WOW! I wasn’t expecting a book like this from Jo Nesbo. I assumed it was his newest suspense thriller and quickly realized that it was straight up horror. It took me a while to become engaged. All in all, a riveting read.

This is a nightmare of a book, literally. I don't even know how to write a review, as anything I would like to say would give too much away. But here goes...

This is a horror novel written in first person by teenager Richard. Part I starts off with a bang, as Richard watches a classmate being eaten by a pay phone. From there things get really weird. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the book.

Part II brings us Richard, still narrating the story, fifteen years later, as he attends a class reunion. It gets messy quickly. The horrors of the past come back to Richard and his friends as adults. But this time, it gets a bit boring. I found myself thinking 'Oh, this again, here we go again.' and you start to figure out a few things.

Finally, Part III; I wish I could tell you more, but I don't want to spoil anything for any other readers. Suffice it to say, dangling strings are tied up, finishing touches are quickly added and it all comes around full circle. Which is a nice way to say, the ending was a bit ho hum because, again, it merely rehashed what has already been pretty much spelled out.

This was my first Jo Nesbo novel, and obviously he knows how to write. But this story left a lot to be desired. I do plan to try some of his other works though.

I was really into this at first, and then there was a point where my mind was blown. BUT and this what really breaks my heart, theres like one or two more twisty turns and I just completely lost interest in the last 5 pages. Literally the last 5 pages or so and it felt like there was going to be another twist and at this point my head was throbbing. This book started off strong but just took too many spins to keep up with. I literally felt dizzy trying to keep up w this story. I am really disappointed .

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This book is a nightmare. Confusing - is the main character writing a book, living the facts or is he a mental patient imagining it all.

I really enjoyed this! Imagine if Stephen King wrote a Goosebumps book. This is the perfect read for spooky season. This is my first book by Jo Nesbo and I plan to check out more this fall!

Much to be appreciated about The Night House - a clever approach to many aspects of horror, highlighting dark corners of dreams vs reality, pretty hefty gore scenes, and an inception-like plot that kept me spiraling. This read like a YA, which I don't mind but I was expecting something different. I was a little confused by the many characters and they seemed to play a different role in each section, which by the end makes sense and can add to the uniqueness of this book. Overall enjoyed!

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a novel to appreciate gradually. Which is to say, for the first 60% or so, it reads like a rather plain and nearly YA story of a not-particularly likeable fourteen-year-old around whom kids tend to disappear in particularly gruesome fashions.
That’s part one. Part two sees the boy as a man returning back to his small town and offers a very fun turn. And then the final and shortest part three really twists things up. So the overall effect is that of cleverness. You just have to get there.
I like these sorts of narratives. I like originality and plot twists and something different from the traditional formula, so this really worked for me.
The writing itself was very plain. Scandinavian plain and then some. No idea how much of it is translator’s fault, besides, I was reading an ARC, so no final judgments there, I suppose. But the book was fun. And it’s always nice to see an author write outside of their comfort zone and stretch out their genre muscles. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Thank you netgalley for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, as it was my first Jo Nesbø. A payphone eating a child in the first few pages? Wild. This story is so eery, unique and somewhat twisty. It's kinda short in my opinion for a horror novel. I like the longer ones, but if you're looking for a quick read then this is perfect! I just felt like I needed more out of it, though it was a fun time! I'd definitely give Jo's work another look for spooky season. 3.5 stars!

Okay I have no idea what I just read.. I've never read Nesbo but heard great things, particularly about the Harry Hole books, and the cover and blurb were so intriguing that it seemed like a perfect way to dive into the author's work.

It opened incredibly vividly and I was immediately hooked - until things started to go not only sideways but crosswise and diagonally and then in 57 other directions that only quantum physicists could explain... It got weird. And not good weird, but bizarre, doesn't make sense, feels like things are being thrown in just to get a reaction weird.

That's when it started losing me, and I never felt like I got the threads back under control. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but this time it just didn't work for me. I found myself confused but not really interested enough to figure out what was going on. Despite it's very short length, I started skimming - which is never a good sign - in the hopes of finding my way back into the story, but ultimately never did. This one wasn't for me.

This book was wild.

I'm still not sure what exactly happened. Our narrator, Richard, seemed to be a complicated person. There were many things not as they seem. I did find it compelling enough to keep reading, and I kept trying to figure out what exactly was happening. The pressure was increasing as the book went along. Overall, I'm glad to have read it.

Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

I personally stopped after chapter 1. It’s easy to read and easy to follow. I don’t have enough experience in the genre to have a feel for how it compares, but it seems like an easy three/four stars for those who enjoy the genre.

I thought Jo Nesbo wrote mysteries and didn’t notice this was a horror. Horror doesn’t usually move well in our libraries so it’s not generally a good fit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.

