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They stand marooned for a moment by a sign that says “Please wait here to be seated” and Josie gazes around at the early-evening diners and drinkers, her handbag pinioned against her stomach by her arms. We both ended up with similar feelings on None of This Is True, and foremost agreed that it was a compulsive, must read suspense tale.
For the rest, it boils down to the reader’s ability and/or willingness to ignore certain aspects of the story. While reading the book, I felt like the emoji that has both hands over their eyes but with their fingers spread so that the upcoming train wreck is slightly visible. Using Josie’s story who wants to make imminent changes in her life may attract her audiences’ attention. But then it's revealed, amidst a sea of lies, that one story was TRUE: a character involved in grooming a young woman really DID groom said teenager. How does Lisa Jewell’s characterization lead us to think of Josie as just a little quirky or lonely—and ultimately harmless?Why do you think Josie imbues this relatively ordinary coincidence with so much importance and meaning? 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. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion.
Two girls walk into a pub… Alix Summers… glitz and glamour… podcaster… she is quite the talk of the town… girl is 45🥳… and then… there is Josie… also in the pub… also turning 45…. In Alix, her birthday twin, Josie sees an opportunity to change it all by convincing Alix a couple days later to feature her in her next podcast, promising to share her secrets and show listeners her transformation. Matters become dark when Josie turns up on her doorstep bloodied and bruised, her version of events bringing into question the nature of truth and who is manipulating whom. While podcaster Alix Summers is out with her husband to celebrate her 45th, after the big song, a woman named Josie approaches the table and informs her that she is her TRUE birthday twin---down to the year.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.
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell is a masterfully crafted work of psychological fiction- the kind of dark, edgy and suspenseful story that makes Lisa Jewell one of my favorite authors in this genre. You know something isn’t quite right, there are red herrings making feel uncomfortable inside, but you want to dive into the murky water to see the creatures lurking there. I loved the structure of the novel, which is presented from the perspectives of Josie and Alix with transcripts of the podcast interviews (featuring Josie, Alix and several other characters) interspersed throughout the narrative.A storyline which makes this difficult to endure in some parts, but they are real life issues so of course we should cover them. Dissatisfied with her current life, Josie desires a change, craving a life free of responsibilities. Alix Summer is a popular podcaster who is celebrating her 45th birthday when she meets Josie, also celebrating her 45th birthday. At the end of a particularly sinister and AMAZING horror movie, I always have that moment where I'm GRATEFUL to leave the theater, blink in the sunlight, and feel part of the less ominous real world. she takes the most universal observation and tosses it in very lightly at the end of a funny sentence—and it truly takes my breath away.
What were you excited to explore by including a podcast within the structure, as well as by having one of the narrators be a podcaster? 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. It also really stretches believability when Alix notices her obvious psychotic tendencies, manipulation and lies and then leaves her alone in her house multiple times, sometimes even with her kids. I believe the ending was designed to give the reader some authority over how they perceived not only the entire story, but also what happens after the final page is turned, although I would have been more satisfied with full closure.The first two-thirds of the book was gripping and I would have given that five stars, but the last bit was anti-climatic. She opens her eyes, slides the cat off her lap, and runs to the toilet off the hallway, where she is violently sick. In contrast, Josie takes an unsettling turn, becoming adamant about getting involved in Alix's life. but… there’s something about Josie… 🤔…something bizarre…she wears denim… ALL the time… heck her curtains are denim… look 👀. As the story unfolds, the layers of Josie's character are peeled back, exposing the intricacies of "her very intriguing life story.
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