An Illusion of Control

by Hannah Rae

Lake Caywood is abuzz with controversy.

Franco Jeffries, a six-year-old boy, likes wearing dresses… and Franco’s decision to wear a dress puts him at the center of a much larger debate:
-What is normal?
-Who is right?
-Who is wrong?

The discussions sting with truth and fear, quickly causing a normal community to become an angry hive.

Sugar is sweet, honey is sweeter, and listening is sweetest of all.

169 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2024

About the author

When she was in the fourth grade, Hannah Rae couldn't fall asleep one night. She climbed out of bed, padded down the hallway to her parents' bedroom, and said, "Mom, I can't sleep." To which her mother replied, "Make up a story in your head." So Hannah created a cast of characters, and a setting, and a plot... and to this day, the first thing she thinks about when she snuggles under the covers each night are those characters and that setting. But the plot is always changing.

Reviews

[Katie Bupp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Hannah Rae’s Illusion of Control on a whim while having my car inspected.

Four stars because I didn’t want it to end, so here’s hoping for a sequel one day! 🤞🤞🤞

Hannah Rae presents a very topical plot to the cast of characters anyone who has read her books will recognize. Illusion of Control is an excellent reminder that our life experiences shape us and our opinions and beliefs and that none of these are set in stone. This book also reminded me of one of my favorite YouTube videos, How to Start a Movement? Lessons from Dancing Guy posted by Gabo Huang, that illustrates the impact of one or two making change in their own way and leading to a bigger impact.

As a lover of literary food descriptions, this Hannah Rae certainly doesn’t disappoint and I’ve got some treats to try!

Read this one if you want to be reminded of why your voice, your experiences and your seat at the table are important.

Edit: Updated to 5 stars after some additional consideration. I still hope for more of this story!

[Mary McDannell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! This book is so relevant to the current political climate of the country. Despite the book discussing issues that could be labeled "controversial" or "political," this book does not push an agenda or create further divides, rather it does a great job at bringing people together. The book shows what happens when a town comes together and does what so many seem hesitant to do, which is to listen.

[Hannah Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not one to get political with my writing, but this book comes sort of close to doing just that. I was inspired by current school-board happenings to create something that explores the various perspectives of townspeople dealing with potential changes to public education. It's an issue that hits close to home for me.

An Illusion of Control is different from my other stuff because instead of following a handful of main characters, each chapter is a new character. I won't say that each chapter is a standalone story... but I won't say each chapter isn't a standalone story either. This one was a lot of fun to write and I had a blast experimenting with different formatting ideas.

An Illusion of Control is short and *almost* as sweet as Esther Wingate's honey.

4/7 Update:
The audio is really fun and my readers should be excited about its near release… That Chris Kerrigan has SUCH a good voice!!!

[Siri Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was both entertaining and thought-provoking. I couldn't put it down, and I know I'll be thinking about it well into the future.

What happens when everyone believes they are "fighting the good fight"? What does it mean to keep our kids safe? How do our decisions impact others?

When the school board of Lake Caywood tackles book banning, LGBTQ+ rights, and hidden agendas, family members, friends, and neighbors have to ask each other these questions.

In this novel, Rae tackles very of-the-moment topics in a way that allows readers to see through the eyes of others and consider why they might feel the way they do. With a cast of sharply drawn and diverse characters, this book explores the many perspectives that come together in a community and how they manage to coexist. This book doesn't tell the reader what to think but rather what to think about.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable, thought-provoking novel that illustrates the complicated web of issues surrounding many real-life communities like Lake Caywood. Through interesting characters with interconnected relationships, the reader gets a window into the family life, social dynamic, and political climate of small towns. The author highlights multiple viewpoints on topics such as gender identity, censorship, separation of church and state, and school dress codes in a way that is insightful, but never heavy-handed. The ending is a cliffhanger, and I wished the story could have continued!

