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A review by _chelseachelsea
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Ableism, Abandonment, Child death, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship