None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Ever wonder about your birthday twin, someone born on the same day as you? Lisa Jewell writes about two women who are birthday twins in her newest novel None of this is True. Clever and dark, the book follows 45-year-old podcaster Alix Summer and homemaker Josie Fair. They meet by chance when both are celebrating their birthdays at a posh restaurant. That’s when Josie realizes everything about her life is wrong, and she’s running out of time to fix it.

Though the pair were born on the same day, same year and in the same hospital, their lives are drastically different. At 19, Josie married a much older man and had two daughters by her early 20s; Alix married after she turned 30, experienced life and settled into motherhood with a career. Josie’s interactions with the world were stunted by her lack of experience, skill set and friendships while Alix forged her own path and ambitions.

In this compelling novel, as much a suspense thriller as a commentary about relationships, the book follows a “she said/she said” flow. From the mysterious prologue that sets up the novel’s end to the teasers interspersed in clever prose, this book grabs attention and never lets go!

The protagonists meet again, by Josie’s manipulative design, when she gleans information from Alix’s Instagram posts. She floats a new idea for Alix’s podcast. ‘“I’m not a stalker or anything. And I listened to some of your podcasts. So inspiring. Those women! I mean the things they’ve been through. It’s just incredible. And I hope this doesn’t sound strange, but I wondered have you ever thought about doing a podcast about someone who’s about to change their life, rather than someone who already has?’ ‘Oh! says Alix, in surprise. ‘No. No I haven’t. But I could see how that could be interesting.’”

So begins the complicated relationship between these birthday twins that soon spirals out of control. Written in podcast style in many chapters, Josie’s life of early marriage to Walter, her difficult daughters Erin and Roxy, her part-time job at an alteration dress shop reflects the rut she has fallen into. Like many ordinary people, she wonders about the path not chosen. Autistic and still living at home, Erin plays late-night online gaming and appears to be close to her father. Roxy suffers from anger issues and leaves home, going completely off the grid. The plot thickens when Brooke, Roxy’s BFF who is almost like a third daughter to Josie, disappears under mysterious circumstances.

Past collides with the present as Jewell paints a vivid picture of Josie’s messy family, hints of a horrible home life from school officials, scandalous insinuations about Walter and the sticky relationship Josie has with her own mother, Pat. When Alix interviews Josie’s mother for the podcast series, she acts like a narcissistic, unmaternal woman. Even Alix’s interview of Walter takes on a deceptive tone. The revolting thought that Walter might have groomed Josie at the tender age of 15 to be his lover repulses Alix.

Meanwhile, Alix’s marriage to Nathan has cooled down over the years as he has turned to alcohol to cope with early family trauma. Though a loving father to their two kids, Nathan begins binge drinking and staying out late. Alix contemplates making her own life changes but realizes all of Nathan’s good qualities. While trying to foster a friendship with her birthday twin, Josie tries to convince Alix to leave him. But Alix continues to have faith in her husband and wants the marriage to work.

It’s difficult to discern which woman is telling the truth. No one is as they seem. But is Josie a stalker? Jewell lets the reader decide when Josie arrives at Alix and Nathan’s home, allegedly because Walter beat her. She manages to overstay her welcome and upset her hosts, leaving as suddenly as she appeared.

“The house feels different immediately. It feels lighter and softer, and it feels at long last, normal again. Alix stands for a moment in the hallway and absorbs the change in energy. ‘Gone?’ says Nathan, peering up at her over his reading glasses. ‘Gone.’ ‘Are you sure? Have you checked?’ ‘No, I haven’t checked. But I know she has.’”

Sprinkled throughout the book are interviews with Josie’s neighbors, Walter’s grown sons from his first marriage and the office administrator at the school both women’s children attended. Their opinions about Josie and her family will shake readers to their core. At the very end, a literal key holds the answer to just how deep people’s emotions run.

None of This is True, with its brilliant twists and turns, compels readers to carry on to its shocking conclusion. Jewell breathes life into the characters with everyday, relevant dialogue, and forces you to wonder about the ordinary people in your own life.