david_slack110507's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My first Lisa Jewell book and it did not disappoint. I listened to this rather than reading it and I feel like listening to the audiobook version made for a better experience of the book as not only did it add voices to the characters and gave them additional personality but it also allowed for the podcast transcripts, interview clips, and parts of the documentary to all come to life better than they would have on the page with some really good sound design.
This was a very messed up story that focuses on the blurred lines of what is true and what is false and how far someone will go in lying to themselves, so they believe it, particularly with Josie in the ending. Josie was an interesting character to watch as when from her perspective she repeatedly lies to the audience and shapes the narrative in a way that suits her and what she truly believes is the case and it is only later on that we start to be encouraged to question whether or not what she is saying is truthful and has any merit to it. Alix felt like at times she was a representation of the audience who are trying to piece together Josie's story while also eventually coming to point out the lies in what is considered to be the truth. I felt like the two were very interesting characters to follow as they interweave in and out of one another's lives. Josie's story of being a victim, whether her narrative is real or not, does not place her as a villain because of the things that she has said has happened to her and the subject matter is dealt with in an appropriate fashion without being written off when it comes to light that at least certain things are proven to be not true.
The ending of the book was a major highlight for me as it seemingly wraps up the story in a clear and concise fashion in which every major plot point or secret is explained and its importance is revealed only for the final chapter to be from Josie's perspective to flip the narrative on its head due to how it questions the finality of the ending and whether or not the narrative has been properly revealed or manipulated due to who is control of it. In the ending, Josie seemingly believes that she is innocent and has done nothing wrong including the murder of her daughter, Roxy's, friend Brooke which she blames on her daughter. I liked this to be the ending chapter of the book as not only is it a good representation of the theme of control of a narrative but it also ends with the 'true' narrative of the book being up to the reader as to whether they believe what was accepted as the general truth by the majority of the public, the truth believed by Josie (that is most likely a narrative she created to avoid taking the blame) or maybe a bit of both (e.g. the murder of Brooke could be what Josie said that it was not actually her but her daughter and so she along with her family helped cover it up linking back to what Walter feared earlier in the book about something being revealed to the police). Even though it appears that it has an open and shut case ending, it could also be picked apart and given a different interpretation depending on the reader which made me appreciate the writing even more.
Overall, I really enjoyed my first Lisa Jewell book, and it makes me excited for whenever I get around to reading the other books I have of hers as well as the rest of her books. The twists and turns that were consistent throughout kept me invested and the characters particularly our main ones were very interesting in themselves.
This was a very messed up story that focuses on the blurred lines of what is true and what is false and how far someone will go in lying to themselves, so they believe it, particularly with Josie in the ending. Josie was an interesting character to watch as when from her perspective she repeatedly lies to the audience and shapes the narrative in a way that suits her and what she truly believes is the case and it is only later on that we start to be encouraged to question whether or not what she is saying is truthful and has any merit to it. Alix felt like at times she was a representation of the audience who are trying to piece together Josie's story while also eventually coming to point out the lies in what is considered to be the truth. I felt like the two were very interesting characters to follow as they interweave in and out of one another's lives. Josie's story of being a victim, whether her narrative is real or not, does not place her as a villain because of the things that she has said has happened to her and the subject matter is dealt with in an appropriate fashion without being written off when it comes to light that at least certain things are proven to be not true.
The ending of the book was a major highlight for me as it seemingly wraps up the story in a clear and concise fashion in which every major plot point or secret is explained and its importance is revealed only for the final chapter to be from Josie's perspective to flip the narrative on its head due to how it questions the finality of the ending and whether or not the narrative has been properly revealed or manipulated due to who is control of it. In the ending, Josie seemingly believes that she is innocent and has done nothing wrong including the murder of her daughter, Roxy's, friend Brooke which she blames on her daughter. I liked this to be the ending chapter of the book as not only is it a good representation of the theme of control of a narrative but it also ends with the 'true' narrative of the book being up to the reader as to whether they believe what was accepted as the general truth by the majority of the public, the truth believed by Josie (that is most likely a narrative she created to avoid taking the blame) or maybe a bit of both (e.g. the murder of Brooke could be what Josie said that it was not actually her but her daughter and so she along with her family helped cover it up linking back to what Walter feared earlier in the book about something being revealed to the police). Even though it appears that it has an open and shut case ending, it could also be picked apart and given a different interpretation depending on the reader which made me appreciate the writing even more.
