Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

228 reviews

dkamada's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

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

4.0

Little too creepy for me personally

I also feel like the title is a kind of spoiler. Like from the first time we start hearing Josie’s story, we expect everything she says to be a lie. Not sure if that was what the author was intending but I think the payoff of the twists would have been higher if I hadn’t had that expectation going in

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

ashlynhammer95's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder

abimi's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I liked this a lot more than I expected! This was the perfect pick for audiobook format. Not quite a radio play but it had a full cast and some sound effects. The story was intriguing and kept me sitting in my parked car a while a few times after finishing my commute.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder

porsche_elise's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Alcohol

janchamp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Blood, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic

shadowsandspells's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

**4-Star Review: Clever Format, but a Flat Ending**

Lisa Jewell's *None of This Is True* grabs your attention from the start with a unique and engaging format. The story unfolds in an almost documentary style, interspersing interviews, podcast transcripts, and alternating perspectives. This structure keeps you on your toes and adds a layer of realism that’s both fresh and compelling.

The characters are intricately woven, and the slow unraveling of secrets keeps the tension building. As the narrative progresses, you find yourself drawn into the psychological manipulation and mind games, questioning who’s truly trustworthy.

However, the highly anticipated reveal at the end felt a bit underwhelming. After all the clever buildup, I expected more of a shocking twist. Instead, it lacked the punch needed to truly satisfy. While the journey itself was immersive, the conclusion didn’t quite live up to the intensity of the plot's earlier moments.

Overall, *None of This Is True* is an inventive and thrilling read with its clever format, but it leaves you wishing for a bit more at the finish line.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Toxic relationship

samkelly18's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

I’m normally a big Lisa jewel fan but this one missed the mark for me. I found the victim blaming troublesome and the attempt to make a pedophile have a redemption arc just plain offensive. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

chsm8's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic

alissa_lopez's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

Fast paced, modern concept book — centers on a podcast and feels somewhat commercial for my taste. Characters were interesting, but the book was somewhat predictable, unfortunately. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

uz_kostlivec's review against another edition

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Stalking

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Pedophilia