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Famous Anonymous #1
Famous Anonymous
The first book in a new series about neighborhood friends who find sudden fame with a series of viral videos…
only no one knows who they really are
. Hannah Montana for the TikTok generation.
Four kids from the same neighborhood, lifelong friends, throw on some costumes and make a funny video one night when their parents are out. One of them shares it with the group, another posts it on a TikTok-like social media, 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 and their anonymity.
These books explore friendship, loyalty, and imagination, all while considering big questions that come up in a social media context, How do you protect your true self online? And is it ever really possible to be anonymous?
Four kids from the same neighborhood, lifelong friends, throw on some costumes and make a funny video one night when their parents are out. One of them shares it with the group, another posts it on a TikTok-like social media, 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 and their anonymity.
These books explore friendship, loyalty, and imagination, all while considering big questions that come up in a social media context, How do you protect your true self online? And is it ever really possible to be anonymous?
Audible Audio
Published September 9, 2025
3 people are currently reading
2832 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Baden
8 books39 followersMorgan Baden’s debut Young Adult novel, The Hive (Kids Can Press, September 2019), co-written with her husband Barry Lyga, was named a Best Book of Fall 2019 by People Magazine and was called a “gripping, tense, action-packed thriller” by Booklist. She’s also the author of Daphne and Velma: The Dark Deception (Scholastic, July 2020) and Daphne and Velma: Buried Secrets (Scholastic, September 2022), and contributed a short story in the YA super hero anthology Generation Wonder (Abrams, June 2022). A bestselling ghostwriter, she previously, she taught courses at New York University's Center for Publishing and has led many writing-focused workshops for teens and adults. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. Find her at www.morganbaden.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 17, 2025
it would be better if it was my age😭 the 'they're so sigma' is frying me
June 21, 2025
What worked:
The story is told from the points of view of two pairs of siblings. Sophie and her younger brother Gus live next door to Luke and his younger sister Harper. Each character presents a unique personality with different points of view that are shared in alternating chapters. Luke is neurodivergent and doesn’t like being the focus of attention. In contrast, Harper is obsessed with acting, and her impulsiveness creates the plot’s conflict. Gus spends all of his time with soccer practice, but he wants to explore other interests; he wins a sixth-grade creative writing award that comes with a summer workshop. Finally, Sophie is a cautious character, most concerned about getting in trouble and losing her parents’ trust.
One of Luke and Harper’s mothers is very protective, and the book opens with a list of her rules for the kids staying home alone. Harper already has a secret social media account, and it’s her idea to make a video. All of the kids are worried about viewers identifying them (they have over a million hits), but for different reasons. Luke and Sophie’s reasons are obvious, and Gus and Harper don’t want the complications that fame will bring. They wear costumes and cover their faces in the videos, so they hope that’s enough to remain anonymous. However, readers know a problem will eventually arise when an online viewer says, “Is it just me or is there something SO familiar about this video?”
What didn’t work as well:
The conflict is not especially gripping, as the characters deal with friendship issues. They work well together in the beginning, but the pressure of topping their previous posts affects their priorities.
The final verdict:
The focus on social media will appeal to today’s young readers. Telling the story from distinctly different points of view will also allow them to connect with the characters. I recommend you give this book a shot.
The story is told from the points of view of two pairs of siblings. Sophie and her younger brother Gus live next door to Luke and his younger sister Harper. Each character presents a unique personality with different points of view that are shared in alternating chapters. Luke is neurodivergent and doesn’t like being the focus of attention. In contrast, Harper is obsessed with acting, and her impulsiveness creates the plot’s conflict. Gus spends all of his time with soccer practice, but he wants to explore other interests; he wins a sixth-grade creative writing award that comes with a summer workshop. Finally, Sophie is a cautious character, most concerned about getting in trouble and losing her parents’ trust.
One of Luke and Harper’s mothers is very protective, and the book opens with a list of her rules for the kids staying home alone. Harper already has a secret social media account, and it’s her idea to make a video. All of the kids are worried about viewers identifying them (they have over a million hits), but for different reasons. Luke and Sophie’s reasons are obvious, and Gus and Harper don’t want the complications that fame will bring. They wear costumes and cover their faces in the videos, so they hope that’s enough to remain anonymous. However, readers know a problem will eventually arise when an online viewer says, “Is it just me or is there something SO familiar about this video?”
