First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing, and Holder Knútsdóttir for providing me with an ARC of The Night Guest in exchange for my honest review.

The Night Guest presents an intriguing premise, blending elements of psychological tension with unsettling scenarios. The story revolves around the unsettling experiences of a protagonist who, while sleepwalking, finds herself entangled in a series of disturbing events. The novel effectively creates an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers on edge as they try to piece together the unfolding mystery.

However, my experience with the book was somewhat mixed. The narrative left me grappling with a sense of dissatisfaction. The ending, in particular, felt abrupt and unresolved, leaving several major plot points hanging without clear resolution. This lack of a definitive conclusion was a significant drawback for me, as I prefer stories that offer a more satisfying and comprehensive wrap-up.

Additionally, readers should be aware that The Night Guest contains some disturbing scenes, so checking trigger warnings before diving in is advisable. The unsettling elements add to the story's intensity but might not be suitable for everyone.

Another potential factor contributing to my mixed feelings could be related to the translation, as this can sometimes affect the clarity and coherence of a story. As such, it's possible that some aspects of the narrative might have been impacted by the translation process.

Overall, while the story is intriguing and offers a gripping premise, it ultimately left me yearning for more answers and a more conclusive ending. I rate The Night Guest 3 stars, appreciating the suspense and atmosphere but wishing for a more satisfying resolution.

The Night Guest is a quick read (208 pages) with short chapters that help build suspense in this eerie horror story. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down! Iðunn is trying to figure out why she wakes up every morning exhausted, which leads to a series of scary events that had me questioning what was happening the entire time. A few of those terrifying events made me pause for a moment 😅 The ending is left up to interpretation and I found it to be emotional and powerful.

I enjoyed the writing style and noticed no issues due to its translation. I’d happily read something else from Hildur Knutssottir in the future.

What a bizarre, disturbing, captivating read! I cannot remember the last time I finished a book in one sitting, but I could not put this one down. Knútsdóttir's prose veers from mundane and relatable to spine-chilling, and that duality kept me hooked. While I am someone who always prefers a bit more of a concrete ending with my horror reads, I do feel satisfied with how this story played out, and I cannot wait to see how others react to this eerie, beautifully-written novella. 4.5 stars!

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

Honestly this is a bit complicated to review. It starts strong, as Idunn is at the doctor’s office to get an answer for being exhausted. It’s a great scene, I could definitely feel myself being right there!

The rest of the book, or most of it, follows in the same engaging way. I flew through the pages of this plot driven book. (Very little surrounding of the characters or locations) I was looking forward to seeing who/what was behind the strange and creepy things happening. (The cats thing was a bit too much?)

Then, it ended. So many questions. No answers. Now, I honestly have no answers to what was going on and why.

Advance reader copy provided by Tor Publishing and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

3 stars I liked it
I read this in one sitting, I was so into this. it was creepy and atmospheric but the ending pissed me off. I am all for ambiguous endings to allow the reader to come to their own conclusions but this just left SO many unanswered questions. Even thought I didn't love the ending I still really enjoyed the story itself but I think it would have benefited from another chapter or two.

This is a really quick read, I think readers who love ambiguous endings or mostly vibes books will enjoy this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Nightfire for sharing a digital copy, as always, opinions are my own.

A fever dream of a novel, The Night Guest latches on immediately and doesn't let go. Set in Iceland, Iðunn is in her doctor's office trying to determine what's wrong. She's waking up bruised and fatigued, sleep deprived even though she appears to be sleeping.

There are some very unsettling scenes as she tries to figure out what's happening. Creepy scenes reminiscent of the Paranormal Activity movies. You won't want to read this alone, at night, in an empty house (I didn't).

Great premise and a big creep factor, The Night Guest left me wanting more, but not really in a good way. The WTF ending (not to mention the animal cruelty) put a damper on the party.

My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the digital ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this creepy novella by Hildur Knútsdóttir, absolutely perfectly narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up because I just couldn't stop listening!

Iðunn is in yet another doctor's office. She 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. Everyone tells her to eat better, get more sleep, exercise more but nothing helps. One night, Iðunn falls asleep with her new step-counting watch on, and wakes up to find she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the night. Just what is happening when she's asleep?

I was pulled into this book right away. A woman goes to the doctor with symptoms, only to be dismissed. After just going through something very similar, I could definitely relate to her, as most women probably can. I also loved the way this story was written. Some chapters only had a few words or one sentence. It just kept pulling me further and further in. If you want a book with an ending tied up neatly with a bow, this is not your book. But I thought the ending just added to the creepiness of the book, the unreliable narrator, and just felt right. The narrator was perfect and added to the overall mystery of the book. I loved it!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I went into this book blind, and did not realize how much it would terrify me. From the first page, I was absolutely hooked. It’s a bone chilling story that really surprised me, and honestly would be my worst nightmare. If you like horror, or are thinking about getting into it- try this book!

