This is my first Jo Nesbo book and I did enjoy the writing style and the cover of the book really drew me in! I absolutely love how the book started, I was absolutely hooked from the first chapter. Like other reviewers have said, it did not end the way that I expected to, and it really dragged on the last couple of chapters. I’m not quite sure why the author took it in a different direction at the end when it really could’ve been a great book if that twist didn’t happen. I am looking forward to starting the Harry Hole series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first book by this author. It was creepy and definitely held my interest. Richard has been orphaned by a tragic fire and is living in a new place with his aunt and uncle. He doesn't fit in and strange things keep happening around him. It leaves the reader questioning what is real and isn't. The ending was definitely a surprise.

This was… something. It was wild, but kind of predictable? An unreliable narrator has you never quite knowing what is actually happening, and there is some weird AF stuff that is on these pages. Honestly, I was kind of let down by the second half. I enjoyed the first part and when it moved into the predictable area is when it started losing me. This was a fairly quick read though, and it was a good choice for spooky season.

This is a horror novel in three acts, you could say. The first act is basically a novel, written in first-person, with a decidedly young adult feel to it -- it took me back to my tween and teen years of reading Fear Street and Christopher Pike books. The second and third acts each give us a new pivot, resetting the story and reintroducing us to the characters.

The cover is excellent, definitely attention-getting. I'm glad I stuck with the story for the payoff, but without having that framework in mind, I can see how readers might tire of the YA-ness of the first part. All in all, it's an enjoyable enough read, solidly in the horror genre, but that requires patience.

I CANT SHUT UP ABOUT THIS BOOK! I’m OBSESSED!!
This book was not what I expected at all, and I really feel like you should go into it as blind as possible. I read the blurb/description and that’s all I knew. So I’m not going to spoil anything in my review. This is definitely one of those books that is enjoyed best if you let it take you on a ride. And what an intense and thrilling ride it is. After I’d finished the book I had a huge adrenaline rush that eventually calmed to just feeling like gently crying . 10/10 reading experience. I absolutely loved this book. Spooky scary thriller with big emotions.

The Night House gives off some Stephen King I.T. vibes, some 80s/90s horror vibes for sure. The writing is captivating, the plot moves at breakneck speed. Being a horror novel, I was bracing myself for something really bleak. But instead there were moments I teared up at, and moments that made me smile. And terrifying, thrilling moments of course. This is a very unique story, the plot was constantly changing I never knew where it was going next. I can’t say I had any favorite characters because things changed my perceptions of characters several times. Except Feihta, because he’s a treasure.
This book contains one of my least favorite tropes but it was done so well I ended up loving it. As soon as I finished I wanted to read it again. I’ve been thinking about it for days and days and talking about it to anyone who will listen! I can not recommend this book enough!

I’ve been wanting to give Jo Nesbo a try for a while now based on my following of Crime by the Book on instagram who highly recommends Nesbo, an internationally decorated Norwegian writer. According to her page, this was Nesbo’s first stab (pun intended) at horror when his typical appears to be along the lines of mystery and police procedurals, which the latter is a little more up my alley but I dabble in horror when it’s a well known author. Also, the description of this book grabbed my attention immediately and it seemed like a perfect fit for the Halloween spooky season fast approaching.

This book was just alright and I struggled a little bit to finish and truly understand what was happening and why. The story gets started immediately with the action, horror and mystery of it all and then slows back down significantly. The MMC Richard (my husband’s name) is a very troubled and unlikable orphan child that no one believes when he says the pay phone ate his friend whole and that Imu, the intended recipient of their prank call, is real and is causing this all. Later on in the story when he is older, he becomes a little more likable but not enough for me to be invested in the story. I can see how others who frequent this genre would enjoy this book more than myself though.

The translation appeared to be flawless and I was really impressed by that.

Because this was Nesbo’s first in the horror genre, it won’t prevent me from reading more from him in the future. Especially his earlier mysteries.

Thank you to Knopf, Jo, and NetGalley for the digital advance review copy!

