This nightmare of a book will keep you awake all night.

I love an unreliable narrator. Iðunn is having the worst sleep of her life; she keeps waking up with unexplained bruises, dirt under her fingernails and more tired than before she fell asleep.

This story is a slow unraveling as Iðunn starts to investigate what happens to her when she falls asleep. From missing neighbourhood cats, to unexplainable text messages from friends, I started to feel like I was going crazy right alongside our main character.

I've never been to Reykjavík, Iceland but I feel like I've done a mini-tour with this book. Our main character spends a lot of time walking around the city and at the waterfront. I love when settings feel like a secondary character. It really shone through and now I want to visit Reykjavík but definitely avoid our main character.

I love the pacing, the creeping dread, the insular feeing of not being able to escape your own body. The ending is perfection and fits the story perfectly.

Mary Robinette Kowal does an amazing job with the narration. This is a translated book, so a lot of the street and character names are in Icelandic, and Mary does an amazing job of flipping between the English translation and the original names with ease.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy.

This book is best read while doing shots of Red Bull, trust me, you will want to stay awake for this one.

This eerie, suspenseful read kept me warily “turning the pages” til the very end. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know how things were going to turn out for out main character, Iðunn, but author Hildur Knútsdóttir has spun such a curiously twisting tale that I finished the audiobook of The Night Guest in one sitting.

Thank goodness I was able to enjoy this story as an audiobook because I think I would have struggled with pronunciation of all the Icelandic names. However, I have never read, or listened to, a single book that takes place in Iceland, nor have I enjoyed any literature written by a native Icelandic author, so delving into the world of contemporary Reykjavik was incredibly fascinating and enjoyable. It didn’t take long for me to settle into the cultural differences and nuanced writing that made this piece of fiction even more unique.

The story itself was unsettling and beautifully creepy. There is something about the feelings surrounding sleepwalking, exhaustion, and undiagnosable mental illness that forms a very strong foundation of fear for a horror novel. Sleep is so precious to a healthy life, so when Knútsdóttir begins messing with that for the main character, a deep sense of foreboding set the mood perfectly for me as a reader. I really began to feel terrible for Iðunn and wanted for her to find a way out of her dilemma. This connection made for a very poignant read.

The audiobook narration for this story was fabulous. I often can’t enjoy audiobooks because the narrator doesn’t seem to fit the story or the main character, but the voice, tone, pacing, everything was perfect for such an unnerving, unique story.

I would highly recommend The Night Guest, but know that it will not be every reader’s cup of tea. As a content warning, the book does contain the…untimely…end of pet cats. And quite a few of them. Anyone who cannot stomach any form of animal cruelty might want to skip this one.

A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the privilege to enjoy and review the Audiobook ebook of The Night Guest.

The Night Guest, by Hildur Knútsdóttir, is set to be published on September 3, 2024 through Macmillan Audio

This book was not at all what I was expecting. For a horror novel and with this cover, I was hoping for something better. I didn’t even feel like this was horror for the majority of it. It was underwhelming. I’m glad it was short, so I was able to finish. And the end was probably the most interesting and “horror” part of the story.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my free ALC of The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir — available Sep 3!

» READ IF YOU «
⌚️ wear a fitbit or other step-counting smartwatch
🥱 have ever been frustrated by not sleeping well
🌊 don't mind a bit of ambiguity in your endings

Translated from Icelandic by Mary Robinette Kowal 🇮🇸 (and also she's the narrator, and great at it!!)

» SYNOPSIS «
Iðunn is sleeping terribly and no medical professional seems able to help her. She's waking up exhausted and with strange injuries, and her smartwatch is telling her that she's taking thousands of steps in the middle of the night. Is she suffering from some strange malady? Or is something more sinister going on?

» REVIEW «
This was firstly, relatable as heck, and secondly, a pretty disturbing ride. I struggle off and on with weird sleep issues, so I felt for Iðunn and all those annoying pieces of advice she'd get — have you tried MELATONIN?!. Oof. Anyway, I loved where this went even if I didn't fully understand how or why things turned out the way they did. I'd say it's more "horror lite" than the cover and marketing imply; more of a psychological horror than anything, but I quite enjoyed it. Also, I love an ending that leaves me with questions and fosters discussion with other readers, so hit me up to chat about it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really like the narration of the one. I felt like I was there with her. Anyone who has ever experienced a Dr. visit where "theres nothing wrong with you" comes out of their mouth, may need a trigger warning for this one. She is constantly getting dismissed when she knows there is something not right.
It's short, weird and then gets weirder. I actual wished it was a smig longer tho, just another 25 pages or so. I like open endings/ slightly open endings, but some stories I just need a bit more and this was one of them.

