*** NO SPOILERS ***

The author delivered an exceptionally gripping tale of a young woman seemingly trapped by a degenerative health issue. Sleep is not only not restful and restorative it leaves her aching and more tired. Occasional superficial injuries that she has the next morning. Could she be getting scratched and bruised by falling out of bed and not awakening? I could actually sense the growing level of frustration experienced by the lead character. No matter what "the experts" try, in their analysis all the tests fail to produce a solution. This is overlaid onto her work schedule, a co-worker ex who is bothersome, visits to parents where it seems each time is a replay of every other time, memories of her deceased sister, and attempts to get back into a "normal" life routine.

Strange bits and pieces of moments of her dreams are seeming like pieces to a puzzle. Only she has a handful of unrelated ones, and no idea how large the puzzle is.

Her life is a constant struggle of trying to juggle her exhaustion, new boyfriend, absence from work, with pressure to return or get medical authorization, her troublesome ex, and now the neighborhood cats seem to no longer like her. All that framed by an increasingly troubled realization of what happens when she sleeps.

I spent the story trying to figure out the exact answer to the problems she was having as well as how she'd be able to get past them. The author kept dangling that next little bit of information, the hint of a possibility, the prospect of a clarifying clue that kept me chasing the tale to the end.

First read of this author's works. It had me hooked, it was a fast read, a twisting journey and like many theme park rides over too soon. I can't wait to see what she has next. Highly recommended and 4.5 stars rounded up to five

I want to thank the author for her work, the translator who made it possible for me to read, Net Galley for making it a 48 hour available ARC which I devoured in one sitting. I think I understand that this review remains internal to Net Galley. I typically post reviews on Amazon (US), Goodreads, and BookBub and will do so right before or at its release date.

Thoroughly enjoyed this! Great pace, lovely dread-inducing atmosphere that keeps you hooked and I found Iðunn relatable & endearing. Minus a star for a bit of a let down ending, but worth the read for sure.

The Night Guest begins with the narrator, Idunn, visiting a doctor to discuss her symptoms of extreme fatigue. She worries initially that she might have some horrific disease, only to find that she's actually sleepwalking. The sense of dread is palpable, and over time events begin to be more and more horrific, and I found the book impossible to put down.

The Night Guest is a swift, unsettling story that will leave you feeling pistol-whipped. What a ride!

We are following our main character, Iðunn, as she wakes up each day feeling more tired than before she went to sleep. As her world starts to spiral, and she stops sleeping, what’s really happening to Iðunn?

I thought this was a great spooky tale that packs a punch in a short novella.

A quick read for me. Compelling, creepy, everything you want in a good horror story. There are some content warnings you may want to check up on, mainly for animal deaths (not depicted- only the aftermath of it shown) and references to domestic violence.

Very quick read. Easy to get through. Our FMC is exhausted and likely losing her mind and we are along for the ride, feeling every bit of her journey. I had to reread the ending a couple times and I was also left with the question of what was under the pillow? What was found there that was kept secret?

I really loved this disturbing little book about a woman struggling with her sleep only to realize that nighttime is not a safe place for her anymore. You felt as discombobulated as our narrator. Desparate for answers and terrified of what they might be. I highly recommend as a fast thrilling read!

🍷 The Night Guest: Review🍷

If this book is not on your radar already you should definitely add it!

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir is one of those books I couldn’t put down! I picked this one up on a whim, being influenced by the beautiful cover. The plot sounded really great as well. I wound up reading this one in less than 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down once I started. It has short chapters and an engaging plot. I wanted to know what was happening—and none of my theories were right.

The book follows a woman named lounn. She’s been experience fatigue and weird bruises. All the doctors have been unable to find anything wrong with her. Her friends suggested drinking more water, walking more, diets, and all sorts of other “home fixes” but nothing has worked. She decides to get a smart watch to track her steps. One morning when she wakes up she finds she accidentally left her smart watch on, and in a shocking turn of events, she walked 40,000 steps overnight…

This book is unhinged and unsettling in the best way. It has short chapters and reads like a breeze. I also love the underlying theme of women and healthcare professionals not always listening to them when we speak out about our health. Too often are things overlooked or dismissed.

