I have read from Jo Nesbo previously. This was a departure from his other books. He used several interesting ideas that I enjoy, such as a book within a book. The story took on a horror film feel with supernatural elements that were a surprise. I liked the ideas behind the twists that kept me guessing throughout. The only real negative is the use of various mental illness as a reason for violence. For instance, schizophrenics are far more likely to die from suicide or some other reason than to commit heinous acts of violence towards others. Even when delusional or paranoid, they are rarely targeting the hostility at others, and certainly not in an organized way.. To use this as a trope is misleading about these diseases and a bit lazy.
#TheNightHouse #NetGalley #KnopfPantheonVintageandAnchor

This book was amazing. I don’t even know how to write a proper review. If you love Stephen King and all of his weird horror filled excitement, this book is for you!
This was my first Jo Nesbo read and I am so excited to find more.
Thank you, NetGalley and Jo Nesbo, for this advanced copy of The Night House! This is an honest and voluntary review.

1 star!

The cover of this book is absolutely stunning but unfortunately this is what the book mostly has going for it. The main character Richard was so absolutely annoying and he felt so young in a way that very much ticked me off. Then the twist came in and absolutely turned me off - why are we still using mental illness as a twist???? - really just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I made it about 40% through this story before I DNF:’d. I really couldn’t tolerate the main character. He said rude things, but he was also just kind of mean and obviously I assume he gets better but I couldn’t deal with it alongside the vividly described gore. I know it’s horror, but gore and gruesomeness are not my jam, sorry.

In the aftermath of a tragic house fire claiming his parents, fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved finds himself in the remote town of Ballantyne, labeled an outcast. When a classmate mysteriously vanishes, suspicion falls on Richard, who claims a malevolent telephone booth in the woods is to blame. Only Karen, another outsider, believes him, urging Richard to uncover the truth. As he follows clues to an abandoned house in the Mirror Forest, eerie voices torment him with ominous prophecies. 'She's going to burn. The girl you love is going to burn. There's nothing you can do about it.' With another disappearance, Richard battles dark magic consuming Ballantyne, struggling to prove his innocence and preserve his sanity.

The narrative plunges into horror as Richard grapples with his new life in the small town, haunted by unsettling events reminiscent of a true horror story. As a fan of 'Night of the Living Dead,' Richard's experiences echo scenes from the film, amplifying the eerie atmosphere. For those seeking a thrilling and chilling read, this book unfolds like a fun, scary tale perfect for Halloween.

Kind of confusing and hard to follow, but maybe that's the point with the unreliable narrator. The story never really pulled me in and didn't have a satisfactory conclusion. If this was billed as horror, I must respectfully disagree.

Exciting to see Jo Nesbo dive into horror. The book was a quick and fast read which had elements of horrific children’s stories, Frankenstein, Alan Sillitoe, Ken Kesey, Stephen King, R L Stine, and Dennis Lehane in it.

I finished reading this book and I'm still reeling from the experience. The story follows a young narrator who witnesses terrifying and inexplicable events - a phone that eats flesh, friends turning into insects, and a mysterious figure pulling the strings. I was on the edge of my seat as the protagonist's grip on reality faltered and the truth began to unravel. Will they find the truth before it's too late? I couldn't put it down - a chilling and unforgettable read!

I must admit that it saddens me seeing all the low reviews this book has received on this platform. Many say the book lacked horror, and in my opinion, that cannot be further from the truth. In Jo Nesbo's The Night House, we get to meet a teenage boy, Richard, who is seen by others as what we call a "bad influence". Richard lives with his uncle and aunt in a small town, and here Richard forms friendships with a few kids at school. One day, he and his friend Tom decide to participate in prank calling, but they are soon interrupted by a supernatural force that makes Tom completely disappear. With Richard already having a negative reputation around town, it was difficult for him to convince everyone that his friend was quite literary adsorbed by the phone receiver they were using for the prank calling. Richard is encouraged by another friend to get to the bottom of this frightening occurrence in order to find Tom and to prove to the entire town that he is innocent, that he was not responsible for Tom's ridiculous disappearance. As the book progresses, Richard encounters more unexpected, horrific events that only add to his negative depiction by others, and I often felt that there was no way Richard could be saved from this mess. What I do not like about this book was that it was classified as "adult" reading, since it rather read like young adult horror. But, I do believe that Jo Nesbo incorporated many horror themes and strategies throughout the book that made it hard not to read! There were so many plot twists and so much skin-crawling imagery, I wish I could read this book for the first time again. If you are reading this review, do make an effort to read this book, I think you will enjoy the author's use of gore, unexpected twists, tension, and suspense!