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was handed this novel by a colleague at my small rural school. Not one to normally pick up these “slice of life”-style books, I was intrigued by the cast of characters in the small town of Lake Caywood. The author spends time to craft small vignettes of townspeople’s lives and the conversations they have to shine some light on the difficult issues facing people in all walks of life and identifiers in today’s world. It was easy to see how some characters act the way they do—both on the liberal left and the radical right—while also being able to, for a brief moment, sympathize with the worry that most characters on both sides represented for their real-world counterparts.

While I felt that some parts were extraneous and ham-fisted (the honey symbolism) or a little too nail-on-the-head (some of the interactions that seem a bit too wrapped up neatly), the book’s heart is in the right place about creating open dialogue between people. The reader gets a real sense of community from this book, even if the members are at odds or doing the wrong things to one another. That is one of the best parts of the novel: it is human and reflects the good and parts of all of us and our beliefs.

I would recommend this to my students and their parents alike for a broad-stroke approach to many of the social debates going on in our country at this time.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah Rae’s An Illusion of Control is filled with captivating imagery along with unique, yet believable, characters who present well to the reader through distinct voices.
This novel cleverly presents the idea of thoughtfully listening to one another and respecting another’s point of view, much of what the world desperately needs right now.
I highly recommend reading this novel… and be prepared to put everything else aside, as you won’t be able to put this one down!

[Nancy Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is quite short, but there are so many things that I really loved about it. Franco, for starters. He is a minor character, but his role is major, and he is such a sweet child. Esther Wingate, secondly, because she is so eccentric and fun. She even monitors her bees from her bathroom! Hamy! Also, Petey Goode. I am a total sucker for Petey Goode -- and he's such a good writer! If he wrote for our local newspaper, I would've renewed my subscription.

You should absolutely read this book.

[Jim Anderson-Greenover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading An Illusion of Control as a gay man, I felt a surprising connection between the book’s themes and my personal goal of growing my hair long. The story’s focus on breaking free from illusions and societal expectations mirrors my own experience of defying conventional norms about how a man “should” look. Growing my hair has become a symbol of embracing my authentic self, much like the characters’ journeys in the book. It reminded me that authenticity, like control, is often an illusion—but one worth pursuing anyway.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Illusion of Control

By: Hannah Rae
Narrated by: Chris Kerrigan

So Timely, So Relevant, So Relatable, So NEEDS to be heard!

Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 06-06-2025

Lake Caywood is not as it was. The once quiet community of tolerance, peace and understanding is fighting. Whose right, whose wrong … there are no easy answers … and there won’t be until EVERYONE puts their agendas aside, asks the hard questions and listens, really LISTENS to the hearts of those they claim to care about. Until then everything is just “An Illusion of Control”. Poignant, timely and relevant, this story really opened my eyes, my heart and my mind. The writing is beyond brilliant! There is a lot of emotion packed into this one and I felt it all! There is also a nice balance of humor cleverly couched in the way Bas and the guys, uh, not so subtly make their point! But, and this is BIG, the point gets made! I can’t say how, that would be a major spoiler, but oh MY, it is sooo ingenious, sooo well executed, and carries delightfully throughout the story! On to the characters! A town full of REAL feeling, human characters deftly interact through this smooth flowing, cohesive story! They are ALL so beautifully defined, “so human you’ll swear you REALLY know ‘em”. I’m betting more than a few could be found in YOUR town, on YOUR school board or in YOUR local pub or eatery, and I’d also bet, some are up to no good! The scenes and characters of this powerful story were brought to life by perfectly timed, perfectly voiced, emotionally on point narration, truly giving beautiful life to the authors vision! An Illusion of Control” pulled at my heartstrings, made me laugh, made me cry, made perfect sense, made me THINK, and is truly deserving of FIVE fantastic stars across all categories!

[Darrenglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Hannah's other books, and not just because she is my friend. But in addition to the interesting characters, clever dialogue, and great specificity in world building, this book tackles a really important issue of our times: the takeover of school boards by right-wing extremists, and the way they make conversations that would be difficult under the best of circumstances downright impossible to have. But despite her clear point of view on issues of book banning and dress codes, Hannah Rae manages to create sympathetic and well-drawn characters with a wide range of opinions. I recommend you grab a copy and read it and then check out some of her other books, which have much more romance and music and magical realism than this one.