Overall, I really enjoyed my first Lisa Jewell book, and it makes me excited for whenever I get around to reading the other books I have of hers as well as the rest of her books. The twists and turns that were consistent throughout kept me invested and the characters particularly our main ones were very interesting in themselves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, Addiction, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, and Pandemic/Epidemic
areebapatel's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Violence, Torture, and Murder
Minor: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Torture
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cursing, Excrement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia
litbrett's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Violence, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
beepbeep101's review against another edition
I'm honestly not sure if I can do psychological thrillers anymore. I enjoyed The Girl on the Train years ago, but I'm not sure if I would now. This premise intrigued me, and I wanted to know what happened with these characters. But overall, the book's attitude toward autism and the portrayal of it started to feel icky, and then it started to feel reallllly gross regarding sexual assault, not taking trauma from that seriously, and the possibility of lying about sexual assault to defame someone. So I said nope, and moved on to the next book on my tbr list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Confinement
bookswhitme's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic friendship
kelly_e's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Title: None of This is True
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: August 8, 2023
I received complimentary eARC copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Bingeable • Gripping • Unsettling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers 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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
My interest in thrillers has really waned over recent years (for a variety of reasons), yet Lisa Jewell's is one author that continues to capture my attention and offer fresh takes on the psychological thriller. I honestly never quite know what to expect, which is what I like. And the same can be said for None of This Is True.
The format of this novel is genius! With podcast transcripts interspersed throughout, they offered small snippets of what was to come without giving anything away until the exact right moment. I don't say this often, but this is one of those books that is definitely meant to be listened to. The audio production is fantastic and adds a whole extra layer of tension.
The characters are all equally twisted and unlikeable. I came away not knowing who or what to believe, which I just have a feeling is what the author intended. There are a lot of lies, secrets and acts of revenge.
However, as much as I loved the pacing and entertainment value, I did have conflicting feelings concerning the content. Some of what happens is highly unsettling and I don't feel was handled with care or concern. At different points throughout the narrative there's a certain level of need to suspend belief in order for the plot to progress as it does.
Upon finishing, this one left me with that 'wtf did I just read' feeling. I keep having to remind myself it isn't true-crime, because that's exactly how real it all felt. The ending left me unsettled - which doesn't always work for me, but in this case was perfectly fitting. None of This Is True genuinely felt like nothing I'd ever read before, and since I have consistently enjoyed Lisa Jewell's books, I continue to pick them up when I am in the mood for a thriller.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Lisa Jewell fans
• unreliable narrator enthusiasts
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E 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."
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: August 8, 2023
I received complimentary eARC copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Bingeable • Gripping • Unsettling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers 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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
My interest in thrillers has really waned over recent years (for a variety of reasons), yet Lisa Jewell's is one author that continues to capture my attention and offer fresh takes on the psychological thriller. I honestly never quite know what to expect, which is what I like. And the same can be said for None of This Is True.
The format of this novel is genius! With podcast transcripts interspersed throughout, they offered small snippets of what was to come without giving anything away until the exact right moment. I don't say this often, but this is one of those books that is definitely meant to be listened to. The audio production is fantastic and adds a whole extra layer of tension.
The characters are all equally twisted and unlikeable. I came away not knowing who or what to believe, which I just have a feeling is what the author intended. There are a lot of lies, secrets and acts of revenge.
However, as much as I loved the pacing and entertainment value, I did have conflicting feelings concerning the content. Some of what happens is highly unsettling and I don't feel was handled with care or concern. At different points throughout the narrative there's a certain level of need to suspend belief in order for the plot to progress as it does.
