Famous Anonymous
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What happens when everyone knows you…
but no one knows who you are?
Famous Anonyous is the first book in a new series about four neighborhood friends who find sudden fame with a series of viral videos…only no one knows it’s them. Hannah Montana for the TikTok generation!
Introducing Sophie and Gus, and Luke and Harper. One night, they throw on some costumes and make a funny video. One of them posts it online…and suddenly the video blows up. Which makes the kids famous! Well, famous… and anonymous. Because no one can tell who they really are—and their parents must never find out. But their new fans want more content!
So the four friends go on to make a series of over-the-top videos that vault them into a new world of celebrity and influence. They feel the rush of attention and the power of their own creations, but also struggle to preserve their fame, their friendship, and their anonymity. And meanwhile, they’re just trying to survive middle school, including navigating auditions for the spring musical and a killer soccer schedule.
These books explore friendship, loyalty, and imagination, all while considering big questions that come up in a social media context, like: How do you protect your true self online? And is it ever really possible to be anonymous?
The reviews are in!
Booklist says: “A cautionary tale full of individuality and humor, Baden’s novel rings true in this moment and is filled with contemporary lingo and believable middle-grade situational complications. Each main character is distinct and relatable, getting an equal share of the narration and the limelight. Their story comes to a satisfying conclusion with the promise of more adventures to come. An appealing story that will be an easy sell.”
Kirkus says: “Seeking fame through social media, four friends end up truthfully examining themselves in this amusing and thoughtful series opener…Absorbing and thought-provoking.”
Publishers Weekly says: “Alternating between the four protagonists’ recognizable perspectives, which are peppered with contemporary slang (“We left no crumbs”), Baden (Buried Secrets) delivers an of-the-moment cautionary tale about the highs and lows of internet fame for kids of the Digital Age.”