Blog Tour: 5 Reasons to Read We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore

Item: We Could Be Anyone
Author: Kelly BookCrushin

Crushed on by Kelly BookCrushin, on May 24, 2026, in Blog Tour, New Releases, Reviews / 0 Comments

Blog Tour: 5 Reasons to Read We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore

I am thrilled to be a part of the Toppling Stacks Blog Tour to share 5 Reasons to Read We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore. I wish I could just say to everyone that A-M is on my auto-buy author list and that would be the number one reason to read their newest release, but instead I will be sharing more influential (hopefully) reasons that I think will convince you to read this magical realism soaked in folklore and thrills for fans of The Gilded Age and White Lotus!

We Could Be Anyone releases on Tuesday May 26th so check out my Top 5 Reasons to Read and add this one to your summer reading lists as well as your PRIDE READS!

We Could Be Anyone

by Anna-Marie McLemore
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
on May 26, 2026
Genres: Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA+, Magical Realism, Mythology/Folklore, Young Adult
Bookshop, Audiobook Libro.FM
Goodreads

Two teen con-artists must execute an almost impossible scam at an exclusive mansion in this thriller that's White Lotus meets Mexican Gothic - for teens.

True deception is a work of art.

Lola and I grew up hearing that we could become anything, but our parents hadn’t meant it the way gringo parents did. They meant it as a warning.

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?

5 Reasons to Read We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore

No one does YA magical realism like A-M does it! Seriously, when I read their debut I was mesmerized, but when I read When the Moon Was Ours, I was enamored! Like in love with their writing, I knew this author was someone I was going to really important in my life. Of course they have won awards and accolades but they stole my heart and I will read absolutely everything they write. We Could Be Anyone is written with gorgeous prose you expect from them and weaves a thrilling, magical, and mythological story.
This novel explores some really excellent themes. As expected from A-M, they delve into queer and transgender identities, gender dynamics and the nature of male dominated culture, as well as Latinx representation. This story also takes on some of the social and economic factors and disparities of the glamourous Hollywood Golden Age, while still unfortunately feeling quite relevant these days.
Allegories and metaphors to Greek Mythology are intertwined throughout the story and the magical elements that reflect back to a deep connection to the trees and soil just really make the book unique.
Just something enthralling about siblings who set up hauntings, because they are magical beings who can transform themselves, into spiritual mediums to con rich folks out of money, just has that rebellion and thrills that make me really connect to the characters.
Told in alternating POVs, which is one of my favorite styles when there is two strong main characters.

About Anna-Marie McLemore

Anna-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; Venom & Vow, co-authored with Elliott McLemore; Flawless Girls; 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 their adult debut, The Influencers, and their next young adult novel is We Could Be Anyone, forthcoming in spring 2026.

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