This was a fabulous novella. It was weird, creepy, and highly entertaining. I loved all the suspense and tension. The pacing was great. It had a really strong and unique plot. The audiobook was excellent. I loved the narrator; she did such an amazing job. She spoke clearly, her pronunciation was good, and you could hear the emotion in her voice.

I love the disassociated way this was written. As if life was happening to and around our main character. The novel was gripping and really got into the story quickly and the pace stayed fast until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

4.5 stars - The Night Guest was a truly disturbing in all the best ways story! I was hooked the entire time and finished it in a night because I had to know what was going on. It was visceral and haunting. A perfect book for horror connoisseurs and those looking to read something for spooky season.

The ending left a bit to be desired for me personally, which is why I took off half a star. However, I can see this ending being right up some reader's alley so I think that comes down to personal taste.

Definitely recommend!

This book is extremely short, and I was thankful for that! The narrator of the audiobook was great, however, the story was just lacking substance. The beginning hooked me and as I ready you don't really find out much else until the very end. And then it's just done. Could've been a longer story with more details but it really fell short of my expectations. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook!

DNF; quit around 75%

The reveal slid into a topic I will not read (dead cats)

I was pretty lukewarm about the story overall but it was quick and a fast read so I kept with it.

As of now, this is another book where the cover and title makes absolutely no sense (maybe it will by the end). I find this frustrating.

I was intrigued by the story initially—what’s she getting up to with her sleep walking? But dead cats?

The Night Guest is a novella about a woman struggling with finding her own identity after the loss of her older sister. While I enjoyed the ride here, there were too many questions left at the end that seem to stem from just poor character development. There is not enough "why" explored here to make it a unique somnambulist tale.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Mary Robinette Kowal, was perfect for this.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

A main character who pays lip service to her negative impact on the environment for using water bottles and woefully points out sexist double standards, yet apparently has no qualms sleeping with a married man with kids, terrorizes a neighborhood too collectively stupid not to put their cats outside even though there's an epidemic of them going missing. I'm glad this had the good sense not to be longer.

In "The Night Guest", a woman wakes up exhausted and injured, with her doctors unable to diagnose her condition. Some even doubt her. One night, she falls asleep with her smartwatch on and discovers she has walked over 40,000 steps, adding a layer of suspense to the story.
TW: There is horror involving neighborhood cats that is closed-door, but the consequences are not.

I found The Night Guest to be a truly captivating read that kept me guessing until the end. I'm eagerly looking forward to purchasing the book when it's released.

This short, Novella really packed a punch for me. There are minor spoilers in this review. Be warned.

I love the representation throughout this novel. First of all, we have a mid 50s female protagonist, which is not really common in most stories. We also have a woman who is extremely strong and standing on her own with no interest in marriage or having children. We need more of that representation in stories. This book deals with loss and grief and finding one self and I thought it was very well presented.

I thought it was very interesting. How the story unfolded and the way that the main female character was continuously finding different things out about the plot line. I felt it was very well done, and that the plot was organic and flowed well. Definitely kept me entertained and wanting to read more.

A couple things that I did not love, the love interest. I wasn't a big fan of the love interest being a past bf of the sister. There was also a minor plot hole that never got solved for me in reference to something found in the sister's room.

overall, though I did enjoy the story and absolutely will read more by this author

A very creepy and atmospheric story of a young woman experiencing mysterious and violent somnambulism. The story is not unique but the slow burn of trying to act normal when things are not makes for a satisfying read

This book is so freaking quick and so good, I finished this in one sitting. I couldn’t believe how quick I rushed through this. Go in it blind, feel all the feels that are there to be felt, absorb yourself in this short but furious descent into madness. It was unsettling insanity in the best way. I ended up listening to this on audio, the narration was perfect and the translation was done well. It would have been five stars, had the ending not left me wanting more. It was still great and I am definitely waiting for whatever Hildur Knutsdottir gives us next. Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Tor Nightfire for my eARC and advanced audiobook. The Night Guest will be published 9/3.

