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We Could Be Anyone
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26True deception is a work of art.
Lola and Lisandro are actors during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but you won’t see them on any silver screen. Instead, these siblings use their talents to scam the rich and famous out of their ill-begotten cash. They have their act down to a science: Lola plays the tragic ghost who haunts the mansions of the wealthy, and Lisandro plays the brave spiritualist who will help her soul find peace. For a small fee, of course.
The siblings have their sights set on their next target: The Coterie, the opulent estate of newspaper tycoon Bixby Fairfax and his famous mistress Blythe Bell. A score this big will allow them to move… well, anywhere but here. But this job requires them to do something they’ve never done before: switch roles. And as strange things keep happening at The Coterie… things that even Lola and Lisandro can’t explain.
As they are drawn deeper into The Coterie’s gleaming façade and tensions rise between brother and sister, one question looms over them. Will they be able to pull off their act? Or will this be their last performance?
Lola and Lisandro are actors during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but you won’t see them on any silver screen. Instead, these siblings use their talents to scam the rich and famous out of their ill-begotten cash. They have their act down to a science: Lola plays the tragic ghost who haunts the mansions of the wealthy, and Lisandro plays the brave spiritualist who will help her soul find peace. For a small fee, of course.
The siblings have their sights set on their next target: The Coterie, the opulent estate of newspaper tycoon Bixby Fairfax and his famous mistress Blythe Bell. A score this big will allow them to move… well, anywhere but here. But this job requires them to do something they’ve never done before: switch roles. And as strange things keep happening at The Coterie… things that even Lola and Lisandro can’t explain.
As they are drawn deeper into The Coterie’s gleaming façade and tensions rise between brother and sister, one question looms over them. Will they be able to pull off their act? Or will this be their last performance?
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 26, 2026
About the author
Anna-Marie McLemore
32 books3,517 followersAnna-Marie McLemore (they/them) is the author of William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist The Weight of Feathers; Wild Beauty; Blanca & Roja, one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time; Indie Next List title Dark and Deepest Red; Lakelore, an NECBA Windows & Mirrors title; and National Book Award longlist selections When the Moon Was Ours, which was also a Stonewall Honor Book; The Mirror Season; and Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. Their latest release is Venom & Vow, co-authored with Elliott McLemore, and Flawless Girls will be released by from Feiwel & Friends in May 2028. Their adult debut, The Influencers, is forthcoming from Dial Press.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
Lola and Lisandro are siblings who are actors out to swindle the rich. Lola pretends to be a ghost haunting the home of a wealthy person, while Lisandro pretends to be a spiritualist who can help. Bixby Fairfax, newspaper tycoon and owner of The Coterie estate, is the siblings' next target. But things start to go wrong the moment Lola and Lisandro decide to switch roles. Weird things keep actually happening at The Coterie, and no matter how hard the siblings try to solve the mystery, they’re dragged further in. Can they pull off their biggest scam or is their act about to be unraveled? This historical thriller sounds fun. —Kelly Jensen
Lola and Lisandro are siblings who are actors out to swindle the rich. Lola pretends to be a ghost haunting the home of a wealthy person, while Lisandro pretends to be a spiritualist who can help. Bixby Fairfax, newspaper tycoon and owner of The Coterie estate, is the siblings' next target. But things start to go wrong the moment Lola and Lisandro decide to switch roles. Weird things keep actually happening at The Coterie, and no matter how hard the siblings try to solve the mystery, they’re dragged further in. Can they pull off their biggest scam or is their act about to be unraveled? This historical thriller sounds fun. —Kelly Jensen
January 29, 2026
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Some parts of it I found very enjoyable and readable and other parts felt forced into it.
