Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

446 reviews

daffodilcherry's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A psychological thriller following the link between two women, Alix and Josie, who meet when they realise they share their birthdays. Josie then asks Alix to make a podcast about her, unravelling her life. Interspersed in their tale are flashforwards to a true crime documentary made from their story. 

This story reads like a Netflix/BBC miniseries that gets crazy popular and that everyone's mum is obsessed with. The first 50% is amps up the tension between the two women, but ultimately it goes along very slowly. The second 50% is fast paced, desperate and dramatic. My one ultimate annoyance with this book is the title: None of This is True.

It ultimately spoils the fact that Josie is lying about the exact circumstances of her life.

if it had been named differently I think the revelations of the second half would have hit a lot stronger. However, the ending was so very satisfying (ending spoiler:)

especially the final twist of Josie's final chapter where she may not be as diabolical as we were lead to believe...

 

In terms of diversity, both Alix and Josie are white cis women, married to their husbands. Everyone appears to be ambiguously white and straight, except for, some of Nathan's friends and

Josie's daughter Roxy, who is a lesbian with her dark moments.

Erin is autistic with smooth food preferences and is the gamer queen of my heart. 

I very much enjoyed this as an audiobook, with two excellent main narrators and then a full cast making up the interviewees of the inserted documentary moments. My only gripe with it was that at times in the documentary aspects the interviewer's voice was very quiet, but otherwise it was good.

Wheelhouse: narrative parallels/foils, women protagonists over 45,

unreliable narrators,

spliced in revelations in the form of interviews.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Ableism, and Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Incest, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

The dog is uninjured and fine at the end. Josie's relationship with Walter:

allegedly started dating when she was 15 he was 42, describes grooming behaviour, alleges that he is physically, emotionally and fiscally abusive towards her.

spoiler for the twist of Josie and Walter:

this is then twisted when her children allege that she was manipulative and emotionally abusive towards the whole family, including Walter, and that she may have attacked him as he died.

Josie's relationship with her children:

Erin is autistic and while Josie is mostly supportive in terms of providing her with food she likes there is an underlying current of slight abelism when it comes to Josie's views on Erin. Josie ends up fighting Erin, restraining her in her house and abandoning her for dead while stealing her money. Roxy appears to have a more fraught relationship with Josie, with allegations of child abuse and that Josie allegedly sabotaged her relationship with Brook. There is a custom made child's chair with restraints which apparently Josie used on Roxy.

Josie's final plan:

she kidnaps Alix's husband and ends up killing him, apparently accidentally.

Roxy:

final final twist spoilers: Roxy might have been the one to have killed her then girlfriend Brook.

bo0ks_are_cool91's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Best thriller I’ve read in a while! (I haven’t read any thrillers in a while) loved reading from both MCs perspectives, and the buildup was👏👏👏👏👏 lots of TWs though, so check those bedroom you read

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Child death

Minor: Bullying

kyrakorres's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

holy shit… i don’t even know where to start with this book. first of all, just the amount of twists and turns and different ways that I thought this book was gonna go and none of them was what actually happened. I still don’t even know what I think the truth actually is. if you can, I recommend listening to this on audiobook so hard it is such an immersive experience and this book is perfect on audiobook and it really gives you the full experience that I don’t know if I would’ve gotten if I physically read it. Overall this was an amazing read!!!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

Minor: Alcoholism and Drug abuse

heather_harrison's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

4.75 ⭐️

0.25 off because a pedophile is a pedophile not matter the twist

This had my jaw on the floor many times. Somebody order a wellness check for Lisa Jewel because her mind is just 🤯

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Death, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Pedophilia

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, and Drug use

tfaison3's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

Relatively predictable but enjoyable. Narration was incredible. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Stalking, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

allisondavie415's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.75

Loved the book, but disappointed in the end.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

anarobin's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Pedophilia

kjackowski's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Confinement, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Murder, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Kidnapping, Torture, and Eating disorder

madelonpaige's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Pedophilia

megan5chase's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was an absolute rollercoaster. I mean this in the best way possible. From the get go, there were so many sprinkles of moments that had me questioning and trying to understand. I absolutely loved this book because it felt like the author was constantly keeping me on my toes! I also loved that not all of the twists were at the very end, like a lot of mystery/thriller books. It also was a book that keeps you guessing until the very end, and even the end of the book there’s still so many questions. I won’t spoil anything, but this is definitely a must read. If you’re a fan of Verity, this is definitely your next read! I can’t wait to read more from this author!!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia and Child abuse