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fink1129's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Stalking, Blood, Cursing, Death, Medical content, Alcoholism, Incest, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Mental illness, Addiction, and Pedophilia
menziesreads's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, and Sexual violence
ohyeahshebomb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Pedophilia, Violence, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Child death, Excrement, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, and Sexual assault
bringmybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I sorta kinda accidentally buddy read this with a friend and I remember both of us finished around the same time and sent each other text messages that said something like "wtf did I just read" and then we started comparing notes and even though I originally rated it a 4, as we kept chatting and talking about plot points and so on and so on I ended up moving my rating down to a 2.5 because honestly wtf did I just read
Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Murder, Alcohol, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Drug use, and Eating disorder
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cursing, Excrement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia
time4tori2read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Pedophilia, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Gaslighting
markedwithanm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Murder, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: August 8, 2023
I received complimentary eARC copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Bingeable • Gripping • Unsettling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.
Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.
But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.
💭 T H O U G H T S
My interest in thrillers has really waned over recent years (for a variety of reasons), yet Lisa Jewell's is one author that continues to capture my attention and offer fresh takes on the psychological thriller. I honestly never quite know what to expect, which is what I like. And the same can be said for None of This Is True.
The format of this novel is genius! With podcast transcripts interspersed throughout, they offered small snippets of what was to come without giving anything away until the exact right moment. I don't say this often, but this is one of those books that is definitely meant to be listened to. The audio production is fantastic and adds a whole extra layer of tension.
The characters are all equally twisted and unlikeable. I came away not knowing who or what to believe, which I just have a feeling is what the author intended. There are a lot of lies, secrets and acts of revenge.
However, as much as I loved the pacing and entertainment value, I did have conflicting feelings concerning the content. Some of what happens is highly unsettling and I don't feel was handled with care or concern. At different points throughout the narrative there's a certain level of need to suspend belief in order for the plot to progress as it does.
Upon finishing, this one left me with that 'wtf did I just read' feeling. I keep having to remind myself it isn't true-crime, because that's exactly how real it all felt. The ending left me unsettled - which doesn't always work for me, but in this case was perfectly fitting. None of This Is True genuinely felt like nothing I'd ever read before, and since I have consistently enjoyed Lisa Jewell's books, I continue to pick them up when I am in the mood for a thriller.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Lisa Jewell fans
• unreliable narrator enthusiasts
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"And there it is, the point which it all boils down to eventually. The point where there are no words, no theories, no explanations for behaviors that baffle and infuriate and hurt."
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Stalking, Violence, and Eating disorder
Minor: Infidelity, Confinement, and Pandemic/Epidemic
groomingallisonplus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Stalking, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, Child abuse, and Eating disorder
kst's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Death, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, and Incest
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic