Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

7 reviews

julialandis727's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I don't usually go for thrillers, but I'm a fan of true crime podcasts, so it makes sense that I'd enjoy this novel. The audiobook is incredibly produced; the added music and sound effects to the Netflix documentary transcripts and had different voice actors read those parts to make it sound like a real show. Enjoyed the feel of being thoroughly creeped out by Josie and her family, and while I predicted the murders correctly (as in who was getting murdered), I didn't expect the twist in Erin's epilogue at the very end. Makes me wonder if there will be a sequel, though the open-endedness of the ending is quite fitting for the story.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

asolis's review against another edition

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. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

chsm8's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic

googie_puvdan's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The first 70% was engaging and interesting, but how it "wrapped up," the reveal, and the book's end wasn't unique or impressive.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, and Murder

Minor: Lesbophobia

kiwichill's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Medical content, Lesbophobia, and Outing

daffodilcherry's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A psychological thriller following the link between two women, Alix and Josie, who meet when they realise they share their birthdays. Josie then asks Alix to make a podcast about her, unravelling her life. Interspersed in their tale are flashforwards to a true crime documentary made from their story. 

This story reads like a Netflix/BBC miniseries that gets crazy popular and that everyone's mum is obsessed with. The first 50% is amps up the tension between the two women, but ultimately it goes along very slowly. The second 50% is fast paced, desperate and dramatic. My one ultimate annoyance with this book is the title: None of This is True.

It ultimately spoils the fact that Josie is lying about the exact circumstances of her life.

if it had been named differently I think the revelations of the second half would have hit a lot stronger. However, the ending was so very satisfying (ending spoiler:)

especially the final twist of Josie's final chapter where she may not be as diabolical as we were lead to believe...

 

In terms of diversity, both Alix and Josie are white cis women, married to their husbands. Everyone appears to be ambiguously white and straight, except for, some of Nathan's friends and

Josie's daughter Roxy, who is a lesbian with her dark moments.

Erin is autistic with smooth food preferences and is the gamer queen of my heart. 

I very much enjoyed this as an audiobook, with two excellent main narrators and then a full cast making up the interviewees of the inserted documentary moments. My only gripe with it was that at times in the documentary aspects the interviewer's voice was very quiet, but otherwise it was good.

Wheelhouse: narrative parallels/foils, women protagonists over 45,

unreliable narrators,

spliced in revelations in the form of interviews.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Torture, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

The dog is uninjured and fine at the end. Josie's relationship with Walter:

allegedly started dating when she was 15 he was 42, describes grooming behaviour, alleges that he is physically, emotionally and fiscally abusive towards her.

spoiler for the twist of Josie and Walter:

this is then twisted when her children allege that she was manipulative and emotionally abusive towards the whole family, including Walter, and that she may have attacked him as he died.

Josie's relationship with her children:

Erin is autistic and while Josie is mostly supportive in terms of providing her with food she likes there is an underlying current of slight abelism when it comes to Josie's views on Erin. Josie ends up fighting Erin, restraining her in her house and abandoning her for dead while stealing her money. Roxy appears to have a more fraught relationship with Josie, with allegations of child abuse and that Josie allegedly sabotaged her relationship with Brook. There is a custom made child's chair with restraints which apparently Josie used on Roxy.

Josie's final plan:

she kidnaps Alix's husband and ends up killing him, apparently accidentally.

Roxy:

final final twist spoilers: Roxy might have been the one to have killed her then girlfriend Brook.

dizpig's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic