None of This Is True
Lisa Jewell
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None of This Is True is Lisa Jewell's psychological thriller about a woman named Alix and a boy named Jacintha who becomes obsessed with her after reading Alix's advice column, leading to a dangerous entanglement that blurs the line between admiration and delusion. The novel explores obsession, manipulation and the dangers of parasocial relationships in the age of social media and internet culture.
- 1Alix is a middle-aged woman who writes an advice column and builds a following of devoted readers.
- 2Jacintha is a troubled young person who becomes obsessed with Alix after reading her column, believing they share a special connection.
- 3Alix becomes drawn into Jacintha's world, and their relationship becomes increasingly complicated and dangerous.
- 4The line between Alix helping Jacintha and Jacintha manipulating Alix becomes blurred.
- 5The novel explores how people can become addicted to the persona of another person, particularly online personalities.
- 6The narrative is complicated by the question of which character is the real victim and which is the manipulator.
Key ideas
Parasocial relationships
Jacintha's obsession with Alix is a parasocial relationship: he feels he knows Alix intimately though they are strangers, and she initially owes him nothing.
The dangers of internet personality
Alix's public persona through her advice column creates the illusion of intimacy and knowledge that can be exploited.
Manipulation and vulnerability
Both Alix and Jacintha are vulnerable to manipulation, and the novel explores how manipulation flows in both directions.
Identity and performance
Alix performs a persona online that may be different from her actual self, creating distance between her public and private lives.
Obsession as a form of love
Jewell explores whether Jacintha's obsession with Alix can be understood as love or whether it is purely pathological.
The ethics of influence
Alix's influence over her readers carries ethical weight, and the novel asks what responsibility she has to those influenced by her words.
Who is it for?
Readers interested in contemporary psychological thrillers about internet culture and obsession will find this timely and engaging. It suits fans of Lisa Jewell's other works and anyone interested in how social media and internet personas affect real relationships. Readers should be prepared for disturbing content related to obsession and manipulation.
Full summary
Alix is a middle-aged advice columnist with a devoted online following. She writes a popular column that addresses people's problems and offers guidance.
Jacintha is a troubled young person who becomes obsessed with Alix after discovering her column. He feels a special connection to her, believing she is writing directly to him.
Jacintha reaches out to Alix, and she, perhaps seeing someone in need, engages with him. Their relationship begins innocently but gradually becomes complicated.
Alix finds herself drawn into Jacintha's life and his problems. She begins to offer direct advice and support that goes beyond her advice column role.
As their relationship develops, the line between help and manipulation becomes blurred. It becomes unclear whether Alix is supporting Jacintha or whether Jacintha is manipulating Alix.
Jacintha's obsession with Alix intensifies, and his sense that they share a special connection grows. He begins to make demands on Alix's time and attention.
Alix finds herself trapped in a relationship that has become dangerous and unpredictable, yet she cannot easily extricate herself without feeling responsible for Jacintha's wellbeing.
The novel builds toward a confrontation where both characters' motivations and manipulations are revealed, and the true nature of their relationship becomes clear.
