Wow can’t say I’ve read many (or any) books like this one. It was definitely a fun, chaotic and wild ride!

i’m officially an anna dorn convert. i read perfume & pain about a year ago, and loved every unhinged second of it – american spirits definitely scratched that same itch for me. believe it or not, this is actually the second book that i’ve read this year that has some influence from the gaylor community, which is kind of an insane sentence to write, but it was honestly so much fun to read. i love when books have other pieces of media intertwined with the narrative, so i loved seeing the album reviews and reddit posts interspersed with the rest of the story.

truly, every moment of this was unhinged. that’s exactly what i came here looking for, but consider yourself forewarned that the characters and relationships are messy through and through – so if that’s not your thing, i would not recommend picking this one up. but if you’re looking for sapphics going off the rails, you’ve come to the right place! reading anna dorn’s writing often feels like i’m in the middle of a spiral right alongside her characters, and i mean that in the best way possible. she has such a way of evoking those feelings through her writing. and that ending!! i was not expecting that at ALL. absolutely crazy (but i expect nothing less).

This book is messy in the best way. Blue Velour is a pop star finally about to “make it,” and Rose—her number one fan—somehow ends up working as her assistant. When COVID shuts everything down, the two of them (plus Blue’s producer) hide out in a cabin, and things get real weird, real fast. It’s sharp, funny, a little chaotic, and definitely not your typical fame story. If you like unhinged characters and stories that blur the line between obsession and love, this one’s for you.

I'm actually very upset I wasted time and energy in finishing this book. I already wasn't enjoying the book and then I got to the last chapter...I get that it's supposed to be a cheeky little twist, but it honestly made me angry and brought down my rating even more.

The pacing was so off the entire book. The first 40% is almost a day-by-day play of their lives and then all of a sudden we start skipping ahead by months and mentioning what happened in between in like 2 paragraphs. The character dynamics made me feel nothing, which was particularly bad because the whole point of the book is how "obsessive" they are with each other. Not a book for me.

Not to be all “Anna Dorn is my Blue Velour,” but Anna Dorn is my Blue Velour. Dorn combines aspects of her past work that I loved: representation of substance use, unusual fixations, gay gay gay. Her characters are distinct, complicated, unlovable, and endearing. That is why I love them. Reading a book where you’re like yeah, I kind of hate everyone is a fun experience because few authors know how to execute that in a way that’s entertaining and not annoying. This was delightful.

A most anticipated read for me - Perfume & Pain was my fave read of last year and Exalted was stellar as well. The premise of this book was so original and it did not disappoint - I was gripped until the very last page and it left my jaw on the floor. I'm familiar with fandom spaces and shipping culture and I think that made it an even more interesting read for me. An easy 5 stars. Can't wait to pick up a physical copy!

I’ve loved a few of Anna Dorn’s books, but this one was not for me which is so disappointing. I should have loved this book, but I felt like the characters were not well developed at all - I felt like I had no idea who Rose was other than existing to be the opposite of Blue. And I hated that Blue was basically just Lana Del Rey - I’m sure the author wanted it to seem like an homage, but there were far too many pieces that were just straight up things that Lana has done and I found myself wondering why she couldn’t just write her own character. I really disliked the last chapter - what’s the point of the fake out? I had enough fun to get through the book just to find out it’s not even “real” in the universe of the book. Unfortunately my hopes for Anna’s future books have been dashed.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC!

Rating 3.5/5⭐️
I enjoyed the portrayal of parasocial relationships and unhinged female characters here. The author does a great job portraying mental health, substance abuse, fandom, and internet culture. The first 60% of the book was really captivating for me. Unfortunately, the ending fell flat for me and i was disappointed by how rushed the plot felt at the end of the story.

Perfume & Pain and Exalted will forever be my fave books though🫶🏻

I really should have written this review sooner, but honestly, I have no idea what to say. It was certainly very interesting. In fact, it gave me a somewhat similar vibe to some of the Taylor Jenkins Reid books I've read, in that it follows of fictitious celebrity and their career, and somehow manages to feel very real?

So basically, we have Blue Velour, who's *cough*Lana Del Rey*cough* - I mean - this famous singer/songwriter, and then we have Rose, who's a superfan, and the founder of a subreddit dedicated to Blue's supposed romantic relationship with her producer, Sasha. Rose, through an acquaintance made on said subreddit, manages to get a job as Blue's personal assistant, and well, things start happening. Especially when the pandemic (yes, that pandemic, it was so weird reading about it lol) hits. Blue, Rose, and Sasha retreat to a cabin in the redwoods, where Blue and Sasha begin working on a new album, and let's just say there's some drama. A possible love triangle. I personally love reading about drama, so I found that fun.

Also, it was interspersed with posts from the subreddit at the ends of a lot of the chapters, and I found that interesting too, seeing what the fans were thinking, and how they chose to interpret things. The parasocial relationship was strong with this one. Like, honestly, people, celebrities are people too, yk, let them be.

