“None of This is True” by Lisa Jewell
Description: “Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.
Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.
Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.
But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.”
Review: Alix Summers and Josie Fair live two very different lives but they have one thing in common, their birthdays. The women accidentally meet at a pub one night while they’re both out celebrating their 45th birthdays.
Alix is a mother to two young children, married to a loving man with a drinking problem and is the host of a successful podcast. Josie on the other hand is the mother to two grown children, a part-time seamstress and in a loveless marriage to a much other man.
Alix’s podcast, “All Women”, features successful women who have overcome great challenges. Alix feels that it’s time to move on and start a new podcast when she bumps into Josie, her birthday twin. After their birthday meeting Josie looked into Alix and has been listening to her podcast. Josie gives Alix an idea for a new podcast, one that centers around her and the big changes she plans on making in her life.
Alix thinks it’s a good idea and goes along with it creating, “Hi, I’m your Birthday Twin.” She invites Josie into her home and her life. Alix quickly realizes that she’s getting a lot more than she bargained for. Josie divulges some dark secrets to her. Alix didn’t realize who or what she was letting into her life. What started off as a podcast about a woman making big life changes has now turned into a true crime podcast featuring Alix.
None of This is True is a psychological thriller that will leave you with more questions than answers. It’s one you’ll keep coming back to and randomly think about days, even weeks later. I’ve read a few Lisa Jewell books and this is my favorite one by far!
The story is told with the alternating point of views of Alix and Josie. There are also transcriptions of a Netflix show based on Alix’s podcast, “Hi, I’m your Birthday Twin.”
I’ll be honest and say that I had a hard time getting into the book when I first started it. The story is told from Josie and Alix’s point of view. Josie and Alix might have the same birthday but that’s where their similarities end. Josie’s in a loveless marriage to a much older man, has a strained relationship with her adult daughters and seems to have lost herself. While Alix is a podcaster who loves her husband, even if he has his own demons, and her two young children.
When the story first started it was difficult for me to keep the woman separated. I would mix up their names and find myself confused. While their lives are very different from each other their voices sounded similar to me. I would have preferred if the tone changed a little more depending on whose POV it was. Once I got into the story more this was no longer an issue. It soon became very easy to tell the women apart and they started to take on their own voices.
I really enjoyed the format of this book. The book flashes between a documentary based on Alix’s podcast of Josie. It was an interesting format to hear what the woman are going through and then to receive snippets from the show. It really keeps you wondering what happens and makes you want to read more.
This book had me feeling anxious while reading it. You obviously know something big is going to happen but you have no clue what it is. Even after everything is revealed you’re still left wondering what is true.
The last third of the book is a crazy ride. I had to shush my family so I could finish it. The ending is so good! It really leaves you questioning. It’s certainly a book that you’re going to be thinking about days later.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys on the edge of your sit, psychological thrillers.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lisa Jewell for a free copy of None of This is True in exchange for an honest review.