Iðunn wakes up every morning super tired, barely able to move but doctors cannot find anything wrong with her. She eventually buys a fitness tracker because everyone is telling her that walking will help, and her fitness tracker shows that she’s walking tens of thousands of steps every night. But she can’t remember any of it. That’s when the nightmare begins.

Iðunn is such an intriguing character, and the writing made it seem like she was disassociated or disconncted from the world. I loved the style, and thought the tranlation was very well done. Some chapter were only a sentence long, but it ads to the eerie atmosphere created. They said a lot with so little and had me feeling scared for the character. You are in a constant state of questioning everything while reading. The story kept building and building, until it ends pretty abrutly.

Many people hated the ending. I truly loved it, but I do wish it was longer. I wasn’t ready for Iðunn’s story to end even though this book completely scared me. It’s creepy, chilling short scare.

Trigger warning: Animal abuse (cat)

This book comes out Sept. 3 (tomorrow). Thanks to @torbooks and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review?

Content warning for animal cruelty and death.

The Night Guest is one of those novels that's best read quickly, but digested slowly. After I devoured this book in one sitting, I had to sit with it for a while, thinking about what I'd just read and what it all meant.

The narrative is urgent and unsettling from the first page, when the book opens with Iðunn at a health clinic. She's there because she's constantly exhausted and wakes up with aching muscles and strange bruises. All of her tests are normal, but nevertheless, it becomes increasingly clear that something is very wrong in Iðunn's world.

That's all I want to say about the plot, because I think it's best to leave as much as possible about this story open to interpretation. There is a spareness and a strangeness to Hildur Knútsdóttir's writing; there's a lot that she only hints at without saying explicitly, which just adds to the looming sense of dread. The whole idea of not being in control of your own body is incredibly frightening. At first I was somewhat put off by the abruptness of the ending, but that's where the whole "digesting slowly" comes in. The more I thought about it, the more I began to understand -- and it was only after finishing it that the true horror of it all washed over me.

Iðunn is a compelling character, and Knútsdóttir uses her to introduce readers to life in contemporary Reykjavík and to explore feminist themes. There's interesting commentary about health issues, particularly surrounding a woman's need to advocate for herself when a health professional dismisses her concerns. For a novel that comes in at just over 200 pages, there is so much to unpack both thematically and plot-wise. I just love a book like this: that I know I'll keep thinking about and that I immediately want to discuss with other readers.

The vibes of The Night Guest reminded me of Catriona Ward and Iain Reid, so if you enjoy those writers, this book may interest you as well. Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the early reading opportunity.

It's going to take me a long while to not feel weird about waking up exhausted.

The book begins with Iðunn, in the doctor's office yet again. She's exhausted. No matter how much sleep she gets, she is bone tired. She knows something isn't right, but the doctor's don't listen to her. They give condescending advice, medicine, but nothing that helps.

So she gets vitamins, changes her diet, takes their sleeping pills, and gets a pedometer. Nothing helps.

But then one night she forgets to take off the pedometer. She wakes to find she walked more than 40,000 steps overnight. Where did she go? What did she do?

I really identified with that feeling of 'something is wrong with me and no one will listen.' I felt this book really delivered on the horrors of autonomy and the feeling of losing control of your own body. Iðunn's desperation really comes through and left me feeling a little breathless and claustrophobic. The Night Guest is a fast read and I personally loved the ambiguous ending. It's left the story in my mind to be turned over and over for far longer than most books do.

The Night Guest releases tomorrow, 9/3. I highly recommend you check it out!

4.25 stars

This short novella packed a punch in few pages, touching on many hot button issues such as women's medical concerns being discounted, while also building a sense of dread up until the last page.

Idunn wakes up each morning feeling exhausted, sometimes with scratches and bruises on her body, but her doctors can't find anything medically wrong with her. Fed up, she buys a smart watch, and is shocked to see that she registers thousands of steps each night. The nights increasingly get rougher for her, to the point where her doctors believe she should be under psychiatric care. Resisting, she tries to live her life instead, casually dating a man who initially believed her to be her deceased sister, and avoiding the repeated advances of the married man she had an affair with out of boredom. As her nighttime activities escalate, she starts to wonder if it is not her doing all these terrible things, but rather the vengeful spirit of her sister. The culmination is an ambiguous ending that many have found frustrating, but was crystal clear to me, being a bit of an armchair psychologist myself. Idunn is not a particularly likeable character, and you are left to wonder what she might have been capable of if she is also capable of more minor transgressions. My interpretation of this story was that it was a study in grief and guilt, and believing you don't deserve anything that brings you happiness, until it all becomes too much.

