I really didn’t care for this one. I had high hopes because Nesbo is so so good at crime fiction, but this just felt amateurish and unoriginal.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Jo Nesbo book, and I'm sorry to say that it will most likely be my last. From the reviews I've read this may not be his usual fair, but it interested me because it had a good creepy quality to it that made it a potentially a perfect read for the fall season.

However....it was way over the top. The story is about Richard who has just moved to town and is living with his foster parents. Strange things start happening and all signs of wrong doing point towards someone who is a legend around town. Things happen and twists and turns come up and there you have it. The story itself is divided into three parts. The first read like a juvenile horror story, the second and third part are where the major twists are, so I won't say anything more to preserve some suspense.

Perhaps this may not have been the best to start with for this author, but I still was underwhelmed by such a big name author.

This is my first book by this author and I was buddy reading with some friends and I’m glad I did because I needed someone to bounce the intense insanity that is this book is off of. And I mean that in the best way. This was delusion at its highest form and I was along for the ride every moment.
After his parents deaths, Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in a remote town called Ballantyne where he quickly earns a reputation as an outcast. When one of his classmates, Tom, goes missing, after a prank gone wrong, everyone is quick to point fingers at Richard and no one wants to believe his story that the phone in the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked him into the receiver like something out of a movie. The only one who believes him is Karen, a fellow outsider who encourages Richard to keep looking into what happened when the police refuse to investigate. Richard traces the number that they prank called to an and abandoned house in Mirror Forest where he catches a glimpse of a face in the window. Soon, he’s hearing a whisper in his ear…
Then once another classmate disappears after hanging out with Richard, he has to find a way to prove his innocence and protect his sanity as he fights against the dark magic that is possessing Ballantyne. But, is Richard the most reliable narrator?
This is a story within a story and the way it is done is mind boggling and so well done. This is sure to be a classic for thriller readers for years to come.
Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars

(Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review)


“The Night House” hit the ground running as a fun campy “popcorn horror movie” style of narrative. Clearly drawing inspiration from classic horror novels and films, there was a lot to enjoy going in.

However, as the book progresses, the narrative mood shifts. While I felt the shift technically worked and the story came to an interesting conclusion, it didn’t quite hit the mark I hoped it would.

I was so sold on and enjoying the initial vibes of the story, I would have personally enjoyed that choice to remain solid throughout the entire storyline.

I particularly found the creative ways Nesbø painted the visual descriptions of some of the more graphic horror moments incredibly entertaining.

Overall, I enjoyed the journey and would recommend it to fans of classic and campy horror.

I felt the writing wasn’t up to Nesbo’s typical standard. Seemed pretty campy and not particularly well written, but maybe that’s just me. We will still purchase as they have huge readership in my library

Really enjoyed this novel by Jo Nesbo. Read some of his mysteries before, all great, and this more horror novel worked too. Enjoyed the characters, pacing, and the plot. #TheNightHouse #NetGalley

I unfortunately didn’t like this book. I didn’t like Richard or some of the terms used in the book, such as fatso and only ever calling that kid fatso. The writing was ok but definitely on the boring side. This just wasn’t for me.

This was a DNF for me at 20%. It’s a campy little horror, book, and the writing actually felt pretty juvenile. I’m not sure if that was intentional or if Nebo should just stick to crime fiction. It was a little too out there and unrealistic for me and just didn’t care to finish it.

The best way to describe The Night House, by Jo Nesbo, is to say it is a "book, within a book, within a book" It's an enjoyable twisty novel, that keeps you guessing until the very end (or is it the beginning?) Nesbo weaves this tale expertly, taking the reader on the best kind of roller coaster ride, one filled with laughs and chills, ups and downs, dropping you off right where you got in. I enjoyed the ride very much! Can I go on again? Please??

I am a fan of this author, so I was excited to read this book. This was different. I felt like this book could have been three different books. I thought he pulled it all together seamlessly. The character drew me in, and I found the story interesting. But, I was trying to figure out is this considered Young Adult, because I felt it was written for a younger audience.

Richard is a angry teen who just lost his parents. The new town he moves to thinks he is responsible for a teen disappearing. Richard saw something take him. What is the house in the forest hiding. Can Richard save himself and others or will he get lost in the Night House? Tension filled read. Great characters.

