None of This Is True
Ratings396
Average rating3.9
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!
3.5
When I first started listening to the audiobook, I was a bit confused of the formatting of this story, so I went to my library and borrowed the hard copy. Once I got more into the book, I understood that some narration in the audiobook was specifically for the podcast and for the Netflix adaptation! Suspenseful music is added and background voices can be heard. For this reason, I highly recommend the audio book over the hard copy.
I'm totally mind blown! I still don't know what just happened! I couldn't put this book down. It was very very thrilling! I just want more now!!!
I put this one off for far too long because of the podcast aspect, but it was executed very well! Great start to April.
I started out listening to the audiobook, switched to the ebook and then went back to the audiobook. I'm glad I did listen to the audiobook though! It was a full production with several different voice actors and Netflix “commercials”. I also liked how the audio quality changed when it switched to the podcast recordings. Despite this being very Single White Female, I still spent a good portion of the book trying to figure out what was actually going on.
This is the kind of unreliable narrator stories I love. Josie was scary and unpredictable. I was nervous that she was going to be around Alix's children. I was also weirdly scared that she was going to be caught with all of the things she was stealing from Alix. Reading gives you weird empathy sometimes. Never for pedophiles though. I will say that I don't agree that a 40-45 year old man should ever be able to be “seduced” by a 13-18 year old. I kind of hated that he had a redemption arc ngl. He was cheating on his wife and cheated on his mistress with her daughter. There isn't any coming back from that. I don't care how funny you are on a twitch, I mean glitch stream. He also kicked Fred's shit into the gutter instead of picking it up when he walked him. Noh. I was really hoping Nathan made it out. I'm glad Fred had a better home. I think this would actually do really well as a fake documentary series. I really enjoyed the ride.
This might be my favorite Lisa Jewell book so far. Holy shit this was such a good story. I didn't want to stop reading.
definitely did not click for me! not sure if it was the format but i was just... not interested in any of it.
3.5/5 stars
I was very into the book the whole way through, but the ending felt a bit anticlimactic and confusing to me. Still definitely worth the read and the ending matched the tone of the rest of the book, it just left me feeling like I had missed some things along the way.
This one starts of very quickly with a well-written, brisk pace that wastes no time getting to the main plot. As you get into the book, it does become interesting to read some of it from the perspective of a potential stalker and a lot of the mystery/thrill is around figuring out what the title is referring to as you read the ‘tale'. The structure really works well as a storytelling device and even though there are some solid and dark reveals, some of them do fall short of what one might already be hoping for, anticipating, or predicting in their head. As so, one might wonder afterwards if it might rather have been better titled ‘Most of This Is True'.
Like every second woman at this point, I love true crime stuff, with the caveat that it's not emotionalised bullshit. I want facts, not a narrator talking about the victim's smile lighting up every room. Fuck off with that cheesy, ridiculous stuff.
So I looked at this and was like “okay, maybe I can try”.
And it was awful.
We have Alix and Josie, two women with polar opposite lives. Alix is a glamourous podcast host and Josie is a repressed, humble housewife. All they have in common is having been born on the very same day at the same hospital. So when Josie begs Alix to document her breaking free of her life, they start working together on a project.
You know, a book like this needs exceptional character writing. We have two people interacting, yet somehow both of them have the inner monologue of the exact same type;that overly detailed one that pretends to be deep by “noticing” ridiculous shit you never specifically think about. Or do you look at people and start thinking about random details regularly? In every bit of your thinking?
Plus, with a book that is based on the contrast of these two, at least make them sound sufficiently different.
The twists were not much either. Like there aren't many ways you can spice up a story with so few characters and so little going on between them. If you can't guess it... what's wrong with you?
After years of reading mostly fantasy, this isn't enough. It's so basic and so uninteresting.
how is it possible that SO many people closed their eyes and gave this 5 stars ?
the mother said that her daughter stole her husband from her ? excuse me but the problem is not your young daughter but your pedophile husband
omg I can't believe the hype that this book have, I actually have no words im so annoyed
also the way that is written the ptsd that Josie had and her reactions towards men, made her look like an extremist feminist who want to “kill all men”
it discredit the feminist cause, ugh im so pissed off
I did like this book. It was very entertaining to listen to, especially with the production value and the different voices and background sounds. I do think that the conclusion is not as shocking as it was intended to be at least for me I kind of saw the twist coming, which ruins the unreliable narrator trope. I wouldn't read it again, but if you're looking for a twisty, not so gruesome, psychological thriller, pick us up.
Also- I didn't like the idea that just because she was evil the grooming didn't matter? Like Walter was attracted to a 13-year-old girl, and when he had 10-year-old sons??? like I don't really feel like that has a redemption arc for me it doesn't mean he deserve to get killed, but I don't know it was really strange for him to be like a good guy in the end? Even if Alex said that line about him being a “ bad man”. Weird .....
3.0
4.4/5.0- crazy story line, super engaging. I just got lost a bit on the first half but the second half I was hooked.
I felt so let down in the final 20% of the book. if you are going to take a somber and slightly problematic take for your character, you better have a compelling narrative to defend that to convince your reader. It was going 4 stars till 80% mark but after that it is like - why did ya give up?
This is a true 4 star read. I think it was a subtle kind of thriller. I like that it leaves you questioning what you just read similar to if you listened to a podcast or watched a documentary. I also appreciate that it didn't follow the same typical thriller format yet it was still a page turner. I'd recommend this to true crime fans, podcast and documentary fans.
Wow! This is what a thriller is meant to be. Lisa Jewell has created a deliciously disturbing and intriguing story that will keep the reader enthralled to the end. I know I was!
Alix Summers and Josie Fair meet on the night of their shared 45th birthday. Josie proclaims them “birthday twins” and approaches Alix, a well-known podcaster, with the idea of making a podcast about Josie's life and her plans to change her future. Alix is intrigued by Josie's unconventional relationship with her much older husband. They agree to do the podcast, and Josie spills all the astonishing and disturbing details of her life. But Alix does not realize that Josie is becoming obsessed with her, and she does not notice the impact that Josie is having on her life and family until it may be too late.
Everything about this story works. The characters are interesting and well-developed. No one is truly likable, but some are more dysfunctional than others. Josie Fair appears to be meek and simple, but there are disturbing depths to her character that make for an unpredictable, thrilling narrative. Alix is so enthralled by Josie's story and how she can benefit from it that she does not notice as Josie insinuates herself into Alix's life. The action is paced perfectly. The narrative alternates between Josie and Alix's interactions in real time and excerpts from the podcast and the documentary. The documentary sections add just the right amount of suspense by hinting at events that the reader has not yet witnessed. Though the plot is somewhat predictable, the execution is so good that it does not detract from the success of the book.
Honestly, I just love a dark, twisted, messed up thriller, and that is what you get with this book. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy this as well.
idk abt this one. nothing was thrilling or twisty, it was just well written and interesting so it had me very invested but then nothing really happend. also the husband is still a pedo and I don't like how the book tried to change the narrative lol. also the last chapter has me very conflicted coz idk if she's lying or not but also it doesn't really change my opinion abt the book. based on the booktubers reactions I was expecting something way different and once again I was disappointed !