I gave this one five stars ⭐️

It comes out on September 3rd, 2024 and is translated by Mary Robinette Kowal.

This is a great thriller. The story is captivating and entertaining. Page after page, I was thoroughly hooked by the story.

Disclaimer: I received this ebook ARC from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Wow, this one will stick with me for a long time. "The Night Guest" is a great horror novella. Definitely something to pick up if you've ever experienced insomnia and/or you have suffered from a variety of odd symptoms but doctors only say you're completely fine.

I didn't want to put it down from the start and though I wished it was longer just to draw out the experience, I can appreciate how straight to the point it was. The ending was quite abrupt, which is the only reason it's not a 5-star (that and the cat gore - trigger warning!). I don't know if there are more translated works by Hildur Knutsdottir but I would love to read more from her.

Wow. Wow. This book has me in a chokehold. I am not sure what I was expecting. But that wasn’t it. It was fast paced and keeps me wanting more. Please tell me there’s gonna be more.

I really, really, really wanted to give this book 4 stars and I’ll explain why I didn’t.

The majority of this book was well written and the storyline was unique. It was a mystery and horror thriller that kept my interest until the end. I could see where the author was going early in the book and I kept reading because I was enjoying the ride. The short chapters kept the story moving at a good pace, which made this a quick read.

I felt let down by the ending, though. I know what was coming and I was left with so many unanswered questions that made it confusing. There were also hints of the main character’s and her family’s past that were never fleshed out. I’m thinking the author may have left it vague on purpose and more detail would have helped make the story more whole for me.

This was still an overall good book that I think is worth the read.

The mystery and the rising sense of dread had me racing through this one in just a couple of hours, desperate to know how it ends. The horror that had been building throughout the book started to pull together in the last few pages and then...the book stopped with no payoff. It's so disappointing since another five or ten pages to give the story a true ending would have made this one a small masterpiece.

Received via NetGalley.

An interesting little novella with a relatable female lead. I felt most compelled by the story in the beginning as I have had similar experiences (especially lately) medically.

The ending for me was anticlimactic as I knew who her Night Guest was, but not the background or context of why. I would have liked more closure but the ending was artistic and open ended for those who are into that.

All in all, great read!

What’s with people hating the ending of this? It’s a very fitting ending for the story. It’s actually kinda perfect. It also fits the tone and writing style so well.

Possible spoilers ahead.

This story is an exploration of grief, of living in the shadow of someone else, and then finally letting go while trying not to let yourself go under in the process.

I loved the voice of the main character as well as the pacing - both were like breaths of fresh air. The no nonsense approach kept it flowing so well.

This was my first Icelandic novel and the translation worked well.

There were cat deaths but I do rescue and was able to handle the way they were presented.

Big thanks to Hildur Knutsdottir, Tor Nightfire, and NetGallery for allowing me to read and give my honest feedback.

Iðunn is having trouble with sleeping, but it's not quite insomnia. She wakes up exhausted and is constantly fatigued. It's as if when she's sleeping she's not resting. Doctors can't help her. Everyone has advice for her, but nothing works. She gets a watch to count her steps per someone's recommendation. She wakes up one morning to see over 40,000 steps on the watch. What is really going on?

The story is set in Iceland and there are a couple of interesting things in the beginning regarding electronic IDs needed to check medical results. This is a short, easy to read book. There are 100 chapters but they are all short. Many of them have just a few words. It's very effective at creating tension.

The dread slowly builds as Iðunn tries to figure out what is going on. It's pretty easy to guess one thing but it takes her a little while to get there. Once she figures something out the pace picks up.

There are disturbing parts to the story that may be too much for some readers. Most of it is vague though and the author's writing style makes it easy to read.

