None of This Is True: A Novel

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• None of This Is True is Lisa Jewell’s 21st novel, and one of her many psychological thrillers. How does this novel compare to Jewell’s other work? Do you see a pattern in the way her novels have changed or evolved over time? 
• How does the novel compare to others in the psychological thriller genre?
• At what points did you feel most engaged with the novel (moments when you just couldn’t put it down)? Were there other points in the novel when you felt your attention wandering? 
• What was your instinctive reaction to each character as they were introduced? Did your impression of these characters change over the course of the novel?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• How does the relationship between the women in Jewell’s novel reflect your own experience of relationships with other women? 
• Jewell also depicts relationships between men and women through Alix and Josie’s marriages to Nathan and Walter, respectively. Do elements of these relationships feel authentic to you? Are there elements of these marriages that don’t seem to ring true?
• Was there a character with whom you felt connected? Which characters seemed to most closely align with your own life? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• How does None of This Is True cause you to rethink the role of media in our lives? Do you see the media as a more positive or negative influence? Is this different from how you saw the media before you read the novel?
• True crime is an immensely popular genre, whether in podcasts, documentaries, or books. Consider Jewell’s representation of true crime in the novel. How did None of This Is True complicate or inform your perspective on the popularity of the true crime genre?
• How does Jewell use this novel to explore themes of domestic violence and psychological manipulation? Nearly every character experiences some version of these two phenomena—how do the different characters’ experiences develop the conversation around these topics?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Jewell uses a unique structure for None of This Is True: She intersperses narrative chapters from the characters with other media, such as transcripts from Alix’s interviews with Jodi and from the Netflix documentary. How does this structure affect the tension, pace, and momentum of the story?
• How does Jewell portray Josie’s character development as the real story is revealed? Consider which specific points in the novel caused a shift in your understanding of Josie as a character.
• Alix and Josie are two very different women. How does Jewell juxtapose these two characters to highlight broader themes of friendship, understanding, and even competition between women? How do the other women’s relationships in the novel contribute to these themes as well?
• One of the ways in which Jewell highlights Alix and Josie’s differences is through their personal style and fashion choices. How do Alix and Josie’s styles contrast, what do their respective styles tell you about them?
• None of This Is True belongs to a psychological thriller subgenre called “domestic suspense” because the plot takes place in homes in a regular neighborhood and concerns everyday life and relationships. Jewell also uses elements of the true crime genre through Alix’s podcast and the Netflix documentary. How does this blending of genres enhance reader experience? Did it highlight any of the themes of the novel?
• Every character in this novel struggles with the need to control their lives, and in some cases, another person’s life. How does the theme of control manifest in the novel, and how do the different characters deal with the issue of control differently?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• At the end of the novel, Josie is still free and living anonymously, and she doesn’t seem to have fundamentally changed. What do you think Josie will do next? Could you envision a sequel, or even a series, featuring Josie?
• If Netflix were to develop a movie of None of This Is True, who would be perfect for the roles of Alix and Josie? Nathan and Walter? Also consider how “real-life” footage and transcripts might be used in this movie.

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