This was my first read by this author. I enjoyed that the events started right away and that the narrator was established to be unreliable; this, I believe, built up anticipation. There were three twists, which were predictable but not any less entertaining.

The Night House by jo Nesbo is a horror story that starts with a very interesting scene and sets up a very engaging storyline.
"No one believes him (fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved) when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie. No one, that is, except Karen, a beguiling fellow outsider who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate."
I zoomed through first half of the book at a fast pace, but then it all came to a screeching halt and shifted lanes on me. And I found myself missing the story before the surprise shift.
It is overall an enjoyable book, and I still enjoyed it a great deal.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #Knopf, and Jo Nesbo for the ARC of #TheNightHouse.

First of all, obsessed with the cover. I’m a sucker for cool covers. I love how this story is shorter and doesn’t have a lot of filler to it. Well developed spooky haunted house book!

This is the first Jo Nesbo book I have read and could very well be the last. I am not a fan of science fiction and this book is filled with that. I thought the beginning was decent but confusing but when Part 2 and 3 came into play, I was not engaged. The story centers around a character who is troubled but one doesn't understand how much. The story was disjointed and hard to follow. I am definitely not a fan.

Fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved finds himself uprooted and sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote and isolated town of Ballantyne after his parents die tragically in a house fire. In his new home, Richard becomes an outcast and is blamed when a classmate named Tom goes missing. He claims that a mysterious telephone booth near the woods is responsible for Tom's disappearance, sucking him into the receiver like a scene from a horror movie. However, nobody believes his story, except for Karen, another social outcast, who encourages Richard to investigate when the police refuse to take action. Following the number Tom called from the phone booth, Richard stumbles upon an abandoned house in the Black Mirror Wood and catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. Soon, he starts hearing eerie whispers in his ear.

This relatively short novel, spanning 224 pages, delivers a compelling and engaging narrative with different writing styles across its sections. It captivates readers with its eerie and enigmatic atmosphere right from the start, blurring the lines between reality and the unknown. The story weaves multiple layers, with a story within a story, keeping readers intrigued and engaged. Richard's character development is well-executed, and the setting offers a perfect blend of fun and creepiness throughout the narrative. Jo Nesbo's writing is a standout feature of this captivating book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book is in three parts, with the first part taking the majority of the novel. I flew through Part One, and thought about finishing up the novel right away, but I instead waited until the next morning to pick it up again. Besides, my heart was beating so fast after that thrill ride that I needed rest. When I did start Part Two, I was initially confused by what was going on. But Nesbø’s storytelling is so detailed that I understood quickly. Part Three tied everything together beautifully. We meet 14-year-old Richard Elauved, who has recently moved to live with his aunt and uncle in the town of Ballantyne after his parents' tragic deaths in a house fire. He quickly becomes an outcast at school, and he is the prime suspect when his classmate Tom goes missing. Because, you see, Richard was with Tom when he disappeared -- and no one believes him when he insists that Tom was eaten by payphone. When another classmate disappears in Richard's presence, Richard must set out to prove his innocence by any means necessary -- even if it means venturing into the Night House...and venturing deeper into his own mind. There was plenty of gruesome and scary scenes but also a psychological factor that really added to the reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor

Told in three parts, the first two were really creepy and the third was the resolution that explained it all in a not so creepy way, and was in fact the least favorite of mine. I did not like the utilization of mental illness in here also, especially when the first two parts were done so well and would have allowed for a better resolution. I don’t want to give any more away so I will leave it at that, but I was disappointed with how this was done. I am a fan of Nesbo’s crime thrillers, and am looking forward to what he writes next.

I do want to note that the audiobook is very well done, Michael Crouch did a wonderful job with this one and so I think audio is the way to go when reading this.

Thank you to Knopf and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the wake of his parents' tragic deaths in a house fire, fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote, insular town of Ballantyne. Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry boy is responsible for his disappearance. No one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie.

This was my first Jo Nesbro book and I did enjoy it. The first part definitely has a Stanger Things vibe, but I enjoyed the second half of the story more as it jumps to 15 years later in Richard's life. This half reminded me of Paul Trembley's Head Full of Ghosts. To be honest, half way in I was leaning towards not finishing it, but I'm glad I hung in there as I enjoyed the ending. In my opinion, the ending could be open to interpretation. I know I think what happened but it could be interpreted in another way.

