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Lisa Jewell has a gift for creating ordinary people who turn out to be anything but ordinary, and None of This Is True may be one of her most unsettling novels yet. When popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with Josie Fair, a woman who happens to share her birthday, the chance meeting seems harmless. But as Alix begins featuring Josie on her podcast, she realizes she has invited someone deeply manipulative into her life.
Jewell expertly builds a sense of dread, revealing information in carefully timed pieces that keep the pages turning. The podcast format, mixed with interviews and shifting perspectives, gives the novel a fresh, contemporary feel. Josie is particularly memorable—a character who is at once pitiable, creepy, and impossible to fully understand.
I was completely absorbed by the psychological tension and the uneasy feeling that something terrible was just around the corner. Although the ending left a few questions unanswered and some developments felt a bit far-fetched, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. This is an addictive, unsettling thriller about deception, obsession, and how little we really know about the people around us.