I could not put this one down.

It’s a fast read, incredibly evocative, dark, and grim. The Icelandic authors aren’t afraid to go there and this was a horror novel that felt like someone losing control and not dealing with the crap in their life.

I wanted to know what was going on and was horrified the further the story went on. Not for the faint of heart.

Comparable comps: Eric LaRocca, Ian Reid

Trigger warnings: animal death, abuse

2.5 stars!

This book made me really anxious. I think it's just very high on health anxiety, and that made me stressed for the main character. On the bright side, it was a quick read and I was definitely pulled in but the ENDING pulled it wayyyyy down. I don't always hate an ambiguous ending, but this one was a little toooo ambiguous for me. Also, I felt very sad about the animal death and I do think that is worth mentioning so people are aware!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I haven't read something this fast in awhile!
This story is intriguing from the start and more so that it takes place in Iceland. I also enjoyed that some chapters were so short, even one sentence; as for me it added to the suspense and anxiety that the character was experiencing. I had plenty of theories, and to be honest it can be interpreted in so many ways based on your experience and beliefs. It was truly an exciting read and the ending was interesting. I say if you're looking for something short and a suspension story; definitely grab this for a creepy night in!

A psychological thriller originally published in Iceland, now translated into English.

It’s a pretty short, fast-paced read with short chapters (some just one sentence long) about a woman who wakes fatigued and never well-rested, desperately looking for help from doctors to know what’s wrong. She buys a step-counting watch to track her exercise, but after leaving it on before going to bed, she discovers she walked 40,000 steps in the night, and what’s actually afflicting her unfolds from there.

The main character (iðunn) right off the bat comes across as anxious, maybe a bit like a hypochondriac though she’s right that something is wrong (how women are treated in diagnostic medicine is commented on, as well as general patriarchy), but as the story progresses, it’s clear there’s something more disturbing going on. Her trying to figure out what’s happening while she’s asleep raised the tension, and her deterioration was both unsettling and fascinating to watch. To the end I’m still not quite sure what was actually happened, but I think the open-endedness leaves a lot of room for people to discuss their theories and thoughts. I see this is classified as horror, but I think of this is a very well-done thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

🅐 🅡 🅒 • 🅡 🅔 🅥 🅘 🅔 🅦

To simply put it without talking much about it because it’s a book you have to read to experience…If you are looking for a creepy horror type read that’s fast paced and just long enough to give you some questionable dreams…this book is for you. I enjoyed this. There are some trigger warnings within this book so be sure to read your tw’s before diving in.

This book definitely builds and creates some form of anxiety or tension until the end and before you know it you’re at the end asking what you just read but not in a bad way of course 👀

I will be sharing this gem with those bookish friends of mine that I believe this would tickle their fancy with the type of book this is. Watch for this novella to opt out on your shelves September 03, 2024

Thank you @netgalley , @tornightfire and author for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my gosh, I'm so mad at myself for forgetting to review this! I read it back in May and loved it:

Another win for my collection of "unwell women" book favorites! I basically grimaced in discomfort the whole way through this. The level of psychological mind fuckery is top tier. My only complaint?? I wanted MORE!!

I devoured this book in one sitting. Absolutely could not put it down. I really enjoyed the mystery and suspense of it all.

The story itself was fast past and easy to read and then all of a sudden the ending hits like a ton of bricks.

First of all Thanks to Netgalley and Nightfire for a free digital copy. Have to say this is one of the fastest reads I have done lol. I am so sorry to give the book a 3 star rating. The ending is kind of what killed it for me, no pun intended. It just left me hanging wondering what happens next. Wondering is there a sequel coming or something. Just missed the mark for me. Not bone chllling enough for me.

A wonderful psychological/possession story. I’ve seen others compare this to Sarah Gran’s Come Closer, which I can see a resemblance too as well, but I find this book to be equally effective in the scares and storytelling.

The short chapters give the book a rollercoaster effect, making it very fast paced and giving it a cinematic quality. I read it in one evening and was fully along for the ride.

Very much enjoyed this one.

A thriller about a woman who has constant fatigue. She is desperate for a solution and agrees to wear a watch that will track her sleep. When she wakes up after wearing it, she learns she has walked thousands of steps in her sleep. She has no idea what she was doing and no one believes her.

I thought this was an interesting premise but I found it slow. I think perhaps something with the thriller aspect got lost in translation (literally).

A study into the terrors of sleepwalking, with a side of loss and grief. The Night Guest leans into mental illness, and how one recovers from trauma after trauma (if you recover at all, and what that touches in our everyday lives.
This was a very fast read, a short 208 pages, which was probably the perfect length. I was a little turned off by the ending, and wanted a bit more from it. Overall a 3.5 rounded to a 4 here.

3.75 stars

There is SO much to like about this sinister and horrific novella, but if you are a cat lover, this might be too much for your feline focused fondness.

