Anon Pls.
Anon Pls. is a novel by the pseudonymous author DeuxMoi and Jessica Goodman. The novel is a work of autofiction and a retelling of the real-life DeuxMoi Instagram account, which anonymously publishes celebrity gossip on social media.
Plot
The book is a fictionalized retelling of the genesis of DeuxMoi. Cricket Lopez is a celebrity stylist assistant who posts celebrity gossip on an anonymous Instagram account. When the account experiences overnight success and goes viral on social media, she struggles to balance the increasing demands of the account with her work life.Development history
Anon Pls. was developed as part of a larger attempt to monetize the DeuxMoi account. DeuxMoi came up with the initial concept and was connected to Jessica Goodman through their respective literary agents. While Goodman did much of the writing, she regularly collaborated with DeuxMoi to confirm various details about the celebrity world and to include references to real-world events.Publication history
The novel was published in the United States on November 8, 2022 by William Morrow and Company.Explanation of the novel's title
When gossip is submitted to the DeuxMoi account, submitters often request anonymity by saying "anon pls" or a variation of the phrase.Reception
Observer praised the book for capturing "how celebrity gossip culture has been completely democratized by armchair commentators" and commented that the reflections throughout on the nature of internet anonymity were surprisingly thoughtful. BooklistThe book was named one of NPR's "Books We Love" for 2022.