In today’s post, I am sharing a detailed look at None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell, a gripping psychological thriller that unravels the dark and twisted dynamics between two women, Alix and Josie. I will also discuss the ending of the novel and talk about its characters.
None of This is True Summary
Alix Summer is a successful podcaster who focuses on true crime stories, known for her insightful interviews and explorations of her subjects’ lives. On the night of her 45th birthday, while celebrating with her husband Nathan at a local pub, Alix meets Josie Fair, who is also celebrating her 45th birthday. They realize they are “birthday twins,” having been born on the same day in the same hospital. This chance encounter sparks the beginning of a strange and unsettling relationship between the two women.
A few days later, Josie appears outside Alix’s children’s school. She tells Alix that she’s been listening to her podcast and believes she could be an interesting subject. Josie hints that she is on the verge of major changes in her life, which piques Alix’s interest. Despite finding Josie somewhat odd and unsettling, Alix sees potential in the story Josie is offering, and agrees to start interviewing her for a podcast series about women at turning points in their lives.
As Alix begins to dig into Josie’s life, she discovers that Josie’s story is darker and more complicated than she initially let on. Josie shares details about her troubled marriage to her much older husband, Walter, and her difficult relationship with her two daughters, Erin and Roxy. Josie reveals disturbing events from her past, including sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father, Walter’s inappropriate behavior, and other unsettling dynamics in her family.
Alix becomes more invested in Josie’s story, despite her growing discomfort. She continues to record the podcast interviews with Josie, and as she delves deeper, Josie slowly insinuates herself into Alix’s life. Josie begins showing up at Alix’s home unexpectedly and interacting with her family, including Alix’s husband, Nathan, and their children. Meanwhile, Alix starts to notice cracks in her own marriage as Nathan becomes increasingly distant and secretive.
The relationship between Alix and Josie takes a disturbing turn when Josie reveals that she has killed her husband, Walter, by suffocating him with a pillow. She claims she did it to free herself and protect her children. Alix is horrified but unsure whether to believe Josie or not. Despite her growing unease, Alix continues recording the podcast, but her involvement with Josie starts to take a toll on her personal life. She begins to feel trapped in the very story she’s trying to document.
At a certain point, Josie disappears without a trace, leaving Alix scrambling to figure out the truth behind her strange, unnerving podcast subject. As Alix investigates, she uncovers more disturbing facts about Josie’s past. Josie’s daughters, Erin and Roxy, have conflicting stories about their upbringing. Erin claims Josie was abusive, while Roxy insists Josie was protective. The truth about Josie’s life and her relationships with her family remains murky, and Alix finds herself struggling to untangle the lies from the truth.
Josie’s disappearance also coincides with Alix’s discovery that her husband Nathan has been unfaithful to her. His betrayal further destabilizes Alix’s world, making her question her judgment, particularly about her involvement with Josie. As Alix tries to come to terms with the chaos Josie has brought into her life, she realizes that Josie has not only been hiding dark secrets but may have manipulated Alix from the beginning.
The climax of the novel reveals the depth of Josie’s psychological damage and the dangerous ripple effects of her actions. Alix’s podcast, which was meant to expose Josie’s story, ultimately turns on her, as Josie has, in a sense, made Alix the subject of the narrative. The podcast that Alix was creating becomes a real-life true crime story, with Alix and her family’s lives in jeopardy as a result of Josie’s manipulations.
The book concludes with an unsettling sense that not all the questions about Josie’s life or the true nature of her crimes have been fully answered. Alix is left to grapple with the terrifying realization that her curiosity and interest in Josie’s story have endangered her family, leaving her vulnerable to the very type of destruction she had sought to document in others.
None of This Is True Ending
At the end of None of This Is True, Josie confesses to a series of manipulative and dark acts, including the murder of her husband, Walter. She reveals that Roxy, her daughter, was the one who accidentally killed Brooke, and together they covered up the crime. Josie’s psychological state is shown to be deeply disturbed, and her final actions suggest she has lost all sense of moral clarity, seeing herself as justified in her choices, including Nathan’s death, which she claims was accidental.
The novel leaves several elements ambiguous, especially regarding the truth behind the various narratives. Josie’s manipulation of both Alix and the reader leaves us questioning how much of her story is reliable. The ending emphasizes the theme of blurred realities, where truth is difficult to distinguish from lies, and the characters’ twisted perceptions leave the reader to decide what to believe.
None of This is True Characters
Here’s a brief overview of the main characters in None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell:
- Josie Fair: Josie is a deeply troubled woman with a dark past. She initially appears unremarkable, but as the story unfolds, her manipulative and disturbed nature becomes apparent. She claims to be on the verge of major life changes and draws Alix into her story, eventually revealing her involvement in crimes, including the murder of her husband, Walter. Josie is complex and unreliable, often leaving the reader questioning her version of events.
- Alix Summer: A successful true crime podcaster, Alix is intrigued by Josie’s story and begins documenting her life for a new podcast series. As she becomes more entangled in Josie’s life, she finds herself caught in a dangerous web of manipulation. Alix is confident and curious but is eventually blindsided by Josie’s darker intentions.
- Walter Fair: Josie’s much older husband, Walter, is a predatory figure who groomed Josie from a young age. His relationship with Josie is fraught with dysfunction, and he is later revealed to have been involved in disturbing behaviors with Josie’s daughter, Brooke. Walter’s death at Josie’s hands marks a critical turning point in the story.
- Roxy Fair: Josie’s daughter, Roxy, is portrayed as having a violent streak, with incidents of aggression throughout the novel. She is ultimately revealed to have accidentally killed her friend Brooke, which sets off a chain of events that Josie helps to cover up. Roxy’s character embodies the trauma and dysfunction passed down through her family.
- Nathan: Alix’s husband, Nathan, becomes an unwitting part of Josie’s dangerous game. His infidelity and distance from Alix add tension to the story, and his eventual death, supposedly caused by an overdose that Josie claims was accidental, marks another tragedy in the novel’s dark narrative.
- Erin Fair: Josie’s other daughter, Erin, is portrayed as vulnerable and potentially abused by her father, Walter. Her eating habits, such as only consuming soft foods, hint at deeper trauma. Her role in the story is largely passive, but she serves as a pivotal point in understanding the family’s fractured dynamics.
Conclusion
I hope you have found this deep dive into None of This Is True insightful and engaging. Lisa Jewell’s complex characters and the story’s twisting layers of truth and deception make it a psychological thriller worth dissecting. Whether you’re drawn to the suspense or the unraveling of the characters’ darker sides, this novel leaves plenty to reflect on long after the final page.