Upon finishing, this one left me with that 'wtf did I just read' feeling. I keep having to remind myself it isn't true-crime, because that's exactly how real it all felt. The ending left me unsettled - which doesn't always work for me, but in this case was perfectly fitting. None of This Is True genuinely felt like nothing I'd ever read before, and since I have consistently enjoyed Lisa Jewell's books, I continue to pick them up when I am in the mood for a thriller.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Lisa Jewell fans
• unreliable narrator enthusiasts
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E 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."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Stalking, Violence, and Eating disorder
Minor: Infidelity, Confinement, and Pandemic/Epidemic
groomingmads_jpg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I have a lot of thoughts about this book.
The positives:
The positives:
- I liked the non-linear storytelling through the Netflix clips that start to reveal certain details.
- The story was interesting enough that I read it quite quickly despite the length.
The negatives (Spoilers!):
- The book seems to paint Josie as a man-hating feminist, which doesn't sit right when she then goes on to kill the only men in the story.
- The author said in the acknowledgements that she wrote this book in less than a year, and it shows, because given the inclusion of something as sensitive as pedophilia she did not portray it in a responsible way.
- I can't tell if the book is a commentary on or a victim of the idea of the 'perfect victim' who never does anything wrong.
- The way the author described Josie's grooming by Walter was awful in almost every case, either saying she "allowed herself to be groomed" or that she in fact wasn't groomed at all and actually seduced Walter herself. Which still wouldn't make it ok since the adult is ultimately responsible for shutting that kind of thing down.
- Every character is incredibly unlikable, and their actions make no sense. E.g Pat who is reviled as this full of life, go getting woman just let's her 16-year-old daughter take her 40-year-old boyfriend from her? And doesn't do anything to stop it?
- Why the hell is Alix still working on the podcast after Nathan goes missing AND after he's confirmed murdered?!?!?! I was reading this assuming the police/documentary filmmakers had gotten a copy of the podcast, not that she'd RELEASED THE DAMN THING.
- Alix mourns Josie's victims as people who were killed "for no good reason at all", and that was a big issue for me. I really did feel like I had no idea why she would go this far, and the last minute twist in the epilogue doesn't account for that.
- I'm all for an unreliable narrator story, but at no point did it feel like the reader had any chance at following what was really going on, and the ambiguous ending made that even more frustrating, but that's probably just a me thing and not a legitimate issue.
- It was also bloody annoying how many times the author said Josie could hear the sound of Erin's headphones through the door, there's literally no way that's possible without Erin sustaining serious ear damage, I'm sorry but no.
Overall this felt like a dangerously careless representation of some very serious issues given the amount of trigger warnings I had to add to this review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Sexism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence
carlyjb16's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Child abuse, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Addiction, Ableism, and Torture
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
idk_indigo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is (I believe) my 2nd book by Lisa Jewell, & I loved it! I was a bit confused by the school in summer, but I guess the British do it differently out there, or maybe it was summer school? Either way, this book was phenomenal! I finished it in 1 day, & it certainly kept me on my toes. It was eery to think about the idea that people who have done evil, horrendous things, often think they’re being helpful & that they’re doing the kind thing. I do wish more of Pat’s storyline was discussed, ie, it can’t have been easy being raised by a singe narcissistic mother; I feel like her general come-through was “I know I wasn’t the best mother, but Josie was a lot…” & it felt weird & dismissive to not only the character development, but also the storyline. I also enjoyed the almost detached narration; we as readers don’t really see the MCs’ inner workings. We hear about their narrative, & obviously I always love an unreliable narrator, but we don’t hear a lot about the fear or anger they are experiencing, which in all honesty I kind of liked, I think? It made it interesting, & for Josie’s story specifically, made her feel much less real which I think was probably the point. The whole “I don’t believe people like that really exist!” Felt a bit more feasible after going the whole book not really knowing what Josie is thinking. Wish we’d gotten a bit more motive, but overall I really enjoyed!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Ableism, Death of parent, Drug use, Incest, and Infidelity