Member Reviews
I was swept up in The Night Guest. A novella that became hard to put down. The author’s writing style is personal, as if you’re being let in on a private conversation. A wonderful surprise is the humor injected into the writing. It’s a quick read with some chapters being a sentence or a paragraph. It’s a compelling plot right up to the end. That’s where it fell apart for me. I found the end confusing and unsatisfying. I would’ve preferred more illumination and less metaphysical.
I LOVE a book with short chapters and flew right through this. The main character is so witty and relatable at times and I enjoyed every page. I thought this was such a unique and captivating story, and it kept me on my toes until the very end. I’m also a sucker for a good cover so I’ll definitely be getting a physical copy when this comes out in September.
3/5 ⭐️
The first 90% of the book felt like it was going to be a 4+ star book. However, I do not like open endings. One more chapter could have made this book incredible for me. The slow decline was incredible, and I loved being in the mind of the main character. If you like more open endings, this is for you. If you want it tied up at the end, I would not recommend unless you are willing to let that go.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This book had me completely hooked from the start, and then just kept layering on more and more intrigue and eerieness, I couldn't put it down. I devoured this novel in one sitting. I couldn't help myself. The bite-sized chapters were too tempting...
My only complaint is that I now crave more...
A beautiful nightmare of a horror novel that isn't afraid to get dark and dirty. It felt like a sinister meditation on the monotony of domesticity, and what not being believed can do to a person...
Such beautiful writing... I can't wait to buy a physical copy to add to my horror favorites. I'll also be recommending it to many others, including my mother's Barnes and Noble book club.
Comes out September 3rd
(On sept 3 I'll leave my review on all my socials)
“The Night Guest” is a breezy read, with short chapters that make it hard to put down. The main character is having trouble sleeping, and when she does wake up, she’s exhausted and has strange injuries. She tries everything she can to unravel the mystery… which puts both herself and others in danger.
I enjoyed the fast pacing of this novel and the unusual and intriguing premise, but I found the ending underwhelming and a bit confusing. There were a few unresolved questions that left me unsatisfied at the end. That being said, I still enjoyed this literary horror book and would recommend it!
This is a short but extremely creepy book set in modern day Iceland.
A woman begins waking up every morning feeling exhausted, with bruises, wounds, and even blood on her face and hands with no memories of what has happened. At first she seeks medical advice before determining that she suffers from sleep walking.
But it's not that easy as her symptoms get worse and the lack of sleep begins to take its toll on her mind and body. And the truth is more horrifying than the symptoms.
In this novella, the author takes us on a psychological horror journey through a nightmare of loss and leaves a bloody trail along the way. It's translated perfectly (kudos to the translator) and it gets you in it's grip from the first page and never lets go until the shocking ending. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Tor Nightfire for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
SYNOPSIS:
Iðunn is in yet another doctor’s office. She knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something is not right, but her symptoms are dismissed by the professionals she desperately seeks out for help.
Her friends and family, while not dismissive, offer advice to eat better, exercise more, establishing a nighttime routine… Iðunn has heard and tried it all.
Until she invests in a step-counting watch… and one night she falls asleep with it on, only to wake up the next morning to learn she has walked over 40,000 steps in the night.
What is happening when Iðunn is asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?
MY REVIEW:
The Night Guest is a creepy novella that will have you on the edge of your seat. With short chapters, some only one sentence, you will be left feeling frantic along with Iðunn, as the novella begins to intensify at a frightening pace. The unique format adds to the reader’s suspense and allows you to feel the increasing weight of despair that Iðunn feels as she sleeps less and less and begins to discover a shocking trail of what she may be leaving behind in her wake.
Although short, I loved how Iðunn’s personality was able to peek through and the way she communicates and acts with all of the different people orbiting in her circle. Iðunn’s internal monologues were one of my favorite parts of this novella. I felt like the ways she was trying to catch herself “in the act” were relatable, but insanely chilling (I’m looking at you camera in closet set-up). I wish there was more of an ending because I really wanted to know about her sister and the specifics of how she may be playing a part in what is happening to Iðunn and those around her. But an ambiguous ending leaves what has happened, and what will happen next, all up to the reader.
3.5/5!!!!!
This was interesting at the beginning, with a terribly disappointing conclusion. It felt more lazy than open ended, and there wasn’t enough context provided to make inferences.
2.5, rounded up
This story was fast-paced. Unfortunately, that was the only real positive it had going for it. While the prose wasn't bad, it lacked a clear, compelling voice. The twists were boring. The "horror" was there, I guess, but it wasn't so much scary as slightly unsettling. Overall, it was a fine enough short story that suffered by being longer than a few pages.
A short novella that will leave you breathing anxiety.
So clever and creepy!
TW,: cats die....like more than 5
I really enjoyed this novella 95% of the way through, but I wish the ending had given us a bit more... something. For most of this short book, the author did a great job of building up this sense of unease and dread, until the bizarre/somewhat shocking (or maybe inevitable) reveal. But then things kind of fell apart. The conclusion felt rushed and even though I don't mind things being left a bit open ended, I felt like I had no insight into what was really going on or why.
*spoiler ahead*
<Spoiler>I think it's safe to say most readers will guess that the sister is somehow behind what's happening to the MC, but what I don't get is, WHY? We're never given any backstory or insight into what this girl was like, other than a vague description or two. Was she a sociopath in life too? Was she out for revenge for some perceived or real slight? I don't get it. Most villains have a WHY and that's what makes them so real. This one seemed random at best. Also the ending... again, WHY?? Was there some reason she took her out into the water? </spoiler>
This book could have been a 5-star for me, it moved quickly and I read it in one sitting and really wanted to love it, but the ending brings it down quite a bit.