If this book were a pumpkin, it would be the spookiest in the patch. Honestly that first chapter made me happy that phone booths are a thing of the past. It’s bonkers wild…and once I started The Night House I couldn’t stop. I don’t know what that says about me, but just know if this book gets optioned into a movie…I won’t be watching it(haha).
In this gruesome book, fourteen-year-old, Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the small town of Ballantyne after his parents tragically die in a house fire. When his friends start to go missing, everyone is eager to point that finger at Richard cause that’s the only reasonable explanation. But Richard knows there is something dark & sinister lurking in the town of Ballantyne, and he hopes to shed enough light to prove his innocence. My hot🔥tip: don’t read the synopsis & stay away from phone booths.

This started right off the bat and sucked me right in, pun intended. It was completely out there, reminding me at times of some of Stephen King's older short stories. There were so many odd, surreal moments where I was wondering what I just read but then it came together so brilliantly in the end, leaving behind any critique I had. This is completely out there, yet genius. Four Stars.

This is a tough one to review without giving too much away. I will say that my favorite part of the book was the first section. I felt a little disappointment after the early chapters that the book didn't go where I was expecting, but it ended up ok. (I did really like that first section though)

This is fairly mild horror, but still had a creepy vibe throughout the book. It was enjoyable, but didn't keep me up all night. I enjoyed reading something new from this author.

Such great horror by Nesbo, which isn't surprising. I loved this read and was shook for days after reading it. Definitely add this to your list.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book! I have to say, I was very excited to read a book by Jo Nesbo that seemed so different from his usual detective thrillers. I was gripped by the storyline and very scared but oh so curious to find out what happened! I will be recommending this to every thriller-lover I know!

Book & Beer Pairing! Perfection for the Halloween season!

First the book, I won’t lie to you. I only liked the cover of The Night House. Well, that’s not true, I really enjoyed Part One. So many gory and crazy happenings and ‘WTF’ moments. I just didn’t enjoy the end. I wanted to throw it across the room. Even though I wasn’t a fan, thank you @aaknopf for sending it my way!

Now check out THAT CAN! This is All Hallows Treat from @breweryommegang. It is an imperial chocolate peanut butter stout and I’m saving it for Halloween night. I’ll report back, but I don’t know how is can’t be delicious!

Q. What was the last book you read that had a great cover but ended up disappointing you?

🖤🖤🖤

I had never read a Jo Nesbo title prior to reading the Night House, though I was familiar with his Harry Hole series, which is to my understanding a dark, police procedural. The Night House was nothing like that. Nesbo tackles the campiness of Horror in this installation.

We meet our MC, Richard, after he has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle as a result of the tragic deaths of his parents. Richard is bored in the small town he's been relegated to and quickly finds himself the subject of suspicions of his neighbors when another kid in the town disappears.

There are three parts to The Night House. I enjoyed the latter sections, but really the whole thing was tightly plotted and packed a lot of twists into such a short story.

This was an excellent creepy read for spooky season and a great introduction to horror, a genre I'm more or less unfamiliar with.

I am excited to check out Nesbo's other works now.

This was my very first read by this author but I will definitely be seeking out more of his novels! This was a bloody fantastic ride and I can't wait to read more by him!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advance copy of The Night House. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely provided.

Jo Nesbo has created a tale that will play with your mind a bit. Broken into three parts, I thought I understood what was happening, only to have the next section throw me for a loop. Wow. I haven’t read anything in a while that threw me off course like that. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Recommend.

I'm still not sure what I exactly think of this story. I felt confused and had a hard time trying to figure out what I thought was really going on.

3.5 stars

This is a story told over three parts, each more engaging than the last. I was not as invested in the first story so I was glad when the second came along. I think I liked this when I finished reading, but going back through my annotations, I was annoyed by the first story. It got tedious and the romance was boring, but I enjoyed the second and third parts so I didn’t mind it as much when I finished reading.

I was not relating to the first part because the main character is 14 years old and angsty. His character was underdeveloped so he ended up being tiresome and the bullying felt unnecessary and trite. However, after finishing the book, this character’s actions did feel like they fit into the larger story and that this first story was leaning on archetypes for a reason.

The most interesting part of the book to me was the commentary on the power of memory and recollection versus what we dream or create or tell and retell ourselves about the past, especially when we want to be remembered as the hero of the story.
There was also an interesting horror phone element in the beginning, but it fizzled out from there. Although, I suppose, the horrors of enduring high school in a small town speak for themselves.

I would have liked to have seen more character development, less romance, and more horror elements explored, but overall a quick and entertaining read for Halloween.

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

This book is fun, then annoying, and then downright infuriating. The author starts by building this interesting and cool horror filled landscape where an evil figure and black magic have taken hold. But by part two the author undo's all of his excellent storytelling and just starts ticking me off. Then in the final part he pretty much falls on the most common trope of all storytelling and tells us it was all a dream anyway. I understand what he was trying to do with the mental health angle but I think he failed at it miserably.