I borrowed None of This is True, the 2023 psychological thriller by Lisa Jewell, from the library but as is the way with hardbacks, found myself not taking it out and about with me due to its size. I really wanted to read it though, so downloaded the audiobook version and that was actually a great move as it’s one of the best I’ve listened to in terms of narrators and presentation.
Opening sentence: Stumbling from the cool of the air-conditioned hotel foyer into the steamy white heat of the night does nothing to sober him up.
Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin!
Given the title of this book is None of This is True, it’s no spoiler to say that more than one unreliable narrator pops up. Josie and Alix’s paths cross when they both celebrate their 45th birthdays (8th June) in a local pub.
They didn’t know each other prior but Josie is instantly taken by the glamorous Alix – a podcast creator. After this first meeting, the two women see each other around more and Josie has a proposition for Alix. She wants her life story documented in a podcast.
Josie’s life is certainly interesting: married to a man 40 years older than her and with two daughters, both with deep back stories of their own, she wants her version of events captured for the world to hear. How true it is is quite another thing.
The structure of the book sets the tense scene so well. All the action happens over a few hot and oppressive summer months in North West London and as Alix does her own investigations into Josie’s life for her podcast, she soon starts to see that everything Josie is saying isn’t adding up. And Josie is making some pretty serious claims. Josie has also taken a dislike to Alix’s husband, Nathan, adding a layer of anxiety to the read.
Audiobook for the win
The characters of Josie and Alix have different narrators and all the sections of Alix’s podcast / Netflix true crime documentary are presented as real clips as if they had been made, with title music and everything. It’s so well done and makes the whole experience super-immersive. The narrators were all brilliant too, adding so much extra depth. I highly recommend the audiobook version of None of This is True.
Fast-paced, thrilling and twisting, you never knew where this book was going to take you. I really enjoyed its interesting premise of letting the reader take what they want from the ending – leaving a level of clever ambiguity that ensures you’re still thinking about None of This is True long after you finish reading it.
- Get your copy of None of This is True here;
- Published by Century 2023;
- 380 pages;
- Book review rating:
Books on the 7:47 
One thought