This translated novella packs a punch! I adored its format—very effective. I also enjoyed the story of Iounn. It's very unsettling, and I absolutely had to keep reading to find out what happens. The ambiguous ending worked for me. Perfect fall/Halloween reading.
I will definitely recommend this to my horror-loving friends. Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for review.

I thought this was a great little novella. The pace was fast, we are kept in suspense and the curiosity had me flipping quickly to find out what the heck was going on. Iounn is exhausted and wakes with random bruises. She tried a variety of doctors getting the same result. Determined to figure it out, she starts to check up on herself while she sleeps.

I got seriously creepy vibes from this on the subject alone. I happen to be a person who sleep walks. As an adult it only happens when I’m exhausted and stressed. It’s a wild thing to wake up knowing your body, clothes, hair etc is different than when you put yourself to bed. When I was a child, I made many ER visits as a result of sleep walking - a busted head, a sliced thumb, glass in my feet. My mom had to start locking the doors from above with a chain that I couldn’t reach after finding me outside many times. It can be scary.

I’m usually annoyed with books that leave the ending open, but this worked for me and I felt it fit the vibe of the book. There were some things I would have liked confirmed but was okay suspecting. I am hoping that a follow up book will come of this novella and that’s why we were left with questions. If not, well, the ending I gave her in my head is pretty good, I’ll accept it.

Promised more than was ultimately delivered...

I can't say a lot because this is a novella, but Iðunn was just so dull and uninteresting to follow as a main character. I did feel bad for her, because her and I actually share some similarities (insomnia and unexplainable medical/health symptoms). However, that was the only thing that kept me caring. Although the short chapters did help.

Also, I am all for an ambiguous ending but make it make sense at least. I walked away feeling confused and asking myself "wait, that was it?" and not in a "wow my mind is blown" or "I am now spiraling with the possibilities" type of way. I was looking for creepy...and did not get it. I have no strong feelings for this novella either way, so that is why I am landing on a 3 star rating.

This was very much out of my comfort zone and yet I enjoyed it immensely. It’s incredibly eerie, with elements of horror woven into an otherwise ordinary story, making it that much more shocking. I loved the ambiguity of the ending and will probably do a reread soon.

One thing I would suggest is a list of triggers at the beginning of the book, particularly around animal cruelty. While I wasn’t as focused on that aspect of the plot, I can see how a lack of warning would catch readers really off guard.

Thank you Tor for the gifted copy.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir in exchange for an honest review. A wonderful and creepy book to read and complete at night. I really enjoyed this book, it left me wondering the whole way through. I like books that leave a bunch to the reader's imagination. I recommend this book.

The book was a super fast read, I was able to finish in 2 hours! The beginning got me hooked as we follow on Idunn's journey on finding out what's causing her daily fatigue despite sleeping a lot. We start to find out that she could be potentially sleepwalking, other details start to come into play and we find out more and the potential mental illness that she may have. I was hoping for a great ending, so it seemed a bit rushed for me at the end and I'm still not quite sure what the ending was. Did she reconcile herself with the two personalities and also then decided to end her life or was there something more?

This was such a wild and weird novella! Though I would’ve preferred a different ending, it was a very enjoyable 4 ⭐️ read for me and was great on audio. Highly recommend but check trigger warnings as there are some intense parts to the story.

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir is a captivating novel that drew me in from the first page. Knútsdóttir's writing is atmospheric and rich, creating an immersive experience that kept me engaged throughout. The story unfolds in a way that is both suspenseful and evocative, making it easy to get lost in the world she’s created. Her descriptions are vivid, and the way she builds tension is masterful, keeping the reader on edge as the plot progresses.

I particularly enjoyed how Knútsdóttir developed her characters, you can feel the downward spiral occuring with no means to stop it. Themes of fear, the unknown, and the bonds of family are woven throughout, adding layers to the plot that kept me thinking long after I’d finished reading.

That said, I did find myself wishing there had been a bit more to the ending. While the conclusion ties up most of the threads, it felt a little rushed, and I would have loved just a bit more closure or detail in the final moments. It’s a minor gripe, but given how invested I became in the characters and their journeys, I was left wanting just a bit more.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed "The Night Guest." It's a beautifully written, engaging read that lingers in the mind. Knútsdóttir has a unique voice and storytelling style that makes this book stand out, and I’m looking forward to exploring more of her work.

appreciate the sleepwalking aspect of the story and having to deal with medical professionals. This is a fast hundred chapters as some are only a sentence long. The ambiguity of the ending and the animal murder kept it from a higher score. This is another piece of entertainment from Iceland, Greenland, Sweden, and Norway areas I have encountered that have no qualms about animal death and cruelty. Not sure if that's just coincidence.

