None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Murder, sexual abuse, violence, mental health.

This is a chilling, dark, twisty psychological thriller, about two women that share the same birthday, same age, same hospital. “Hi I’m your birthday twin!” Was the first thing Josie Fair told Alix Summer when they met. Alix is a popular podcaster and she interviews women to talk about their lives and success. Josie starts to look Alix up, listen to her podcast and “accidentally” bump into Alix a few days later. Josie suggests that Alix make a podcast about her, so she could tell her story and the great changes she wants to do in her life. Alix gets intrigued and says yes. Alix starts the podcast but the more Josie talks the weirder it gets, until people starts disappearing. It’s a very dark psychological thriller. The name of the book is very fitting. I spent the whole time trying to figure out what was true, and I still got confused at the end if what Josie said was true or just something she put in her mind. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

💫🐝𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🐝💫

This was definitely a wild ride. I was so all over the place being thrown in multiple directions, I didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

I might be in the minority, but it was just not my favorite. I felt myself having to force myself to pick it back up, it just wasn't holding my attention as I wanted. I was definitely intrigued all throughout it, and Lisa did a great job of throwing little hints here and there to keep you guessing.

The characters were definitely dark and complex, messed and utterly flawed. Which I truly loved. I didn't know who to believe, which is what kept me going as I needed to know the final outcome.

The ending just didn't do it for me, it wasn't satisfying enough, it just all kind of came to quick and was jumbled up.

Overall, it was a crazy wild ride that I did enjoy, although some moments were on the slower side for me and harder to keep my interest. I still really see why everyone is raving about it and I know I am the minority on this one. Give it a shot !

I usually love Lisa Jewell, but I read this one two weeks ago and can't remember thing about it except for the fact that I gave it two stars on storygraph and wrote some notes about not enjoying it. I'll continue to read Lisa Jewell, but this one wasn't for me apparently.

I liked the format of this book. The beginning was intriguing, but then I felt like it started to drag on. I have seen such raving reviews, but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype for me.

Could not stop reading this in the middle of the night when I woke with my newborn twins, if that says anything about how addictive this is. Constantly keeps you guessing and totally hooked, well written with characters you want to know more about and plot turns that feel earned. My favorite thriller in a while!

4.5/5

This was easily the most unputdownable book that I've read this year. It's been quite a while since I've read something that I wanted to pick up every spare second that I had, and this book absolutely had that effect on me.

What I loved about this book:
- The pace and readability: This one was just quick, and I'm grateful that it pulled me out of a bit of a reading slump
- The unreliable characters: I often find unreliable narrators/characters to be a little tedious and frustrating (especially in thrillers), but I felt that Jewell did it really well in None of This Is True. You're left wondering about all the different characters who could have potentially distorted the truth (in big and small ways) in order to suit their own narratives.
- The format: I enjoyed the podcast within a documentary within a book format. It was a fun way to provide multiple different perspectives with a creative twist.

I recommend this book if you enjoy:
- Fast-paced thrillers
- Books by Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn, Lucy Foley, Megan Abbott, etc.
- True crime podcasts and documentaries

I highly suggest checking the content warnings, since this books delves into heavy topics including SA, DA, and alcoholism (amongst others).

I am honestly still in shock that I got the opportunity to read and review this book. Thank you SO MUCH to Netgalley, Lisa Jewell, and Atria.

Synopsis: Alix and Josie are "birthday twins," a fact they discover when they bump into each other a local pub. A couple days later, they cross paths again, this time outside of Alix's children's school. Josie has been listening to Alix's popular podcast and pitches a new idea: Alix should interview Josie for an episode. Josie's life seems odd, and Alix might find her unsettling at times, but something keeps pushing her to create this podcast. It soon becomes clear that Josie is hiding some pretty twisted secrets, and by now, she has wormed her way inside Alix's life and even her home. And then, she disappears.

Review: my queen Lisa Jewell has done it again. I think it took me two days total to get through this one because I simply had to know how everything ended up. Jewell is a master at creating that "hmmm this is kind of unsettling but I don't know why...and I NEED to know why" aura in her novels, and this one is no exception, which is why I struggled to STOP reading. As a reader, you knew something was "up" with Josie, but again, you didn't know why. You just kept getting little hints here and there from the podcast episodes. Speaking on that, I loved the novel's format - interspersing the story with snippets of the podcast episode made for an even more enticing read. I will quite literally read anything this woman writes.

There was so much hype for this one, and I was a little disappointed. Although the ending was excellent, the entire first half of the book fell very flat for me. I felt as if I was waiting for something to happen every page, but it didn't. I love mystery, true crime, thriller books, and this one just left me wanting more. I highly enjoyed the podcast / interview scripts as they brought in another view and explained some things that had me confused. I was not a huge fan of the grooming, pedophile, sexual assault portion of this story. So many turns in this one that might get a little confusing, but you'll either love that part or you won't.

The ending, like I said, was great. The twists at the end did make it worth reading, and I'm glad I did. The book as a whole was okay. The ending was exactly what I needed more of in the rest of the book.

