"None of This is True" by Lisa Jewell is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through the fascinating world of true crime podcasts and Netflix documentary specials.

The story follows Alix Summer, a popular podcaster celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at a local pub, where she serendipitously meets Josie Fair, another woman celebrating the same milestone. Their paths cross again outside Alix's children's school, and Josie expresses an interest in being a subject for Alix's podcast, hinting at significant life changes.

What unfolds is a tale of intrigue and unease as Alix delves deeper into Josie's life, captivated by the enigmatic woman's strange and complicated existence. Lisa Jewell masterfully weaves a narrative that keeps readers hooked, and Alix's internal struggle between curiosity and fear adds depth to her character.

Josie's secrets slowly unravel, ratcheting up the tension with each revelation. Lisa Jewell's writing style is so engaging that you'll feel like you're right there in the world of true crime podcasting, immersed in the mysterious tale of Josie Fair.

As I turned the pages, I couldn't help but get caught up in the story, eagerly anticipating what would happen next. But, just like you might feel after a thrilling rollercoaster ride, I was also relieved when I finally turned the last page. "None of This is True" is a psychological thriller that'll leave you questioning what's fact and fiction, making it a highly recommended addition to your reading list.

What a wild ride!!! This was the second Lisa Jewell book I've read and I couldn't put it down. I loved the format with the story interspersed with the Netflix Documentary format. It added another layer to the story that made it that much more intriguing.

Lisa Jewell is an amazing writer, and the plot points and twists are compelling. However, I felt like she was making a child responsible for her own grooming and sexual abuse. For that reason, I found most of the book distasteful. Others may disagree.

Having read many many Lisa Jewell books, I can honestly say that this is her best work yet. A podcaster and a housewife randomly meet on the eve of their mutual 45th birthday, and what begins is a relationship that will change both of their lives irrevocably thereafter. The dual point of view and the unreliable narrators make for a twisty, suspenseful tale that you won't be able to stop reading until the final pages.

5 stars!!

I LOVED THIS! Lisa Jewell became a favorite author of mine years ago, when I read Then She Was Gone. Her books are always addicting, propulsive, and twisty. This one is one of my favorites! I loved the plot; I couldn't stop reading; it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

Highly recommend!

What an amazing, twisty read! You have this sense of dread all throughout the interviews between Alix and Josie, knowing something is just off. I listened to this as an audiobook, and the production was just perfect. You have a cast of characters narrating the story, interspersed with present day interviews all forecasting this impending trauma - it was brilliantly done. I have already recommended this to two people since finishing it yesterday.

I love me a good thriller snd Lisa Jewell hit this one out of the park. I was shocked and so hooked into this story. slow start for me but other thsn that. Brilliant.

4.5 stars! Loved this one so much!
I was so excited for this book that I chose it as my Book of the Month even though I already had an advanced copy from NetGalley! Lisa Jewell has written some great books in the past and the synopsis on this really interested me!
Alix has a podcast. Now, I personally feel like the podcast thing in books has had its moment and can fade a bit, BUT! The way that Jewell works the podcast in WITH a Netflix special (in the story) makes it a new twist on media working together in books! So Alix meets Josie and makes her the object of the new podcast and Josie is a bit strange. But that’s it right? We know right from the get go that someone ends up dead in the story and it is a wild ride! I read this in two sittings. Could not put it down!
Thank you NetGalley for an advance digital copy. All opinions are mine!

The opposite of what usually happens to me with thrillers happened with this one. I cringed at the premise and enjoyed the execution. I still found it to be a bit...concerning in the handling of our main antagonist, but ultimately, it was pretty thrilling.

I did end up really enjoying this book, however, the beginning was pretty slow for me! It took being about 18% in for it to pick up, but once it picked up, holy cow, hold on and brace yourself because it's all going to come at you at once!

I am seeming to really like the books that are based around true crime podcasts (maybe that's because I love true crime podcasts) so my interest was piqued immediately when I read the description of None of This Is True...not to mention with a title like that, what can go wrong?

This book is everything sick and deliciously twisted that you can think of. There are good strong, but totally jacked up characters, and a plot that will send you reeling and have you questioning everything that you think you knew! Because...None of This Is True! The title couldn't be more fitting!

Overall, I am becoming more and more of a Lisa Jewell fan as I get deeper into her books! Turns out she has quite the sick and twisted imagination which is exactly what I love about an author! I really look forward to see what else she comes up with!

I would like to offer a HUGE thank you to Lisa Jewell, Atria Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of None of This Is True, which allowed me to contribute this honest and unbiased review.

4.75⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 stars! What the heck did I just read!!!! That was such a good psychological thriller! I was definitely fooled! Josie and Alex are birthday twins and Josie is drawn to Alex who is a podcaster. Josie wants to tell share her truth with Alex, but is it truth or fiction?? There are so many twists and turns in this story and I’m still a little confused at the ending which is why I gave this book the rating that i did. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ok- to start the technical writing is so good. This isn’t the author’s first rodeo so she has a ton of skill built up and it’s just easy to read.

The actual plot/ story telling method was the real star of the show here though. I didn’t know who to believe or what to think and it kept me hooked to the literal last page. I still don’t know what to think because the whole thing is kind of mind fucky but that was half the fun. I hated the ending but only because it was sad. It wasn’t rushed and it honored the story beautifully

2.5

I received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


The premise of this novel was great, a podcaster meeting her birthday twin and realizing a quiet woman can have a wild story

The issue I had was so much was word vomited on us at the end to explain certain behaviours throughout the novel, but by then I was already ready to give up because it was twisty that it was hard to keep up (or want to keep up) with all of the details.

Then the end left me even more unsure. Not a fan overall, and I found the writing to lack a certain flow.

While celebrating her birthday at a local bar, podcaster Alix finds out she has a birthday twin celebrating her birthday in the same place. A few days later she bumps into her again and Josie runs a podcast idea by Alix, with Josie as the subject. Alix is intrigued and says yes to the podcast, but what she doesn’t know is that saying yes is about to put her and her family in a very difficult and maybe dangerous situation.

I’ve wanted to read a Lisa Jewell book for a while, after hearing such great things about them, so I requested this book on NetGalley, and I’m happy I did! I liked the story a lot. I couldn’t stop flipping pages towards the end out of anticipation of what could possibly happen next. The book had me guessing and guessing and guessing, never really knowing where the book was going or what the next twist might be. I thought it was really interesting how they intertwined a Netflix documentary into the book because it really made you start wondering where the story was possibly going if there was a documentary on it and it was using clips from Alix’s podcast. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending still. I think I may have wanted more, but I wouldn’t say I was dissatisfied with it either.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Atria Books and @NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

🛁 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 🛁
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
“You know, like when you’re driving down windy roads and you deliberately close your eyes for a second, just to see what happens. So that’s what I did. And now, well, here we are.”

Synopsis: Josie Fair and Alix Summers are two strangers who realize on a night out that they have the same birthday and we’re born in the same hospital. Josie, a downtrodden housewife, becomes obsessed with Alix, who is a podcaster, and convinces her to do a podcast on Josie’s life, which she says is on the cusp of a great change. As Alix learns more about Josie and the strange life she leads, she starts to worry that things are not what they seem.

Lisa Jewell has done it again, folks. She has crafted a story where social commentary meets psychological fiction and marries the two in perfect harmony. Alix and Josie were perfect foils for one another, but both characters were explored to their cores, the story not really focusing on one or the other but both of them beautifully. Alix’s decision to work with Josie scares and excites her, but I think there is also an element of schadenfreude that contributed to her decision, being that at the current moment her life was not exactly what she wanted either.

Social topics like grooming, LGBTQIA+ dynamics, alcoholism, the pressures put on female friendships, and toxic mother/daughter dynamics are all explored in such a way that they not only pushed the plot along but also really had my brain working. Who was the villain here? Who was using who for personal gain?

The story itself feels genuine and doesn’t make you question how the characters ended up in their predicaments. The last chapter was absolutely bonkers and when the twists start coming they didn’t stop coming. What I love about Lisa Jewell’s thrillers are they make me feel something and have more than once brought a tear to my eye, and this was no exception. Bravo to my #1 auto-buy author on yet another home run. 10/10 bubble baths.📚🛁✨

✨ Five Star Book Rec! ✨

So, funny story. When I first finished None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell, I had it as a 4 star read. But the book and characters continued to live rent-free in my mind and I had so many “wait, WHAT” moments when thinking back on the plot, that I knew I had to up it to a 5 star.

Jewell is a master at twisty plots and this one is one of her best yet. I didn’t feel like there was any one big reveal, but rather a ton of smaller reveals throughout the book. But actually, were they even reveals because who can you trust?!

Every character in this book was unlikeable at one point (except for maybe one who I *think* was ok). I’d be feeling sympathetic for someone only to have one of those “wait, what?!” moments and completely distrust everything I’d read up until that point.

Part Two felt like it had so many shockers, and I read through Part Three as fast as I could, not sure what I was hoping to find out but I’m still shook by the ending.

There’s not much else to be said about this book without spoiling it. Go into it blind, enjoy the ride, and DM me when you’re done because there’s one line that I’m STILL thinking about.

I liked this one so much I had to get it as my BOTM too so I could have a physical copy!

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.