None Of This Is True
Title: None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
Culture: English
Themes: Psychological Thriller, Freedom, Mid-life crisis, Contemporary
Psychological lies…..or is it?
I’m a REALLY big Lisa Jewell fan; I have read many of her books from Invisible Girl to The Family Upstairs and beyond. So, I was really excited to read her latest novel – None of This Is True. With a medium paced easy to read flow, unique chapter headings (there are no chapter numbers), and an intriguing prologue I was sure this was going to be one of my new favorites from her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
Set against the backdrop of a Netflix documentary, you’ll read the unlikely friendship between Alix Summer and Josie Fair that starts shared birthday day dinner. Who would have thought you happened to meet someone else in the world with the exact same birthday as you, and that other person is famous. What starts out as a good friendship with each of them finding so many things in common with Josie asking to be part of Alix’s podcast, turns into a nightmare! With multiple points of view, their friendship quickly unravels into obsession, lies and murder.
I really wanted to like this book (I really did) but it left me unfulfilled, angry and sad. As I read the book things started to become so unbelievable (I guess that’s the point) and I kept waiting for that one big thing to happen that would blow me away. But I found myself constantly asking “where is this going” but not in a good way. I forced myself to keep reading but I just couldn’t get into it. This is rare for me especially since it’s Lisa Jewell. The story was interesting, but I just couldn’t find the likeability with either of the main characters. Their conversations for frustrating and there were so many things that went unsaid. The ending of the book just didn’t make sense or sit right with me. Yes, there was a murder, but it didn’t tie into the plot well and seemed unnecessary. And Alix never really got justice, this story just…..ended. It felt very unfulfilling.
But I’m glad I finished it, I try REALLY hard not to “DNF” (did not finish) books, especially from one of my favorite authors. I still ended up putting it on my shelf with the rest of my collection by Lisa Jewell. If you’re looking for an interesting mystery with small twists, modern day setting, with a multi-person point of view, I recommend None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell.