Overall this was a quick, enjoyable horror book. Very short chapters which are my favorite thing ever. But the ending? I listened to it three times and still don’t get it.

I feel like it could’ve been done so much better, but would definitely still love to check out more work by this author in the future.

This disturbed me. I loved the protagonist's relationship with the cats and her funny comments. Especially when she talked about the weird lady with the microchip scanner.
But then we get to the shed and I was like "I should not have listened to this". My own cat is missing right now!
The ending was so weird and lovely.
If you start having weird nights where you don't sleep and are possessed or whatever, please go to the hospital. Especially if you live in a country with health care.

Such an eerie and spine-chilling adventure! I devoured "The Night Guest" in one sitting, unable to tear myself away-- a uniquely terrifying novella that grips you from start to finish. I felt as if my headphones were glued to my ears with the fast-paced horror narrative. Iðunn's haunting plight, struggling with unexplained fatigue and unsettling injuries from her mysterious nocturnal activities, kept me guessing and unnerved.

The translation is impeccably done, capturing the eerie atmosphere and dark humor perfectly and I found the narration to be pleasant and nice to listen to. While I was initially ready to give it a full five stars, the ambiguous ending left me yearning for more closure and I am a cat lover... Nevertheless, this book is a thrilling and smart piece of work, seamlessly blending psychological depth with supernatural elements.

A woman who has been dealing with extreme and unexplained exhaustion accidentally leaves her Fitbit on overnight and sees that she’s been walking 40,000 steps in her sleep. Where is she going and what is happening while she’s asleep? This was a super fast and creepy read that I loved up until the last 10% - the ending was maddening and did not live up to the rest of the book, but if you can deal with that I’d still recommend for general eeriness and originality.

This book was really difficult to get into, and to finish. A woman who loses time and is not sure what is wrong or going on. Slow to find what is happening and while it was a quick read was disappointing. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Eery. Mind-consuming. A tale of sleep walking in its most frightening form. The reader experiences the confusion of what is happening along with the main character. This is a small book that packs a big, horrific punch. My only disappointment was that it wasn’t longer!

The audiobook is recommended for the proper pronunciations of some characters. It is translated and narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Hildur Knútsdóttir for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. “The Night Guest” is expected to be published September 3, 2024!

Truly eerie! What would you do if you constantly woke up tired yet slept all night? This was intriguing and not like I expected! While it's a short novella, I truly enjoyed it! I loved the suspense factors and how everything played out! This will give you the creeps with the suspense and shocking twists!

I received an audiobook ARC from NetGalley and McMillan Audio to listen/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this audiobook.

I’m not sure what to think of the ending of this one, but I did enjoy the experience.

This is about a young woman who feels exhausted and in pain all the time. She goes to doctors to try to figure it out, and in the process realizes she’s been unknowingly very active at night. But who she is at night has plans that will not be stopped!

The tone of this was unexpected. At first at least it’s kind of humorous, and the narrator seems kind of prim. But the story gets quite dark as she figures out what’s been going on at night.

I liked it! I liked the turns it took. I could’ve read something longer with more about the sister, but I enjoyed what was here. This could easily be a great thriller movie.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I just finished this horror novella in one sitting. It’s fast paced, suspenseful, and gripped me from the beginning. Lounn, an Icelandic woman, is struggling with fatigue and mysterious bruising. Her doctor’s dismiss her symptoms and recommend vitamins and a better sleep schedule. She soon discovers that she’s unknowingly walking up to 40,000 steps per night. The rest of the story revolves around her journey to unravel the truth about where she’s going each night, why so many neighborhood cats and 2 of her former lovers have gone missing, and why she’s returning injured and covered in blood. I was engrossed in the story right up until the abrupt, vague ending which left me feeling unsatisfied and confused. I listened to an audiobook and found the narrator easy to listen to. I really appreciated a native speaker pronouncing all of the traditional Icelandic names and cities. 3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.