I honestly don't know what to say about "The Night Guest." It was definitely a compelling story that I had a hard time putting down. But the animal cruelty was a huge turn-off, and I didn't understand the ending at all... There were too many unanswered questions that we're left to try to puzzle out ourselves.

I think if the ending were less vague than it is, this could have been a really good book. Its premise was certainly new to me, and it's rare to read a story that is as fresh as this one seemed to be. The writing was also good, making me want to keep reading to figure out what was going on. But so much of the story was enigmatic. For example, when the MC sees a photo of someone, she states that she immediately recognized the smile, but she never lets on who it reminds her of. We also learn of a sister who is presumably dead, but we're never told that for certain, despite another character's repeated attempts to learn more about what had happened.

By the time I was done reading the book, I felt more unnerved than satisfied. And given some of the content, perhaps it might have fit better into the psychological thriller or horror genre than the general adult fiction the publisher indicated it is.

Regardless, I want to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

This one fell flat for me. It was promising in the beginning but it quickly lost my interest and I found myself feeling confused. Not to mention, the animal cruelty is not my jam.

I enjoyed the narrator of The Night Guest, I didn't love the actual story itself. I would for sure listen to another audiobook with this narrator, I may search for some to see what types of books they've done. I don't know that I'll read or listen to another book by this author.
4 stars for the narrator
2 stars for the story

This was a strange little story. I listened to the audiobook and referenced a digital copy at times for spellings and clarification. The audio was narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal who portrays anxious characters in such a fantastic manner.

The story takes place in Reykjavik and follows Iðunn as she navigates the healthcare system in Iceland to find a diagnosis for her strange symptoms. She has been experiencing extreme exhaustion and fatigue as well as finding strange bruises on her body. While her concerns about being brushed off by male doctors who run tests that all come back showing nothing is wrong with her are justified, there’s also an element of nervous frustration about her that lent her an air of hypochondria also exacerbated by her need to self-diagnose. I can relate here as I’m terrible at keeping my hands away from an internet browser when I have a strange symptom.

Well-meaning friends are quick to advise her on all sorts of remedies that they believe will help. The advice leads her to purchase a watch to keep track of her steps and she discovers that she’s been walking miles at night in her sleep. I was intrigued with the premise behind this story.
It’s told in very short chapters, sometimes just a sentence or phrase. This keeps the pace going quickly, which kept my interest as I started to figure out what was behind these strange happenings. I admit I was a bit disappointed in the resolution. It went off the rails a bit for me in the end. Still a quick, short read that I enjoyed for the most part.

TW: Animal harm (cats specifically)

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Tor Nightfire for a copy provided for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Super quick psychological thriller with an unreliable narrator! I didn't totally understand the ending and maybe it could be interpreted different ways. Enjoyable fast read!

I wasn’t expecting this story at all and it was a big surprise. It’s a short story, I had no idea, but what a wild ride. It’s eerie, disturbing, tense and completely addictive. If you like chilling and gripping stories you need to read this.

So confused after finishing this in 2 hours… I did not know the ending was the end. This was very eerie and chilling but just simply not for me. I’m so confused and disturbed and not in a good way.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a surprising novella for me. The voice was strong and I really enjoyed how surreal the whole novella felt. The atmosphere was great and I was sufficiently creeped the hell out at times. I love novellas, and I thought the story Knútsdóttir wanted to tell was perfect for this format. My only quibble is that the ending didn’t feel as strong as the rest of the story. The audiobook is narrated by the translator, and she did a wonderful job.

The one major thing that needs to be said about this one is the graphic animal cruelty. If this particular content warning is a no for you, it’s probably best to just turn away.

*3.5 stars* The vibes were great, the writing was not. I don't know how much was lost in translation. I always enjoy translated fiction I just wish it flowed better and was more horror instead of suspense.