I did like the overall plot of this book and the detailed character development. I will try some more books from this author to see how I like those!

This one hooked me from the start! 4 stars because it was lengthy and could have been cut down….details repeated several times in the book (the smell from the room) that were never explained and had nothing to do with conclusion. The epilogue leaves me still confused and thinking about what actually happened.

My relationship with Jewell is touch and go, sometimes I love her books and sometimes she leaves me wanting more grit in her books. This book was a love! Jewell captivated you from the start and kept a quick pace throughout the story. Honestly, I didn't know up from down by the end of the novel. There were a few things I guessed but the way Jewell ended the story, there were some things that were left open ended so I could be wrong.

This was much more of a mind twister than her usual thriller style. I think I prefer Jewell's mind benders. I highly suggest this book and gave it a 4 stars!

None of this is True by Lisa Jewell is an amazing book!

I have read all of the author's books and I think this is the best one yet.

The characters are so well developed, and the mystery will get you from the very beginning to the very end.

I loved all the twists and turns.

Lisa Jewell is the queen of the dark thriller!

If you are a sensitive reader, be aware there are trigger warnings galore, but know the events take place off the page.

And what a tale it was…

Alix Summer is a popular podcaster who is celebrating her 45th birthday when she meets Josie, also celebrating her 45th birthday. Birthday twins! How fun. (Or not!)

Josie tells Alix she is about to make big changes in her life and wants Alix to document it for her podcast. Alix agrees, as this could be her big break. As the interviews unfold, we learn the secrets of both women.

Alix’s life and marriage is far from perfect, and Josie likes to call her out on the situation. By the time Alix feels unease, Josie has wormed her way into Alix’s life and home, with repercussions that are unforeseeable and devastating.

I enjoyed the alternating POV of both women which includes transcriptions of the podcast and scenes from a Netflix documentary on the case.

The reader knows this isn’t going to end well, but when the inevitable twist came, I had to pick my jaw off the floor…it was brilliant.

It was fun to try and suss out the ending. Who is truthful and who is not? This is a story that is discussion worthy, and the mark of a great read. All the stars! There is a LOT to unpack here.

A winner for Lisa Jewell who has written a literary thriller of substance!

If you had asked me at the halfway point what my rating was, I would have said around 2.5-3 stars. The book was propulsive but there were some icky themes, which I can’t discuss because it’s a thriller and they would be spoilers. I just kept reminding myself of the title and pressed on. The end definitely bumped up the star rating and I’m glad to have read my first Lisa Jewell. I will be reading more of her in the future!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
Unreliable narrators
Podcasts
Fast paced thrillers

Thank you Atria Books for the digital ARC through NetGalley and Simon Audio for an ALC through Libro FM.

I’ve read the majority of Lisa Jewell’s novels and None of This Is True is by and far my favorite! It was compelling and at times quite disturbing. I loved the setup of this story with the Netflix documentary and the overall commentary, it was really well done. The overall tone of the story was very dark which I loved and the fast last plot kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I even audibly gasped at several parts!

I expected to enjoy this more after all the amazing reviews, but I just couldn't really connect. I think I expected a lot more, and in the end, I wasn't particularly surprised or invested. Nothing really stood out to me. I prefer not to publicly post negative reviews, so I'll be leaving this solely on Netgalley. Thank you for the chance!

I wanted to love this book; the hype around it was real. Perhaps it was a victim of its own buzz, then, because I was underwhelmed. Everyone was terrible, and the ending was a bummer — but it was fast-paced, at the very least.

None of This is True was truly creepy. Josie is right up there with Chuckie in my mind. When she becomes obsessed with Alix and her life, I could not believe the odd things she did and how much she manipulated the people around her. This book kept me awake many nights while I found out what was going to happen. It is not a happy ending but a really good end of the story. I will read anything Lisa Jewell writes and this book solidifies my opinion.

You might not know who’s telling the truth in this book, but believe me when I say you’re going to want to read it. Go in blind, but if you need some extra convincing here’s what you can expect:

🕵🏼‍♀️ multiple POVs
🎤 story told in multiple formats: a podcast, a Netflix documentary and the different POV’s of the characters (mainly two)
👖 unreliable narrator
🇬🇧London setting
👀 a book you won’t want to put down and will keep your head spinning even after you finish

P.s “And there it is, the point which it all boils down to eventually. The point where there are no words, no theories, no explanations for behaviors that baffle and infuriate and hurt. Just that. Men.”

NONE OF THIS IS TRUE may be Lisa Jewell's best novel yet! I could not put it down! It's best to go in "blind." You'll have so many questions in the beginning but then the answers are revealed as you keep reading. Really really clever plot and executed so well. There were a couple plot holes but it didn't take away from how good the book was or affect the story. Jewell incorporates a podcast, but it's done in a way that it doesn't seem overdone. Absolutely brilliant book. Highly recommend to everyone! 4.5 stars!

Thanks so much, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the eARC and copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

So good! Probably My favorite! Lisa Jewell book to date! I was shocked to read in the acknowledgments that she wrote the whole thing in 6 months. Amazing!