Reviews with content warning for Ableism - None of This Is True

Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

24 reviews

lizziaha's review against another edition

3.5

My only problem with this book is that it didn’t quite stick the landing. The alternating perspectives of the original timeline and the podcast worked really well, and pulled me in. Having the before and after perspective built tension and kept focus even during slower parts of the story. So for the climax of the story to be told largely off-page felt a little off. I also think (and a lot of thrillers fall into this trap) that the author valued plot twists over a completely coherent plot. Both were subtle—the twists and the inconsistencies—but they both detract from each other. I sort of wish that we’d been able to get a little more into Josie’s headspace as well, though that would’ve perhaps ruined some of the twists.

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_chelseachelsea's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Sweet Bobby meets Making a Murderer in this thriller about a podcaster who finds herself interviewing a subject from hell.

First of all, if you’re going to read this book I CANNOT recommend enough that you listen to the audiobook. It is a PERFECT novel for this format, since the narratives are blended with clips from podcast recordings, news broadcasts, and interviews.

I was really impressed by the pacing of this book. Again, the audio format likely helped with this, but I never felt bored. The story drags a tiny bit in part two, but picks up very quickly in part three as it approaches its conclusion.

Perhaps the most impressive part of None of This is True was that it actually surprised me - not an easy feat when you’re a seasoned thriller fan. Though the tale of two women crossing paths and finding themselves irreversibly intertwined isn’t necessarily a - forgive me - novel idea, the podcast-host-turned-podcast-subject concept really adds a fresh twist. This is a story that would absolutely grip the nation if it really happened, but where a book about a true crime podcast could easily feel like a sermon on America’s obsession with violent programming, this one just feels fun. The protagonist is likable, but not perfect. The antagonist is diabolical, but difficult to loathe entirely. The twists are wild, but manage to stay just grounded enough. And the slightly ambiguous ending is intriguing, but doesn’t rob us of the closure we earned.

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emmy_readz's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

2.0

What did I just listen to? Way too many uncomfortable handlings of sensitive topics like child grooming, sexual assault, mental disability, mental health, the list goes on and on. It's like Jewell was trying to be edgy by including certain aspects but instead came across with him victim blaming energy. Alix's kids were an afterthought, honestly not even sure why they were included other than to make the two MC kids go to the same school and connect them. I think we were supposed to be unsure of who to believe with the dual POV and making Josie have a semi sympathetic voice but it came across as pathetic and selfish. Whether you believe Josie or not her motivations don't make sense regardless. The multimedia aspect of the podcast made it interesting and the pace was great. The audiobook is definitely worth a listen as it has a full cast and gives you the full multimedia experience. With the hype this book and Jewell as an author has, I'm pretty disappointed.

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