It's hard to say too much without giving spoilers. If you enjoy horror that's more creepy than scary with a building dread throughout The Night Guest might be for you. The ending is abrupt and leaves you with questions. It's open for interpretation what really happened. I don't necessarily mind not knowing for sure, but I would have liked a little more to base an opinion on.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
This is a thrilling, captivating read. It is really short and funny and a thriller. I don’t know that everyone will read the funny element as I did. But the social commentary side and the main character’s reading of other characters was funny to me. The horror was not overwhelming for me. It flowed alongside the rest of the narrative without getting lost or being too strong.
This book captures a woman struggling with who she is, particularly in relation to her body. There is a lot of discrimination and distrust in the medical world towards women with conditions and I enjoyed this book’s portrayal of the frustrations or humiliations or confusion that women face while trying to get support. It felt honest without being preachy. I don’t know much of what Icelandic culture is like, but there was nothing in the story to make me feel out of place or confused. They do seem to quite avidly use Facebook for communication, which was the strangest part to me, but I think that’s more a generational thing. There isn’t a whole lot of buildup or progression, it’s short and just goes through everything fast. (disclaimer: I also read quickly apparently, finishing this in under 2 hours) I loved how the author used chapter breaks to convey Iðunn’s state of mind and the effect of events on her consciousness.
I really enjoyed this quick, horrific novel.

Well then. :-/

I'm sitting here trying to think of what to type, but I'm stunned after that "ending"* so give me a minute..
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Whew..
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Ok, here we go...

I read this book so fast. A few hours. My eyes couldn't read it fast enough. (Damn you, eyes. Do better, UGH! - I really should take up learning to speed read 🤔). I feel like I am recovering from whiplash.

At the beginning of the book, I was immediately sucked in because this woman is 99% describing me! I found myself nodding my head like "Yep, exactly" for 3 chapters straight because I could relate so much. She's trying to figure out WTF is wrong with her - wakes up dead tired and bruised up and can't figure out why. She feels let down and cries when her doctor's tests come back normal. "Because there's nothing worse than having unexplained symptoms." She actually wishes it was something so she had something to go off of. To 'fix'. But nothing can be measured in exams and when your doctor(s) think it's all in your head, I understand this so much! Especially as a woman. Being dismissed by doctors practically comes along with being of the XX chromosome. 😑

The story gets and stays creepy the rest of the way. But creepy in a good way that kept me reading the whole time. I NEEDED to get to the end. I ignored my family for those few hours so I could!

At first the extremely short chapters bothered me and were a little distracting. I'm talking chapters that were 4 words long lol. But as the story read on, these short chapters seemed to add to the suspense, which I really liked.

* But then there's the end. Or was it even an end? Ugh. I was disappointed. I realize this is a novella, but can we get some resolution, please?! It just....ends. Seemingly in the middle of the reveal (my eyes read even faster at this part). But....with no actual reveal? It kind of didn't even make sense.

It was so unresolved that when I went to the next page and it was the Acknowledgements, I thought, "WTF, no way. Did I miss something?" I went back and re-read the last chapter. Nope, I didn't miss anything. It just ends. Bummer.

Creepy horror novella that will have you questioning yourself and also leave you on the edge of your seat for the entire 208 pages.

Iðunn is having trouble sleeping at night and cannot seem to figure out why. She seeks medical advice, as well as the advice from family members and friends but to no avail, ends up with less answers from when she started. Iðunn starts to wake up to find her smart watch having counted over 40,000 steps taken while she was sleeping. She also starts finding mysterious bruises all over her body that she cannot explain to go with the blood stains on her mouth and hands. What’s going on with Iðunn?

A very quick read that I was able to finish in just over 2 hours. The ending left me confused due to the unreliable narrator and I went back and reread the last few chapters about two more times over, but that just made me love the novella even more.

Easily put- this was a disturbing delight!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir is an interesting meditation on grief. The reader follows Idunn as she goes about her daily life, losing hours of her life during her sleep where she's unaware what she's doing.

I enjoyed the novella and it's overall writing, although I found it to be a bit too sparse at times for me. In a shorter book, there is less time to feel connection with the characters, which I feel happened for me in this book. The suspense is built well, and the format of the book alternating between longer and shorter chapters allows for a disorienting, taut reading experience that builds the mood well. I would have preferred it more if the book was a bit longer, so there was more development that would lead to a more impactful ending.

Overall, I think it's a solid thriller with good atmosphere. Hardcore thriller fans will enjoy this title and appreciate the suspense.