TITLE: NONE OF THIS IS TRUE
AUTHOR: Lisa Jewell
NARRATOR: Full Cast
LENGTH: 10h 13m
PUB DATE: 08.08.2023 Now Available

HOLY MOLY MOTHER MACARONI!

What did I just read. My goodness Lisa Jewell has done it again.

The story is about a woman named Josie Fair who is celebrating her 45th birthday in a fancy pub she would never ever step in to. Josie takes notice of a beautiful woman in the pub who is also celebrating her 45th birthday - her BIRTHDAY TWIN - born in the same day and in the same hospital. From that day on, Josie finds herself obsessing over Alix Summers’ life, and to be a subject of Alix’s podcast for a story Josie wants to tell. Alix is immediately intrigued with Josie’s story, and finds herself completely entangled in Josie’s out of control world risking her own family for a story.

This book was unsettling, spine chilling, dark, mysterious, atmospheric, and sinister. I loved how the story was told through specific dates and times, pod cast interviews throughout, and the mystery revealing in just the perfect time.

This may be one of Lisa Jewel’s best work yet. Mind blown!

AUDIO BOOK: With a full cast of characters - this was an incredibly fun audio book to listen to!

This book was awesome! A favorite for me by Lisa Jewell! I plan on recommending to anyone I see! I kept me wondering until the end. Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy! My only complaint is that it wasn’t released for all my friends to read with me!

Lisa Jewell does it again! I'm just a fan and have yet to read a book of hers that I haven't liked. This one is dark. It's disorienting. And it's sad. Nothing is what it seems.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?

This book is sooooooo good. It's so well executed. Lots of twists and turns. I want to say more, but can't without giving so much away. Just experience it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy. The book will be available on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Pre-order it now. It's worth it.

Alix Summer and her husband and friends are celebrating her 45th birthday at a pub in London. While there she meets Josie Fair who is also celebrating her 45th birthday. Josie and Alix discover that they were born in the same hospital, on the same day and that their children went to the same school. Josie declares that they are “Birthday Twins”.

Alix is a popular podcaster who is on the brink of hitting it big. When Josie “accidentailly” runs into Alix in front of the school as Alix is dropping her children off, Josie convinces Alix that she should consider doing a story about her. Josie says that her life is a mess and she wants to make some big changes. As Alix interviews Josie, she is horrified about what Josie is telling her but strangely drawn to her because she senses that this might be the podcast that will advance her career. As Josie’s story becomes more and more horrifying, she begins to ingratiate herself into Alix’s life with her family. Is Josie telling the truth? As Alix begins to interview others in Josie’s life, the story changes until she doesn’t know what the real truth is and when the stroy takes a deadly turn, nothing will ever be the same.

This dark, twisty thriller kept me reading and I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. None of This is True will be published on August 8th.

Delighted to include this title in the August edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

Fascinating story of two women drawn together because of a coincidence at birth. One a journalist with a popular podcast, the other a woman with secrets. As they continue to meet and stories are revealed, things spiral out of control for both. I couldn't put it down.

Every person on the planet has read this already (it feels like it anyway) and loved it! I can see why! This may be the best Lisa Jewell yet!

I don’t want to go into details about it. I know you’ve seen countless reviews of this. I just love how real Lisa Jewells stories feel. As scary as this story is, it COULD happen. They are so naturalistic and practical yet expertly plotted. This one holds your attention and suspense the entire damn time.

Needless to say, I loved it and if you haven’t read it yet-get it! Thank you @netgalley for my advance copy in exchange for my review!

Absolutely mind-bending and captivating! This book skillfully navigates the delicate balance between stupidity and cleverness, keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout. The author's storytelling is impeccable, delivering a unique experience unlike any other in their repertoire. The incorporation of podcasts into the narrative adds an exciting new dimension, making it a true gem of the year. The themes tackled here are not for the faint of heart, eliciting a rollercoaster of emotions where you'll find yourself wanting to both cheer for and console the main character while pushing against the formidable enemy. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the story takes unexpected twists and turns, leaving you in awe. The ending may not be what you expected, but it paves the way perfectly for a potential sequel. Kudos to the author for crafting such a masterpiece. A huge thank you to my fellow buddy readers for making this reading journey even more enjoyable. Highly recommended!"

