Sarasota, FL—Annie Gillespie doesn’t want to hear it. Again. Ms. Gillespie’s debut essay collection I Have an Iguana Too has sold over 50,000 copies and been on the New York Times bestseller list for over sixteen weeks. 

 

But it’s her 5-star reviews she’s raging about. Last week, she tweeted her anger to her 50,000 followers.

 

“I took the time to write a great book. And some took the time to leave enlightening reviews on GR. But most of you sheeple repeated same bullsh*t. You’re not a NYT critic. Save the world from the copy/paste “insights,” click 5*, and move on.” 

 

At one point, I Have an Iguana Too had 20,000 reviews on Goodreads with an average of 4.9 stars, a rating any author would kill for, but Ms. Gillespie is more concerned about the content than the stars. 

 

“Trust me, I’ve read them all. All twenty-one-thousand-and-sixty-two of them. I see the same phrases over and over. ‘Brought me to tears. Delicate vulnerability. Razor-sharp wit.’ Really? Delicate vulnerability? Not only did you crib that, it’s redundant. Also, nobody wants to click on your link to see the word vomit of your full review. And don’t even get me started on the stupid GIFs. Are you trying to hate-f*ck my eyes? Because having twenty one-second videos on repeat while you’re trying to read is a contemporary Hieronymus Bosch of agony.”

 

Ms. Gillespie’s agent Michelle Young thinks she’s very happy with the reviews. “Annie appreciates all her reviewers. She just has a fiery temper. Firm opinions. Especially about writing. And reviews. And book covers. And fonts. Margins…long pauses. Oh, God, don’t get her started on GIFs.”  

 

Ms. Gillespie still likes Goodreads though. “You want to hear from the people. GR just needs to establish a hierarchy. Points for originality. Sophistication. Deductions for spelling, repetition. Think of it this way, if you walk into a room and every person you meet says, “you have such razor-sharp wit” you’re either in a NXIVM cult, Hollywood or Goodreads. It’s just empty platitudes from airheads who want attention.”

 

When asked if those platitudes still weren’t coming from real feelings by supportive people who buy her books, Ms. Gillespie scoffed, “You want to know what’s supportive? Giving to my Patreon. My book’s eleven bucks. If you’ve read it, you know it’s worth twice that.” 

 

The reaction from her Twitter followers hasn’t been kind.

 

@Idatefrogs2 tweeted: “‘Oh, boohoo! I’m a privileged white author and people love my work.’ I put a lot of effort into that review. Maybe I copy and pasted most of it. I still meant it. I’d call you Karen but it’d be an insult to Karens.”

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@42IsOhnly89 tweeted, “I wanted to read your book. I was gonna read your book. And now I’m not. But I’m still copy and pasting a long 1-star review on GR.” 

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They’re not the only ones. Since the comment, IHAIT’s rating has dropped to 2.9 stars. And it’s falling. 

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“This is what you get,” Ms. Gillespie said, “when you tweet while you’re stoned. I freestyle when I’m on Twitter. It’s like ziplining straight into a hurricane.”

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Does she regret her comments? 

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“My only regret is that I underestimated how triggered people are. How they love to cancel. If they can’t write anything original and unique about my book it’s on them. Take the time. Or just give five stars. You don’t have to write anything.”

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Despite the backlash, she might get the last laugh yet as IHAIT has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in non-fiction. “That’s definitely good news. But I’ve seen the shortlist and well, I'll just say I better win.”