None of This Is True
Ratings383
Average rating3.9
As great as the full cast audiobook is, the intensity of the performance is too much for me for a story I'm not particularly enjoying. I don't like how the pedophilia is being handled and according to reviews, it's not going to get any better. This was my freebie from BOTM so I don't feel obliged to push through.
I can't say I liked the ending of this one. I disliked all of the characters. But I was invested in this thriller more than I have been in a long time.
This was my first Lisa Jewell book, and it definitely won’t be my last! I was hooked from start to finish. I still don’t know who to trust… even now, I’m questioning everyone in this story. And that ending? Mind. Blown. 🤯 Can’t wait to dive into more of her books!
There wasn't enough unease that I'd expect from a psychological thriller. It was very slightly unnerving sometimes and towards the end but nowhere near what I'd call intense and disturbing. The story's still interesting (even though a tat predictable) I wanted to finish and know how it wraps
This was an engaging book for the most part and the format was very interesting.
That being said, the characters justifyng, defending and forgiving the pedophile made me really uncomfortable and ruined this whole book for me.
4.25 ⭐️ this thriller was quite predictable, but I had a good time reading it. Gave similar vibes to Gone Girl.
This was a twisting, turning story with unreliable narrators all the way through. Just when you think you're truly getting to the truth of it, another thing pops up to make you doubt something. And the title of the book itself has you going in from the get-go in sleuth mode trying to figure out what's real and what isn't. That this is set against the backdrop of true crime podcasts and Netflix documentaries, both of which are genres known for their biased reporting and clever editing, only makes it more interesting. What's real? What isn't? Is Josie nuts, or is Alix? Is everyone nuts? What's up with their husbands?
Anyway, I finished it and I still have no idea what's the real, honest-to-god truth, and I'm both cranky and not that Lisa Jewell clearly meant it to do that to me. Hah. 3.5 stars, but you know how Goodreads is.
Wow—this book turned out to be way better than I expected! It's a close second to Gone Girl, my favorite thriller. The story centers on Josie and Alix, two women who meet by chance at a restaurant, each celebrating their birthday. They're “birthday twins” but lead vastly different lives: Josie works a typical day job and is married to Walter, who's much older (often mistaken for her father), while Alix is a successful podcaster married to Nathan, who's thriving in his career.
When Alix decides to feature Josie on her podcast, secrets start to unravel. Josie begins to share shocking details, and Alix quickly realizes that there may be more to Josie than meets the eye—especially when Josie's family warns Alix to watch her back. But what's true, and what's a twisted version of reality? You should read to find out about it.
If you enjoyed Gone Girl or The Only One Left, you're going to love this book. Highly recommended for thriller fans!
On a recommendation I listened to this, and the audiobook is 5 stars! 10/10 I recommend listening, the production quality and narration were so good, it sold the story for me. The story itself I rate 4 stars. It's a solid thriller. I would've liked a little more with the ending and 1 particular character (no spoilers) didn't sit right with me at the of it all but overall an engrossing read I would recommend!
Erittäin oivallinen teos siitä, miten asiat eivät aina ole sitä miltä ne näyttävät ja miten totuutta voi muokata haluamakseen. Teos avautui sopivasti päähenkilöiden sekä dokumenttisarjan kautta. Loppu jätti mietityttämään, oliko mikään tästä totta?
rating-4/5
The issue I have with thrillers, and specifically, open-ended thrillers is that I'm just ALWAYS confused about how I felt about the book? Is the ending's twist, twisty enough that it makes me think? Is that ALL it takes, if the rest of the book was lackluster?
Despite the general extreme response bias I seem to have with psychological thrillers; this was the first time I tried out a thriller audiobook and was pleasantly surprised at how well it was produced.
The little crime investigation department excerpts, the podcast being played; was all really fun to listen to and was super different from how it would've been if I'd read it instead.
Although, the author does exceed at telling a story by stringing along mundane daily chores & activities that the characters do, and try to make meaning out of it; I still found the first half of the book a tad bit stretched out w details that could've easily been left out.
