Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

21 reviews

lestatbp's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

A terrible book. I felt like I read the notes and outlines for five different books. 

The first part is nice and slow and mysterious. About halfway through it all goes to hell with messy plots, characters who all of a sudden act differently or disappear from the story, characters that appear from nowhere and have nothing to do with the plot, and and hundreds of red herrings that are just there for no reason (not ever referenced again, just filler to confuse your mind).

It's a real shame because it could have been a great story. It almost feels like it was written by AI because it has huge gaping holes or things said about characters that make no sense to a human mind. 

I read 150 books a year and, honestly, it is the worst book I have read in five years. Don't waste your time. I assume the rest of her books are as bad, so I wouldn't bother with trying another one by the "author." 

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lolohedrick's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Overall, I found this book very riveting. I wanted to know more and in the end, we really know nothing at all. I think it's better that way though. I would read more from this author!

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ashmiller17's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I listened to the audiobook and the voice acting really brought the story to life. I was confused at first, listening to it switch from podcast to documentary but the sound made it easy to picture. Definitely going to read again. 

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bibliostorian's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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. 

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asolis's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Excellent audiobook. I am picky with what books I enjoy in audio format, and this one certainly enhanced the experience. Full cast and production.
The story itself is gripping and dark. Great for fans of mystery and thriller. 

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voilajean's review against another edition

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1.0


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anjayne's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0


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thevanessa's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

4.5/5⭐️



It was really good, but I wouldn’t recommend it, at least not without a full list of trigger warnings😅

The audiobook though 👏🏻so good👏🏻 one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to! The voice actors gave it there all and really sold me the story, so much so that it felt real

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runefactories's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I enjoyed this book until ~80% through but the last 20% ruined it! What a shame. 

When discussing people who have been victimized and go on to victimize others, it’s important to have nuance and recognize that someone’s abusive actions don’t magically cancel out abuse they previously experienced. You can be a victim and an abuser at the same time - this seems to be a foreign concept in this book. This book had a shred of nuance at first, but it was gone by the end and the author did not handle this important theme responsibly. It was said throughout by multiple “reasonable” characters that a grooming victim actually manipulated the much older man into being with her, with minimal criticism, that it seemed like this was the (gross n misogynistic) point the author was trying to make. The notion that children are responsible for adults’ sexual abuse is always false and I cannot in good faith recommend this book as a result of that notion being promoted. It is always the adult’s responsibility to decline any sexual advances from children. There was so much bullshit at the end about
how the groomer husband was actually such a nice guy and good dad and aww he loved video games and the twitch chat loved him and Josie is pure evil and so mean and manipulated him into grooming her when she was 14. despite him grooming and raping Josie as a 40yo man, we should totally feel sorry for him now that he’s geriatric and dead lmao. as if! and multiple characters saying that it’s ridiculous to suggest that he might be sexually abusing his daughters even though he has a track record of sexually abusing girls…wild. also calling her a basic b*tch at the end - is that the best you can do? just a typical misogynistic insult? for someone that stole from her, killed her husband, etc. you’d think she’d have more material than that
idk I had higher hopes, I’d avoid this one if you don’t want to hear misogynistic crap about how teenage girls can mANiPuLaTe poor little 40+ year old men into relationships

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noel_k's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Riveting at first, then it drags. A little too long, rushed ending, ultimately extremely unsatisfying.
I found it very upsetting that it writes off Child Sex Abuse as the child’s fault as a seductress. Nearing the end it just becomes a textbook situation that our rape culture adores where a woman is lying about her abuse and creating some 4D chess plot to ruin lives and murder. The quick ending to try and make Josie’s ending more ambiguous does nothing. Sickening

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