I was so excited about this book. I mean just look at that amazing cover. Sadly I didn't end up enjoying it much. I was honestly confused for most of the book just waiting for it to make sense. Unfortunately it never really did.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Night House was a fun and quick read that reminded me of a cross between Stephen King and Josh Malerman. The first section of the book is when the main character is a teenager and a bit of a bully. The year isn't given but the Nintendo is about to be released soon so probably 1982 or 83. The few kids that will hang out with him keep disappearing (in very bizarre ways) and the police department has questions.
In the second part of the book, it is 15 years later and the main character is at his class reunion where the rest of the class remembers the past a bit differently.
I won't tell you about the third part of the book because it would be a spoiler, but there are definitely a few twists and turns.
There were a few timeline inconsistencies that didn't line up for me and everything goes a bit off of the rails in the second part for awhile, but I guess both of these things could be explained away in the third section. Overall, a good read for spooky season.

3.5 stars.
I almost loved this book. The main character starts off as the antagonist. I absolutely hated him, which I loved. He reminded me how awful teenage boys can be. And then to have a kid get devoured by a phone in the opening chapter really set my expectations. It was dark, creepy, and unsettling. Part one was an easy 5 stars.

Part two was okay. Part three was really interesting but it definitely undid all of the horror elements. lt felt like waking up and realizing it was all just a nightmare. A bit anticlimactic if you're looking for something to really scare you.

Thanks NetGalley and PRH for the arc!

I had read Nesbo many years ago and wasn’t a fan so I wasn’t sure if hat to expect when I picked up this book.
Oh boy, every time you think you have figured it out there’s a twist followed by a twist. Quick read and I wouldn’t say it’s horror as much as suspense.
Overall good read!

Grateful for the opportunity to dive into the ARC of this book, though it didn't quite captivate me enough to reach the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
#NetGalley #KnopfPantheonVintageandAnchor #TheNightHouse #JoNesbo
Author: Jo Nesbo
Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor
Publication Date: October 3, 2023
Trigger Warnings: PTSD, bullying, some gore,
Find my other reviews at horrorcornerbooks.wordpress.com

So, this is the first book I’ve read by this author. After I finished I went looking for more of his books and was surprised to find that he normally writes crime fiction. This was such a solid horror book that I wasn’t expecting it to be new territory for him. I’m hoping he will continue on this path as I had a ton of fun with this book. Richard Elauvad is new in town. After a tragic fire takes his parents, he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle. After some of the kids at his school disappear, all while with him, everyone naturally assumes that he is involved. He’s a bully after all. Right? Everyone treats him like the outcast he is except Karen. Richard needs to clear his name somehow. Desperate times call for desperate measures, it would seem. Then again, maybe things aren’t what they seem.

As previously mentioned, this isn’t one of Mr. Nesbo’s popular Harry Hole books. This is a horror novel that isn’t afraid to go for the throat. Divided into three parts, we are slowly introduced to Richard Elauvad. The horror starts almost immediately and creates more questions than answers, but the imagery and the author’s creative scene setting make the horror elements visceral and push the questions to the back of the reader’s mind. We may have the main character’s point of view but that doesn't mean we have any idea what’s going on.
The second part is more drama than horror but the character development remains strong and we’re given some answers, although not in the way we expected. The less revealed about the third part, the better. It just needs to be read. Mr. Nesbo is very talented in character development as well as imagery. Also, this book has a gorgeous cover!

There is some room for improvement here. Remember the loose threads I mentioned earlier? Some of them are never sewn back in. Most aren’t major but it would have helped flesh out the horror. The text could have used some editing, even though the book is relatively short. I did find myself getting frustrated with the pacing from time to time.

All in all, I loved this book and definitely hope the author writes more horror. I recommend this book to anyone who loves horror and twisty stories.

