This was my first time reading a Lisa Jewell book. The famous thriller author’s newest debut was an explosive one. I genuinely didn’t know what to expect. I don’t read that many thrillers, but when I do I often want something exciting and trashy. This book was sorrowful and discomforting, and though it wasn’t what I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We follow Alix Summer – a famous podcaster and influencer living in a world of wealth and luxury, and Josie Fair, a woman estranged from her children and married to a man twice her age. Alix and Josie meet at a restaurant, on the day of their birthdays – born on the same day and in the same hospital, an invisible string ties them together from their first meeting.

When Josie asks to participate in Alix’s podcast, a string of dark and terrifying events unfolds before them. Alix’s perfect life begins to crumble around her, as she wonders just what kind of woman she let into her life.

I loved the writing in this book. Usually, when I read thrillers, I don’t look for anything too fancy. I don’t read to be dazzled by the author’s literary prowess, but to experience a terrifying story full of twists and turns.

And yet, the writing in “None of This is True” is beautiful. Alix and Josie describe each other in such different ways – from Josie’s perspective, we really get a sense of how radiant Alix is, and how much Josie envies her and her “perfect” life. Alix views Josie in a different way. To her, Josie is perhaps a little too intense. And yet, strangely striking in the way she wears her misery.

I was hooked instantly. The words used to describe the places, the people and the terrible events unfolding before them reeled me in and didn’t let me go. Even though this book did have some twists, I never felt like the author was abandoning her characters in the process – everything that happened seemed completely in-character.

The build-up in this book was slow. Each episode Alix films brings us closer and closer to the truth. Even as Alix fears that perhaps finishing it won’t be worth it, we, the reader, hang onto each word. We read to see the story finished and for the terrible truth to be unveiled.

The start was slow, and the book didn’t explode by the end. On the contrary, I would say that slowness, that dread, was stronger than any burst of action. Though it did pick up steam at the end, that wasn’t the main part of the book.

The process of us getting to know Alix and Josie was the most important part. The more we found out about Josie’s past and family, the more we understood her as a person. By the end, when most of the twists happen, they’re not particularly surprising to us – they’re exactly what we’d expect from the characters.

I absolutely loved this book. I feel like it surpassed my expectations in every way. It wasn’t like anything I was expecting. It didn’t have too many insane twists or moments full of actions. Instead, it was heavily character-driven and filled with a gut-churning sense of dread. As we got to know each character more closely, we realized what each of them would be willing to do in their desperation.

This book was, at its core, full of sorrow. Miserable people can be capable of terrible things. And that’s what made this book so, so beautiful.

None of This is True Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62334530-none-of-this-is-true