The characters have a small town feel to them which works successfully within the story. The plot is well done and divided into three parts. It does take a bit to catch your attention, but once it’s done, you won’t let go. The author’s style of writing was dark and creepy. Overall, a clever story that camouflaged the surprises quite well.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

As I've said before I enjoy a dual timeline story and this did not disappoint. Each section was written at a different part of his life, and each felt so different. The writing was told differently if that makes sense. Which is amazing because you will obviously tell and see things differently based on the age you are. I've never read this author before, had only heard things but I'm a new fan

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor- Random House for an advance copy of this horror book dealing with a young boy, the past, a phone booth, and being an outsider in a small town where people keep disappearing

Back in the day I pretty much read anything I could get my hands on. Some of what I read was great, some was life changing, some were fun. I did most of my book acquiring at our local library book sales. Every other month they would have a three day sale, and on the third day a bag of books cost a whole dollar. And I could pack a bag full of books. I didn't bother with hardcovers, something I regret to this day because I loved paperbacks, many of which I still have. And this is how I discovered horror stories. In the 80's there were so many publishers printing anything horror, new works, anthologies, classics, chthonic. Publishers like Zebra, Twilight, even the big ones Avon and Ballantine had a lot of horror. Covers filled with blood, or weird creatures, with huge titles and small text for writers, unless they were getting big. I remember those days with a fondness, as one never really knew what one would get reading these. The Night House by Norwegian bestselling author, screenwriter, musician and more Jo Nesbrø is a salute to that past, of grocery store horror stories that demand to be read under the covers with flashlights in mouths to cover the whimpers of fear.

Readers are introduced to the lead of this novel, Richard Elauved, age fourteen, as he is making fun of a boy's stutter, and drowing Luke Skywalker, all in attempt to make himself feel better, and seem important. Sent to live with his aunt and uncle after a house fire kills his parents, Richard is not having an easy time in the small town he has found himself in. Not wanting to go home yet, Richard dares his friend Tom to make a phone call at the creepy phone booth at the edge of town. And Tom disappears. Richard is sure he saw the phone suck Tom in, but no on believes him at all. Soon a second person disappears and Richard must do what the cops are incapable of, find out what is going on, with only the help of a fellow outsider who seems to like him. Though liking Richard might not be a good thing, as Richard might know more than what he is telling us.

A spooky, dark, kind of gory tale, that would have fit perfectly in a spinner rack at my pharmacy in town. The cover, the title, even the way of righting and atmosphere is all a throwback to the glory days of paperback horror, though now with the Knopf name as the publisher. The story is weird, odd, and icky, with a lot of jumps and changes in where the story is going. The characters can be a little problematic, as none of them are really people one starts to care about. However they do get a little clearer, and more evil in some ways. There is s strong feeling of Satanic Panic around the book too, which gives it a aura of evil and wrongness that really makes the story darker and deeper. A sort of Stranger Things with a lot of In the Mouth of Madness.

Good story, good classic 80's horror feel. This should spook a lot of people. For readers of Robert McCammon, especially Boy's Life and Charles L. Grant and his Oxrun Station series.

This Book: A young teen encounters unexplainable, terrifying events & has to solve the mystery before it’s all blamed on him. This Reviewer: A not-so-young woman finished the book this morning & can’t stop thinking about it.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this book & I quickly lost track of how many times I thought, “What the f- is happening?” As the first book by Nesbo that I’ve read, I have no idea how this book compares, but I do know that I very much appreciate it - it was absolutely not what I was expecting (& it’s very difficult to express my full opinion without accidentally spoiling something!). Nesbo has such a way with words, weaving in details that seem to both stick out but seem irrelevant or confusing, until they’re not. And it’s details like these that I love most about horror as a genre.

This was such an interesting & unique story that seemed messy at first but ultimately became something more solid & emotional as the mess of puzzle pieces fall together. It gave me a lot of vibes similar to, “Something Wicked This Way Comes.” I cannot wait to have friends read this book so that we can all spend a couple of hours discussing it!

Thank you to NetGalley & Knopf for sharing this ebook ARC for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book. To be honest in the beginning I didn't know what to expect; I mean, a kid gets eaten by a telephone. There were several instances throughout the book where I had to stop and take in what I had just read. When you get to part two you think "Oh, ok, I see now, makes sense..." but as you continue to read it turns into "WTH is going on!?". Part three wraps it all up in a nice little bow, and I loved it! I will definitely be checking out more books by Jo Nesbo!

This story leads one way and you think you've got it, only to make u turn. This is a unique take on horror and at the end you're turned around again. Is it really the musings of a man in an insane asylum?

I picked up this book because of the cover. It's got that cool old-school horror paperback look.

The first part of the book was fantastic. A payphone literally eats a child in the first few pages. The magicadas (sp?) and Night House are eery and wonderful. However, our narrator, Richard, is unreliable. Keep that in mind from the beginning because things get... twisty. I really like the whole kids on bikes fighting evil thing, and you get that kinda in the beginning, but then things change. It is however pretty short for a horror book, so if you want a quicker read, pick it up and try it out. Jo Nesbo is a great writer, it just left me wanting a little more. Well, maybe a little less so it would be more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this early!

So I really didn’t know what to expect going in to this and I’m still not sure how to feel after finishing it. This had some body horror with a lot of chaos that made for a twisty psychological thriller. I honestly don’t know how it all fits together or what the ending means. I probably should know, but I either missed some stuff or it’s just not clicking.