THE NIGHT GUEST by @hildurknutsdottir

Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @macmillan.audio and @tornightfire for the audio-ARC and finished copy. This one comes into the world on September 3!

🤫🤫🤫

Iðunn is exhausted. She goes to sleep every night for a reasonable stint, but wakes up feeling fatigued with sore muscles. As she works through her symptoms with a young, engaged female doctor after being dismissed by a male doctor, she is encouraged to start wearing a fitness watch to track her exercise, sleep and habits. When she wakes up to find that she has walked over 40,000 steps during the night without any recollection, her fears about what is happening to her body are wildly heightened.

This compact thriller translated from the Icelandic does not pack a punch so much as an icy cold hand that slowly closes around your throat, yet the build up is steep with a swift, satisfying ending. Many of the chapters were less than a sentence long which added to the suspense and propelled the story forward in short bursts. The cold, dark setting of Reykjavik in the winter months kept the book's atmosphere feeling chilly and spooky.

If you like thrilling fever dream books, unreliable narrators, sleep-deprivation themes, and a quick, pallet-cleansing read, pick this one up! Bonus that it is a translated title and it is #womenintranslation month and fun fact: I was in Iceland just a month ago, so this was fun to read on the heels of that.

💚💚💚

Do you ever intentionally seek out books set in places you love, places you want to visit, or places you have lived?

💚SMASHBOT💚

#bibliophile #booknerd #books #booksta #bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #thenightguest #hildurknútsdóttir
#booksintranslation #booksbooksbooks
#bookdragon #bookworm #reader

This was one of the creepiest books I have ever read. It was a bad idea to start listening to it when I was having trouble falling asleep. I listened to the entire thing at once. 98% of this book I was thinking it was a five star read. The last 2% is so confusing that I am angry. Perhaps as an American I like stories to have decisive endings. I haven’t read anything like that. She is sleepwalking and always going past the same spot. As she tries to come to terms with what is happening, she goes through different strategies we would all try. Is there going to be a night guest part two? I’m so mad.

I was given the audiobook version in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ARC.

Seriously, though, what the heck was that?

Ok y’all, highly recommend that you go into this one blind and just enjoy the ride! I will say that this is definitely an unhinged FMC/story. The audiobook was produced well, and kept me interested. While this wasn’t my favorite story, I definitely enjoyed it and will recommend to others.

This was a creepy story about a woman who is constantly fatigued for no reason until she starts using a pedometer and discovers she has an alarming step count upon waking up. Dun, dun, dun! Great premise and I found myself sucked into this audiobook though I did find the narrator slightly grating (felt a little overdone at times).

The book definitely got eerier and more unsettling as the plot progressed and I really wanted to know what would happen. The ending was abrupt and a bit unsatisfying though I’m okay with ambiguous and I have an idea of what happened.

This story was absolutely a slow burn about a woman who is having issues sleeping. She wakes up with bruises and notices her Fitbit says she walked at least 10K more steps that she had when she went to bed. She tries doctors but finally realizes she may be sleepwalking. I loved the pace of this book, the problems the FMC faces while trying to still function on virtually no sleep. Also, there are missing cats that she used to take care of. Excellent story!

the night guest by hildur knútsdóttir 💓 was reading a book about sleepwalking the best decision to make before going to sleep? I guess we will never know 💤

an eerie and ensnaring story set in contemporary reykjavík that’s sure to keep you awake at night. what is happening when she’s asleep? why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? and why won’t anyone believe her?

this was a quick translated horror that will keep you guessing up until the very end! weird girl confusion and paranoia at its finest. the short chapters were everything but the ending left me with more questions than answers. if you have any sensitivity to cat death/ cruelty, this will NOT be the book for you!

a new fear of sleepwalking has been UNLOCKED, thank you macmillian audio for my early copy 🎧 4 stars!

Iðunn has been struggling with extreme fatigue and unexplained bruises. Her doctors can’t find anything wrong. Thinking that more exercise could help, she buys a step-counting watch, and then wakes up one morning to find she has walked more than 40,000 steps in her sleep. As her symptoms and injuries become more and more severe, she is determined to find out what is happening while she sleeps.

I really enjoyed the first 98%. The atmosphere is so creepy and weird, the pacing is great, and the tension builds perfectly. However, I did not understand the ending at all 😅 I’d still recommend it, but it didn’t quite stick the landing for me.

Significant content warning for dead cats- no violence against cats occurs on page but the aftermath is discussed in detail.

Talk about creeppyyyy. This book really had me sitting there in daylight checking behind me.

Not only was the use of chapters very well done, the lack of background made the book somehow more creepy? It was fruatrating at some points, but I enjoyed knowing very little other then what the author gave us.