Wow, this was good!! Creepy, gross, scary, and somehow also heartbreaking! It's all there!
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC! In The Night House by Jo Nesbo, Richard is sent to live with his aunt and uncle after a fire takes the lives of his parents. Richard is an outcast in school and often abusive to his classmates. As he hangs out with Tom, one of his classmates who he's able to easily manipulate, he decides to pull a phone prank. After handing Tom the phone, something unbelievable to say the least happens as the phone devours the boy. Further strange and dark deeds occur each time Richard tries to investigate, and the police are cornering him for the crime. As events escalate, we soon discover that all may not be as it seems. The Night House is a twisty work of speculative fiction with points of descriptive horror that makes for a great spooky season read!

This author is sort of all over the place. This one is sort of horror or a psychological thriller, possibly. Maybe it doesn't have a category. I liked his series, but these stand alone novels are somehow darker, with more depth.

This one starts out seeming like a YA horror novel, but then you move onto the second and third parts and it gets more complex as it moves along.

I don't want to spoil the story for you. I would definitely recommend this to horror fans, but also to anyone that likes this author's other stand alone novels. But be aware that this is definitely not a detective novel.

The Night House by Jo Nesbø is a genre-defying, chilling tale that introduces us to fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved, an outcast in the eerie town of Ballantyne after his parents' tragic deaths. When his classmate Tom goes missing, Richard's claim that Tom was sucked into a telephone booth is met with skepticism.

As the story unfolds through Richard's eyes, Nesbø expertly blends horror with suspense, creating a vivid, nightmarish atmosphere filled with unsettling imagery. The novel's three-part structure keeps readers guessing, with mind-bending twists and an enigmatic final revelation. While the book's dark themes and occasional problematic elements might deter some readers, Jo Nesbø's storytelling prowess shines through, making The Night House a gripping, atmospheric thriller that proves his versatility as a writer.

The Night House is a horrifying book full of cycles, abuse, and relationships.

The Night House follows Richard Elauved, a young man who in the face of suddenly tragedy must move in with family. As a part of this tragedy and move, he remains mostly an outcast. One with dark emotions. However, once one of the other young people disappear, this book takes a rapid descent into darkness.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions. I had highs, lows, and racing thoughts that carried me from moment to moment. It's rather quickly paced and once you hit the halfway mark, I know a majority of readers are going to be unable to put this down. This book was full of twist after twist, unreliability from plenty of characters. Part 2 in particular was deviously creepy and honestly made me rather paranoid.

This story is going to be stuck in my mind for days to come but in the meantime - when you get the chance - READ THIS BOOK!

Twisty and turny. Three different versions of the same story. I’m still not sure which is the actual version!

Delightfully creepy and the perfect short fun horror story to get you in the mood for spooky season! I love how the story is broken up and just when you think you have it all figured it, it throws you a curve ball! Great read

Not my favorite....It was just all over the place. It was hard to follow along and the time jumps didn't do it any favors..
I found myself skimming the last 100 pages.

This is targeted to adults but it's definitely YA

It's my first time reading from this author and probably my last.

Big fat "Meh."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Richard, a 14 year old boy has lived through the tragic death of his parents and has come to Ballantyne with his aunt and uncle. After the equally horrific events of the phone call that eats Tom, only Karen, Richard’s classmate, believes him, and Part I of the book continues Richard’s quest to perhaps solve the mystery of this event and more.

Parts II and III take a turn, skipping time to adulthood where Richard reflects on his published/fictionalized account in Part I. It’s a nice touch where we begin to understand that he has been an unreliable narrator, having remembered that he was a bully while others disagree. Then, jarringly, in Part III, we realize Richard has been under psychiatric care the entire time after the death of his parents. That he has been undergoing shock treatments to burn away the horrible memories of his parents’ deaths and childhood.

The start of this three-part novel was so delightful, unexpected, and gory. I enjoyed being in Richard’s head for a while, experiencing the terror of that first call to Imu Jonasson. However, the next parts were such a change and made the original premise a little less believable, as well as succumbing to the “it’s all a dream” trope. Disappointing in that regard, as I think it leads to the reader feeling tricked and generally has much less payoff than it might have. Part III also felt rushed and unfinished, more like notes on mental health than an actual story.

This was a promising read but didn’t end well for me! I’d have loved this in short story form, ending somehow at Part I though.