Iðunn constantly wakes up exhausted. The doctors won’t listen to her, she is at wits end.

This was a very quick read, which I love but more importantly the story was awesome. The only thing for me is I’m truly not a fan of open ended endings. So I would have enjoyed an epilogue, but that’s a me thing. I would say this book would be great for fans of Come Closer by Sara Gran.

A chilling, fast paced story told from the mind of an everyday girl as she begins to wake up with unexplainable signs of something happening during the night. Set-in modern-day Reykjavík, this story seems all too female familiar as she seeks help with unexplained symptoms that are disregarded. The story is a lovely dance between work, life and habit, interrupted by the unseen. It was a very fast and exciting read and gives you just the right amount of anxiety as you sweep through her feelings and thoughts on how to try and stay normal when her life was becoming anything but.

The Night Guest follows Iðunn as she struggles to figure out her health issues. She is waking up exhausted even after seeming getting hours of sleep. She’s tried everything from vitamins to sleeping pills Until one night after falling asleep with her smart watch on she discovers she’s taken 40,000 steps while she should have been sleeping.

The premise of this is just so creepy! Can you imagine discovering you’re sleepwalking, Let alone sleep walking and waking up with injuries. The short chapters make for a fast paced read that really packs a punch I loved the way everything was revealed slowly as Iðunn attempts to solve the mystery of what’s happening to her. The author does such a great job creating that creeping sense of dread. I was a bit let down by ending, Im not a fan of ambiguous endings and felt the book was building and building only to end without any answers.

This is a great read especially for fans of Sara Gran’s come closer, or for anyone looking for a short novella that packs it in!

What a creepy little novella!

The Night Guest is a fast-paced story into a spiral of anxiety and paranoia. What is wrong with Iðunn? Why can’t she sleep? Where are the blood and bruises coming from?

This book seriously gave me anxiety and I just couldn’t stop reading it. I absolutely devoured it and then sat there in a daze when I hit the ending. I honestly didn’t love the ending. I wanted something more than what was presented. Maybe I’m just a hater of ambiguous endings. It felt a bit abrupt and not as in your face as the rest of the story, but that won’t stop me from recommending this one.

There are quite a few trigger warnings, including animal cruelty, which is particularly hard for me. As always, I highly recommend checking on Storygraph before picking up any book for a full listing of content warnings generated by readers.

I don’t know about you, but we’re having a bit of a heatwave here in Maryland. That is not how I want to feel going into the spooky season! Luckily for me, Hildur Knútsdóttir transported me to Reykjavík for a chilling ride in The Night Guest. Translated beautifully by Mary Robinette Kowal, this novella follows Iðunn through the mystery of her increasing fatigue. My biggest complaint? That my stay in Iceland wasn’t longer; I finished this read in under twenty-four hours. But I can’t really count that as a fault, this tale was effectively concise. You can see for yourself when it arrives from Tor Nightfire on September 3rd.

From the start, Knútsdóttir sucks you in. Iðunn is tired and no one takes her concerns seriously. We meet her in yet another doctor’s office, hoping for answers once again. Her desperation bleeds off the page. I was reminded of a scene in Grady Hendrix’s The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires: the distinct fear of a woman who does not think she will be believed. That scene sold me on Hendrix, and it sold me immediately on Knútsdóttir, too. The recommendations of her friends and family: diet, exercise, routine, etc, managed to convey a humorous tone even through the frustration. I was endeared.

The Night Guest could have stayed a medical horror story and I probably would have stayed hooked, but I am so glad it wasn’t. Because Iðunn is desperate, and her tests are still indicating nothing but health, she tries some of those suggestions. One of these is a high-tech watch with a step counter built in to make sure she is getting in her ten thousand steps every day. I don’t read descriptions for books often, so what resulted from that watch caught me off guard. I’m relieved it is stated, though, because I want to talk about it. It’s a perfect example of Knútsdóttir’s handling of suspense.

What happens is this: Iðunn wakes up to see she walked over 40,000 steps in the night. Seeing that number was so creepy and effective. Like the PSI counter in Daniel Kraus’ Whalefall, a normal numeric function of technology is given so much weight. Here is proof that something is going on. Except Iðunn doesn’t believe it. She thinks it’s a glitch. That allows the story room to breathe. There is a balance in a horror story where you have to give your readers enough to keep them invested, but you can’t tip your hand too soon. At some point you’ll cross a point of no return. Mistrusting the watch means there was more time before the inevitable.

That time was spent fleshing out not just Iðunn’s character, but also those around her. We get to see her at work. We get to see her relationship with her family and learn about what happened to her sister. We get to see her date someone who knew that sister. We get to watch her symptoms worsen and affect every interaction. It’s a masterclass in dread. This is why I couldn’t put the book down. I was captivated, curious, and concerned.

