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.

I loved this little novella thriller! It kept me so engaged, picking it up whenever I had time. I was along with the narrator, trying to figure out what was happening. Having visited Iceland, it was great to read a bunch of names that I remember from having visited. It was creepy and clever, and I would have given it a full five stars had it not been for the ending. I’m still a little confused on what happened exactly.

There is truly no way to back out once you start The Night Guest. This short novella draws you in with what appears initially to be a medical mystery causing Iðunn’s overwhelming fatigue and her strange bruises. Things quickly become far more sinister as the story progresses and the protagonist begins to unravel. A pedometer reveals extensive sleepwalking, a potentially violent ex is increasingly reaching out, and neighbor cats appear to fear Iðunn. I couldn’t have predicted where this was all going but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

The audiobook was excellent and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that the narrator also translated this story from Icelandic to English.

Highly recommend! I only wish this was part of a broadly collection of short stories, but I look forward to reading more from this new author.

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for this audio ARC. This was a wild and twisty ride! I enjoyed it immensely.

3.75 stars rounded up

The Night Guest follows a woman who wakes up exhausted with bruises, cuts, and muscle pain. She goes to her physician who reassures her she is healthy, however her pains continue and her fitness tracker indicates she is walking thousands of steps each night. She begins to wonder where her wandering is taking her and why.

I loved the majority of this book and was engrossed in the storytelling. However, the ending was far too abrupt and unsatisfying which decreased my enjoyment of the story. I wish it had gone on for a few more chapters to provide a satisfying explanation! All of the exposition leading up to the end was a thrill to read and I’d recommend this work for that reason. I’m looking forward to seeing what else this author writes!

The audiobook narrator was fantastic and I would recommend enjoying this work via that medium!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC!

Wow, this was a hyper-fast read. I couldn’t stop and read it in one sitting. Fast-paced story and short chapters make this a compelling horror that will have you glued to the pages or headphones. 96% of this was excellent, but the ending simply did not deliver. Lackluster, vague and abrupt - the ending left me dissatisfied and wanting so much more from what was a great novella up until the final chapter.

The Night Guest was a fun, mind-bending book! I felt like I was losing my mind with the main character. Bonus points for short chapters, but I wish the book overall was longer; I need to know with more detail who she was!

Cat lovers will not enjoy this one... :(
I'm still pondering the ending. I loved that this was on the shorter side. Every word and chapter felt purposeful so major props to the author and editor for making this one thrilling.

I had to re-listen to the ending a couple times, and am still not entirely sure I have it figured out. I'm looking forward to people's reviews and takes on the ending once it's out to the public.

Narrator does an excellent job adding to the thriller/creepiness of this book.

Just a heads up...there is some animal violence/deaths involving cats.

At 208 pages, you'll get through this weird story quickly. Her descent to "madness" keeps the reader wondering what will happen next.

Narrator has a good voice and expresses complicated emotions easily.

I love the cover. The bright pink with the dark red is very eye catching and will look good on a shelf.

Reminds me of a thriller version of Come Closer by Sara Gran. I really enjoyed how unsettling and disturbing the story ended up being. I would definitely read more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hildur Knusdottir, Mary Robinette Kowal, MacMillan Audio and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read The Night Guest. I have written this review voluntarily.

Generally I enjoy horror and Icelandic translations but if you're going to incorporate felicide into a story it at least better not otherwise be a snoozefest

What a creepy thriller. Reminds me of the sort of thrillers you'd see in the nineties, but the the ending was strange, and different. It reminded me a lot of Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, at the beginning, as it felt like that was the direction it was going - it was not, btw - but far darker in my opinion.

This is a feminist story of loss, paranoia, and fear, from a woman's perspective. I found it to be anxiety-inducing so I had to do the audiobook in two parts, even though it's quite short. I think this would've been easier to ingest if I'd read it as opposed to listen to the audiobook, though the narrator, Mary Robinette Kowal, does a great job.

For the length and quality? This one knocks it out the park. I just have to take a star off for the nausea it gave me lol