None of This Is True - Lisa Jewell

Review by Jackie

Best consumed with.

A savoury drink (this is not a sweet book for the lighthearted) that keeps you entertained and on your toes throughout the entire day…a Bloody Mary!

We’ve read that this drink was initially called the Red Snapper, but was renamed as ‘Bloody Mary’ after Queen Mary Tudor’s terribly bloody campaign against English protestants in the 1500s. Apparently the tomato juice represents the blood shed during Mary’s reign and the vodka is a symbol of her wickedness. Whether that’s the truth or just folklore, this is a drink that perfectly captures the tension of None of This Is True

What's it all about? 

Have you ever thought about the people you share a birthday with? Well, this book definitely gets you thinking about that. How much would you and the person born at the same hospital have in common? Does being born at the same hospital, on the same day hold any connection? And what are the odds you meet your birthday TWIN?!

This book follows two women, Alix Summer and Josie Fair, who are in fact birthday twins but live two very different lives. Coincidentally, they celebrated their birthday at the same restaurant one year. Who would have thought choosing a restaurant to have some fun would lead to a world of unknown mysteries.

Alix Summer, a professional podcaster/journalist who shares women's rise to fame stories and accomplishments, is looking for a new subject and something about Josie Fair intrigued her.

Josie Fair is someone who sticks around… making it abundantly clear that she is a needy 

friend, someone who will show up unannounced and not notice social cues of needing some personal space. But just as quickly as she arrives in someone's life, she can disappear in a blink of an eye. 

As they drive into a new podcast series, Alix slowly unpacks Josie's life and how it leads her to where she is today. Finding out all about the types of choices you make and how they influence how your life unfolds. The two women become close, filming episodes regularly during the week at Alix’s family home. Alix’s need to know attitude finds her in a position where she now knows too much. She begins to question… was it worth it?

And who is to decide what parts are true?

Why did I choose this book to read? 

Psychological thrillers have been grabbing my attention lately, and when my friend who has always recommended books she knows I will love said she was unsure of how I would react to this book, I knew I had to give it a go! 

There was also something about the book title that kept me hooked, I needed to know what it meant by ‘none of this is true’. I needed to find out the full story and come to a conclusion for myself. To this day… every time I think about it, I can't seem to fully pick a side to the story.

What did I love? 

Lisa Jewell did a great job of creating this sense of discomfort and weirdness encompassing the book and as you drive deeper into the book this feeling becomes greater. As you learn more about each of the women's lives, you start to question why Alix continues her friendship with Josie. 

As you approach the start of part two, you start to think of ways the story can develop and personally I was shocked to even think about the reality of my predictions and the possibility of them coming true. This feeling of discomfort is what kept me intrigued and wanting answers.

What did I not love? 

It took a handful of chapters for this book to start making sense and become interesting. In general, I struggle to be hooked on a book if there isn't an instant need to make me want to find out more. But something about this book and especially the title encouraged me to keep reading. It was SO worth it!

Book club recommended? 

Yes, if you can convince your fellow book heads to get up towards part two of the story. It is definitely worth a read for the pure reason of a crazy debrief after and unpicking of everyone's brains and interpretation of the book.

Although this book itself will keep your brain turning for a few days after!!!