What didn’t work as well:
The conflict is not especially gripping, as the characters deal with friendship issues. They work well together in the beginning, but the pressure of topping their previous posts affects their priorities.
The final verdict:
The focus on social media will appeal to today’s young readers. Telling the story from distinctly different points of view will also allow them to connect with the characters. I recommend you give this book a shot.
October 4, 2025
My daughter picked this as our most recent shared audiobook. It was a cute story, definitely made for her generation. I really liked the diverse representation. One character is neurodivergent, one set of parents is same sex, but none of these things were really "the point" - they just provided characterization, which was nice to see. There were a few nitpicky things that bugged me - for example, the parents are wildly overprotective until they are absent - but it was a fun, lighthearted story for us to share.
December 7, 2025
This was a fun middle grade book. It’s the first book in a new series, Famous Anonymous. The group of four kids refer to themselves as the Rowan Roadies. Four neighbor kids that rediscovered their friendship through the process of making videos on Cre8. I think young readers will be able to relate to this one. It seems these days, a lot of young people want to be famous on social media. Everyone is looking to make the next viral video.
The pacing felt a bit slow and at times I lost interest in the story. I do think the character development was good and young readers will enjoy the story.
The pacing felt a bit slow and at times I lost interest in the story. I do think the character development was good and young readers will enjoy the story.
November 22, 2025
Four young friends go viral after making a video. Yet, they cannot reveal themselves, because they have been forbidden from using internet apps. So, throughout the book, they are trying to come up with ways to share more content that holds up to their first video. Somewhere along the way, they lose focus, and accidentally come back together.
This was a cute story about friendship, obeying your parents, and content creating. I definitely recommend it.
This was a cute story about friendship, obeying your parents, and content creating. I definitely recommend it.
May 19, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Review to be posted closer to publication date.
Review to be posted closer to publication date.
September 9, 2025
Delightful look at middle school and social media!
December 30, 2025
Pretty good. Not bad - interesting.
These are the parts that stood out to me:
P7
Yeah, they were all practicing something. Not me, though, because I hadn’t quite decided what my “thing” was. I tried lots of activities, from tennis to swimming to pottery to coding to karate and gymnastics.
My problem wasn’t in the trying; it was in the sticking.
P8
One of Harper and Luke’s moms
P33
He was pretty used to masking at school, but at home, with just us, he could let loose and be himself.
P44
Neurodivergent
P52
The cool thing about not talking a lot, I’ve learned, is that when you finally do talk, people usually listen.
P60
We do all contain multitudes.
P68
Scrimmage
P69
It’s so sigma! (Cool)
P78
“Cool,” I nodded. I had always sort of envied Luke’s loner tendencies. Imagine being able to live your life without the weight of other people’s expectations.
P80
One time my mom told me about “friendship breaks.” It’s this idea that sometimes you drift close and then far and then close again to someone, but that you keep your bond with them, no matter what. She stressed that years of friendship history were worth holding onto, even during a break. These friendship still hold up over time, as long as there’s true respect and understanding on both sides.
P91
Maybe even more important, I’d really thought about what we needed to accomplish. Our first video had taken off, and I wanted our second one to do even better. Because what’s the point of doing anything again if you’re not trying to improve?
P112
“You’re not a creative director!” I reminded her, sniffling again. “You’re a sixth grader who wants to be famous!”
She shrugged. “Same thing.”
P112-113
“Harper?” I asked suddenly. My tears had dried and my throat had sunk back to its normal size. “Why do you like acting so much?”
“Ooh!” Her eyes lit up. “I am SO happy you asked! It’s positively an out-of-body experience to stand on a stage and pretend to be someone else. To INHABIT a different world. To EMPATHIZE with someone else’s experience, just for a minute.”
P113
“Oh sure,” she sighed. “Acting is a chance to be someone else.”
—
Could I try to see what happened when I jumped into something headfirst? No more quitting, and no looking back?
P120
Luke cleared his throat eagerly. “I can explain. At its simplest, an algorithm is a set of instructions. The more you interact with Cre8, for example, the better it gets at figuring out what you like, based on what you comment on, what you block, what you swipe past, and more.”
