen, it's important to note that I'm not a reading elitist as I enjoy the good trashy novel as much as the next person and I try not to judge other people's taste in books, but anyone who rated this book five stars needs to get their priorities straight. I genuinely cannot see what was appealing about this book. Celebrity gossip is very entertaining, but the way it was written into the storyline was frankly jarring. There was some lengthy smut but it was NOT GOOD and seemed a little bit like it was written by a fourteen year old on Wattpad. I will stand by the fact that a good plot line is a thousand times more satisfying than a badly written sex scene until I DIE.
I had some high hopes for this since an acclaimed ghostwriter was involved, but it all fell so incredibly flat.
January 6, 2023
objectively really bad but had a great time reading
September 18, 2024
... for those looking for a fun escape and anyone who wonders, "What's it really like to be DeuxMoi?"
ME 🤚
If you know me, you may know I love celebrity gossip. I don’t follow what people do (new movies? Music? No idea) but I guarantee you, if there’s drama about a celebrity, I’ve read about it. It’s my not-so-guilty pleasure. I used to be glued to Perez Hilton back in the day, but DeuxMoi had this Gossip Girl-y vibe that just sucked me in. (I actually thought we still didn’t know who DeuxMoi was and I googled it, it looks like she’s no longer anonymous, how sad).
I picked this up ready to read a stupid 1-star dumpster fire of a book, but it was actually fun? Like a very casual, contemporary The Devil Wears Prada. I think the bits I enjoyed the most were all the ‘based in real life’ stuff (how DeuxMoi got started and all the interesting tidbits about that). (Also, she wrote about real life stuff she reported but changed the names and it was hilarious lol Duke being Armie Hammer, the LA bakery mess, etc. Sort of fun if you’re into celebrity stuff or you’ve been following her for a while). (DeuxMoi followers - is the whole thing about the TikToker inspired by Hailey Bieber?).
I’m giving it 3.5 stars rounded down because of that embarrassingly bad phone sex thingS (plural) that I wish hadn’t happened. I actually had fun reading it. My other beef is that the main character’s name is Cricket. C’mon. Lol. The ending wasn’t great either.
This being said: Do I recommend this book? Not really. But if you’re into celebrity gossip and Deuxmoi, I think it’s a fun silly book. It won’t win any award but no one is expecting a masterpiece from a professional celebrity gossiper.
ME 🤚
If you know me, you may know I love celebrity gossip. I don’t follow what people do (new movies? Music? No idea) but I guarantee you, if there’s drama about a celebrity, I’ve read about it. It’s my not-so-guilty pleasure. I used to be glued to Perez Hilton back in the day, but DeuxMoi had this Gossip Girl-y vibe that just sucked me in. (I actually thought we still didn’t know who DeuxMoi was and I googled it, it looks like she’s no longer anonymous, how sad).
I picked this up ready to read a stupid 1-star dumpster fire of a book, but it was actually fun? Like a very casual, contemporary The Devil Wears Prada. I think the bits I enjoyed the most were all the ‘based in real life’ stuff (how DeuxMoi got started and all the interesting tidbits about that). (Also, she wrote about real life stuff she reported but changed the names and it was hilarious lol Duke being Armie Hammer, the LA bakery mess, etc. Sort of fun if you’re into celebrity stuff or you’ve been following her for a while). (DeuxMoi followers - is the whole thing about the TikToker inspired by Hailey Bieber?).
I’m giving it 3.5 stars rounded down because of that embarrassingly bad phone sex thingS (plural) that I wish hadn’t happened. I actually had fun reading it. My other beef is that the main character’s name is Cricket. C’mon. Lol. The ending wasn’t great either.
This being said: Do I recommend this book? Not really. But if you’re into celebrity gossip and Deuxmoi, I think it’s a fun silly book. It won’t win any award but no one is expecting a masterpiece from a professional celebrity gossiper.
October 3, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This was exactly what I needed after a self-imposed run of really heavy books that have taken their toll.
For those of you who may not know, Deuxmoi is an anonymous woman who started a celebrity gossip instagram account at the height of the pandemic. I've been a pretty avid follower for most of the time the account has been active, and it's really enlightening in terms of how you view celebrity, and the things that people share in their encounters with celebrities (a couple of examples, Leonardo DiCaprio will now forever be "Headphones Dino Bones" to me, and I will always insert "safe sex" into the middle of John Mayer's name).
The way she's tapped into our obsession with celebrity culture, demystifying it and also creating even more intrigue with celeb blind items and news breaks is attention-worthy, and the account is a staple for me.
This book basically feels like a pseudo-fictionalized account of how Deuxmoi came to be. It's light and fun, full of inside jokes and celebrity references that fans of the instagram account will get instantly, and those who aren't as familiar can still enjoy. There's an attempt to throw in a dash of romance, which didn't land as successfully as just the story of a personal assistant creating a viral instagram account based on celebrity inside scoop, but it also wasn't overly distracting or annoying.
So, yeah, this was the book candy I needed in my life right now.
This was exactly what I needed after a self-imposed run of really heavy books that have taken their toll.
For those of you who may not know, Deuxmoi is an anonymous woman who started a celebrity gossip instagram account at the height of the pandemic. I've been a pretty avid follower for most of the time the account has been active, and it's really enlightening in terms of how you view celebrity, and the things that people share in their encounters with celebrities (a couple of examples, Leonardo DiCaprio will now forever be "Headphones Dino Bones" to me, and I will always insert "safe sex" into the middle of John Mayer's name).
The way she's tapped into our obsession with celebrity culture, demystifying it and also creating even more intrigue with celeb blind items and news breaks is attention-worthy, and the account is a staple for me.
This book basically feels like a pseudo-fictionalized account of how Deuxmoi came to be. It's light and fun, full of inside jokes and celebrity references that fans of the instagram account will get instantly, and those who aren't as familiar can still enjoy. There's an attempt to throw in a dash of romance, which didn't land as successfully as just the story of a personal assistant creating a viral instagram account based on celebrity inside scoop, but it also wasn't overly distracting or annoying.
So, yeah, this was the book candy I needed in my life right now.
November 27, 2022
I will come back to this and write a rant review. Cricket (dumbest name ever) made me want to gouge my eyes out.
June 24, 2023
Bad. I thought it was non-fiction about how the account was formed, but it was more like fanfiction.
January 22, 2023
Lol, so embarrassing.
July 26, 2023
kinda was exactly what i expected it to be in a lot of ways so can't say i'm disappointed
interesting if you're a long time follower of the account, was a lot of fun figuring out who the real-life versions of the fictionalized posts were (weird mix of real celeb names and fake one??? how did they decide who would be named & who wouldn't???)
also fun to read while living in New York since every restaurant/neighborhood/store mentioned felt like a NYC easter egg, but if you don't live here that may be kinda annoying
overall a fun quick (glad it was so short) read but meh 🤷♀️
interesting if you're a long time follower of the account, was a lot of fun figuring out who the real-life versions of the fictionalized posts were (weird mix of real celeb names and fake one??? how did they decide who would be named & who wouldn't???)
also fun to read while living in New York since every restaurant/neighborhood/store mentioned felt like a NYC easter egg, but if you don't live here that may be kinda annoying
overall a fun quick (glad it was so short) read but meh 🤷♀️
September 6, 2025
Started out strong but I lost interest pretty quick. The pace slows halfway through and I had a hard time wanting to finish it.
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