✨New NetGalley ARC Review✨

The Night House by Jo Nesbo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“When the voices call, don’t answer” ☎️ 🩸

I read the uncorrected proof copy of this book and am thoroughly impressed. I highly recommend purchasing a copy when it becomes available.

Release Day: Oct 3rd, 2023. Set your calendars!

This book falls into the horror and psychological thriller categories. It definitely reminds me of the Silent Patient mixed with Stephen King!

This book kept me guessing and had a twist at the end. I enjoy books that are split up until multiple parts and this one was split into 3. I feel when it’s split up a bit, it makes it easier to keep up with different time frames and point of views. I really enjoyed how the book covered the main character as a young boy and as an adult man later.

The book started out strong in the first chapter and my first thought was “what in the world” (in a good way). Then throughout the book I kept asking myself, “I wonder what this kid is really seeing” or “I wonder why everybody is treating him like he’s crazy” then boom, the twists and turns hit! I did not see the ending coming and it was a “wow” realization moment for sure!

“A dream within a dream. Edgar Allen Poe”

Triggers: Death, Bullying, Mental Heath, Gore

#netgalley #netgalleyreview #bookreview #thenighthouse #jonesbo #horror #thriller #thesilentpatient #stephenking #edgarallanpoe

This book is a wild ride from start to finish… and possibly beyond.

WIthout giving too much away, the book follows the MC, Richard, who is orphaned and now living with his aunt and uncle in a small town. You get the sense early on that he can be a bit of a bully and leans into that reputation. Early on, a series of strange events start to occur, all with Richard being the common denominator and positioning him as the culprit. He has to find the source of these traumatic events in order to prove his innocence.

I personally didn’t find any point in the book to be moving slowly. It seemed like there was constantly something happening or tension the entire time–I had a hard time putting it down. There are also enough twists to keep you on your toes. It’s scary, it’s gorey, it’s visceral, and it did in fact give me a few nightmares when I stayed up too late reading it in bed.

I finished the book about a week ago and am still thinking about the ending and the implications of it. I thought the story was well paced and structured, in a way that, when you get to the end, it really doesn’t feel like the end. And that ambiguity really makes the book have a lasting impression, rather than feeling disappointing in any way. It really leaves a lot up to you, to question and consider.

If you’re a fan of horror and thrillers, you will definitely enjoy this book. From the cover, it may appear as a haunted house kind of horror story, but it really goes beyond that and the mystery of it will keep you hooked.

Was excited to receive my early copy of The Night House by Jo Nesbo and it’s my first book my him although I’ve wanted to read his crime fiction forever.

The Night House is not that. It’s horror. It’s old school horror.

It’s REAL old school horror. And I loved it.

This was perfect as a pre cursor to spooky season and it was super clever too.

You get three parts here and each part is a twisty revelation! I don’t want to ruin it so just read this one. Fun, spooky and brilliant too.

Think: Shutter Island as a horror flick! I’m so glad I devoured this one! Such a great read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I devoured this book, what an amazing and chilling thrill ride. Expertly written, and graphic scenes. Loved every part.

I usually like anything written by Jo Nesbo, especially the Harry Hole books. but this short story was start and stop all the way through. I get that there was some trauma in Richard's life. loved the idea that a phone booth telephone could consume a person and that a person could be transformed into a bug. but the rest was just hard to follow.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy.

As a lover of anything spooky, the cover of Jo Nesbo’s latest book pulled me right in. And Part One of the story left me with so many questions that just needed to be answered; so I stayed.

The Night House tells the story of young Richard, a recently orphaned 14 year old city boy, who has moved to the middle of nowhere with his foster family. The rural town makes the perfect conditions for mayhem to ensue. And it does when one of the towns children goes missing. With the bad reputation Richard has built himself, he is the prime suspect in this tight knit community's missing persons case.

This book was the true definition of a page turner. I blew through it. As a reader I was trying to make sense of this mystery, I just HAD to know how it ended. I definitely recommend this one. Some may find it a slow burn if you aren’t used to reading suspense but the ending is worth it.

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley! This review is all my own thoughts and opinions!

Anyone else absolutely ready for spooky season!?

This book is set in three parts and I saw closer to the edge of my chair by the end of each one. The writing style reads like a cross between the recent ‘IT’ movies and The Twilight Zone – it felt very classic-cult-horror-movie type of nostalgic and balanced, with a youthful disregard for consequences. The main character, Richard, is set in three different but woven timelines, blurring the lines between reality, fiction, and nightmare. All of the side characters appear in each timeline, but not everything seems to line up (on purpose). I enjoyed Nesbo’s descriptions, very detailed but not overdone. Not overly gory, reads more like a thriller. A couple of content warnings in this one, including bullying, verbal abuse, traumatic memories, mentions of possible $exual a$$ault, and homicide/suicide. The length of the book was a total sell for me, less than 200 pages and each page felt necessary, no fluff. Overall, I really enjoyed this book – I ate it up in two days (only because I had to work and sleep). Super big fan of this one and would pick up another Jo Nesbo book because of it. Would love to give this 4.5 out of 5 stars.

My first Jo Nesbo book and I loved it! The story in three parts folded and unfolded on itself brilliantly. I loved the spooky supernatural vibe and the ultimate revelation. Thoroughly enjoyable! Many thanks to Netgalley for access to the uncorrected arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. Interesting to See Nesbo write a horror story after all the detective stuff. I liked the effort!

