Do not read before bedtime. I repeat: Do not read before bedtime.
‘The Night Guest’ is a super suspenseful, intense and fast paced horror story.
Some of the biggest advantages of this novella, in my opinion, are the short chapters and definitely the beyond eerie ambiance, which is very nicely done. 👏🏽
Although I found the ending a little predictable and unreal, along with the fact that I really needed more explanation; I genuinely enjoyed this book!
— Rating: 3★

The Night Guest will hit the shelves in September.

Thank you @tornightfire for providing this book for review consideration via @netgalley. All opinions are my own. 🩷

I wanted to love this book, however the ending felt so abrupt and incomplete. This felt like a first draft of a novel and needed more development.

This was a creepy little read! This novella tells the story of Iðunn, a woman experiencing extreme exhaustion despite being relatively healthy. She tries everything from exercise to supplements to sleep training to fix her problem but every morning she wakes up and feels like she hasn't slept at all. The exhaustion escalates to scratches and bruises on her body, making it clear she's going somewhere at night. I think the first 75% of this book does an excellent job ramping up the tension and stakes for Iðunn. I'm not sure if it 100% stuck the landing but it's a quick, entertaining read. I don't think I've ever read a book that takes place in Iceland either, and the setting is perfect for this kind of story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, I loved this book so much and I highly recommend. It’s a 4/5 stars for me! It was very suspenseful and had me pleasantly surprised.

This nasty little novella mesmerized me over the two hours I read it; at under 200 pages, the hook is a killer: Iðunn is exhausted despite sleeping all night. No one in the medical industry is taking her seriously. What's happening to her at night?

Despite some overt scares and blood, this is a restrained little book: its conclusion is eerie, unexplained. Some readers may find it underbaked. I did love how it didn't explain everything - but oof the animal violence (cats! I love cats!) was tough to take.

The animal death was a bit much for me, but the vibes were on. Kind of combines my normal weird girl genre with my love for horror.

As a fan of horror I was so excited for this one. And it delivered on every front. It was creepy, unsettling and I had a general sense of dread the entire time! If you are a horror fan like me definitely give this a try. Thank you to the publishing company for sending this ARC

Scandi fiction normally doesn’t tie things up in a pretty box with a bow. But this narrative didn’t even make it into a box of any sort and got a flat tire before it made it to the Dollar Tree to buy a bow.
I’m not even sure what I just read, but I’m glad I knew it was a novella going in.
Scandi “horror” (I use quotes bc that’s how the publisher is describing it, but it was more like a thriller)
Eye-opening (read perfect) narrative on just how poorly the medical system is set up and treats women.
Loved it until 97% when the story simply dive off a cliff.
So many questions and not in a good way.
Give it a try if you want, it’s a quick fast paced read. Maybe you will get what I missed.

This was a quick read, it was not at all what I was expecting. But it kept my attention and I wanted to know how it was going to end.

Creepy concept which resonates a little too well with modern readers who use tracking devices…. I loved the premise and could see how this could actually happen. Also really enjoyed the setting and felt the writing style was top notch. Some of the themes are pretty confronting and I had to skim through some of the gore, but what a story!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Because there is nothing worse than having unexplained symptoms. Feeling like there’s something terribly wrong—but nothing that can be measured in exams, and you know the doctor thinks it’s all in your head."

The Night Guest is a thriller/horror novella set in Iceland about a woman who thinks she may be sleepwalking. She keeps waking up each morning feeling exhausted with lots of steps on her watch, but with no memory of what may have happened.

This was a really entertaining and quick read! It didn't blow me away or shock me by any means, but it was gripping and strange.

Major TW for animal deaths!

*Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars
This was a nice short read that kept my attention. It you need something to get you out of a reading slump I would 100% recommend this. In terms of horror this is quite light, but still enough to give you the creeps. I liked how quick and snappy this felt.
That being said there was a lot left unfinished. I genuinely think this storyline could've been made into a fully fleshed out novel rather than novella. It had a lot of potential but a lot of questions were left unanswered and some parts felt rushed/underdeveloped. It was an easy and enjoyable read but I think it's very forgettable unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bizarre but utterly enthralling, The Night Guest was a quick read that kept me in suspense from page one. Ominous and eerie and rich with mystery, this book left me feeling unsettled in the same way bizarre horror movies leave me. It does end quite suddenly with a climax, and I was able to infer who was “the night guest” early on— however it didn’t stop me from wanting to finish. I wish there was a little more explanation and conclusion than what I was given, however I feel the intention of the story was more about the ride we were on as a reader rather than having a character motive or clearly explained resolution. This is one that I may have to reread to pick up more subtle details, but overall I enjoyed the writing and how the story kept building suspense and anxiety.

This novella has been translated as the author is from Iceland.

It was a fast pace, unexpected book! I went completely blind beside the fact I knew that Iðunn felt like she couldn’t sleep.

Iðunn suffers from clinical fatigue and her muscles always feel so tired when she wakes up. Sometimes, she also find bruises and blood on her body but can’t remember anything from the night. She’s trying different ways to make sure she actually gets a good night of sleep but fails to do so.

One day, she get curious enough to a new watch with GPS to know if and where she goes every night to could warrant so much muscle fatigue. She discovers that she sleepwalks but always end up going to the same place.

Why that location? What is she doing when she’s there?

It is a bizarre ending but it does leave it open for interpretation!

TW: dead cats

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Tor Nightfire for providing me a digital copy in exchange for my review.

this book was an incredibly wild ride. a meditation on grief and anxiety, the night guest manages to blend a horrific situation with a sympathetic center. not sure how to feel except shocked and missing my sister a little.

A smart and creepy horror that you will read in one sitting easily, so free up those hours before you sit down!

Excellent and incredibly creepy. I love a story with an unreliable narrator and one that keeps you guessing as to what, exactly, is going on. A fast-paced, hard to put down read. CW for animal harm.

WOW this was such an unsettling and great read.

CW for cat death/abuse--it's off page and not graphic, but there are mentions of it and it's a pretty big part of the story.

Iðunn is experiencing extreme fatigue and muscle weakness--she feels like no matter what she does, she feels like she's run a marathon and lifted weights every night despite being asleep. After finding a doctor who believes she has a problem, Iðunn is thrilled--she may finally feel rested and get some real sleep.

But soon she finds out that she's walking over 40k steps every night with no memory of where she's gone, or what she's done. She's waking up with bruises, covered in blood, and attempts to keep herself locked in seem to be useless. But what is she doing? Where is she going? Why have the neighborhood cats started avoiding her? And does she really want to know the answer to those questions?

This is a very short horror read, and I think it could have improved with the addition of a chapter or two. The ending comes out of nowhere and I think another 10 pages or so to really set it up and explain it would have made this a perfect horror novella.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this one! This is exactly the book I was looking for in wanting a short horror read.

I found this book a super fast read. It was attention holding, creepy, ominous and gory - all the makings of a great novel. It has a unique storyline but I found it was just too rushed. The novella could have easily been a full on novel.

The main character is Iðunn. She’s exhausted and visits the doctor in hopes of finding answers. She doesn’t get answers but she gets herself a Garmin watch and finds out she’s walking 40K+ steps a night. She has no recollection of where she is going or what she is doing but she’s coming home with injuries and it’s not good.

After doing some investigating on her own, her Garmin watch shows she always ends up on the same location. The million dollar question is…”but why?”

The book has some intense graphic scenes, some involving cats. If animal abuse is a no-no for you, pass on this one.

The ending snuck up on me fast and had me left hanging, I honestly just sat there for a minute trying to make sense of it.

Overall, a quick read with some ick-vibe visuals in my head. Must note, the translation to English from Icelandic was done very well!

I went into this book thinking it would be about women not being listened to when it comes to their pain and ailments, and I got gory horror in return.
The protagonist’s insecure nature and the way she relates to the rest of the world make her incredibly interesting. I enjoyed how the first half of the novella is better constructed, with a quick but constant rhythm, while the more her sleep deprivation hits the more the story rushes forward.

The ending was the bit the satisfied me the least, but simply because the story wasn’t what I expected. I would have preferred something less open ended.

Trigger warning for animal death and violence.

Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.