None of This is True us a very disturbing book. What starts out as a seemingly innocent meeting of two women who are celebrating birthdays evolves into a nightmare. It is well developed and engrossing. Things are turned around until the reader can’t pick out the truth from all the lies. A great read!

I did not read None of This is True through an educator lens.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell was one of my favorites from her. She tends to be hit or miss sometimes with the plot of the story for me, but this one was well done and kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the quick pace of the book and her character development to pull me in and keep me intrigued.

No other title could be more perfect for this book. I am still unsure about what I read or of what parts I believe. Lisa Jewell writes plaster piece after masterpiece and this one is no different. I think we are all going to have different experiences reading this because you just don’t really know which parts to believe. It was that good.

Josie is the most creepy and confusing character. Her story is a wild ride and Alix recording the whole thing was great. I loved the podcast and documentary feel of this book. Kind of a story within a story. When the documentary wraps, I felt one way and believed one side of the story but then that last chapter, I finished the book not sure what to believe was real and that makes for an incredibly well written thriller.

Podcaster Alix Summers is out to celebrate her 45th birthday when she bumps into another woman celebrating the very same thing - Josie Fair is Alix’s birthday twin. It’s a chance meeting for Alix but Josie is so struck by the other woman she listens to her podcast and looks into her life. The next time they meet, Josie has an offer for Alix: make her the next podcast subject, because she thinks there are going to be big changes in her life. The closer Alix gets to Josie, the more unbelievable her story seems. She even ends up letting Josie stay with her for a week, until finally she vanishes without a trace. With her disappearance, life as Alix has known it begins to disintegrate.

Well, with title for this definitely was fitting - I’m still not positive exactly what was true or what the hell was even happening! Told in the dual perspectives of Alix and Josie, I found myself sympathizing for Josie, especially in the beginning. I can understand why she was so captivated by Alix and the lifestyle she lived that was so very different from her own. But as the story went on, I found Josie more and more unlikeable. It was SO hard to tell exactly what was true and to be honest, it made the story fun! Interspersed with transcripts from Alix’s podcast, including interviews with those closest to Josie, readers find out more about her past and what led to the present moment. I couldn’t tear myself away from this one, and I think readers will find it addictive and unique!

Thank you to Lisa Jewell, Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC! “None of This is True” releases August 8th. This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

BUT WHAT IS TRUE?! 🫨😶

This is my favorite thriller I’ve read in a WHILE! I hold them to a different standard I guess?! But Jewell DELIVERED!

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time + was immediately pulled into the story. I even risked motion sickness to finish the last 20% on a road trip because I HAD TO KNOW!

Fast paced, uniquely delivered - I highly recommend!

Two women with the same birthday meet at their respective 45th birthday dinners. Josie and Alix couldn’t be more different. Josie is a dowdy housewife and Alix is a glamorous podcaster. One thing they do have in common is that they are holding onto secrets about their marriages. None Of This is True has whiplash pacing and truly unhinged characters. Who is telling the truth? I could not put this book down. MAJORLY check the trigger warnings, there were a few points of the plot that were incredibly dark. I had no idea where this book was going and even when it was finished, I was shocked about how it all went down. I stared at a wall in disbelief for at least ten minutes. Personally, the podcast device always does it for me, and I loved the podcast and the Netflix special scenes. The sensationalism of the podcast and Netflix show added a bit of realism, it felt like this could have been a story ripped from today’s headlines. I have been reading Lisa Jewell for years and this is one of my new favorites.

Thank you, Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

My Ratings:
Plot ★★★★
Reading Experience ★★★★★
Characters ★★★★
Writing Style ★★★★★

Overall ★★★★.5

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars

This book is such a wild ride. It makes you second guess yourself and question whose story you believe. I loved the structure of this book: it’s told in podcast/Netflix clips and Josie’s POV. I could really imagine the Netflix clips in my head! I had a few “holy shit!” moments, but I didn’t really like how long it took to find out anything. There are teeny tiny little hints throughout but I needed just a little bit more to understand what was going on.

Highly recommend!

