What an amazing book to kick off my 2026 reading.
”None of this is true” is gripping, more than a bit scary at times, “twisty, twisty, twisty” as one reviewer accurately put it – and truly unputdownable.
There are so many twists and turns as the story progresses, forcing the reader to re-assess situations and people. Just when you think your sympathies are legitimately engaged, there is a narrative shift and you are suddenly questioning yourself and your judgement.
There are hints that people may not be all they seem to be:
”…her face (as) a blurred reflection in the glass. She looks like a half-finished painting, she observes, waiting for the artist to come back and add the detail…”
At the centre of the story are 2 women, Alix and Josie, who share a birthday. Alix is a podcaster, and is persuaded by Josie to tell her story in a new series, and what starts out as an experiment, on the theme of birthday twins, becomes very complex and increasingly strained.
I really don’t want to spoil anything for you, so am not going to tell you too much more about the plot. You really would not thank me!
There are some little nuggets scattered throughout the book, like this one below, which has NO bearing on the storyline, I assure you, but made me smile wistfully.
Looking at a photograph of toddlers, Alix observes to herself:
”The younger one has sandy blonde hair with the type of ringlets at the ends that will never grow back after her first haircut.”
That comment spoke to the mother in me, and the following one spoke to the (ageing) me:
”So, she earns money playing video games?
Roxy can’t believe how old people sound, like they live in a different world to her, but she controls the urge to roll her eyes and she says, “Yeah. That’s right.”
(Reader – that’s apparently how gamers earn a living…)
There are unexpected plot twist right up until the last page, making this a gripping, amazing read. To use that well-worn cliché, it is a page-turner.
Recommended.