Review: The Last Illusion of Paige White by Vanessa McCausland

One of my favourite things about attending book festivals and events is the opportunity to be exposed to a whole bunch of writers and books that I might not necessarily have picked up otherwise, for no other reason than the fact that there are just so many new books coming out all the time. Every time I attend an event I invariably end up with entire backlists of work by new-to-me authors added to my to be read list. This was the case a little while ago when saw Vanessa McCausland on a panel at the Northern Beaches Readers Festival – the discussion was so fun and interesting that when I had an opportunity to read an early copy of her brand new book, The Last Illusion of Paige White, there was no chance I was missing out. This is an absolute gem of a book, and one that I think deserves a spot on everyone’s summer reading lists this year. As always with my reviews, I’m popping the synopsis from the publisher here, and you can read my thoughts about the book below.

What is Vanessa McCausland’s The Last Illusion of Paige White about?

Paige White kayaked across the lake each morning at dawn. Someone was watching her. Many someones watched her online. But was anyone with her the day she was found?

Paige White’s beautiful life is documented closely for her thousands of followers: lakeside picnics with her daughter, sunny afternoons in the family van, and romantic dinners with her husband. So when she posts an ominous image, and her body is shortly after discovered in the lake, everyone immediately wonders – suicide or foul play?

Paige finds herself suspended in a strange, idyllic place that resembles her most ‘liked’ Instagram post, forced to watch as life continues without her.

When Paige’s death makes national news, Jane Masters, a journalist who was close to Paige in childhood, reluctantly travels home. Struggling with the morality of covering her friend’s death, Jane will confront the town she left behind and the dark undercurrents that she’s always known run underneath.

My thoughts on The Last Illusion of Paige White

Wow I LOVED this book. I sped through it in just a few sittings over the space of two days – I just couldn’t put it down. The story is told from 4 different points of view – we hear from Paige herself about her life in the lead up to her death, from childhood friend Jane and an unknown person in the present as well as another childhood friend, Audrey, who’s story unfolds in the past. I thought the voices were all really engaging and distinct from each other. One of the reasons I was so hooked on this book and read it so quickly was that I was completely invested in each of the narrative threads and couldn’t wait to see how they came together. (When they did it was perfect.)

There were some really important themes explored in The Last Illusion of Paige White, all done in a sensitive and relatable way. We see the impact social media can have on the lives of influencers and their families, and the way consumers of content build particular perceptions about a person and their life based on the carefully curated highlights they share. I also felt the bits around teen friendships and wanting to fit in were handled really thoughtfully.

I don’t want to say too much more because I don’t want to give anything away! I’m definitely keen to check out Vanessa McCausland’s backlist, and I already know this is going to be one of my most-recommended books for the next little while. I think it would make an excellent gift for anyone you know who loves domestic noir (think Sally Hepworth and Lianne Moriarty vibes) and the perfect addition to you summer reading list!

Big thanks to the team at Harper Collins Australia for sending me a free early copy for review.

xo Bron
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The Last Illusion of Paige White by Vanessa McCausland
Out now from Harper Collins Aus
Source: The team at Harper Collins kindly sent me an early copy for review.
Category: Australian Contemporary Fiction

The Last Illusion of Paige White on The StoryGraph and Goodreads

Keep up with the latest from Vanessa McCausland on her website here.

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