This short novel was completely surreal. I don't want to go too much into the plot because I really don't want to give anything away. But if you're a fan of the kind of round-robin story Pulp Fiction has, then this is book for you.
Richard Elauved is a 14 year-old boy who is living with his aunt and uncle in the small town of Ballantyne. His parents were killed in a horrific accident. It seems that every time Richard hangs out with a classmate, they disappear in strange ways. Tom is sucked through a public phone and Jack turns into a cicada and flies away. All of this is the fault of the mysterious Imu Jonassen. Of course, no one believes Richard and he ends up in a detention center. However, Richard may not be as reliable as we think.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for this e-arc.*

Richard lives with his aunt and uncle in the small town of Ballantyne after a horrific fire that killed both of his parents. Strange things are happening to Richard's friends, and the police think he's the culprit, as he was the last person seen with them. Richard insists that he's innocent...but is everything as it seems in this twisty, turny book about friendship, trust, and the horrors that exist in our minds?

This book leans heavily on a trope that is, today, pretty overused and makes you roll your eyes a bit. Everything's a dream! Part of Richard's active imagination! Or is it? Who knows. The scary parts are just shy of being truly terrifying. Overall, this was a good book to read at the beginning of spooky season as we dip our toes back into the terror and horror the season provides us. The characters probably could have used a bit more fleshing out, some of them are more tropes than people, but overall, this was a decent book, and if you're not into horror books that go into intense detail, if you like your blood n guts kept to a minimum, this is a book you'll want to read.

Fun book for the spooky season. I enjoyed the ridiculous of it all, though some parts were pretty horrifying. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC.

{3.5 stars}

Richard is a young teen who doesn't quite fit in. He has been orphaned by a tragic fire and is living in a new town with his aunt and uncle. There he struggles to connect with people his age and when he witnesses the strange, creepy disappearance of a classmate, he is stigmatized. The few kids that will interact with him have their own issues. As the police press him to tell the truth, the truth he knows will change the town forever. 

*Note: this review may be slightly spoilery - no specific details but I do comment on themes so please skip if you want to go in blind.

I'm really torn with my feelings on this one. It has some great horror scenes and an interesting structure. But it relies too closely on an unreliable narrator and mental health tropes that have been used to death. I sort of feel like someone pitched the idea of a horror novel to Nesbo and he just cobbled something together based on memorable moments from pieces he had read before. Told in three parts - the first part is great - it has all the Stephen King's 'It' vibes without being a rip off. I was all in for the start of the story. But part two jumps to the future and it felt a little too close to 'It' for me, it does take a different overall tact (and has a great gruesome scene in the middle) but I was starting to feel my interest wane. The third part is the reveal and it's a trope we've seen a million times and really bummed me out.

If you haven't read Stephen King or Ken Kesey, than this one will probably wow you but the similarities were a little too close to make this an all time favorite for me.

Thanks to Knopf for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

A fairly quick and intentionally campy horror story. I both loved and hated the layerings and twists in this one. Not the usual Jo Nesbo content but an interesting departure for him.
I love the cover of this book!

Jo Nesbo is an amazing author, he not only gives you an amazing plot but throws so much energy in his characters that they come alive.
The Night House by Jo Nesbo is a well written, suspenseful and atmospheric novel, with an outstanding storyline and ample twists and turns.
Horror lovers will not be disappointed. The plot is filled with twists and turns timed so well that you just do not see them coming. This story was an action-packed, fast-paced story that I finished in just three sittings. You keep turning the pages and you keep looking for answers and the author delivers. The author cleverly makes you question everything and then neatly ties everything together that you are left in awe.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Knopf for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Jo Nesbo is very well known for his Harry Hole series. He has proven many times that he can build a mystery that his readers will race through to find the reveal that he crafts so carefully that I've not managed to pick the right killer/ criminal mastermind before hand. So now, he's giving us a tale of such horror that it's a very good thing the book is not a long one. 14 yr old Richard has suffered a terrific blow, his parents died in a house fire, and has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle. They will provide him a new home in which to grieve and heal.......not.
The story line at this point becomes unique, where else could you find a pay phone in this age of cell phones? The pay phone becomes an instrument of death when those brave enough to call, disappear into the receiver. As the story twists wildly, Richard is drawn into the story when he is accused of the disappearances. Where we go from here is a secret you will have to read for yourself. But....just know that Jo Nesbo has some very big surprises woven into the story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jo Nesbo for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Night House coming out October 3, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Fourteen year-old Richard Elauved is forced to start over after his parents’ untimely deaths in a tragic house fire. He has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the isolated town of Ballantyne. Richard quickly becomes a loner. When a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry outcast 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 novel. No one, except Karen, a fascinating fellow outsider who encourages Richard to find clues when the police refuse. He traces the number that Tom prank-called from the phone booth to an abandoned house in the Mirror Forest. There he sees a frightening face in the window. And then the voices begin to whisper in his ear . . . 

