The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir is a haunting and atmospheric novel that delves into themes of fear and isolation with chilling effectiveness. Knutsdottir’s evocative writing and eerie plot create a compelling and unsettling reading experience.

This book was hard to follow and just not interesting to me. I feel like it was all this build-up for nothing to happen. It wasn't scary, just long-winded even though the book itself is short.

Truly surprising debut novella. When a woman's strange symptoms (fatigue, bruising, unexplained injuries) aren't addressed by her physicians, she's left to figure it out for herself. She must be sleep walking, as her pedometer has her moving 40,000 step in a night. But where is she going? And what is happening to all the neighborhood cats? I loved the pace, but I found the ending was unclear. I'm still not exactly sure what happened, but the mood/vibes were so perfect I didn't care. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the digital review copy.

Clearly based on a fairy tale (Twelve Dancing Princess vibes) mixed with adult horror, this is the story of a woman who for some reason cannot get a good night's sleep - no doctor can help, and her pedometer shows thousands of steps walked while she's supposed to be asleep. Thanks to technology she tracks her nocturnal journeys... and more would be a spoiler.

The bigger problem is that the ending doesn't match the rest of the book. What causes the walking is both rushed and has less thought in it than the earlier parts, which ruined the last few chapters for me. Maybe less about her search for answers and more about the cause might have helped.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir is a first person-POV Icelandic psychological horror novella that plays with form. Iðunn has been to multiple doctors and still hasn’t gotten help for her sleeping issues. She’s exhausted and just wants to sleep but nothing has worked. On top of that, she runs into the ex-boyfriend of her deceased sister and a former flame is starting to bug her. But when she notices strange changes to her body or pedometer when she wakes up, she knows something’s wrong.

It’s very hard not to feel for Iðunn when she thinks about how a previous doctor wrote her insomnia off as hysteria. Many women can relate to not being believed by doctors and while one would hope it would be better in other societies, unfortunately sexism is alive and well in many places. Luckily, she winds up with a female doctor who is more willing to listen, creating some hope in Iðunn that maybe she’s finally going to get on track to healing.

A lot of chapters are only one or two sentences, which makes the novella feel even shorter until you realize that maybe the reason they’re so short is because that’s all Iðunn remembers. There’s something horrifying in time slipping away, in repeating thoughts again and again and again only to do it the next day and all you have to show for it is one single thought. A lot of the psychological aspects are in that formatting and in how much information is held back.

The build-up is both slow and fast; fast because it is only about 170 pages but slow in the actual pacing of the writing. The length feels perfect for the form and story. I can see the idea being drawn out for a hundred more pages, but it felt quite impactful at this particular word count.

Content warning for depictions of dead pets

I would recommend this to fans of psychological horror looking for a novel, readers of horror who want something playing with form, and those looking for a work from an Icelandic author to try

I was so fascinated by the concept of this story, I couldn't believe it was only about 200 pages long! I liked that the author made the plot so concise - no rambling on for the sake of length. I finished this in one day because it was such a captivating read. That said, I think there could have been some wiggle room to build out the story in certain areas.

The Night Guest is one of those stories where there is an equal possibility of two explanations. The ending was left ambiguous enough to make you ponder, but not in the way that leaves you frustrated. I loved the incorporation of an Icelandic backdrop, it's not something I've come across since rediscovering my love of books in the last few years.

I think the translator did a phenomenal job and I sing their praises. I picked up on some English idioms like "until I was blue in the face" and I couldn't help but wonder what the Icelandic equivalent was. The story was beautifully written!

This book was so creepy. I liked the fact that it was short, and explored deep concepts such as sleepwalking, mental health and sleep deprivations without getting too deep into them.

There is a trigger warning if you are a cat person.

I recommend the book, but not right before bed.

Well, goddamn.

This was a fantastic (mostly) one sitting read, and I would not have minded if it was twice the length, though I do find 200-300 pages is my personal sweet spot. The translation was great (sometimes if you're familiar with the translator's own work you can feel their voice bleeding through, but that didn't seem to be the case here), and I can't wait for everyone else to read this so I have people to talk about it with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read and review The Night Guest. All opinions are my own.

The Night Guest is a translated fiction novella. The beginning of this short story involves the main character concerned she is ill due to some troubling unexplained symptoms. Her joints and muscles hurt all the time, she is fatigued and wakes each morning with no restful feelings. She visits doctors for answers, to no avail. She talks to friends and co-workers, but no advice is helping. After purchasing a pedometer watch to count her steps, as a friend has recommended more exercise to cure her symptoms. One morning she awakens to find a very startling number of steps on the pedometer that happened while she was asleep in the night. Here is where the spiral and horror begin.

