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.

This was an entertaining book until the very end. The ending made no sense to me. I don’t know if it was because it’s a translation or if it was written that way, but the ending was just bizarre. Very abruptly ended as well. I was into it up until then.

Thank you to the author, netgalley, and the publisher for this e-arc to review.

This would make a fantastic movie. The pace was perfect to keep the imagery and atmosphere. I was sucked into the story the whole time.

Wow! I’m going to be thinking about this book for a long time. This book flies by and leaves you at the edge of your seat wanting more.

Iðunn is at the doctor’s office again. She wakes up exhausted every morning and often has new injuries to go with the exhaustion. After running tests with no discernible results she is left with no answers. Talking for friends and family leads to questions about exercise, diet and nighttime routines. Iðunn finally decides to buy a pedometer to count her steps. After falling asleep with it on she realizes she walked over 40,000 steps in one night.

This leads to Iðunn taking matters into her own hands to figure out what she is doing at night and it’s a wild ride.

I wanted to give this book 5 stars because it is so, so good. I was so surprised when it just abruptly ended!! I wanted so much more! I’m sure that was by design but I’m still kind of mad about it. 😆

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the author and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read this title early for review purposes.

Iðunn visits yet another doctor in the hope of finding a cause for her fatigue. No matter what she tries: going to bed on time, taking vitamins, exercising - nothing helps. Blood tests show nothing and doctors dismiss her symptoms. She even buys a sports watch in the hope of becoming wiser - only to discover when she wakes up that she has taken more than 40,000 steps during the night. What happens in her sleep? And how did she get those scratches?

A wonderfully strange and mysterious book with a big horror twist. I found Iðunn
an intriguing and wonderfully cynical character. Written at a brisk pace and interesting to read something translated from Icelandic!

WTH did I just read?! I’m still sitting here wondering what happened and how to even explain how I feel about this book because I still don’t know. I’m honestly speechless…

This story started off really well and it was everything the summary said it would be, the main character keeps waking up every morning with scratches, bruises and feels like she’s exhausted like she didn’t sleep at all. Then she starts finding random spots of blood on herself, so she buys a watch to track her steps and finds out what’s been happening to her throughout the night.

Then the plot falls apart, and I’m left feeling more confused than when I started the book. I feel like I have more questions than answers and I still don’t fully understand what happened. I sadly won’t be reading anything else from this author because this was enough for me to know I don’t want to be let down again. It had such potential but that ending was so abrupt and just awful.

3.5/5. There were a few parts that I feel like I missed something due to lack of cultural knowledge, but otherwise an enjoyable quick read.

This was such a weird and unique little book.

The first few chapters could have been about me and my life. I know exactly what it feels like to live with unexplained, horrible symptoms on a daily basis, to wake up every day exhausted, to be told my blood work looks fine, and to be dismissed by doctors.
But I really hope that I will never find myself in a similar situation as the main character of this story.

Iðunn, a woman living in Iceland, is worried about her health. She‘s exhausted and keeps finding strange bruises on her body. She starts using a smart watch to keep track of her daily steps. But then she falls asleep with the watch on and wakes up to find she‘s walked over 40.000 steps in the night.

This was a quick read with very short chapters (loved it) and I finished it in two sittings.

I enjoyed the writing style. I was entertained the whole time and I loved the eerie and creepy atmosphere.

The main character was really interesting, especially from a psychological point of view. And unlike other reviewers, I didn't find Iðunn unlikable.

I especially liked the commentary on women's experiences of not being taken seriously by medical professionals.

But some parts of the story were very hard to read and I could have done without them (trigger warning for all the animal lovers).

And the ending was quite abrupt and left me with unanswered questions. The story just didn’t seem finished to me.

I would still highly recommend this to anyone who loves fast-paced and weird horror novellas.

This was a great read-fast, absorbing, scattered with acerbic humor and ever-mounting tension.
I loved that the narrator was typical of so many of us-weird symptoms? Google it and tell your doctor what you have!
Never mind the fact that she-also like most of us-got the diagnosis wrong.
The good-the mystery of what exactly is happening to this narrator while she sleeps was intriguing.Just the right amount of description to build on her sense of disbelief and dread.
The chapters were short (some literally just a sentence) and kept the story moving. I knocked this out in a couple of hours because I had to read “just one more”.
What kept this from being 5 stars-I feel like a significant chunk of backstory integral to the narrator’s situation was left out. I would gladly have read a few extra chapters to get a better sense of the who-what-why. Also, I dislike ambiguity in my endings 🤨
This has strong “Come Closer” by Sara Gran vibes. If you enjoyed that one, put this on your list right now!