By the way, thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and Jo Nesbo for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

An interesting , creepy, suspenseful story. I liked the plot but was disappointed that it was a short read.
Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story is based in a small creepy town with weird residence. Haunted house and small town secrets lead you to a story that will have you guessing at times where it was going

I have mixed feelings about The Night House by Jo Nesbo. On the one hand, Nesbo's writing is engaging and masterful. The narrative is intricately woven, and the suspense is well-maintained throughout the book. Nesbo created a vivid, chilling atmosphere that added to the overall sense of mystery. However, the supporting characters felt underdeveloped that it was hard to care about them. . As a result, certain plot points and relationships seemed forced, and I found it challenging to connect emotionally with the characters. Overall an interesting premise for a thriller but ultimately left me wanting more from it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a wild ride. There were quite a few times where I didn’t really understand what was happening, but I really urge you to see it through to the end. I did not see any of these twists coming. I don’t want to say much more so that you aren’t spoiled, so go in as blind as possible. This was the first book I read by this author, and I would be interested in reading some more by him after this!

This is a really rough review for me as I’m not really how to explain how letdown I was by this book, but I’m going to try. This was my first Jo Nesbo book, so I don’t know if this is just the way he writes, but the synopsis and the great cover caught my attention.
This book is broken up into three parts. If I could rate them each, part 1 would be a 4 out of 5, part 2 would be a 2 out of 5, and part 3 would be a 1 out of 5. As you can tell, it went down very fast for me. Explaining why would give away some pretty serious spoilers, and I try to leave any reviews as spoiler free as possible. The first part was this great and weird horror story that had some serious promise. Then Nesbo wanted to throw a twist in with part 2, and another with part 3. The final twist is what ultimately did it for me. Not only did it feel extremely awkward, it almost felt like it was a hail mary move because he couldn’t live up to what he brought in the first part.
This would honestly get one star for my review, however the first part saved it some. If you were to pick this up, I would suggest just stop after that. You might be better off.

The Night House is the Mass Market Paperback 80s version of Shutter Island. A unlikeable protagonist narrates the horrific things going on in his small town that may or may not be happening quite like he tells it.

This felt like a big whiff. By the end I didn't see the point and it felt like a cop out. I didn't find Richard (our narrator) to be as terrible as others have claimed.

It reads fast and is fun in the moment as each part gets more and more outlandish and weird. Then the rug is pulled from under us in part 3. I've just never been a fan of these types of endings.

A killer cover that fails to deliver on its promise.

This book was creepy to before and makes you doubt reality for the characters. I was amused. When I read I submerge myself in the MC place and this is one I would not want to be in.

I just can’t. Tried two separate times and both times I just can’t make it past part two without wanting to just chuck the whole thing in the trash. Sorry not for me. DNF’d

This was a really fun horror book! It was an interesting take on the "haunted house" trope. A lot of people think that it is been there, done that, but I found it a fun book. It didn't scare me, otherwise I would give it a sure enough 5 stars.

This was my first book by this particular author ( I am aware that they write the Harry Hole series which I think I have seen a movie that was based off of one of those books??? Yes, I have The Snowman which was an okay movie with some inc*stual content but nowadays don't all formats contain a little of that for shock value?) But back to my review I didn't really know what to expect going in so I was completely open and unbiased. What drew me in was the prospect of finding a new favorite horror author and I got an okay book so I was satisfied with that. This was not the scariest book I have ever read, but it was interesting enough to keep me turning pages so I could find out what would happen next. I always like a little mystery mixed in with my horror to keep it interesting, and this book delivered on that part. This read more like a YA book but perhaps that was because of the main character's age. Richard our main character is an unreliable narrator and Nesbø really makes you work during this story to discern what is real and what is not. To say much more I think would spoil the book for those who haven't read it yet. So if you like unreliable narrators and plot lines that blur reality, then this book is for you.

I want to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, and the author Jo Nesbo for the arc of this book.

A story in a story scenario that keeps you guessing at which is reality. A teenager is shipped to foster care after the fiery death of his parents. The new town is creepy but then so are residents.