Brother and sister act Lola and Lisandro aren't actors in the technical sense, rather they have a tried-and-true spiritual act in which Lola plays a ghost haunting a wealthy individual's home, and Lisandro is the spiritualist who helps solve the haunting, for a healthy fee. Their parents died while working on The Coterie, so when a job requiring their talents appears, the two (especially Lola, who hasn't told Lisandro the whole truth about their parents passing) are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. The Coterie is a large estate owned by Bixby Fairfax, a newspaper tycoon, who resides there with his mistress Blythe Bell, a famous actress. But when they need to switch roles to get the job and there are strange happenings neither is responsible for, will they be able to do this like any other job? With the help of Fairfax's black sheep son and a well-read handsome bartender, the siblings hope they can make it through, while keeping secrets from those closest to them, including each other.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Brother and sister act Lola and Lisandro aren't actors in the technical sense, rather they have a tried-and-true spiritual act in which Lola plays a ghost haunting a wealthy individual's home, and Lisandro is the spiritualist who helps solve the haunting, for a healthy fee. Their parents died while working on The Coterie, so when a job requiring their talents appears, the two (especially Lola, who hasn't told Lisandro the whole truth about their parents passing) are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. The Coterie is a large estate owned by Bixby Fairfax, a newspaper tycoon, who resides there with his mistress Blythe Bell, a famous actress. But when they need to switch roles to get the job and there are strange happenings neither is responsible for, will they be able to do this like any other job? With the help of Fairfax's black sheep son and a well-read handsome bartender, the siblings hope they can make it through, while keeping secrets from those closest to them, including each other.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars
I've enjoyed this author's work for many years and found some intriguing elements in this most recent effort, too. For me, the sibling relationship, representation, and memory-oriented scenes were most powerful. Also, I can ALWAYS count on McLemore to come up with some solid representation in every single effort, and I just want to further amplify how much I appreciate this.
One challenge I experienced is that it took me a bit to buy into these characters. They are running one unusual ruse, and I found it challenging to get my footing with that. I am all for Robin Hooding your way through life, but I didn't get as on board with this plan until much later in the novel when the flashbacks started coming through more powerfully. I'd have loved more of those kinds of flashbacks earlier on to set this part of the scene. On a related note, because this is such an efficient read, I felt like it was over by the time I was on board with the characters. Some basic reordering would have gone a long way for me.
As noted, I'm a long-time fan of this author and look forward to whatever creative submission McLemore has up next!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I've enjoyed this author's work for many years and found some intriguing elements in this most recent effort, too. For me, the sibling relationship, representation, and memory-oriented scenes were most powerful. Also, I can ALWAYS count on McLemore to come up with some solid representation in every single effort, and I just want to further amplify how much I appreciate this.
One challenge I experienced is that it took me a bit to buy into these characters. They are running one unusual ruse, and I found it challenging to get my footing with that. I am all for Robin Hooding your way through life, but I didn't get as on board with this plan until much later in the novel when the flashbacks started coming through more powerfully. I'd have loved more of those kinds of flashbacks earlier on to set this part of the scene. On a related note, because this is such an efficient read, I felt like it was over by the time I was on board with the characters. Some basic reordering would have gone a long way for me.
As noted, I'm a long-time fan of this author and look forward to whatever creative submission McLemore has up next!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
February 18, 2026
We Could Be Anyone is a paranormal, gothic YA novel set against the glitz and shadow of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Siblings Lola and Lisandro arrive at a crumbling mansion with one goal: pull off a high-society scam that could change everything.
Despite its short length, this story carries impressive themes. It explores socioeconomic disparities, queer identity, and Latinx representation, while weaving in sibling tension, risk versus reward, honesty, loyalty, family loss, folklore/magic, gendered power structures, and teen romance. At its heart is the intoxicating thrill of the con—layered with emotional stakes that elevate the narrative beyond a simple scheme.
It’s disappointing to see low ratings without context, particularly for a story that offers representation. I believe many teens will not only enjoy this book, but genuinely see themselves reflected in it.
Only took me a few hours to read and I’d probably rate it 3.5 based on the age group.
