This study guide was created using the following version of this book: Jewell, Lisa. None of This Is True. Atria Books, 2023.

None of This Is True is a suspense novel about Alix Summer, a podcast personality, who meets Josie Fair at a restaurant where both women are celebrating their birthdays. Alix and Josie discover that they are birthday twins, born on the same day and year in the same hospital.

Josie pursues a friendship with Alix and sees their common birthday as a way into Alix's life. Eventually, Josie proposes that Alix could do a podcast about Josie and how Josie is in the process of changing her life. Alix has reservations about the podcast, but she finds Josie compelling and agrees. As Alix begins to learn about Josie and her life, Alix begins to think that the podcast may be advantageous to her own career.

Josie confides in Alix about how she married a much older man when she was eighteen. Josie begins to realize that husband Walter groomed her when she was underage. Josie is unhappy in her marriage to Walter. She is also unhappy in her role as mother to their two daughters: Roxy and Erin. Roxy ran away while still in high school, and Erin is a sickly shut-in. The more Josie tells Alix about her home life, the more concerned Alix becomes.

After several sessions with Alix working on the podcast, Josie decides to confront Walter about their relationship. When Josie appears on Alix’s doorstep bleeding and bruised, Josie explains that Walter beat her when she confronted him. Alix offers to let Josie stay at Alix’s house.

As Josie learns more about Alix’s home life, Josie begins to suspect that there are problems with Alix’s relationship with Alix’s husband Nathan. Nathan has a propensity to stay out all night binge drinking. Nathan’s drinking causes stress in Nathan and Alix’s marriage, but Josie thinks there is more to it.

One night, Nathan goes out drinking and meets a young woman that Josie has orchestrated. Nathan and the woman go back to her hotel and Josie leaves clues for Alix to uncover Nathan’s possible infidelity. When the hotel calls Alix about Nathan’s declined credit card and the destruction in the hotel room, Alix discovers that Nathan has disappeared.

Josie is also missing. Alix goes to the police for help in finding Nathan. The police discover Nathan’s body in a lake. The police also discover that Walter has been beaten to death and Ering left for dead. Roxy learns of Walter’s death and that Erin is in a coma. Roxy and Alix meet to discuss Josie’s involvement, leading to Alix learning the extent of what Josie is capable of and all the lies that Josie told Alix in order to gain Alix’s sympathy.

The police continue to search for Josie while Alix tries to pick up the pieces of her life. Alix and her children begin their lives without Nathan. Alix’s podcast about Josie becomes a Netflix series. Josie is a true crime sensation, but remains missing. Alix and the police are unable to find Josie. Meanwhile, Josie is on the run, convinced that everything that she has told Alix is true.