None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Book Overview:
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell opens with Josie Fair celebrating her forty-fifth birthday with her husband at a restaurant. It is there that she meets her birthday twin Alix Summers and discovers they were born on the same day, in the same hospital and are the same age. Coincidentally, a few days later Josie runs into Alix and strikes up a conversation with her sharing how she’s listened to her podcasts and is impressed and proceeds to offer an idea for a new series starring her as the subject.
Alix finds Josie eccentric and odd but she’s ready to take her podcast in a new direction and agrees. But as they begin recording Josie makes detailed and startling revelations about her mother, marriage, and children. With each reveal, Alix is drawn deeper into Josie’s world until one dark night, Josie shows up on Alix’s doorstep and chaos ensues. Beginning with her mysterious disappearance that sets off a stream of devastating events that will alter Alix’s life forever.
My Review:
I wasn’t expecting to be as impressed with None of This Is True as I am. I’ve read The Night She Disappeared and found it to be lackluster. I didn’t feel Jewell explored the darker elements of human nature and felt the story ended too happily. However, she doesn’t hold her punches in this one. She goes there and creates a sinister story that I couldn’t put down.
Let’s start with the mixed media elements that include excerpts from a documentary based on Alix’s podcast sessions with Josie. What an excellent foreshadowing choice that alludes to the fact that things go horribly wrong between Alix and Josie. The intrigue is palpable and compels you to dive deeper into the story to discover what happens.
Jewell also did a wonderful job creating a complex antagonist. Josie is so superbly written you’ll have conflicting emotions about her and find yourself overlooking the red flags and questionable behavior because you’ll see her as a victimized woman in need of companionship.
As far as pacing it was perfectly done. In the beginning, Jewell dedicates time to establishing the framework for the story while introducing you to the characters and providing enough backstory and details to give you insight into what makes them tick. Well-timed revelations and suspicious occurrences increase tension and build suspense moving the plot forward to its explosive finale.
And that ending! It was mind-blowing I couldn’t believe it took the turn that it did and that Lisa Jewell went there. I know this ending is a questionable one for many but to me it had the perfect sinister edge.
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell is perfect for you if you enjoy a sinister thriller with mixed media elements, foreboding, suspense, and an unconventional ending.