This was a very interesting listen. I really didn’t know what to expect but all in all it was a good story. It was creepy for sure and suspenseful. Iounn is at another doctors office trying to figure out her wounds. She would wake up and have bruises, aches, pains and sometimes bloody limbs. What the heck was going on at night? How could she wake up tattered and torn and where was she going? She started to track her sleep. First with a camera in her room, then with mileage tracker. But she couldn’t believe the results both showed. She needed answers and she needed them now. What has been going on has to be resolved. She has to make it end. The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir is definitely an original thriller. Fast paced, strange and bizarre. It was a quick listen and Mary Robinette Kowal did a great job narrating. I am so glad I had the opportunity to listen to this story.

Iðunn is trying to find out why she's struggling so much and is constantly feeling fatigued. She rotates through doctors, feeling hopeful when she finds a younger, female doctor who doesn't relate her problem with 'female' troubles. But no matter what she tries, from changing her diet, to getting more exercise, to vitamins and sleeping pills. Nothing seems to be helping her and no one is able to make a diagnosis that makes sense.
One night Iðunn wakes up after having fallen asleep with her smart watch on and discovers that somehow she put on 40,000 steps. She keeps this to herself but tries setting different traps and notes to see if she's actually doing something at night. Nothing she does reveals what's happening at night, but increasingly she wakes up to discover some unsettling things about her - bloodied face, black eyes, her body covered in dirt.

It gets to the point where she fears going to sleep and won't allow herself a social life, until she meet one special guy. After their first night together she quickly heads home, not daring to fall asleep at his place. But to stay in a relationship she can't avoid sleeping over and her worst fears are realized when, after falling asleep in his bed, she wakes up in her own bed, covered in blood.

What happens to Iðunn at night? What happens to those around her?

I listened to the audio version of this book, read by author/translator Mary Robinette Kowal and I found it highly engaging.

The slowly emerging sense of wonder and horror builds very well. Kowal as narrator definitely has an advantage of really understanding the story as she was the translator and her narration is subtle and helps the listener grow into the fear surrounding Iðunn.

There are a lot of questions around what's happening and not all of them are answered. I don't have any problem with that (but others may). This isn't a traditional story in any genre, really, though most likely it will be appreciated by fans of dark fantasy and horror. It's certainly not as 'in-your-face' as Christina Henry or Grady Hendrix and maybe not as dark as Ramsey Campbell. Though maybe it is. The darkest parts of this horror are what's left to the reader/listeners imagination - though we're certainly guided to go to a dark place.

This is a short book - a novella at best - but I suspect we'll be hearing and reading a lot more from Hildur Knútsdóttir in the years to come.

Looking for a good book? The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir is a slowly building, dark story that engages and thrills the reader by keeping them on edge and guessing throughout.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

If you're looking for a short, fun spooky season read, look no further! I can't decide if the ending and me being so confused makes the book scarier or not, but it was definitely unsettling and eerie! I feel like it needed another 100 pages or so to really flesh things out, but I did appreciate how quick it was and the way it sucks you in until you've suddenly found yourself at the end of it! Grab a blanket, light a candle, and get ready to be scared!

Mileage may vary with this one, but it was everything I wanted. It was creepy and disquieting. It gave me A24 movie vibes. I highly recommend going in blind. I did, and I think it adds to the experience. If you need a neat and tidy ending, this probably won't work.

The conversation/themes about women and the healthcare system were fantastic and thought-provoking. As someone with chronic pain, the feelings of the unknown the main character goes through are something I know well.

Mary Robinette Kowal's narration is perfect, as always.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The scariest part of a story is what happens when the world around you refuses to believe your terror. Hildur Knútsdóttir’s The Night Guest delivers a deeply unsettling psychological horror set in Reykjavík, where Iðunn’s mysterious sleepwalking episodes lead her down a twisted path of injury and confusion. After her smartwatch ⌚ reveals she's walking 40,000 steps in her sleep, Iðunn is desperate for answers—but as the nights grow darker 🌑 and the injuries more severe, she’s forced to confront the terrifying truth: What’s really happening while she’s asleep?

Drenched in tension and dread, The Night Guest slowly unravels the nightmare of being gaslit by your own body. The familiar themes of women’s healthcare dismissal, strained friendships, and the dark corners of the psyche let this novella sink its claws 🐾 into your thoughts and let your imagination run wild. It’s not just about fear of the unknown—it’s about being trapped in your own skin, with no one willing to listen as your reality spirals into chaos.