None of This is True couldn’t be more apt for the title.

Alix Summers, a popular podcaster, is out celebrating her forty-fifth birthday when she meets her birthday twin Josie Fair. She doesn’t think much more about it until she runs into Josie again outside her children’s school. One thing leads to another, and Josie convinces Alix they should make a podcast about Josie’s life, sharing her truth and making some big changes.

Alix believes Josie has a compelling story to tell, even if she finds her unsettling and a bit intense. Things escalate quickly, and the two women’s lives become inextricably tied.

If this book didn’t victim blame a thirteen-year-old girl, it would have been a four-star read. A teen is incapable (and inculpable) of holding any power over a creepy middle-aged man.

I was actually totally engrossed in this story until Walter’s crimes were glossed over. It seems his repeated pedophilia was excusable because he was supposedly a good father. Can a pedo even be a good father? It doesn’t add up.

Until this point, I found the story utterly compelling. I could feel Alix’s anxieties and Josie’s oppressive presence, but it all went downhill from there. The more I think about it, the worse it gets.

Lisa Jewell has once again mesmerized me with a spine-chilling journey into the depths of obsession and deceit, masterfully weaving her signature unforgettable twisted characters into the heart of the narrative. With every turn of the page, she kept me guessing their true intentions until the heart-stopping climax and rewarding conclusion to the story.

While out celebrating their birthdays at a local pub, Josie, a seemingly ordinary woman, meets Alix, a renowned podcaster. They meet again, and Josie shows interest in being featured in Alix’s podcasts. Alix agrees to feature Josie, and the story takes a chilling turn, drawing us into a web of deception and terror. As Alix delves deeper into Josie's life, she unravels a series of strange secrets, each one more sinister than the last, leaving me gasping as I struggle to figure out if none of it is true.

Lisa Jewell's talent for crafting heart-stopping stories is undeniable, reaffirming her place as a standout author in the genre. She is an author who can do no wrong in my book, leaving me yearning for the next thrilling adventure she will take me on.

I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

“None of This is True” follows the story of Alix And Josie, who meet by chance on their 45th birthdays. They realize they were born on the same day, at the same hospital. This coincidence of date, time and place opens the door for Josie to act upon her immediate obsession with Alix. These two women live very different lives. Josie is quiet, unassuming, has few friends, married to an older , retired man, while Alix is very outgoing, successful on her own and married to someone her own age who has his own success in the business world.
We are drawn into the dark web of this story, and it made me feel uneasy and unsettled, but a fantastically written novel will do that and do it well, and this one does not disappoint. I could not put it down.
The ending, however, left me feeling a bit confused. I needed it all to be wrapped up and finalized, but it left me feeling still on edge.
This was my first time reading Lisa Jewell’s work. I will definitely be looking for more.

Thank you to Atria Books, Lisa Jewell, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!


What. The. Heck. Did. I. Just. Read?

I honestly don’t even know how to write a review. Do I know what is true? No. Will it plague me for a while? Probably. I literally binged 80% of this book in one setting. It was dark, disturbing, gritty, uncomfortable, and completely spine-chilling. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I hate so many people in this book, yet I couldn’t stop consuming page after page. The ending? In the last 75 pages my heart broke, my brain broke, and I literally don’t know what to do with myself. The actual structure of this book was so unique and added to the overall reading experience. The use of podcast episodes and the documentary scenes added to the atmosphere of the book. It kept me completely enthralled. The characters in this book were so nuanced, so complicated. They felt real and raw. The way Lisa Jewell took you into the minds of these characters in a way that made you question your own truth while reading was brilliant. This was my first Lisa Jewell book and definitely will not be my last!

Lisa Jewell weaves multiple perspectives in a beautiful fashion. This story follows dual main characters Alix and Josie through the creation of a friendship and the murder of several family members. Taping thee podcast Birthday Twins, Josie fabricates sweeping lies that both shock and bewilder Alix. Alix invites Josie into her space repeatedly for the podcast and their weird friendship. Josie creates a story that overshadows her actual actions of killing several characters and severely enduring others. This book weaves portions of the podcast, with stories from Josie’s life, and scenes from a Netflix original that tracks the true crime story.