The Night Guest is what I want from a novella. No fat to trim—it’s compelling from start to finish. It blends real-life relatable fears with the elements of a haunting. The characters and the city itself feel grounded. That believability gives you permission to embrace the increasingly unsettling events. This is the only one of Hildur Knútsdóttir’s works that has been released in English. I dearly hope it will not be the last.

The Night Guest*, Hildur Knútsdóttir offers readers a gripping, psychological horror novella that delves into the unsettling experience of feeling like something is terribly wrong, while everyone around you dismisses your concerns. This brief yet intense story follows Iðunn, a woman plagued by chronic fatigue, unexplained bruises, and a gnawing sense of unease. As she navigates the medical system, friends and family bombard her with unhelpful advice, leaving her increasingly isolated. The tension builds when a simple fitness watch reveals a horrifying truth: Iðunn is walking tens of thousands of steps in her sleep, waking up with injuries that suggest something far darker is at play.

The beauty of Knútsdóttir's novella lies in its ability to pull the reader into Iðunn's disorienting world. The exhaustion, frustration, and fear she feels are palpable, making her a relatable protagonist. The author’s portrayal of the medical gaslighting she experiences—being told her symptoms are all in her head or psychosomatic—adds an eerie realism to the narrative. This theme of being dismissed resonates strongly, grounding the supernatural horror in everyday struggles many readers may recognize.

What truly sets *The Night Guest* apart is how it combines subtle psychological tension with elements of body horror. As Iðunn’s nocturnal activities escalate, the reader is left questioning what’s real and what’s imagined. Is her body betraying her, or is there something far more sinister controlling her? The open-ended conclusion invites speculation, making this novella perfect for readers who enjoy stories that leave room for interpretation. The author seems to encourage us to psychoanalyze Iðunn, especially in light of the strange, unresolved events.

The pacing of the novella is expertly handled, with short, sharp chapters that keep the tension high. Knútsdóttir’s prose, beautifully translated into English, is concise and effective, drawing the reader into a rapid-fire sequence of escalating horror. The growing unease builds with each chapter, making it nearly impossible to put the book down. For those who enjoy compact, intense reads, *The Night Guest* is perfect, and it’s no surprise that many readers finish it in one sitting.

Beyond its engaging plot, the novella invites readers to reflect on broader themes of mental health, the often dismissive nature of medical professionals, and the societal pressure to always "do more" to fix ourselves. Iðunn's experience is not only terrifying but also deeply human, making her journey all the more unsettling.

In summary, *The Night Guest* is an atmospheric, thought-provoking novella that will appeal to fans of psychological horror and stories with ambiguous, lingering endings. Knútsdóttir crafts a haunting narrative that lingers long after the final page is turned, combining supernatural mystery with a relatable, human fear: that no one will believe you when you need help the most.

Yay! This was a perfect end to Women in Translation Month and a big thank you to tor for the finished copy! I loved this one because it gave me Come Closer vibes. The short chapters made me continue to turn the pages because I just couldn't stop. Very creepy.

Loved this one. The writing is smart and perfectly paced. The chapters are short and leave you saying, “ok, one more. Just to see. Ok… juuust one more…” before you find yourself at the end, wholly satisfied but still wishing you could have a few more minutes with it. It reminded me a bit of “Come Closer,” by Sara Gran, with a similar feminist punch to it. The creeps are creepy, and there’s a thrum of terror that vibrates from start to finish. If you need a quick and entertaining read between beefier novels, this is worth the romp through Reykjavik.

The Night Guest is a super intriguing read, we start with our main character Iounn at the doctor trying to get a diagnosis. I figured out quickly what her problem was, but it took Iounn a bit to find out what was happening—no thanks to her doctor.

She ends up buying a smartwatch to track her physical activity, and after that, everything changes.
I don't want to get too much into the story as this is nice and short, and I don't want to accidentally give any spoilers, but this book had me hooked for the majority. Until we get to the part with the multiple cat deaths, I wouldn't like it under any circumstances, but especially in this case as there wasn't any explanation as to why that was necessary. I could almost forgive that, although had I known it would be included there is a good chance I wouldn't have picked it up because the rest of the book made up for it, at least until the ending. which was.. unexplained and confusing.

This is a quick read, that sucks you in, and gives you all the gore and paranoia, and chaos you could possible as for in a horror book.

A pretty great short horror story! I loved the short chapters. Trigger warning for violence against animals. The only thing I didn’t love was the ending, as it was pretty abrupt and left more questions than answers.

I absolutely loved this book and read it in one night. That being said, I’m not sure I understand what really happened. But it was so delicious! Fast paced, well written and left me wanting to know more. I highly suggest checking this out!