P126
Austen sidled up to me
P134
GRWM videos (get ready with me)
P137
Precipice of fame
—
Upper echelon of influencers
P143
Barely eked out
P145
Dysregulated
P149
My eyes volleyed back-and-forth between my moms.
P154
This idea was a nonstarter.
P158
“There’s some other stuff going on, too, I guess,” I admitted.
“Want me to distract you?” Jazzy offered. “Or do you want me to just be here to listen while you vent?”
P162
That the Rowan Roadies were icing me out?
P171-172
“Arghh!” I yelled. I flung my hands over my eyes to block my identity. “Go away! We don’t have any cereal!”
…
“You have the culinary tastes of a toddler,” said the killer. “Also, get up, Gus.”
These are the parts that stood out to me:
P7
Yeah, they were all practicing something. Not me, though, because I hadn’t quite decided what my “thing” was. I tried lots of activities, from tennis to swimming to pottery to coding to karate and gymnastics.
My problem wasn’t in the trying; it was in the sticking.
P8
One of Harper and Luke’s moms
P33
He was pretty used to masking at school, but at home, with just us, he could let loose and be himself.
P44
Neurodivergent
P52
The cool thing about not talking a lot, I’ve learned, is that when you finally do talk, people usually listen.
P60
We do all contain multitudes.
P68
Scrimmage
P69
It’s so sigma! (Cool)
P78
“Cool,” I nodded. I had always sort of envied Luke’s loner tendencies. Imagine being able to live your life without the weight of other people’s expectations.
P80
One time my mom told me about “friendship breaks.” It’s this idea that sometimes you drift close and then far and then close again to someone, but that you keep your bond with them, no matter what. She stressed that years of friendship history were worth holding onto, even during a break. These friendship still hold up over time, as long as there’s true respect and understanding on both sides.
P91
Maybe even more important, I’d really thought about what we needed to accomplish. Our first video had taken off, and I wanted our second one to do even better. Because what’s the point of doing anything again if you’re not trying to improve?
P112
“You’re not a creative director!” I reminded her, sniffling again. “You’re a sixth grader who wants to be famous!”
She shrugged. “Same thing.”
P112-113
“Harper?” I asked suddenly. My tears had dried and my throat had sunk back to its normal size. “Why do you like acting so much?”
“Ooh!” Her eyes lit up. “I am SO happy you asked! It’s positively an out-of-body experience to stand on a stage and pretend to be someone else. To INHABIT a different world. To EMPATHIZE with someone else’s experience, just for a minute.”
P113
“Oh sure,” she sighed. “Acting is a chance to be someone else.”
—
Could I try to see what happened when I jumped into something headfirst? No more quitting, and no looking back?
P120
Luke cleared his throat eagerly. “I can explain. At its simplest, an algorithm is a set of instructions. The more you interact with Cre8, for example, the better it gets at figuring out what you like, based on what you comment on, what you block, what you swipe past, and more.”
P126
Austen sidled up to me
P134
GRWM videos (get ready with me)
P137
Precipice of fame
—
Upper echelon of influencers
P143
Barely eked out
P145
Dysregulated
P149
My eyes volleyed back-and-forth between my moms.
P154
This idea was a nonstarter.
P158
“There’s some other stuff going on, too, I guess,” I admitted.
“Want me to distract you?” Jazzy offered. “Or do you want me to just be here to listen while you vent?”
P162
That the Rowan Roadies were icing me out?
P171-172
“Arghh!” I yelled. I flung my hands over my eyes to block my identity. “Go away! We don’t have any cereal!”
…
“You have the culinary tastes of a toddler,” said the killer. “Also, get up, Gus.”
December 11, 2025
This middle grade book is about two pairs of siblings who live next door to one another. When their parents leave them at home without a babysitter, they make a video that ends up going viral. They aren’t allowed to be on social media, so they might be famous, but they’re also anonymous! Soon everyone is watching their videos and wanting more. I thought this was a cute book and I liked that each character was easily differentiated. Sophie is not sure what her “thing” is, Gus is a soccer player but he also likes writing, Luke has autism, and Harper is an actor. They combine their unique voices and talents into making videos together and in doing so, they learn about the ups and downs of social media.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews