Title: None Of This Is True
By: Lisa Jewell

Genre:
Adult Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Crime

Red Flags:
Dark-- Profanity, Grooming, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Physical and Emotional Abuse

Favorite Quote:
“I’m not a bad person…I’m just a normal person coping with bad things.”

Summary:
Josie and Alix are birthday twins who meet while chatting in the ladies room, the women learn they share a birthday, born in the same hospital, in the same town, on the same day to the year! Is this a coincidence? Alix is a famous podcaster, and Josie wants Alix to interview her for the next show. Josie is the exact opposite of Alix in personality and character so Alix is reluctant at first, but caves to Josie’s desires and the ladies begin to work together.

Review:
This book is nothing as I expected. I loved the last novel by Lisa Jewell, however, None Of This Is True is tense, dark and has rather disturbing elements. A few times I found the characters weren’t really relatable, and struggle to continue reading, but somehow, even amid all the darkness, I was pulled in enough to keep reading. As an avid book lover of psychological thrillers, and mystery crime novels, I could see many of the plot twists. The last plot twist at the very end, and the last 25% of the book felt rushed. I was hoping for the same deep supporting detail as the beginning of the novel. Overall, Jewell is a very talented writer, and if you are a fan, I would love to hear your feedback when you finish "None of This Is True." I'm giving it a 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Lisa Jewell, Simon and Schuster, Atria Books, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#LisaJewell
#Noneofthisistrue
#Simonandschuster
#Atriabooks
#netgalley
#advancedreadereditions

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

Famous Podcaster Alix Summers is celebrating her 40th birthday with her husband, friends and family when she runs into her birthday twin Josie Fair in the restaurant’s bathroom. When Alix meets Josie again, Josie asks her to do a podcast about her life. As they continue to meet to talk about the podcast, Alix realizes Josie’s life is strange and complicated. However, she doesn’t know how much of it is true especially when Josie’s husband warns Alix about Josie’s touch of reality.

From the moment I started this book, I immediately was sucked in. I was drawn to Josie’s narrative in an odd and creepy way. Jewell is a genius for how she wrote Josie’s character, it was so complicated. I felt a little frustrated with the decisions Alix makes but I think that’s what drives the story along. I truly enjoyed this book and I hope you do too!

TW: pedophilia, alcoholism, physical and emotional abuse

Lisa Jewell has always been a favorite author of mine, and I have a new book of hers to add to my favorites list…this one!

You guys this book blew me away! Soooo good!

As soon as I opened this book I became completely lost in this twisty and wild world and binged every second of it.
I questioned everything I read and this story could have gone so many different ways. My mind just kept spinning with this one and I loved every second of it.

The characters were fantastic…I felt like I knew a lot about them and was completely invested in their stories. Josie and her stories kept me on my toes and the more I learned about her the more shocking things became.
You get to hear from different POVs and I loved how there were excerpts from podcast recordings and a Netflix show sprinkled in. The timeline shifts with these two elements also made this a fun read.

The ending completely surprised me, and even though I finished this one a few days ago, I’m still thinking about it…and probably will be for awhile.

This has such a great plot, I can’t recommend this book enough…it’s a thriller I think everyone will enjoy.

Forget about the last thriller you read, None Of This IS True is a pulsating, nail-biter and full of twist and turns that you won't want to put down. I was hooked from the beginning and I would NEVER have guessed the ending, which left me with a WOW!

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?(from the synopses) is going through my mind the whole time I am reading this, with her sneakiness and manipulation to suck you in.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading her books. The Family Upstairs is my favorite, but after reading None Of This Is True, it is by far at the top! I would highly recommend this book to be purchased for my library and I give this book a 5-star rating!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for this advanced copy! I literally squealed when I got my hands on this one as it was my most anticipated read of this year!

I’m a huge Lisa Jewell fan and NONE OF THIS IS TRUE did not disappoint! The story follows Alix Summer who becomes the subject of her own true crime podcast after crossing paths with the unassuming Josie Fair.

Just like all of the other Lisa Jewell books I’ve read, I flew through this one. She’s the most talented at creating twisty yet readable stories. In this one she added not just multiple POV but a Netflix documentary script in between. This was so unique and absolutely added to the suspense. She had me guessing what was actually true until the very end!

Lisa Jewell really nailed this one. She gives us a compelling story told in the present, framed by scenes cut from a Netflix special focusing on the main characters that foreshadows what is to come. You get an idea of what happened pretty early on, but the real question turns into not what happened, but what events are actually true. Even with the amount of foreshadowing and the idea of "oh I know what this is going to be" I was still surprised at some of the events and didn't want to put the book down. I loved how the Netflix scenes were used, and how they added the weight needed for the next scene.

It's a interesting look at the true crime podcast and podcast culture that we are currently living in. It makes me question how much information is true when you're listening to people telling their "own" stories. It was exactly what I was looking for in a thriller, less gore, more "what is happening" and involving the "weird woman" theme that I like to read in literary fiction. Just great overall, highly recommend it as a summer read.

Thank you Netgalley for the review!

This book went in all kinds of directions I wasn't expecting. Popular podcast host Alix Summer meets Josie Fair at a trendy restaurant while they are both out separately for their same day birthdays - and soon has a subject for a new podcast. Josie is excited to tell the story of her life and begin making dramatic positive change. Yet as fascinating as Josie's story is, Alix can't help but feel that something is a little off. And as for Josie, the more she tells Alix about her past, the more she is ready to be a new person.

This was a great fast read that kept me intrigued until the end. While the characters weren't completely likeable they were certainly well-drawn and interesting. A good choice for any thriller lover!

Wow this book kept me guessing on the edge of my seat. My jaw was on the floor for most of my time reading.
This is dark, twisted, disturbing, and angering in the best ways! Going back and fourth between the story as it unfolds and a documentary made about the story makes this so enthralling. And getting the story through 2 povs was such a great addition. It truly lets you connect with both MCs. I think all the characters were really well written and completely developed. While you’re reading you will be trying to figure it out and you might even prepare for a twist but I promise you, you won’t figure this one out. The ending was fantastic. Such an intense and intriguing read.
Please check TW before reading this book. It deals with a lot of really difficult and upsetting issues. Because of that its not something I would reread. It also makes it a little harder to recommend because of those topics. This is a 4.5 rounded up to 5 star for me.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me, I struggled to finish it. I have enjoyed her books in the past so will read her again, but this one just didn’t grab me. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A twisty, tightly plotted thriller - I loved the shifting perspectives and the big reveals. It definitely kept me guessing.

I'm so confused... but in the best way! What did I just read?! As a true crime podcast lover - this book thrilled me to no end. READ. IT. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t even have words. What did I just read?? I’m still not sure I know who lied in the end, but man what a fun twisted book! This is a crazy story and you should all read it!

First I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for picking me to read your book! Thank you so much!! I’m new to Netgalley, so I’m not quite sure how this all works, but what an honor to be selected.
I loved this book!! It really made me think. I’m still questioning who is telling the truth and who is lying. Wow what a ride!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
3.5 stars
Looks like I'm in the minority on this one. I enjoy this author's writing very much. There's not much I can say without spoilers here. The character of Josie was so unlikeable. Per the title, I didn't believe anything that came out of her mouth and had no empathy towards her. I kept wanting to yell at Alix like you do in a horror movie - don't let her in the house! I thought some of Alix's behavior with Josie was ridiculous - Alix is a journalist, you'd think she would have checked her out a bit more before inviting (basically a stranger) into her life as she did, especially when weird things started happening. The first half was great but the ending left me wanting more. The whole book was fast paced - I read it in one day.

What a crazy whirlwind ride!
The author did so well making me feel uncomfortable and uneasy right from the go. I think because of the title I knew I couldn’t trust the main character so I was a little skeptical at first. It was like watching a scary movie where I was like “wait, don’t do that! Why are you doing that?!”
Creepy and icky feeling but in the best Lisa Jewell way!

This held my rapt attention from start to finish and the constant hint of twists (were they real, were they not?) just kept ratcheting up the suspense. I would definitely recommend this book to thriller lovers however with a few trigger warnings (child abuse, grooming, gaslighting, among others but those were the relevant ones to me). A really well written story which I truly had only guesses as to where in the world this might lead, which is a definite plus for me. Very different from any other book's featuring podcasts as part of the premise, so I feel comfortable recommending this book even to those who aren't fans of the new podcast included books. Not a surprise ending (but there were more than enough surprises mixed in before the end that it made this sort of irrelevant). Thank iI so much to netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange my honest review!

This story follows Josie and Alix, strangers who cross paths at a local pub on their shared 45th birthday. What follows is a series of interactions leading to Alix interviewing Josie for her podcast, unknowingly allowing Josie the space to open up about her dark past.

Josie is no doubt odd and off-putting, and that is exactly why I loved her character. Her story was so questionable and I never knew if I was getting the full truth. In-between chapters are snippets from Alix’s podcast and interviews for a Netflix series titled “Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin,” which added even more layers of ~spookiness~ to the story.

This psychological thriller was twisty and unreliable and the ending left me feeling so unsettled about what to believe — I thought I had it all figured out, and I absolutely LOVE when authors leave endings up to interpretation. Another great novel by Lisa Jewell!

I don't know what I read - but I know I LOVED IT!!! Lisa Jewell is the queen of creating a well rounded story - and then turning it on its' head with a quick little epilogue at the end. I should have known based off of the title that I wouldn't know what to believe - but I truly can't stop thinking about this and wondering what the truth is!! This book hooked me from the very first page and kept me guessing until the end. This was just so fun to read very bingable and un-put-downable. Keep in mind that there are some dark themes throughout the story, so check triggers before picking it up.

I looooved this book! It was so deliciously dark and twisted and even at the end, I still don’t know what the truth really is!

I don’t even have any negatives about this book.

The character development was done well with the two main female leads being so polar opposite, yet so captivating. I started the book feeling a little bit of pity for josie, but as the book went on, that quickly changed!

I like that the story switched between the two main leads and also the documentary setting of a Netflix special.

Very well done in my eyes, definitely recommend this book to all!

wow!!!! I inhaled this one! Loved how easy the writing was. Even though I didn’t have audio, I heard each character distinctly. Jewell kept me entertained and on my toes the whole time and I loved it!