Iðunn is experiencing a strange and challenging time that includes waking up with sore muscles and other unusual signs. One of the strangest parts is how incredibly tired she is. There's no way she can be sleeping through the night in the typical way, but what IS happening to her? What IS she doing? This author does an exceptional job of setting up exactly the right tone: that women are frequently considered unserious individuals, especially when it comes to their own health and thoughts. Along with the institutional barriers present in this unfortunate reality, Iðunn also has to basically go it alone. Her isolation is a constant issue throughout the work. Her mother asks her EVERY time she's coming to dinner if she eats a different kind of meat, ignoring her vegetarian diet. Her romantic relationships? WEIRD to say the least and certainly not centered on what she brings to the party. Her favorite animals? Well, she's allergic to them and must admire them from afar. And underlying all of this is an unexpected view of another loss in her life. This character is isolated in a crowd, and this is a feeling that in today's world will be, unfortunately, quite relatable to many audiences.

While I wanted more from the ending, I thoroughly enjoyed so much about this. Do be mindful of the cat content if this is a pain point.

I am totally intrigued by this author and hope to read more.

Can you image waking up with weird bruises and super fatigued like you haven’t even slept at ? Lounn goes to the doctor to hopefully figure out what’s going on but she seems to be in perfect health. She tries to do better and gets a smart watch to track her sleep and steps. One more she wakes up and somehow has already walked almost 48000 steps ?!? This just left me feeling uneasy and a little creeped out. I still couldn’t put this book down once I started it.
* check triggers. (Animal cruelty)*

This was great! It’s really quick and the chapters are really short. It reminds me heavily of another book that I can’t recommend you because to do so would be a spoiler for this book.

It’s one of those where you arrive at the conclusion before the main character does, so watching the main character figure it out is its own delicious form of entertainment.

Trigger warnings for: implied/off page violence against animals, also at one time it’s hinted at that a woman’s drink is drug but no SA happens or is implied.

I thought it was sufficiently creepy. The intrigue was high through out- even after you know what’s going on there’s more to uncover about what’s happening at night.

I adored the commentary on women/women’s rights.

I think the only thing that held this back from being a five star read was that the ending was a little unsatisfying? I have no idea how else it could have been wrapped up but it left me wanting something a little more conclusive. Will definitely read more from this author in the future. Shout out to Mary Robinette Kowal for the translation work!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

There was so much potential here. It was a very nice fast read and I found the beginning very intriguing. The build up was good, but I either missed clues along the way or I really have no idea what happened. There seemed to be some clues (trying really hard not to spoil), but I was never sure where they were going and certainly at the end I was like - hmmmm - I wonder if, maybe, this is kindof sortof what happened? Just kind of felt - meh on the ending - was hoping for some big reveal. I did really like the characters conversations with herself - it is something I know I certainly do (bad angel on one shoulder and good on the other).

I didn't enjoy this one very much. I found the character annoying and hard to relate too. I did not think the plot was particularly interesting and there wasn't the thrill factor I was hoping for.
Iðunn is always tired. She doesn't know why because it seems like she's sleeping fine, but she wakes up feeling like she just ran a marathon and she usually has unexplained bruises. She sees a doctor because she thinks there is something medically wrong with her. Her doctor refers her to a phycologist when all of her test results come back normal. She starts trying to exercise more, she even bought a watch to track her steps. She woke up one morning with it on to see she walked 40,000 steps. What is happening her? How can she stop it if no one believes something is wrong with her?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Woah! Imagine waking up every morning and seeming to be more tired than you were before you went to sleep. Waking up each day exhausted and in pain. Iðunn has seen doctor after doctor about her symptoms but no one can seem to help her. She can't get any clear answers until one night she falls asleep with her smartwatch on and realizes that she had walked 40,000 steps and continues to go to the same place each night. When Iðunn takes steps to not go out on her night adventures bad things happen.

A fast paced horror novella with an unstable main character where things are not as they seem, The Night Guest is the perfect summer page turner. This can easily be devoured in a day.

This was not as dark as I thought it might be, but trigger warning for off page animal cruelty. This should be added to your summer TBR.

I adored the first 75% of this book. After that, it fell flat for me and got totally confusing. I'm still unsure what happened at the end but perhaps it was lost in translation? Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The Night Guest is a compelling novella that may provoke a sense of unease and leave you contemplating its content. The main character, Iðunn, grapples with unexplained fatigue and mysterious physical injuries upon waking up each morning. This translated work is easily digestible in one sitting for English readers. However, it's important to note that the book contains elements of animal cruelty, specifically related to cats, which could be distressing for some readers. While I found the book to be an overall enjoyable read, the ending left something to be desired for me.

The Night Guest was a riveting slow burn descent into madness. I loved the unreliable nature of the character and the way she took me down with her. This book made me mad (in a good way) as I was practically shouting at her to get on board and start filming her sleepwalking self. While the cover doesn't scream horror at first glance, I would recommend this to anyone feeling burnt out by psychological thrillers and needing something sinister undertones. I am not 100% clear on the ending of the book, but the journey itself is worth it.