A review by kristineisreading
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

challenging dark mysterious tense

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

4.5

This is a book that certainly lives up to its name because holy cow, after finishing this I just don't know WHAT to believe. It's a masterful study of how different perspectives can color a story. There are only two main POVs, Alix and Josie, but the inserts of the Netflix show, produced after the events in the main timeline, add a lot of other perspectives. Seeing the characters through other peoples' eyes is enlightening and gives depth to the story. Most of these interviews are focused on Josie and her family, so you get a lot more insight into her character, but not enough to fully trust or disbelieve her version of events. She's definitely shady though, shown by her actions throughout the book and some of her inner thoughts. So much so that Alix is almost shockingly trusting of her, leaving her alone in her house or with her children. I don't want to say too much and spoil the ending, but it inevitably comes back to bite her. The ending is NOT neatly wrapped up, which I think is fitting for a book like this, one with such an unreliable narrator who makes you doubt everything you're being told. Overall this one is definitely, solidly, a 4.5.