I do understand how difficult writing two alternate endings is, because you have to come up with something that accounts for every single event in the first ‘timeline'. In my opinion, the author did a good job with the ending. I did think about this book even after putting it down, if that counts for something. The decent writing & a nice flowy narration on the audiobook, makes you want to keep listening. Definitely give this book a chance! I think everybody should read it just so they can tell people what they think. A perfect book for clubs & discussions because there's literally so much to talk about (so sad that this wasn't a buddy read)
** 4.5 Stars **
This riveting psychological thriller will have you in a chokehold! My experience reading this book was quite the opposite from when I read her other thriller The Night She Disappeared. I felt it was too safe and that Jewell didn't go there. But wow she holds no punches in this one.
It all begins when two women, Josie Fair and Alix Summers, meet by chance at a restaurant and discover that they are birthday twins sharing the same birthdate, and age and were born in the same hospital. A few days later as luck would have it the two women bump into each other again and strike up a conversation where Josie shares she's listened to Alix's podcast and believes she has an idea for a new series featuring her as the subject.
Although Alix finds her a tad bit eccentric and awkward she's ready to take her podcast in a new direction and agrees to give it a shot. But as the recording begins Alix learns about the dark secrets Josie has been hiding. And with every revelation she falls deeper into Josie's madness. Before she knows it Josie has disappeared resulting in a traumatic aftermath that threatens to destroy everything Alix holds dear.
What I loved about this story was Jewell's masterful foreshadowing. Through the mixed media elements of the documentary-style podcast excerpts we know that things go horribly wrong we just don't know what or how. This led me to eagerly turn the pages and created an atmosphere of suspense and foreboding.
Another favorite was how well Josie was written. We're made to see her as an unassuming, perhaps obsessive, oddball who's lived a traumatic life. I had conflicting emotions towards her. Despite the red flags and questionable behavior, there was a part of me that felt empathy towards Josie. And I perceived her just as Jewell wanted me to.
To say that I didn't see the ending coming is an understatement. I didn't believe for one second Jewell would take it where she took it but she did. And wow mind blown. I didn't expect such a sinister conclusion from her. But I really vibed with it.
I really liked it! It was a fun break from some of the heavier stuff I've read recently. I would love to see a series made from the book. The meta meta thing would be neat.
I wasn't sure what to think of this story when I started reading it. It was a very fast read, and it kept me hooked. The Josie storyline through the third section kept me flipping pages. She was well-written. This was my first Lisa Jewell book, and I have another on my shelf waiting for me. I would recommend it if you want something different.
Just okay. I preferred her other books better. There will definitely be a second of this series.
There are red flags and there are police sirens. The difference can be hard to spot.
So many things were just too unbelievable for this to be a good story. There is no way a person would allow someone they don't trust to stay at their home, and then to leave them there alone is even crazier. Another book where every character need to spend years with a therapist.
I was absolutely GLUED to this book! The story was dark and creepy and tense for the majority of the read and the strangeness of the characters had me questioning reality. I loved how the author jumped between 3rd person to Netflix production interviews to the podcast medium, introducing characters and information at specific times that I wasn't quite sure of their fit and left me feeling like I couldn't get through the book fast enough to find out.
This tense, eerie feeling ran right through the end with some twists that I wasn't expecting but am still questioning after finishing the read. I will be thinking about this book for a while.
The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star is because I did feel it was missing a little bit of closure for me. Although maybe she set it up for a sequel? I'd run to get that next book if she was!
Lots of awards - ( British Book Award for Crime and Thriller and for Audiobook: Fiction (2024), Audie Award Nominee for Audio Drama and Thriller/Suspense (2024), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Mystery/Thriller (2023), Book of the Month Book of the Year Award Nominee (2023)
Enjoyed this!
Phew now that was a whirlwind of adventure and mystery! One of our FMC was insufferable while the other FMC was so likable - I was rooting for her always. The character Josie was completely unreliable and I continually questioned her motives and her “truth”. As always in Lisa Jewell books, there's tension and mystery and in this case, left the reader to interpret Josie's truth in which way they see fit. I really enjoyed this book, but gave 4 stars as I wasn't blown away by the ending or plot twist. But lemme tell you: I flew through this book and throughly enjoyed it!