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Despite its short length, this story carries impressive themes. It explores socioeconomic disparities, queer identity, and Latinx representation, while weaving in sibling tension, risk versus reward, honesty, loyalty, family loss, folklore/magic, gendered power structures, and teen romance. At its heart is the intoxicating thrill of the con—layered with emotional stakes that elevate the narrative beyond a simple scheme.
It’s disappointing to see low ratings without context, particularly for a story that offers representation. I believe many teens will not only enjoy this book, but genuinely see themselves reflected in it.
Only took me a few hours to read and I’d probably rate it 3.5 based on the age group.
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Orphan siblings Lola and Lisandro make their way in the world as actors/spiritualists who never prey on the grieving by claiming to connect them with those they love who have died. Instead there’s plenty to be gained by impersonating spirits who are still here, and their success leads to a gig at the home of the fabulously wealthy Bixby Fairfax, where they plan to make him pay for the part he played in the death of their parents. While exploring sexual preference and gender identity within the theme of metamorphosis, Lola also struggles with the vines that are growing up around her ankles and her mysterious connection to trees. Beautifully written, intriguing magical realism, fabulous dialogue and memorable characters. Earc from Edelweiss/
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Something about Anna-Marie McLemore’s writing just gets me every time. The mixture of queerness and folklore & fairytales, metaphors and skipped-over moments that float back to you when you’re further into the story. If you get it, you get it. And if you don’t, I hope you can find a way to let more magic into your life.
“They knew we could turn our bodies into branches. They knew we could turn glass tiles into thousands of stars. They knew we could make universes out of everything they would never touch.”
4.5 stars. TYSM to NetGalley + Feiwel & Friends for the copy xo
“They knew we could turn our bodies into branches. They knew we could turn glass tiles into thousands of stars. They knew we could make universes out of everything they would never touch.”
4.5 stars. TYSM to NetGalley + Feiwel & Friends for the copy xo
April 28, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book prior to its release date.
2.5⭐️ rounded up to 3⭐️. This book wasn’t terrible, but it failed to keep my interest a lot of the time. It had a good idea and plot forming, but I just think it could have used a bit more editing. And maybe I feel like it would have been more interesting as an adult book as opposed to a YA. I just felt like I couldn’t figure out if the characters were mature or immature in their thoughts and actions, and it started to muddle with the story a bit to me.
2.5⭐️ rounded up to 3⭐️. This book wasn’t terrible, but it failed to keep my interest a lot of the time. It had a good idea and plot forming, but I just think it could have used a bit more editing. And maybe I feel like it would have been more interesting as an adult book as opposed to a YA. I just felt like I couldn’t figure out if the characters were mature or immature in their thoughts and actions, and it started to muddle with the story a bit to me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I just could not get into these characters. I know it's supposed to be Hollywood, but it felt more Bridgerton. The characters didn't get in my head and I sort of lost track of who and what. Also, no one should use sound alike or look alike names for characters. Makes me bonkers. Anyway, there's a lot of details here, and someone will like it.
Want to Read
October 3, 2025Thank you to Anna-Marie McLemore and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. ♡
₊˚⊹⋆ first thoughts: the cover style def intrigued me!! teen siblings scamming the rich and end up in a potentially haunted mansion? please!
₊˚⊹⋆ final thoughts:
₊˚⊹⋆ first thoughts: the cover style def intrigued me!! teen siblings scamming the rich and end up in a potentially haunted mansion? please!
₊˚⊹⋆ final thoughts:
October 23, 2025
This was a decent story, but I wasn't sure where it was going. I liked it to a point, but not to another. It was very slow and just not moving at a decent pace. I will try again later, or maybe even have my kid read it and see what she thinks.
November 16, 2025
full review to come
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Dnf
I'm not sure this book was for me. I wasn't enjoying it like I thought I would.
Thank you to NetGalley, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not sure this book was for me. I wasn't enjoying it like I thought I would.
Thank you to NetGalley, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews