That was such a great atmospheric novella! I absolutely loved the main character despite her issues , her logical thinking despite her state of mind with lack of sleep. This perfect read to devour in one sitting! Really enjoyed it! I craved more!!

I really enjoyed this book!!! A dark and disturbing novella.
This is the definition of losing yourself.

This book drew me in from the very beginning. It is well written with a captivating story line. The characters had depth but the details didn't drag on. I caught the twist about halfway through but since the story was so good it didn't bother me. I enjoyed that the setting is in Iceland. Definitely recommend.

Iðunn wakes up constantly tired and sore, like she ran a marathon each night. Her friends and family give her suggestions that are not truly helpful. She buys a pedometer watch and finds that she's walked thousand of steps overnight and sometimes wakes up with bruises and dried blood.

This book started off so great and it was not until the last two chapters or so that it flopped. I did not really understand the ending. I am not sure if it was lost in translation or I just could not catch the deep meaning. It was a novella, so it was short and sweet. I really liked this book until the rushed ending. Trigger alert for animal cruelty. It is not too in-depth, but there are some scenarios. The book was not filled with fluff, but still left you with a delicate description of life in Iceland that made me feel like I was there. While the ending crushed my hopes for this book, I would try another novel from Knútsdóttir.

The last 4 chapters of this book I reread probably about 5 times before I finally sat this book down and walked away from it. It takes a moment to settle. But once it does, the true horror of an already unsettling tale begins to take root and grips its icy hands around your throat full force.

I’m always truly scared by novels where women will go through great lengths to be complacent members of their own lives until their are FORCED to become ACTIVE participants. And by that point… at what cost…

In a similar vein as Come Closer this book is one that will live in my head for years to come.

Fantastic novella, fast paced read, anxiety-inducing. Really enjoyed following her panic and mystery at what could be happening. Happy with the ending though saw mixed reviews, I don't think it needs more.

Review to be edited for better clarity.

This is the most compelling and harrowing story since the cult classic "COME CLOSER" by Sara Grann. This is psychological horror at its finest. The heroine of the story is walking in her sleep and having complications that no medical science can explain.
As it pulls you along into its cold grip, you feel the paranoia and the unsettling nature of this story cloak you.
The Scandinavian noir element is present here, as well. It adds something to the atmosphere that elevates this from a good read to a great one.

4.5 rounded down to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advanced copy of The Night Guest.

Iðunn can't sleep and feels extreme fatigue. When she goes to the doctor and gets tested, they can't find anything wrong with her. As time progresses, she wakes up in weird places, and with injuries she doesn't recall receiving. Is she just sleepwalking, or is something more sinister happening?

This story was very fast-paced (multiple chapters were literally one or two sentences long), which kept me hooked. As a woman, I've had my fair share of experiences with medical professionals similar to that of Iðunn, when doctors don't believe you, or refuse to try to figure out why you're not feeling like yourself. It can be very isolating and psychologically terrifying. Iðunn is basically spiraling out of control as the story progresses, and seems to lose her grip on reality. Because I could relate to this on a distant level, I felt extreme dread and hopelessness while reading Iðunn's journey.

My only gripe was that the ending was super abrupt. It happened so fast I was confused and unsure what happened, and I had to reread the last couple of chapters. Other than that, this story was bleak and terrifying, especially if you're someone who has had similar experiences with medical professionals.

Also, there is mention of animal deaths in this story. It doesn't go into graphic detail but it is fairly disturbing if you're triggered by that.

One of the best books of 2024 kept me coming back to turn its pages all weekend long. A walking nightmare that had me pulling for Idunn, knowing she'd kill for a good night's sleep. Beautifully written and haunting. Loved it!

If you think you would like an Icelandic horror/thriller version of Fleabag, then this is the book for you.

Iðunn keeps waking up bone deep exhausted. She has seen multiple doctors, tried medication, getting drunk, walking 10,000 steps a day... nothing helps. The longer this goes on (and the more she tries to prevent whatever happens while she's sleeping), the more injuries she wakes up with. She has suspicions about what, or more specifically who, could be causing this. But they're dead, right?

The thing that stuck out the most to me while reading this story was how distinct Iðunn's voice was. Her internal monologue was hilarious and reminded me of Fleabag right off the bat. Whenever one of her internal comments popped up in parenthesis, it felt like she was turning and speaking to me directly.

Knútsdóttir built the tension really well as the story progressed. The horror elements were fun, creepy and atmospheric.

I knocked the novel(la) out in one sitting and plan on reading more of her works on my upcoming Iceland trip.