Sooo fun, I fly through this. Our main character is sleepwalking and there's something else going on and along the short, short chapters & book, we're figuring out what she's been up to & why is she sleepwalking.

A great choice if you wanna read some Women In Translation work or simply a short, fast-paced book to get out of your reading slump. Also the chapters are so short, this is literally for all of you easily-distracted babies. Go pick up this book releasing soon in September! Thank you to Net Galley & publisher for allowing me access to the eARC.

I really loved the idea for this book, plus the format was especially intriguing. But I did not understand it whatsoever. The ending was vague, and not in a fun literary way, but in a "no one has any idea what is going on" way.

I went into this novel completely blind and feel it was a fast-paced and creepy read. It had a deeply unsettling atmosphere and kept me drawn in with its nightmarish horror.

Iðunn is waking up feeling like she hasn’t truly rested throughout the night. Something is happening when she’s sleeping, but she can’t remember anything. As she tries to seek a solution, she finds herself in more trouble.

I liked her dry sense of humor and the use of one sentence chapters. It added a layer of horror. I was a little confused by the ending as it was very abrupt, but overall I enjoyed the story.

Possible trigger warning for animal deaths (specifically cats). It’s not very detailed and doesn’t linger in the story, but it is mentioned.

I really enjoyed that the story is set in Iceland and focuses on its culture, as I am not very familiar with it. I felt I learned a little bit about the culture and areas in Iceland, such as the Esja mountain range.

Thank you to the author, Hildur Knútsdóttir and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

As a fitness tracker enthusiast, the concept of this book terrifies me. I was immediately putting myself into the MC’s shoes and thinking about what I would do if I woke up to 40K new steps and a plethora of physical symptoms.

This novella is such a quick read at around 200 pages and absolutely perfect for starting the spooky season vibes. I was trying to guess what was happening the entire time. The chapters were short and I was so engrossed in this book that I stayed up late to finish it. I have mixed feelings about the ending because I think I was just expecting something different, but absolutely recommended for a quick and weird horror read. I adore books like this!

The Night Guest was creepy and packed a lot into a short work. The short chapters made it a really fast read as well. The author is really successful at creating a growing sense of dread as things escalate. The one thing that some people will not like is that, like most shorter works, this serves more as a window into a life for a short time, then stops suddenly.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

🌑ARC Review 🌑
Release Date: September 3rd

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir is a thriller/ horror novel that will leave you questioning.

After waking up every night with pain in her body, Iðunn seeks medical help. After coming to no conclusion, Iðunn is forced to figure out what is going on, on her own. She comes to find out that she is getting up after she falls asleep. When she tries to stop it, things go astray.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars ⭐️

This Icelandic horror had my attention the whole time. I finished it in about an hour. The pace is very quick, but not too quick that you’re confused.

I loved that this brought up the topic of how women get brushed off when seeking medical attention. How though we know something’s wrong, doctors usually either misdiagnose or don’t care to pay attention.

In the end, we do find out what happens to Iðunn, but it happened so fast I had to reread it a few times. That was the only time the pace startled me.

I recommend reading this if you love fast pace horror, psychological horror,and women in translation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic little unhinged gem of a book. Trigger warning for animal abuse and death. A dream like experience that takes you in and out of consciousness with so many questions. Questions drive the plot forward making it a very compelling and addictive story. Highly recommend for anyone seeking out something a little darker that loves a bit of dark mystery/horror.

The Night Guest
Wow. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I signed up to read The Night Guest but it wasn’t this.

Our heroine is suffering from very poor sleep and she is waking up with weird bruises that she can’t explain. Doctors won’t take her seriously. But then her smart watch shows 20000 extra steps one night—she knows something is up.

I quite enjoyed my first entry into Icelandic horror. The dark and the creeping horror do something being not right is very well done. The characters are lightly drawn except for our narrator, but the atmosphere is thick enough to make up for it. The translation is quite good—possibly the best I’ve read in a long time, the sentences have a lovely rhythm to them that has been I assume preserved very well. I’d definitely read more Icelandic horror and more from this author specifically

The ending is interesting and I’m not 100% sure how I feel about it but without a doubt it’s daring and I’ll be thinking about it for a while now.

I recommend this for fans of Caitlin Starling in particular. Major content warning for harm to animals.

I received an ARC for this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an ARC of this book for review.

Trigger warning: dead (murdered) cats.

Delightfully weird and creepy. Distinctly Icelandic. A little horror novella about Iðunn, an office worker who is constantly exhausted and bruised and she doesn't know why. But she quickly realizes that she's been sleepwalking, nightly. There's not much that can really be said without spoiling the book. But the pacing and sometimes abruptly short chapters added to the atmosphere and tension.
And, well translated to boot.