The night house was one of my articulated horror books for this year, the cover is so scary and the synopsis was the selling point. My rating is 3.5 it could have been a solid 4 but it just wasn’t for me, I found some parts really intriguing and some parts sluggish. If I had to compare this book to a movie/ book it would be goosebumps and a little it of the butterfly effect. The night house should be classified and a horror and psychological thriller , I really wanted to love this book but it just wasn’t for me. I finished because I was already invested, the first part was a good build up but it just got fuzzy and a little repetitive during the second part. I’ve seen great reviews so far, so maybe it’s just me maybe you’ll like this book more than I did.

Overall, I enjoyed this as a fun and quick little mystery read. It never really developed into an adult horror story like I was expecting, but I'm not walking away angry about wasted time either, which is a good sign. I think because the MC starts as a teenager, and keeps that same voice throughout, the story felt more YA than I thought it would be, so I didn't love that aspect. I really enjoyed part one, and I audibly gasped when it came to an end and was revealed to be ONLY a part one. What a fun surprise! However, after the second and third parts, I kind of wish we had just kept the story in that first world, although that does make sense in the context of how it relates to the other parts. I liked the explanation in part two for why I didn't buy some of the first part, but then things got a little hairy and my attention waned. By the third part, I was like I get it but I feel removed from it... Like it was hard for me at that point to be invested in what was happening to the main character because I didn't want to keep being tricked. I don't necessarily love how a certain mental illness is treated at the end of the book, but I can certainly understand how the MC's childhood trauma could make it very difficult for him to accept reality. Honestly, I can see this being quite a divisive horror story, where some readers love it and some hate it, so I'm pleased the author made some bold plot choices, even if they weren't quite as effective as I wanted them to be. I'd definitely pick up another book by this author! And the cover art is fantastic.

a coming of age horror/thriller. Has a bit of a YA feel to it, which isn't a bad thing, but readers should know what they're getting into in case that isn't their style. Good twists and turns, engaging plot. Would recommend!

Interesting premise. Creepy and smart. A story about what trauma can do to you. Good twists and turns. Would be happy to read more from this author.

“I’m scared of being so trapped in being scared that I can never find my way out again.”

The Night House follows Richard Elauved after a devastating fire that claims the lives of his parents, he’s sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle in a remote small town. Thus ensues a series of unexplainable events that throw suspicion on Richard as the culprit for the disappearance of another child.

😱 This was such a wild story! Part Haunted House, part creepy small town secrets, part unreliable narrator all lends to a fever dream type horror story that will have you hooked until the last page! I loved the characters, the plot, and the horror elements were so well crafted!

I really hope Jo Nesbo writes more horror!

Well, that was terrible. Garbage. Awful. And my first foray into Nesbo. I won't let it affect my future reads of his because I know this is not his usual...anything. Lol.

This was my first Nesbo title. It started out strong but I ultimately felt pretty cheated by the plot twist surprise ending. The cover is dazzling, the first 60-70 pages electric, but the story falls flat into a cop-out ending.

Wonderfully creepy.
Butterfly inducing and anxiety making.
The perfect horror thriller read.

I at times had no clue what was going on but it added so much more to every part of this WTF book. And I mean WTF in the best of ways.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers and Jo Nesbo for this free read in exchange for my honest review

Join Nesbo is always a go to author for me! And this book is why! I just loved how this kept me on my toes from beginning to end!

I always enjoy Nebo's writing and this was no different. This was a quick read. The action starts basically immediately and doesn't let up. The first part felt a bit like I was reading a YA horror novel, which I didn't love, but it was still very fast-paced and engaging.
In the later parts, this book kind of stopped working as well for me. It relies on a twist I don't like, not once, but twice. I just felt very overdone and unoriginal and that left me disappointed. I also just didn't find this scary at all. I prefer a growing sense of dread as the tone in my horror novels and this didn't have that. It also didn't have imagery I find particularly scary. If you want more gory horror, this also isn't that.
I think this book is fine in that I was reasonably entertained throughout, but don't go in expecting anything super horrifying or any new takes on the genre.

This book was not what I thought it would be and not Jo Nesbos usual type of book. It started off good but quickly lost my attention and I DNF

I'm a HUGE Nesbo fan (primarily harry)! So had to give this a try. Unfortunately it just wasn't my genre. But if it's yours I'm sure it's amazing because Jo Nesbo!!!!

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. The downfall was that I requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before the book was archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Having initially read Nesbø's The Snowman, I was expecting something more along the lines of that, but whoa did this take me by surprise. After only a few pages in it was obvious I was in for a totally different ride. The death count starts immediately and in spectacular fashion reminiscent of 80s horror. If you loved the Goosebumps book series as a kid then this is like adult Goosebumps on steroids. This book is fast-paced, action-packed and full of twists and turns. Fans of Stephen King, Peter Straub & Dean Koontz should add this to the top of your TBR immediately.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book. It jumps quickly into the story and is a different type of horror story which I was really excited to read. Sadly, the book lost me towards the middle when it switched to Part 2. I was disappointed the way the story turned. I think I would have enjoyed this more as a short story of Part 1. I did really enjoy the creativity of the phone that is featured on the beautiful cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book!

This started out with a bang and was a great classic horror novel. I loved the gore and anticipation of what twists and turns were coming. I got a bit lost at times, especially with what felt like a huge twist midway, but it was a fun read for spooky season. I’d love to see this adapted.

I really wanted my first jo nesbo book to be fun, but this was not it! MC sucks to read from and not in a fun way lol. DNF

This book taught me things I didn’t expect. The first being that I’m not a fan of the “untrustworthy narrator” trope. That being said, the untrustworthy narrator was so well executed that, by the end, I was applauding the author for being able to keep so many balls in the air and managing to catch them all on that last page. Well done Jo Nesbø!
The premise was really interesting and I was really into the intricacies of the main character being a bully. I found myself wondering if Richard deserved for me to be pulling for him. No one likes a bully, after all.
I won’t give anything specific away, but this felt very much in Steven King’s wheelhouse, albeit far less wordy—which I’m not mad at— and suitable for a younger audience. If you like twists and turns, and an untrustworthy narrator, RUN to The Night House!
Thanks so much to the author, the publisher, and Net Galley for the ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

I was completely enthralled in this book in Part 1. Was it believable? Not at all! But it was interesting and a really different kind of story. It felt like a new Ray Bradbury or Joe Hill type of story.

But then Part 2 happened and kind of ruined it for me. It became boring, slow, and made the first part seem like a fever dream (which I guess it’s supposed to do). It just kind of negated everything I loved in the first part.

And then Part 3 came along and confused the heck out of me until the very end. I DO like how it ended - it came full circle and I liked that about it. It had that “insanity” vibe just perfect.

This was good enough to keep my attention and made me want to know how it ended, but it wasn’t great. There is another book that this resembles, but I won’t ruin it for you by saying the name.

It's difficult to write about this book without giving away too much of the plot. Suffice it to say - it was creative and clever until it wasn't. This is very different from any of his other books - but still dark and well-written. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.