<i>"Can you describe your symptoms?"</I>
From the opening line and scene of the latest novella by Hildur Knútsdóttir, I knew I had found a new favorite author for the weird. The story is told by a young Icelandic woman, socially awkward, unmarried, with dysfunctional parents and a dead end job - who realizes, when she begins to awaken in the morning with unknown bruises and cuts on her body, that she must be walking in her sleep.
<i>I'm scared shitless when I meet people who relentlessly pluck at the veil I sometimes imagine myself wrapped in, teasing it aside with each instrusive quesion on the heels of another until there is nothing left but my naked self, which does not want to be pitied any more than Loki in chains.</i>
Idunn is prickly and often unlikeable, but she is a fascinating character in this story. As she begins to pursue her mysterious ailments, strange people and events begin to cross her path, leading to an even darker path. Revealing any more would reveal more plot elements, which I am loathe to do. However, I will warn that there is violence against cats, which I made me more uncomfortable to read about than anything else. And there is a sense of cosmic dread woven throughout the book, that Idunn seems to acknowledge consistently. It's almost as though she senses her doom approaching, yet cannot seem to stop it.
<i>The darkness in there is the darkness between the stars. The darkness that has tried to penetrate my consciousness, and presses on my defenses.</i>
I am a stranger to Icelandic, and so I am grateful for this English translation of a new-to-me author who should most definitely be read by a wider audience. If any publishers out there are reading these humble words, I would suggest you pursue Knútsdóttir's published bibliography and start the translation process immediately. She is hot stuff in my book!
I feel this book kept me on my toes until the end. I was not expecting a few things that happened. I really enhoyed how the story turned out. I hope there is a sequel. I would definitely read it. The two things that kind of annoyed me was all the parenthesis and having multiple chapters in a row that were one sentence long, but I would recommend this book to my friends.
This was fast, thrilling and honestly truly horrifying. It’s not my typical thriller book, but I can definitely see the attraction to this.
This was a fast, thrilling read. I believe I saw it recommended in one of the upcoming thrillers to look out for and went back to request and read it.
But first, MAJOR TW for dead animals. If you love cats, this may not be the book for you. I had seen a TW in another review and was able to skim over the worst part.
Overall, the suspense and the short chapters that kept the reader questioning what was happening at night, where was she going at night...? This made the book a one-sitting read. And it was excellent.
If you enjoy a psychological, Icelandic thriller, this is a great read for you.
"The patriarchy speaks with my mother's voice." – The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir
⭐⭐⭐/5
⚠️ cw: violence, details of injury, animal death, animal cruelty
Iðunn has been having trouble sleeping. She goes to bed, falls asleep, wakes up eight hours later expecting to feel refreshed, and instead only feels more tired than before. The doctors find nothing, and her friends and coworkers seem to dismiss her concerns, telling her to exercise more, try yoga, "what about essential oils?". She feels her life slipping away in the confusion of a missing diagnosis, until one morning, after falling asleep with her new pedometer still on her wrist, she wakes up to discover that she walked 40,000 steps during the night.
This horror novella is short and sweet and so will this review be. Clocking at around 200 pages (some of which only consist of a line or two), this is the perfect book to read in one sitting.
The book uses what is happening to Iðunn to explore themes like the pressure of expectations – both external and internal – as well as loneliness, anxiety and misogyny.
Iðunn is one of the most fun main characters I have encountered in a long while! Her internal monologue feels so real and relatable that most neurodivergent people would feel called out, especially those with a similar mix of anxiety and a tendency to get stuck in their own brain.
The only thing that could have improved this book is a different ending. I was predicting 4⭐ until the last section, but it was still one I very much enjoyed my short time with.
Overall, if you're looking for an unsettling, mysterious novella, bookmark this one for September or go request a copy!
What an incredibly unsettling and fast-paced novella. I practically inhaled this in one sitting! Warning - there is A LOT of cat death.
Iðunn wakes every day feeling sore and exhausted, but according to medical tests there is no reason she should feel this way. From that revelation, the reader is quickly pulled into Iðunn's life filled with unease and dread about what could be happening every night.
The pacing was excellent, with a ton of incredibly short but impactful chapters. The ending is very abrupt, but it worked for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to read an ARC and review!
As I watched the main character unravel, I devoured each chapter as I tried to get to the bottom of the mystery. This was a fast read with an ending that you will keep thinking about well after you’ve finished the book.
I would recommend this title to those who love thrillers and mysteries, especially those with unreliable narrators.
Also, because of the length, I would recommend this book to those who are in a reading slump and need to feel excited about books again.
Trigger warning for animal abuse.
What a great horror novella! It was very fast paced and many chapters with less than a full sentence of words, but definitely story telling!
Idunn has many ailments that no one can seem to help her with. Many doctors and no sleep lead her to taking matters into her own hands. The creep factor really starts when she decides this. All characters, even minor are necessary for the flow of the days and lost days. Idunn’s parents, her non-relationship with them and the same with her male friends, her strange connections to cats all push the story forward. All of these non-relationships help her find her greatest relationship with herself. Though frightening, it’s with herself!
I would recommend this as a quick, reset, read. It’s entertaining, creepy, and doesn’t require a lot of deep thinking.
The translator, Mary Robinette Kowal, did a wonderful job keeping the flow of the story, as this was originally written in, I believe, Icelandic.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with this Advanced Reader’s Copy, in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #horror #arc #translatedcopy
A quaint story that consistently keeps a sense of unease and Iðunn is the perfect character to follow. The mystery was somewhat predictable but held its own until the end (which, unfortunately, wasn't my favourite). Knutsdottir is an author I'll keep on my radar.