None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

Two women's lives intertwine when one interviews the other for their podcast about women who leave their dark pasts behind.

Author

Diego Dunne
April 25, 2025

Hey, it’s Diego.

I just about finished reading None of This is True by Lisa Jewel.

And it challenged me more than I expected.

Let me give you my spoiler-free, unbiased review.

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None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell – Review

Alix, a podcaster whose seemingly perfect life takes a dark turn after meeting Josie, her "birthday twin." Both women turn 45 on the same day, at the same restaurant, leading Josie to suggest Alix feature her in a podcast about transforming her troubled life. Alix agrees, intrigued by Josie's mysterious past, but quickly realizes she's welcomed chaos and danger into her home.

Trigger Warnings: Domestic abuse, grooming/pedophilia, alcoholism, manipulation, emotional abuse, implied violence.

The book fits neatly into the domestic thriller genre, as most events happen in Alix's and Josie’s family homes.

Psychological thrillers: a subset of psychological thrillers that happen in a “domestic” location. This can be a family home or small town but can also be a hospital, prison, etc.

Jewell’s writing style is utilitarian and sounds very natural, especially the dialogue, which there is a lot of in this story. The main story is told from two perspectives, Alix and Josie in a single timeline, supplemented by podcast excerpts and documentary clips. Which were a nice break between the story unfolding and the two perspectives.

The short, punchy chapters add to the readability, and the book doesn’t linger unnecessarily on lengthy backstories or overly descriptive imagery, instead focusing directly on plot and characters. Still, I found myself wishing that the story would pick up, as it has a super slow start. The suspense builds consistently throughout, though, and where other stories may sag in the middle, it’s here where the book starts to shine.

There isn’t romance, and no explicit spicy scenes either. It does include occasional swearing, but it feels natural and is used sparingly. There are disturbing themes, but graphic violence mostly stays off-page. I must say it’s still a bit of a downer, because of the unsettling themes, but it’s not overwhelmingly heavy.

So, what about the ending? (No spoilers obviously)

I love my stories to wrap up nicely, with a neat little bow at the end. I like to read a cathartic scene where everything our characters have been through finally pays off physically and emotionally. Then a denouement in another chapter (or chapters) following the characters decompress where things are resolved and I’m left delighted at how well things played out at the end, every plot thread resolved.

Although the ending wraps the mysteries quite nicely, it’s open-ended, maybe leaving it open for a sequel? We do get a denouement with the characters, which I always appreciate.

Overall, None of This Is True was an absorbing psychological thriller that took its time to build the tension, but once it did, it was hard to put down. The dark themes were not as overwhelming as other stories, so it’s an easy read, even at night.

Similar Books to None of This Is True?

  • My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

  • Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner

  • The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

That’s all for this week.

See you next time.

— Diego Dunne

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