None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lisa Jewell’s latest Psychological Thriller grabbed my attention from the start and held it all the way through. This was absolutely addictive!!
When I first heard about this, I could hardly believe it. A story that follows two women turning forty-five, and I am turning forty-five this year. It can’t be coincidence…
I just knew I was going to love it and per usual, I was right. Not only did I love it, I freaking loved it. This will definitely be on my Favorites of the Year list.
An added treat was Buddy Reading it with my beautiful niece, Lyss. I definitely recommend it for Buddy Reads or Book Clubs. There’s a lot to discuss.
This story follows two women, Alix Summers, a popular podcaster, and Josie Fair, an unassuming woman, whose profession is so inconsequential, I can’t recall it.
Alix and Josie bump into each other for the first time in the bathroom of a local pub, coincidentally on the day they were both turning 45. They were birthday twins!
Shortly after, they bump into each other again outside of the school that Alix’s children currently attend, and Josie’s attended years ago.
As they are chatting, Josie, who has listened to Alix’s podcast, pitches an idea to her. Alix should do a podcast focusing on Josie’s life.
Josie tells Alix that she is on the brink of making some very drastic changes and she’d like Alix to document the process.
Even though Alix finds Josie’s vibe unsettling, she admits there’s something fascinating about her. She is intrigued.
Unable to resist temptation to dig into Josie’s life, Alix accepts her offer and begins to record the podcast, inviting Josie to her home studio for interview sessions.
From that point on, the women’s lives become entangled. It doesn’t take long for Alix to suspect that Josie is so much more than she initially appeared. Josie is a smart woman, who happens to be hiding some very dark secrets.
Josie infiltrates Alix’s life so deeply, she eventually ends up living at her house. Alix hardly knows how any of this happened and then suddenly, Josie’s gone. That’s when Alix’s real nightmare begins.
I was completely swept up in the lives of these two women. I loved the back and forth, learning about their past and present circumstances. Their dynamic, as well, was fascinating.
Right off the bat, I was intrigued and I felt like I was being misdirected in some way. The path the story took, I was never quite sure who I could trust.
As the story progresses, it’s like a veil being pulled from your eyes, but I still couldn’t believe what I was reading. It was so twisted!
I absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fast-paced and tense Psychological Thrillers. Bonus points if you have enjoyed Jewell’s work in the past, or love stories that incorporate a podcast, or true crime, element.
For the record, I thought Jewell nailed the podcast turned True Crime documentary angle. Additionally, her use of mixed media, with the sections from the Netflix series, was amazingly well done; round of applause.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was an absolute blast to read. I cannot wait to pick up more from this author!