Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

49 reviews

angelasunshine'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

4.0

This was a page turner for me! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Toxic friendship, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

nn11's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Stalking

bringmybooks's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗬𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦 ✨ 

I sorta kinda accidentally buddy read this with a friend and I remember both of us finished around the same time and sent each other text messages that said something like "wtf did I just read" and then we started comparing notes and even though I originally rated it a 4, as we kept chatting and talking about plot points and so on and so on I ended up moving my rating down to a 2.5 because honestly wtf did I just read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Murder, Alcohol, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Drug use, and Eating disorder

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

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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

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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

angelarae235's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

rochelleisreading's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Violence, Pedophilia, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder

Minor: Sexual content

homebodywitch's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was my first ever Lisa Jewel book and I could not put it down. I devoured it in one sitting. I felt like the dual perspective was done really well, and I enjoyed the Netflix documentary framing that was interspersed. It was truly gripping. The amount of times I actually pulled a cringing or creeped out face while reading are too numerous to count. The story felt lived in, like this could be a real person you might meet unexpectedly, which was deeply unsettling. I think the ending was a bit rushed, I wish we could have gotten more of Josie’s perspective during and after the

Spoiler

kidnapping and murder of Nathan

but I don’t think it takes away from the overall narrative. Contrary to some other reviews I don’t think they made light of pedophilia or blamed Josie unjustly for her actions. There’s nuance in the story and choosing not to acknowledge it while trying to absolve Josie of any wrongdoing or justify her actions doesn’t jive with the overall picture being presented. I will say the open ended conclusion was an interesting twist but I definitely believe Roxy and Erin. Overall I’d really recommend this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Addiction

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." 

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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

grooming

kenziburke's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Mental illness

Moderate: Murder and Kidnapping