*Cats are graphically harmed in this story, so please keep that in mid before reading *

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Hildur Knútsdóttir for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was amazingly creepy. I really enjoyed not knowing exactly what “the night guest” was doing with our protagonist’s body during the night hours. And the phone recordings creeped me out. 4.5 stars

I’m so bummed, this novella had all the potential. Quick short chapters, intriguing premise, unreliable narrator… that just left me hanging with all the questions. It wasn’t scary, but sets up some intrigue about losing control over your own body… man I really wanted to like this but in the end it was a waste of my time.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC of ‘The Night Guest’. Phew, so this book started out incredibly strong. I flew through this one in two days and would have been quicker if I wasn’t hosting parties this weekend. I absolutely loved the premise, especially being a women with strange ‘aches and pains’ that so often get dismissed by medical professionals (shout out to my PCOS and fibromyalgia girlies). However the ending, or should I say lack there of an ending …. Huh?!? I have never jumped back so quickly to see if I had somehow missed an entire chapter. I usually only take one star off for a great book but poor ending, but I gave three stars because there literally was NOTHING. I just don’t even understand. I need answers!

Iceland, horror story, pink aesthetic cover with a wine glass? I was immediately drawn to this book! It was tense and kept me guessing, wondering what was happening.

Reading The Night Guest left me feeling some type of way, y'all.

This is a super fast-paced and quick read. I finished it within a day and I couldn't put it down because I just needed to find out what the heck was happening. The premise is immediately captivating. Our leading lady is waking up every morning feeling like she ran a marathon during the night and it only gets worse as things progress, sometimes even waking up with injuries that she can't account for. Doctors say that there isn't anything wrong with her, so what in the world is going on?

The chapters are short (sometimes even just one sentence) which creates an unputdownable flow that I loved and the slowly escalating sense of dread propelled me forward through the pages. And then it just...ended. With very little explanation and a fever dream sense of "what did I just read?" I wanted so badly to love this one, and for the first 90%, I did. But I really needed more from the ending, there were loose threads that needed stitching and I finished disappointed and wanting more.

This had the potential to be a five star read for me. I can appreciate an ending that leaves you with questions, but I do need SOME answers by the time I turn the last page, and this one left basically all of them unanswered. That said, if you don't mind using your imagination and having lingering questions, I think this one is worth a read purely because the bulk of the novella was excellent.

TW for animal abuse (not actually depicted, just scenes afterward) and cat death.

This was a very interesting read for me. There is death with animals, so beware. Our main character is always tired. We know how that feels, right? Well, it seems she is super normal, and nothing is wrong, though her legs are killing her like she has walked a marathon. So when she forgets to take off her smartwatch, she notices she has walked way more than she ever should and to the same spot. What is causing this? Why can't she stop? This novella is creepy and does have you going. Hmm, what did I read? Overall, it is decent.

I really enjoyed this book! It was super creepy (in a good way) and kept me on the edge of my seat. I feel like there was a deeper meaning to this book too with an ending that was left up to interpretation. You definitely don't want to skip out on this horror book!

I did also include this in a YouTube video about my summerween TBR + NetGalley recs: https://youtu.be/_Zm0CgZY0ds?si=xwMx0U0JK_2TFQGc

Thank you to NetGalley, Hildur Knútsdóttir, and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Nightfire for an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review/opinion.

Imagine waking up each morning exhausted only to realize you aren't staying in bed once you fall asleep. That's the premise behind The Night Guest and only gets more and more startling as the story moves along. This tale quickly draws you in as the MC ponders where she goes and what she does after falling asleep.
Unfortunately, the ending was a little "meh" for me but I enjoyed the mystery.

Massive CW for animal death and abuse! I wouldn't have picked it up had I known the extent, so please be forewarned.

Firstly, thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the advanced ebook copy!

I’m going to try to do this WITHOUT any spoilers.
(If I sound a little repetitive, I’m trying to dance around spoiling something 😅)

Wow! Such a great read. I love a good unreliable narrator/MC.
Our MC goes through the emotional roller coaster of grief, anxiety, depression, being extremely self critical, sleep deprivation etc. She has laundry list of problems and I feel the author narrates her thoughts through them as well as everything that’s been happening to her/around her perfectly.
There were times I felt her anxiety and was anxious for her!

The real thrill comes from seeing every event unfold through her discovery of clues after the fact. This story relies heavily on our MC’s narrative and her narrating experiences to us, the audience, as well as herself - the MC.
Definitely worth reading and would be of particular interest for those who enjoy unreliable narrators/MC’s and don’t find stories with one point of view not indulging enough.
Curious to pick up something else by this author.

Talk about a book that grabs you and doesn’t let go until the chilling ending. I’ve never read a book this short, yet so memorable. The writing style kept me furiously turning pages well into the night. Read it if you dare, but be warned that simply turning in for the night will never be the same after.