2.5*
Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book because the cover was so pretty. I was let down. The biggest issue was the writing style. Maybe it was a translation problem, I can't really say, but the writing was really basic and wooden; short choppy or awkward sentences and very unnatural dialogue. I would never have guessed that this was an author with over a dozen books under his belt. That was the first problem. The second was that I didn't like the main character Richard, he was mean and rude. Obviously that was the point and he did have a second or two of self awareness throughout the story, but it wasn't enough to capture my attention. None of the other characters were really fleshed out either.

Now the twists. They were trying to be unique and interesting, but sadly fell flat. The first one was okay, it got me a little bit, but the second one was so over used and predictable. He was just "crazy" the whole time living in a mental hospital. Because that's never been done before. I really don't like when mental health is used in horror or thrillers as a scapegoat. Most schizophrenics like his dad are not violent. There's something to be said about kids converting trauma into stories which could have been interesting if it wasn't filled with so much harmful language around mental health.

This was my first book written by Jo Nesbo. Our story follows Richard who is sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle after his parents perish in a fire. Right off the bat he is tagged as a trouble maker yet he seems to have some strange things happening to those around him. I overall liked this book and would recommend it to other readers though I tended to be a little confused with the way the storyline went..

The Night House makes for a spooky Halloween read. Told in three parts, the author will keep you guessing as to what exactly is going on. This twisty story is told in a different way as you enter a place of nightmares.

This one was just okay for me. It read a bit like a YA "horror," which is fine, I just like my books to be darker and more scary. Richard was not a very likable character, which made it a bit hard to connect with him. The story is told in three parts. I really enjoyed the first part. The second part was boring. The third part had a great twist that I wasn't expecting, but at the same time, it kind of made you wonder what you read parts 1 and 2 for.

Thank @netgalley, and @aaknopf for the #gifted earc of this book!

*2.5 stars
A multilayered psychological horror told in three parts.
In part one we follow 14-year-old Richard, who recently moved to a small town with his aunt and uncle after tragically losing his parents in a fire. Richard gains a reputation of being an outcast and when a boy goes missing, suspicion falls on him. Richard claims he saw the boy get sucked into a telephone, of course no one believes him.
The story that follows includes two missing kids, an unreliable narrator, and multiple twists and turns.

Sadly, I found this completely uninteresting. It was hard to empathize with Richard and also with the story, because he was quite the bully. I kept getting pulled out of the story because there were so many things that just didn’t make sense.
Overall I appreciated the concept and idea behind this, but the execution just wasn’t for me.

I'm going to be honest here, this book took me the better part of October to finish because I had to keep putting it down and coming back to it. There was just a lot happening and NONE of it was particularly good or interesting. In fact, the first two parts of the book felt like a bad acid trip.

To begin with, and I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here from the amount of other people who have said this, but the sheer amount of fat-shaming, homophobia and sexism happening in this book is appalling. The writing also seemed a bit .... immature. Like the author was aiming for a younger target audience, but considering the nature of this novel HAD to market it for adults instead.

Added to that, Richard was the kind of character that is just so irredeemable that as a reader, I just didn't care what happened to him which added to my overall dislike of the book. After all, it's hard to be invested in a story when you hate the main character.

But then the ending and that "twist?" After all of the time I spent slogging through this story in the hopes it would get better, it felt more like a slap in the face than anything else. There were also some other issues that I don't feel comfortable mentioning (and are spoilers) that made this entire thing unpalatable for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I loved this book. It was so twisty, and kept my interest from start to finish. It was creepy, fun, really everything I was looking for it to be. I will definitely be reading more of Jo Nesbos work and hope that there are more books like this. I am at 4.5 stars,

I’ve actually been putting off reading this for a while. I’ve really enjoyed the Harry Hole books (plus Nesbo’s standalones) so the negative reviews had me nervous.

Luckily I was in for a pleasant surprise and really enjoyed it. The book is divided into three parts. Things get pretty crazy in part 1 and then really ramp up into part 2. Part 3 is more of enlightenment more than anything else but I absolutely enjoyed the way Nesbo put it all together.

This isn’t a scary book, but there are some creepy scenes thrown in. Nesbo is already an auto read author for me and I’m happy to say I’ll include any future horror from Nesbo in that category.