Now, however, we need to return to that whole Lana Del Rey thing. Because not only is Blue's music described in a way that makes it clear it sounds like Lana's, the whole aesthetic matches, it's claimed she was the inspiration for artists who have claimed Lana Del Rey to be an inspiration to them irl AND she had an album that was controversial because people claimed it glamorized abuse. Sound familiar? I've never been one to read fanfics about real people, but I kinda feel like this could be a Lana Del Rey fanfic? And, I mean, like I said, it was enjoyable, and it's not like it was poorly written, but those similarities were kinda wild to me.

Oh, and what's with throwing shade at Taylor Swift? She is a talented songwriter, and no one is convincing me otherwise. I get that no music is for everyone but come on.

Also, I have no idea what to make of that ending. That like, after the last chapter ending. It really threw me through a loop, and I'm not so sure that I'm a fan.

***I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.***

Had so much fun with this, couldn’t put it down and devoured it in a day. This is for the chronically online, parasocial, music people out there. Have you ever dreamed about working for your favorite artist? Rose is a twenty something Reddit mod for a Blue Velour (hi lizzy grant!) fandom. Rose moves to LA in the hopes of meeting her idol.

Felt rich and lush, scents and vibes were captured. I wish these were all real songs because I need to know what they sound like. These characters felt so real.

AHHHHHH this was everything to me! I could not put this down. As a LDR fan this was just such a delight to read and the references were endless and delightful. The plot was thrilling and the characters were awful and sexy. Especially loved the integration of Reddit culture and nods to r/gaylor. Just so well done. Only complaint is I'll never be able to listen to Blue's music or make out with Sasha. Anna Dorn 4ever <3

I loved this book! I was engrossed from the first page to the last. It was rich, quirky, interesting, so fun to read... Definitely want more from Anna Dorn soon!

First, thank you to the publisher for giving me an advanced copy, I appreciate the opportunity to review books ahead of time.

While I am no stranger to satire or irony, this book felt a little too confused about what it wanted to be. It often felt a bit too on-the-nose in a way that explicitly pointed out the social commentary it was making. It would often dig deep into the heart of parasocial relationships, cancel culture, and Hollywood elitism, even blatantly pointing out relevant real-world events (such as Kaylors, Gaylors, Lana's diamond mask, and the ancient art of plagarism), but then would turn around and praise problematic artists and obsessively name-drop left and right to the level of those aforementioned parasocial relationships. The one thing that really held me back throughout the entire book was the dedication to Lana Del Rey (Lizzy Grant). It befuddled me, to dedicate an entire novel, months of work and personal time, to an individual who does *not* have a very good reputation or public image, only to poke fun at this individual in the book itself. It felt like dedicating a bullet to the outlaw in front of you at a draw. Every time I thought Dorn was doing something cheeky and smart, the book dedication killed it every time. Why so much positivity about--and name-dropping of--a notoriously controversial musician in a book featuring immature celebrities, toxic Hollywood lifestyles, and a FMC's blatant lack of empathy for others during a time of civil unrest? Up until the very end--and even now--I couldn't tell if Dorn was making a pointed accusation or was genuinely unable to follow her own thesis. In all honesty, the things Dorn was trying to say would be better without the dedication. The lyrics are fine, it's easier to interpret those as a slight or a (much needed) critique of the artist, but the dedication held me back every. single. time.

Further, the characterization of bipolar felt...cruel. Not only was the type of bipolar disorder not mentioned (which is important because there are distinctions), it felt like the FMC's 'mania' was not just lack of sleep and impulsivity: it was violent, it was egregious, it was a scapegoat. Every time she did something abhorrent, such as attempting a physical attack on her assistant and abandoning her pet, it was unanimously blamed on her being bipolar. This is not only unfair, but this is a dangerous rhetoric. We still do not have adequate psychiatric care for people with personality disorders, and many physicians flat-out refuse to work with bipolar or BPD patients due to fearmongering and stereotypes. Bipolar disorder does not look like this for everyone. In fact, it doesn't look like this for most people. A lot of times, bipolar disorder looks like staying up for three days straight renovating your apartment for no reason, deleting long-running social media accounts impulsively, or binge watching an entire show in one sitting without eating. To equate Blue's violence to bipolar is unfair.

While this should have been a 1 or 2 star, I have settled on a 2.75. As previously stated, even though there are substantial things holding this book back for me (the main one being that dedication), Dorn is on to something. Even though it lacked the punch it could've made, the bones are still there, they're just hiding beneath layers of fog.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of American Spirits by Anna Dorn.

I absolutely devoured this book and could’ve read this in one sitting. The writing was very online, and in a good way. I loved the concept and thought that it was tastefully done and the ending that the entire novel was a fanfic… *chefs kiss*

Dorn did a great job of creating the world of Blue Velour, Sasha Harlow and Rose Lutz. I felt very immersed in the setting, and loved all of the pop culture references in the novel.

Out of the books I’ve read this year, this one is my favorite. So GOOD!

This could very much be a me thing but I didn’t enjoy my time with this one. Very early on I couldn’t shake the feeling it felt like fanfiction and the writing was so bland, over explanatory then I got to the ending & it felt cheap. There was something to these characters that could have been explored with great depth and it couldn’t break past the surface level. I do think it could be a me problem because I missed the whole tumblr obsessed era of pop star fandom.