She’s going to burn. The girl you love is going to burn. There’s nothing you can do about it.

When another classmate vanishes, Richard must find a way to prove his innocence—and preserve his sanity—as he struggles with the dark magic that has gripped Ballantyne.

Then again, Richard may not be the most reliable narrator of his own story . . .

This is a new author for me. This book was so fun! I loved it! It made me nostalgic of RL Stine, Christopher Pike and other horror writers from the 80s and 90s. I love this kind of creepy, weird horror where things aren’t as they appear. I thought the horror level could be directed toward the teen age range, but adults might find it interesting as well. It has a little something for everyone. I didn’t realize this book was a translation, but I definitely want to check out other books by this author.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys weird horror!

Strange spooky things are happening around Richard. One classmate is sucked into a telephone, another is turned into a cockroach. But no one believes Richard, who is considered the town bully. It is up to him, and a girl named Karen, to prove what is going on and save their town.

This book has so many layers it’s amazing. I can’t go into more detail without spoiling some extremely creative writing, but just know that when I thought I had something figured out, Nesbo proved me wrong in the next part. The twists were so good and so effective, and the scares were very scary. This is a great book for spooky season.

Huge huge fan of Jo Nesbo so I was really excited about this foray into horror especially with the retro 80s cover vibe. Unfortunately this one did not work for me - I detested the main character (bullying and fat jabs turned me off) and it felt very YA ish to me. Some folks might like it, interesting enough premise, it just did not work for me. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

This book is not for me and that is okay. There was nothing wrong with the book and I think other people will really enjoy it, just not my typical choice.

I was graciously given an advanced copy of this e-book by Net Galley. This was my first Jo Nesbo book and was an absolute page turner. His style deserves to be mentioned alongside Stephen King and Joe Hill. A must read thriller that I can already envision being a blockbuster film.

This was not for me. The main character was pretty awful to root for - don’t love fatphobia here. Also, I am so tired of the mental illness plot device in mystery/suspense/thrillers.

Thank you to NETGALLEY AND PUBLISHER for the gifted e-ARC. Jo Nesbo at its finest!! just in time for spooky season. Great read NESBO NEVER DISAPPOINTS!!

3.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc!

13 year old Richard is new in town, moving to live with his aunt and uncle and get a fresh start. Richard isn’t popular and doesn’t have many friends, opting to mostly hang out with other outcasts that are in his same social level. One day, while hanging out with a new friend, Richard finds himself in some unbelievable trouble when he dares his friend to make a prank phone call in an old phone booth in the woods- only for his friend to be eaten by the telephone. Watching on in horror without being able to stop it, Richard then goes to the police to let them know what’s happened. Naturally, no one believes Richard’s wild tale about a telephone eating a boy, and he becomes a main suspect in the search for what really happened to Tom. As unbelievable things continue to happen, Richard has to try to solve the mystery behind these strange and terrible occurrences so that he can stop it.

First off, I want to say that I really enjoyed the author’s attention to detail and how certain things were thread to tie the entire story together. My one critique, however, is that I think maybe this book should have been a bit longer, so that readers had a better explanation for Richard’s experiences.. I unfortunately was left kind of unsatisfied at the end. It’s difficult to explain without any spoilers, but I felt like the third part of the book was a bit rushed, and I could have used more information.

