Review/Discussion: None of this is True

[Grace]

Two paths cross when Josie and Alix celebrate their birthdays in the same restaurant. I'm interested in this book to be read alongside "We Used to Live Here" as it appears to have a similar vibe of someone coming into your life and not leaving...

Let me know what you think!

[Jefferson]

Didn't realize we had two books for this month! This'll be my next read for sure

[Grace]

i LOVED this thriller! I thought it was so unique in the style that it was written with the snippets to a Netflix doc. I also just enjoyed the pace of it- gave me Frieda McFadden vibes with the writing style. I've redacted a spoiler below, but if you've read then un-hide the spoiler because I was shocked that the book made me feel such a blow to the heart...

(view spoiler)[ i was so surprised with the feeling of heartbreak i experienced in this novel too, I secretly hoped that Alix's husband would be alive and well and was pretty shocked when he turned up dead. The way Lisa Jewell spoke about grief "wearing her artichoke dress and clutching a pillow, arching and un-arching her back as spasms of agonised crying rack her body at the realisation of what she has lost." ouch! (hide spoiler)]

[Jefferson]

I've never been gaslit so hard by a book before. I don't know what to believe. After reading the last chapter and saying wtf to myself, I realized the title of the book is perfect lol. Awesome book for this month. I was pining to finish it in a day but life got in the way.

It was such an interesting way to tell the story with the snippets and multiple characters coming in and out sharing their little piece to help you get the picture of what's happening.

[Joal]

Just finished this one and loved it!! Easy read and engaging throughout which is all I want from a thriller.

Despite knowing that Josie was absolutely batsh!t from the start, this book is still a page turner 🤣

[Grace]

Spoiler below if you haven't yet read...

I really want to discuss the relationship between Josie and Walter, I feel like Lisa Jewell wrote about this kinda strangely, almost as if the reader is supposed to feel sorry for Walter...even though he definitely groomed Josie when she was a teenager. The way he was written towards the end, and including the perspective from the daughters, was almost like he was the victim?

What did everyone think about that?

[Jefferson]

I love that you brought this up Grace.

I believe the shift in how Walter is written is supposed to mirror how gaslit Josie was throughout the novel. The family is so manipulative and she writes it in a way to warp the view towards Walter to make him the victim. Kind of like a way to show how the family presents themselves to people outside the family and induce sympathy for them and no sympathy towards Josie. Does this answer the question ? I kind of started rambling lol

[Haley]

I just finished this and I almost feel bad for Josie. This all stems from unresovled trauma of being groomed. Not excusing the things she did but geez. This was a page turner for sure!

[Grace]

Agreed Haley! The way her mum treated or rather ‘mistreated’ her and acted as if Josie ‘wanted’ her relationship with Walter, even though she was just a kid and clearly getting groomed. I think it’s normal to feel bad for Josie in this sense.

One theory is that Roxy killed Brooke (apparently the author confirmed this but I’m not 100%) because Roxy found out that Walter was sexually assaulting her and took her anger out on Brooke instead of Walter, this is backed up by Roxy’s known temper. And also,I mean, Walter is a pedophile so it’s hardly surprising that he grooms again. Josie’s explanation that herself and Walter helped deal with the body, hence Walter not wanting Josie to tell the ‘truth’ on the podcast as they all would go to prison…

Apparently this is a great one to listen to audiobook due to the podcast style of it - did anyone listen on audible?

The link below does the best explanation of the ending I’ve seen…

https://the-bibliofile.com/none-of-th...

[Dennis]

Hey Guys! Im late to this read but i wanted to jump in because of how fun this book was! It was crazy. I loved the podcast/netflix intertwine in this book. The characters were so well written.

*SPOILER*

I kinda hated that Nathan died in the end. I didnt want Josie to succeed in that. She was so good at getting her way and manipulating everyone, and i just didnt want her to have that final victory. But man that last page in the book was so perfectly written. When shes going over in her head how the night after that dinner went down. How she wanted to THINK it went down. Just goes to show how truly mentally warped she was.

[Grace]

Hi Dennis, welcome!! Yes I loved the way this one was written with the podcast / documentary giving you breadcrumbs of the story!

And yes I remember my heart dropping when Nathan died and the way Alix was dealing with the grief at the end was so heartbreaking. I think I’d made excuses for Josie all along and then that happened which really hit a nerve with me.

‘Truly mentally warped’ definitely describes Josie in three words 🤣

[Haley]

@dennis. I get what you’re saying but you have to also take into consideration Josie’s past traumas of being groomed. It played a huge role in her mental state and decision making process. Not excusing her wrong doings, but giving some perspective towards them.

[Dennis]

@Haley, Yes i think the author does a great job giving us past insights into how Josie came to be who she is. Ofcourse, it goes without saying, that her being groomed by Walter was absolutely tragic. There are no doubts that that situation fundamentally changed her and effected how she developed as a woman and how she viewed men going forward. Walter was a control freak.

BUT, remember when they interviewed Pat (the mom) toward the end of the book? She said something like "Josie was a dark manipulating child." Pat straight up said she didnt like her as a kid. So i think that Josie did have this darkness in her, even before Walter. Its similar to Voldemort as a young Tom Riddle. How can you know if the monster was in there all along?

[Haley]

Welcome aboard Dennis! That’s something I definitely missed and now I want to reread. I love having outside perspectives and seeing things I missed! That little tidbit might even change my outlook on the whole book because I quite honestly felt bad for Josie. But if she was manipulative prior, that makes things more interesting!

[Erica]

I absolutely LOVED this thriller- this was what lead me to explore several more of Lisa's books. I thought it was so tense, fast paced and interesting.

[Grace]

Ooh I’ve heard ‘then she was gone’ is really good - did you read that one?

[Erica]

Yes I've also read that- another great one. I recommend The Night She Disappeared too by her

[John]

Erica wrote: "Yes I've also read that- another great one. I recommend The Night She Disappeared too by her"

Hi, I just joined this group (which I'm really excited about). But I saw this comment and had to echo it. The Night She Disappeared was absolutely fantastic, as well as one of the books which really got me back into reading.

[Grace]

Welcome John!!! 😄 I’ll have to add that book to my ever growing want-to-read list

[John]

Thank you Grace!!