The audiobook performance of The Night Guest perfectly amplifies the novel's creeping dread. The narrator’s pacing draws you into Iðunn’s mounting terror, with subtle shifts in tone that make the eerie moments land even harder. It’s an immersive experience, enhancing the unsettling atmosphere of this psychological horror.

The prose is sharp ✂️, the pacing relentless, and the atmosphere? Absolutely suffocating. This novella is perfect for fans of Sara Gran's Come Closer or Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.

Iðunn feels like something is wrong with her but every doctors test comes back normal. She's often exhausted and wakes up with random bruises on her body. She knows something isn't right but can't find a cause for what is happening. While on a health journey to try to fix these odd symptoms, Iðunn buys a fitness watch to track her steps. One night she accidentally wears it to bed and is surprised to see that her step count has gone up. In this spooky novella story, Iðunn has to try and figure out what is going on while she is sleeping.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this novella. As someone who has had nerve related pain and illnesses I could relate to her struggle to find a reason behind all of her symptoms. In the beginning of the book I had a hard time seeing where it was going. I was interested in the story and Iðunn but it wasn't obvious what direction the book was going to take. Once she figured out she was sleeping walking it took on a twisted, creepy tone. There were parts of it, like her watching herself get out of bed, that were very spooky.

I had 2 issues with this book. One was her sleeping with her dead sister's ex-boyfriend. That seemed messed up on both of their parts. Also, she had quite a few orgasms in a row while they had sex. I actually checked to see if a man or woman wrote this book because that sounded like something a man would write. I had to roll my eyes at that part but that is a very slight complaint in the grand scheme of things. I also found it surprising that someone who is nonstop going to doctors wouldn't ask about a sleep study once she suspected she was sleep walking.

This book definitely needs a trigger warning with the dead cats. This book was a creepy novella, perfect to kick off the spooky season. The ending is open ended, and leaves you to figure it out for yourself. I was left with a lot of questions but I thought it worked well with this book. I recommend this book if you're looking for a quicky, creepy read this fall but I don't recommend if you're sensitive to animals deaths or dislike open ended books.

Lounn cannot figure out why she is so tired and feels like she hasn't slept. That is until she wears her watch to sleep and sees that she has walked thousands of steps at night. As she retraces her steps and tries to figure out what is happening to her at night, her horror story increases.

This listened more like a short story, and although enjoyable it was a bit outside of my comprehension at times. The audio quality was decent, and listened well.

"Scary Story" lovers, will probably find this enjoyable.

Very creepy and disturbing novella about a woman who discovers she is sleepwalking--and is concerned about just what she's getting up to at night. Fantastic narrator who did a great job capturing the protagonist's sardonic sense of humor. Things grow increasingly tense and desperate as the story progresses. Perfect for spooky season!

The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir was spectacular! Well written, fantastic premise, exciting plot points and interesting character arcs, I was blown away.... blown away! So different than anything I have read lately, you need to read this novella. Now this is my brand of different and weird. The audiobook narrator made the book come alive, well done.

Iŏunn has tried everything but is still waking up tired and achy, and sometimes bloody and bruised, every morning. So she decides to stop sleeping at all, and that's when her nights get really disturbing.

This was a quick read/listen with plenty of creepy atmosphere. I found the ending to be really confusing since it was so short, like I was missing something important. Definitely beware of animal cruelty in this book...yikes.

The narrator did a great job with the many Icelandic pronunciations.

2.5 rounded up!

I'm so sad to report that but book really bummed me out. What started out SO promising completely fell flat in the end for me.

I was hooked from the start & the whole story was so intriguing. A super likable & relatable narrator realizes after buying a smart watch to track her steps, that she's walking thousands of steps, in her sleep. Steps she doesn't remember taking. Then she starts waking up bloody & sore & even more confused.

Add in a dead sister & missing cats & you have a whole ordeal that truly never gets solved. I can't say I even know what actually happened. I needed like 100 more pages at least!!

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio for this audio book as a part of your influencer program!