Search History

Have you ever felt the rapidly escalating horror of liking a years-old Instagram photo? Have you ever unintentionally let slip to someone something you could only know from stalking their social media? Have you ever told yourself to go to sleep, only to spend the next two hours scrolling through the life of your new partner's ex? After fleeing to Melbourne in the wake of a breakup, all Ana has to show for herself is an unfulfilling job at an overly enthusiastic tech start-up and one particularly questionable dating app experience. Then she meets Evan. Charming, kind and financially responsible, Evan is a complete aberration from her usual type, and Ana feels like she has finally awoken from a long dating nightmare. As much as she tries to let their burgeoning relationship unfold IRL, Ana just can't resist the urge to find Evan online. When she discovers that his previous girlfriend, Emily, died unexpectedly in a hit-and-run less than a year ago, Ana begins to worry she's living in the shadow of his lost love. Soon she's obsessively comparing herself to Emily, trawling through her dormant social media accounts in the hope of understanding her better. Online Evan and Emily's life together looked perfect, but just how perfect was it? And why won't he talk about it? Search History is Rebecca rewritten by Phoebe Waller-Bridge: a sharply funny debut novel about identity, obsession and desire in the internet age,for fans of Jessie Tu, Diana Reid and Dolly Alderton. ‘Perfectly captures the tragedy and comedy that is living and loving online… with wit, humour and insight.’ DIANA REID