Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I’m not sure what I just read but I binged it in a little over an hour. I couldn’t put it down.

This horror novella is creepy, chilling, with a plot that moves quickly and an ending that will leave you confused but in a good way. In a way that leaves it up to the reader to decide what happened. If you like horror and are looking for a quick read I highly recommend picking this one up.

It will have you scared to fall asleep.

This sparsely but effectively written horror-mystery novella will frustrate many readers with its abrupt ending. After sitting with the ending for a bit, I’m a fan. Would I have liked this to be twice as long? Yes - because I was deeply drawn into the story. Did it need to be twice as long? No… I think the novel did what it wanted to do.
I loved the creeping tension of this novella - the uncertainty, the eerie atmosphere, the hints at something ELSE beyond what we (think we) know is going on. It was short, but the effect lingers.

Review of an ARC provided by NetGalley.

3.5 stars

Well this was a quick and pleasant surprise. I enjoyed every minute of this book, and the ending was not what I was expecting. I for sure want to check out more by this author.

This book follows Iðunn who has been waking up mysteriously, tired, and sore every morning with no reason to why it’s happening to her. This was a short and fun read. This book kept me entertained from the beginning to end, I would definitely recommend it to others. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC.

Read this in one sitting - it was intriguing and felt so realistic and eery that I couldn’t put it down until I knew what was going on. A very quick, easy read that will keep ya hooked - I give it 3 stars just because I was entertained but not blown away.

The most perfect, eery novella. I read this book in one sitting, eager to find out what happens next. The book gave me chills. Will be recommending.

Engaging, gory, and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where horror is popular. (Definite trigger warning for animal death though)

Okay, that ending shocked me. When I first started reading, I’m sat there thinking okay an older woman who sleep walks and weird things happen.. nothing new but then the ending. Literally loved it.

The short chapters made it such an easy quick read which I personally enjoy.

I will make a note about a possible trigger warning as it talks about the death of some cats. It’s not descriptive or anything but it is implied there are some cats killed.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

wow! this was really something. i deeply enjoyed the atmosphere and the sense of dread the author was able to establish. the ending left me disappointed a bit, even though it was amazingly written and interesting. not sure … definitely want to read more of this author because of it that’s for sure.
tw animal death / gore

Thank you so much Netgalley for this ARC. I really liked this book and I plan on pre ordering it soon.

Really fab horror novella
I couldn't put this one down.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book

Hildur Knutsdótir's novella, 'The Night Guest,' is an absolute blast of a story, a wild ride in deceptively plain prose and weird imagery. Dressed as a mystery of sorts (Iðunn cannot understand why she's waking up more and more tired, when there's nothing pathologically wrong with her), it soon develops into horror, a bizarre melange of a ghost and possession story. Though taking place in Reykjavík, the setting is not really a factor in the story; nor the characters themselves (I could not really relate to anyone). The story itself is the protagonist, the unfolding of a promising premise into the uncanny, the bizarre and the weird; it seemed to me that the intention is to make a point about the loss of identity and the cost of its restoration - at least that's how I read the ending, which is bound to be very divisive and controversial due to its huge ambiguity. Nevertheless, this is a must-read for horror fans, a story full of suspense and creepy horror!

Idunn is exhausted. She sleeps at night and wakes in the morning in pain with bruises she can't recall.

This thriller/ horror novella will absolutely stay with me - the only reason I can't do 5 stars is because I wish the ending had given more. I read this book in two hours and was absolutely riveted. The story is fast-paced and just creepy enough to be unnerving. The reader is given just enough clues about the 'monster' to build tension.

💭eARC review: the night guest by hildur knútsdótir
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

set in Reykjavík, main character Iðunn is constantly tired, waking up with sore muscles and an uneasy feelinh that something in her body feels off. after waking up one morning with over 45,000 steps tracked on her watch, Iðunn has to figure out what and where she’s going at night—and why.

first off, this is a quick quick quick read (less than 200 pages!) which is found to be the perfect length. i was pretty hooked from the start and tore through this in a couple hours. from the characters to the writing style and the eery, weird journey we’re on with the main character, knútsdótir’s book checked all the boxes for me. knocking it down to 4 stars only because of the ending, which i found maddening (but i think that was its intended effect?). definitely check this one out, on sale sept 3, 2024!

cw: bl00d, de*d pets, kn*ves

This is creepier than I expected. I thought it might be more of a mystery, but it was definitely horror. I think it should’ve come with a warning about animal violence and death, but it wasn’t too graphic. This is one of the few books were I really wasn’t sure where it was going to go. I really like the Iceland setting. Her parents were very annoying with the endless poultry. Do they not have vegetarians in Iceland? I did feel like the ending was too abrupt. I also would’ve liked have known a little more about the side characters.

The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir
Pub date: September 3, 2024

Iounn wakes every morning fatigued and sore, as if she’s been up running a marathon instead of asleep in her bed all night. Seeking doctors to find something to explain this bone weary fatigue has lead her nowhere. On the advice of friends she tries a pedomoter watch to track her exercise during the day. When she forgets to remove it one night, she’s shocked to find she’s walked miles while asleep.

This quick little story is full of horror and chills with a thrilling plot that leads the reader down a merry path of speculating just what is going on. Trust me, you won’t know until you know and then it’s a horrifying discovery!

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for this gifted copy!

This was a very atmospheric, and creepy novella. I really enjoyed it and would love to read more from the author.

Iðunn is tired. She sleeps but wakes exhausted. Her body aches and feels incredibly heavy. What is wrong with her? She has friends, she has family she seems normal…except for the overwhelming sense of fatigue. But when she begins to wake up with odd bruises, dirt under her nails, and unable to remember her nights she gets scared and the story gets very creepy. It’s a short read which is great as you’ll want to read it from start to finish in one sitting! The horror builds as Iðunn realizes she has no control over her body when she shuts her eyes for the night. What happens during those dark hours? The story is suspenseful and full of dread until the very end. It’s a horror filled short read but I would have loved a bit more from the ending. I think this book could have been twice as long with a more fleshed out story and I still would have finished it in one sitting. Is it a critique of the story if the author leaves you wishing for more? If so it is my only one! I’ll look for more from this author! Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this advanced reader copy and this is my honest review. The Night Guest will be available September 3rd, 2024.

What did I just read? I'm honestly confused. The book was fast paced and gripping but then the last few chapters were just disappointing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for this arc.

For fans of James Wan's film Malignant, The Night Guest is a creepy and unsettling tale about a woman inhabited by a "night guest" which causes her to commit acts out of her control whilst sleepwalking. I appreciated the short chapters which really kept the momentum of the story going. The ending was a bit too loose and symbolic for my taste, but it's still a notable novel.