I do think the build up to the end was sudden and I wish we knew more past the end.

I LOVED this one until I didn’t. It was creepy and spooky, you never really knew where it was taking you. It was eerie and a pretty cool concept for a thriller/horror book. However, the ending just happened. All of a sudden the book was just over and I no longer enjoyed reading it. I felt like I had wasted my time because the ending brought me no closure or wrap up. Maybe 10 more chapters and it would have been better.

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Hildur Knutsdottir, and Tor Publishing for this ALC


This is a super quick and fast-paced listen at only 2.5 hours. The mystery of Iðunn’s sleepless nights and unexplained injuries pulled me in. She kept trying so hard to find a reason for her ailments only to be told countless times that there was nothing wrong. I have had this happen more times than I can count and it is so unsettling. I liked the use of short chapters and thought it added to fear and suspense while listening. Mary Robinette Kowal did a great job with the narration as well.

There are mentions of harm to animals and deceased animals, so if that's not something you're comfortable with, you might want to skip this book. I found the ending a bit disappointing, but overall, the book was interesting and succeeded in giving me the creeps.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an audiobook copy of this short horror novella. This book publishes on September 3rd, 2024.

SIGH. This book started SO strongly for me. I would rate this book 5 stars for the first 75% of it, and then 1 star for the last 25% of it. With that being said, I'll give it a solid 3 stars, but I'm not sure I would recommend this.

This book is translated from Icelandic to English. The translator was also the narrator of the audiobook - I thought that was great. The introduction music to this audiobook - OOOOOHHH!!! SO SO creepy. The outro music too - wow. I loved it. It really set the atmosphere for the book. My only complaint with the narration is that the author was a little breathy - I could hear her breaths in-between some sentences. That is a pet peeve of mine for some reason.

This book is about Iðunn, a woman who is having a lot of health issues, mainly fatigue, exhaustion, and overall soreness. She eventually invests in a smartwatch after all her friends (and stupid male doctors) tell her to "Just get some exercise! :D". Iðunn accidentally falls asleep with her smartwatch on and the next day is extremely shocked and confused by the pedometer reading - she got 40,000 steps last night after midnight???!!! OOOOO was this CREEPTASTIC to me! I freaking loved the setup of this novella. But even though this is a novella, I still thought it could do SO SO much more. The ending wasn't just ambiguous - it was abrupt. I found that really disappointing. Also, the slaughter of cats was also disappointing and did nothing to progress the story. It was just sad.

4.5 stars ⭐️ The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated by Mary Robinette Kowal

Iounn knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something's not right, but practitioners dismiss her symptoms and blood tests haven't revealed any cause. She tries buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. One night she accidentally falls asleep with her watch on and wakes up to disturbing injuries, blood all over her, and her watch saying she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the middle of the night. Where has she being going in her sleep and what has she been doing?

I FLEW through this audiobook! I read this in one sitting and that’s not because it’s barely over 200 pages, but because of how invested and interested I was in the story . This was such a gripping read that will have you questioning what is going on even after you’ve finished it.

I honestly love an ambiguous ending and this one was one of the most confusing ones I’ve read before so that’s probably the only reason I couldn’t give this a 5 star rating.

I 100% related to the main character being gaslit and told that there was nothing wrong with her whenever she went to doctors. This has happened to me more times than I can count. I loved the discussion surrounding this and how it happens to women very often.

Content warnings: animal cruelty and death

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me this arc audiobook for me to review! These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

What is happening while Iðunn is asleep? She is waking up exhausted every morning but all the medical tests are coming back normal. How will she find out what's going on?

This novella had me on the edge of my seat, I binged it in one sitting! For lovers of unreliable narrators, mental health struggle, and gruesome horror with a touch of the paranormal. This book had a diary like feel with each chapter feeling like stream of consciousness decent into sleep deprivation psychosis.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Tor Nightfire and the author for providing this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the audiobook narration and will buy the print version when its released next month.

I don't think this book was for me...... Ok ill say it, I did not like the end! What the heck was that?! 😪

Ok our MC is losing her mind, at least she thinks she is, she's constantly waking up tired and thinks something is off with the scrapes and bruises she beginning to see on her body. The book kept me guessing and here I was expecting some big reveal at the end, only to be sorely disappointed.

Yes I would recommend this, but be warned, the last few pages could annoy you!

Solid 3 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this ARC, Beyond humbled 🙏🏾
The Night Guest, out Sept 3rd 2024!!!!

This was just plain weird and a bit scary. Not sure it was my cup of tea, but if your into strange stuff this one might be for you. Give it a try would love to hear what others have to say about this one.

Thank you Mcmillan audio for my free audio copy.