ARC review: American Spirits By Anna Dorn
Release date: April 14, 2026
Rating: 4/5

“Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!”
American Spirits is Lana Del Rey fan-fiction of All About Eve with some Mean Girls thrown in. It’s sapphic melodrama for the parasocial internet culture of the digital age.

American Spirits is a multi-POV account of a niche cult singer, her loyal producer, and her rabid fan base. Rose Lutz is the ultimate megafan of Blue Velour (our LDR stand-in), who ekes her way into Blue’s life through an obsessive SubReddit account, eventually blurring the lines between admiring protege and wannabe usurper.

The infamous Walt Whitman quote, “Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” is frequently referenced in this novel, which is funny because it is precisely how I felt while reading this book. It’s light fluff and an intelligent critique of American pop culture. It’s silly and it’s brilliant. It’s fun and it’s believable. It’s snarky and satirical, corny and campy. I might forget it by the time it’s published, or maybe I’ll never stop thinking about it. Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

I recommend reading this book in your best kimono while chugging a Red Bull (I don’t recommend smoking or vaping or doing drugs!!) and listening to Lana in the background, mixed with some Nirvana and Amy Winehouse. It’s like reading a gossip magazine or taking a deep dive down a Reddit rabbit hole full of celebrity conspiracy theories and “Easter eggs.” You won’t want to come up for air.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Everything Anna Dorn writes is just so FUN! This was a drama filled, extremely online book. I loved the use of Reddit and references to Lana and Tumblr (if you were on Tumblr from 2011-2017, you know). I loved how problematic and self-destructive every character was, and I especially loved the cameos of other characters from Dorn's previous works. I love the focus on parasocial relationships and fan-fic, and the ENDING got me. This is for anyone who loves the internet and insanity.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

AMERICAN SPIRITS by Anna Dorn tells the story of two captivating sapphic stars bound for collision: campy, provocative legacy artist Blue Velour and her talented but troubled young acolyte—and obsessively parasocial fan girl—Rose Lush.

As per usual, Anna Dorn is a master of imagery and creates an alluring, evocative world for the reader to lose themself in. While I don’t always books with multiple points-of-view, Dorn deftly manages to keep the narrative tight and cohesive without losing the nuance and layers of additional perspectives. Another touch I really appreciate are the little hints and nods at her previous works (DJ Vagablonde, the lovable but poorly behaved “Astrix Doll”, etc.)

I’ve read a couple of her other books and have really enjoyed them, but I must say this story is, no pun intended, a true showstopper that I am eager to recommend to all my fellow lesbians, pop music fanatics, and internet weirdos.

Rose, founder of a Gaylor-style subreddit dissecting alt pop singer Blue Velour's music for clues as to her suspected relationship with producer Sasha Harlow, manages to land a job as Blue's assistant thanks to a connection to Blue's sister. When COVID hits, Blue Velour retreats to a cabin in the woods with Sasha and Rose to record a new album, but the quarantine ends up far more emotional and toxic than Rose could've imagined.

I was really excited for this book and its promise to explore the toxic sides of fan communities and fame, but I feel that it barely scratched the surface of the themes it was supposed to be focusing on. The emphasis is far more strongly on the obsession Rose has for Blue and Sasha, and it doesn't even feel like a microcosm of the obsession the BlueBeards subreddit has for their relationship since Rose deactivates her account out of embarrassment and leaves the subreddit shortly into the book. Furthermore, the time skips were also confusing. You'd think that for a book that was meant to dive into the dangers of fame and toxic relationships, there would be more of a focus on Blue descending into addiction, instead of a three-month time skip where she got very messed up, went to rehab and got better. Even given that the book focuses mostly on the relationship between the three women, it's a bit "telling" not "showing", since the actual breakup between Rose and Sasha partway through the book isn't even depicted. The climactic moment involving gun violence is also barely depicted. I don't know if this is because the author was scared to write about dark content or for some other reason, but it makes the book feel unsubstantial.

I did enjoy how detailed the characters of the central three women were. They were all unlikable, which is probably the point, although I did put the book down at one point because Blue, a bisexual woman, screaming "dyke" at one of the lesbian characters and trying to attack her was quite intensely unsympathetic. The author seems to have attempted to redeem Blue at the end of the book, but I didn't buy it. Maybe the two equally unlikable women wouldn't have cared that much about all of Blue's toxic behavior, but I did and I think other readers will as well.

If you're looking for toxic lesbian relationships and fame and don't particularly care about going deeper than those themes, I'd recommend this book. If you're looking for something deeper, I'd suggest you read something like Isabel Banta's Honey instead.

Ah yes, someone has finally heard of the phenomenon of people online shipping celebrities in gay/lesbian relationships and decided to write about it. Anna Dorn gives us some A++ unhinged lesbians, and this time, throws in reddit, secret shipping communities, obsession, and some great messy bitches, this time through the lens of pop celebrity. This is a hell of a ride and was genuinely a great read over the first part of August here. Happily recommending this when it comes out this coming spring.