This started with a classic horror element (reminded me of Stephen King), which quickly turned into a suspense plot that I needed to know what came next. The book has three different parts and each had an unexpected turn of events that tickled my curiosity. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a horror read that is not just a series of unexplained paranormal events.

This was my first book by this author. I liked the atmosphere, but the overall story arc and ending were not exactly what I was expecting. I thought it was good and creepy at times I especially love the cover. Pretty good read, especially for fall or spooky season.

Richard Elauved, a 14-year-old orphan,moves to Ballantyne to live with his aunt and uncle after a house fire kills his parents. He is unlikeable and an outcast in this small town.. When two boys go missing after being last seen with Richard, the local sheriff calls in the FBI. He finally makes a connection with a smart classmate, Karen, who seems to like him despite everyone else’s issues with him. The pace of The Night House is quick with lots of psychological clues. It has elements of horror but is never too scary or gory. The story is divided into three parts and each part left me wanting more information and wondering how much was real. Jo Nesbo Is one of my favorite authors and is the best-selling author of the Harry Hole detective series. This newest of his books moves his writing into the horror genre with its focus on the unreliable narrator, the spooky old house and the trauma that affects Richard’s life-night and day.. Readers of Stephen King and Dennis LeHane are likely to enjoy Jo Nesbo’s new book The Night House available on October 3, 2023, and published by Knopf.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for opportunity to to read and review this eARC. #The Night House, #Jo Nesbo, #NetGalley #Knopf

💌 ARC FROM NETGALLEY

This was my first Jo Nesbø novel, and likely my last.

I didn't care for the writing style to begin with, and though Part One of the novel felt promising in terms of horror/scares, I quickly lost interest in the subsequent parts of the book, and by the time I finished reading, I was just happy for it to be over.

SPOILERS BELOW

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The Night House falls into a horror trope that I really hate, which is that all of the "horror" of the story took place in the mind of someone that has been institutionalized for mental illness - in this novel's case, schizophrenia and PTSD. It just feels like we should be able to move past this trope ... and also past authors of horror novels having such weird, negative obsessions about weight. It adds nothing to the story when your whole big twist is that it was all in someone's imagination, anyway, but beyond that I can practically feel my eyes glaze over during those parts because they're so uninteresting. This topic is not as titillating as authors seem to think it is.

This was the first Nesbit book I’ve ever read- it was a very fast read and I couldn’t put it down! The first part was a wild, 80s kind of nostalgia, scary story, the second part got really absurd and gross and confusing, the ending surprised me- I didn’t see it coming! Thanks NetGalley!

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

This is my first and probably last Jo Nesbo book. I was all for telephones sucking people through their hand-held speaker and a 14 year old boy and girl trying to discover the truth... but my god, the blatant fat-shaming and hate for being queer coming out of this 14 year old's mouth and mind.

I think both groups get enough issues as it is, but we need to read it NOW and of all places in a horror book about telephones eating people.

Sir, the fuck and no.

I hope the phone eats this kid next. I gave up 20% through.

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.

This was pretty mid. I didn't hate it but I wouldn't recommend it.

This title has been selected for coverage in Fangoria's October 2023 print edition. Please reach out to the reviewer directly for a PDF of the write-up (upon completion).

Jo Nesbo has ventured away from his typical mystery/detective stories by writing a gripping horror novel.

Fourteen year old Richard moves to his aunt and uncle’s house in the small town of Ballantyne after his parents are killed in a house fire. As the new kid in town and an outcast in school, Richard is blamed for the disappearance of his classmate Tom. Richard’s outlandish story about the disappearance is not believed by the police or his aunt and uncle. Since no one believes him, Tom and his new friend, Karen, decide to investigate for themselves as more eerie events develop.

I found the unreliable narrator to be confusing at first but the author wraps it up nicely at the end. Covering spooky elements like black magic and haunted houses, the tension builds and makes this book hard to put down. Fans of Steven King will love this quick and suspenseful read.

Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor and NetGalley for the advanced copy in return to my honest review.

The beginning was creepy. Atmospheric with the gothic house. Very strong. Midway through it began to lose me. The writing became weird and uninteresting. The ending is by far the worse.

📖: The Night House
⭐️: 3/5
⚠️: mental health disorders, death, house fire, cursing, bullying, psychotic episodes, cannibalism, general violence

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS.

First off, I love naming the MMC Richard because he is, in fact, a dick. Secondly, this novel has aspects of horror, but it reads more like a psychological thriller. The whole story was made up under the premise the MMC has psychosis from PTSD. He takes aspects rom real life and weave them into his psychosis episodes. I feel if those episodes were more frequent and more detailed, it would elevate the horror aspect. I loved the descriptions of what episodes were included— a killer phone eating someone into another universe, a mob trying to kill/cannibalize the MMC as revenge for his misdeeds, hallucinating seeing a hung body. All of these are great horror references! I wish that was explored more. I also feel a certain type of way of the magic being referred to as “black word” or “white word”. It feels slightly juvenile. Maybe that was a way of showing the lack of maturity in the MMC. However, I feel the widely used “black/white magic” would have sufficed. Also, found it strange that certain characters deemed Metamorphosis and LOTF to be “hard reads, even for adults”. Both of those books are read by many middle schoolers. Overall, this is a good read for anyone wanting to dip their toe into the horror genre. A good beginners book for horror.