Book Review: None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

I stumbled upon None of This is True on Goodreads, and it’s intriguing premise quickly piqued my interest. This psychological thriller follows a domestic violence victim who approaches a podcaster with an irresistible project idea, however as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that something more sinister lurks beneath the surface.

The story centres around Alix, the ambitious and successful podcaster with her happy family and seemingly perfect life, and Josie, who longs for everything Alix has, though her background is arguably more fascinating, if cryptic. Whether seen through her own eyes or from others’ perspectives, the novel keeps readers guessing about what is true, what Josie is planning, and what she’s capable of.

Jewell’s writing style and pacing is quite steady, and she cleverly incorporates a mix of first-person storytelling, podcast extracts and documentary snippets to weave in and out of the present day, future and the past. I think this enhances the storytelling by providing different angles and perspectives, while holding back on some of the details to keep the audience guessing. I will however say the documentary snippets were delivered in a tone that I found a little jarring, but that’s not a criticism on Jewell’s writing, so much as the way true crime podcasts and documentaries are presented in general.

I find social engineering to be quite a fascinating concept, so it was really interesting to see the way that played out within the book, and while I’ll avoid any spoilers, I will say that the relationship between Josie and Alix’s husband was one of my favourite parts.

As my first foray into psychological thrillers, None of This is True served as a compelling introduction to the genre, and overall, it is a gripping and well-crafted thriller that earns a solid 5 out of 5 stars!