This is my first Jo Nesbo book, and I definitely did enjoy the writing style! I would read this author again. I did have my concerns, as the first part of the book follows a 13 year old boy. I was worried I would have a hard time getting into the story, but I found myself interested right away. There were times that this book did seem a bit juvenile, given the main character’s young age, but I wouldn’t say it was enough to be bothersome.

Overall, this would be a good read if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining book for Halloween season. If you like Stephen King novels, you might want to pick up this similarly bizarre, twisted tale that will leave you wondering what was real and what was imagined.

It is never easy being the new kid. Fourteen year old Richard Elauved know. Shipped off to his aunt and uncle in the small town of Ballantyne, Richard knows his place as an unwelcome outcast (not that he’s done much to help dispel that reputation).

Things take a turn, however when he and his only friend Tom decide to make a prank call at a pay phone. Richard watches in horror as the phone swallows up Tom. But nobody in town believes the newcomer when he tells them that’s what happened to Tom.

It’s only when a second kid, last seen with Richard, goes missing, that he realizes there might be more that’s going on in Ballantyne. Somehow, it’s all tied to that house up on the hill…

This is my second ever Nesbø and what a thrill. The book is a perfect starter to spooky season and evokes vibes of 80s buddy movies & 80s horror movies. Although I’ve only read one other Nesbø book—I know this is a different genre for him and he does a great job here! I was completely engaged throughout and kept on reading just to know what was happening next.

I really enjoyed this one a lot it really had me spooked. I was hooked after the first chapter. Will be getting a physical copy of this one when it comes available. I highly recommend this to everyone looking for a spooky seasonal read.

The Night House by Jo Nesbo is broken into three parts. The first part of the book takes you on a wild horror filled ride as you read about 14 year old Richard. Richard moves in with his aunt and uncle after his parents pass away. Richard is an outcast and a bully in his class. He tries to make friends but they all go missing in very mysterious and spooky ways. The authorities don’t believe Richard and he must solve the mystery and put a stop to the evil forces.

The second and third part of the book will leave you questioning everything you read. Did this really happen? Was this made up by a child’s imagination? Or the ramblings of a man struggling with mental illness?

I enjoyed the first part of the book and wish it ended there. It was an interesting tale and reminded me of the show Stranger Things. The rest of the book makes you question the beginning and ruins the fun horror vibe that you get at the start of the book.

Overall it was an interesting read full of twists, turns and creepy moments. This horror book is perfect for spooky season!

The Night House by Jo Nesbø starts with a strange tale of 2 missing boys. This book is told in three parts, there are stories within stories and a book within a book. I liked the last part most of all because the horror is in everyday living. Go into this book blind and you might be rewarded with a tale that is more frightening than a boy being eaten by a telephone. Thanks to Jo Nesbø, translator Neil Smith, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Good horror fiction is tough to find these days. Either their Stephen King clones or Stranger Things imitators. Jo Nesbo's horror fiction debut "The Night House" is neither a King Clone or a Stanger imitator instead brings a new spin on the classic horror theme which is the house with a dark past.

Richard Elauved is a teenage outsider who persuafea his friend, Tom, to make a prank phonecall. The call results in Tom's sudden disappearance. Richard is blamed for Tom going missing which causes him to be sent to reform school. RIchard escapes is joined by fellow outsider, Karen, to clear his name. Their investgation leads to the infamous night house which could lead to the answers they're looking for, but also can lead them to their own disappearances.

"Night" begins with a bang then never slows down. There are some genuine scares especially once they get to the house. Richard and Karen are both observant, sharp and smart. Each section of the book begins with a twist that knocked me for a loop.

I also appreciaed that Nesbo didn't relay on constant gory scenes. I don't mind gore, but I do mind when it's used to fill in the plotholes in the story.

"The Night House" reminded me of the great fun that I had reading horror fiction when I was a teen. It's fast, fun, and frighting which are the hallmarks of horror fiction.

My only hope is that I won't have to wait aa long to reccomend another horror novel.