I couldn't put this book down and finished it in one sitting. Unfortunately, the ending didn't really satisfy the buildup of the story for me. I needed more explanation and conclusion. Trigger content of animal death. I will say the buildup of anticipation an apprehension was good. Although I was a huge fan of this, I am positive there is a fan base for this style of book. The Night Guest will be released on September 3rd. Happy Reading!!

I heard that this was written in a fever dream kind of style after I got it and I was a bit on the fence about it because that's not usually something I enjoy. However, this provides enough information for it to be okay for me.

I wouldn't say things make sense and there's no clear plot here, but it's an unsettling little story. The whole concept of your body being taken over in your sleep was very creepy to me. I also loved the short chapters and how quickly things moved.

That said, I wanted and expected more from this. It has creepy moments, yes, but I feel like this isn't the best or most complete execution of the idea. Like, a lot more juice could've been squeezed out of this with more development, more details, and more plot.

I don't think it works as a novella, not with this structure. The ending is too abrupt and there's just not enough there for readers to sink their teeth into. As it is, it's just 3 stars; I won't be thinking about this story beyond today, but I'm intrigued by this author. I liked the ideas.

Trigger warning: Dead cats. Like a lot of dead cats.

The Night Guest is a creepy read and incredibly fast-paced. I was enjoying it immensely, until the last chapters when the book just ends. I feel like the ending could have been further developed.

The story is about a woman who lives in Reykjavik who is always exhausted. Iðunn suspects it's something terminal but doctors find nothing wrong with her. They all suspect it's something psychosomatic becuase she is under a lot of stress: her family is dealing with the loss of her sister and Iðunn has ended a relationship with a coworker.

As the story progresses, Iðunn tries to figure out why she wakes up without feeling rested. She wears a watch to track her sleep patterns after she starts waking up with brusies and other injuries.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this fast read but the ending fell flat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an early digital copy to read.

Really engaging and quick read—I am still a bit confused by the ending though. I think I understand what the implication was but maybe I’d have to re-read. Really excited for the final copy! Thank you to Tor Books!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for a review copy.

The Night Guest is a short, sweet, unsettling ride. Iðunn hasn't been sleeping well so she goes to doctor after doctor, but nothing has shown up in any of the tests. She buys a watch to track her steps and wears it to bed. It shows she walked 40,000 steps in the night and she is injured. No one believes her about what is happening.

As Iðunn begins trying to figure out what is happening to her, things get creepier and creepier. Odd things are happening to her and odd things are also happening in her neighborhood. I don't want to give too much away as it's a short book (check triggers for this one). This short book packs a punch, though! It's a bit unhinged woman, but it's also a bit surrealistic. The ending is not at all what I expected, and I was there for it. This is the first Icelandic book I've ever read, but I will definitely read more from this author!

Look for this one on Sept. 3, 2024!

Loved this one so much. This had me hooked from the jump and it was the PERFECT length. Shorter chapters like this are also enjoyable. My only wish/complaint is about something that I don't really want to say outright - it's a small enough thing that it's not worth the spoiler! The ending overall is outstanding; I just wish a certain aspect of it had been a bit more vague because it would have hit harder.

4.5 rounded to 5/5

I’m sorry; I didn’t like this book at all. I wish I’d have read other reviews before picking it up or expressing interest in it because I’m very triggered by animal cruelty and murder - especially when it comes to cats.
I believe in honest reviews, but I think it would be kinder if I didn’t feature this book on my bookstagram.
This being said, I appreciate the opportunity to read this one on NetGalley; thank you.

As a movie nerd I’ll watch anything, but horror is my happy place. As a reader I’ll TRY to read just about anything but again, horror is my happy place and like any art form the journey and its execution can either make or break the experience for any given watcher/reader. In the case of Hildur Knútsdóttir’s The Night Guest I’m at a bit of a crossroads.

I love a quick read and this is littered with “Chapters” that are merely a few words, so this is easy to devour in a single sitting. In some ways, I feel like this is a choice which I found kind of disconnected me from the experience as a whole, even though my ADHD brain appreciated the abbreviated length. The prose felt a bit stilted and unnatural to me at times, which I suppose could lend to the some of the fragmented reality of our main character and her lost time—but also could just be an ignorant criticism on my end as this was translated from its Icelandic origins. There’s a palpable “creepy” tone that builds to a divisive ending that didn’t entirely work for me.

If you like horror and you’re like me and love a brisk read to pad your Yearly Reading Challenge this will fit in nicely. Even if I didn’t find it as surprising or engaging as I’d have liked, there’s still nuggets of great genre ideas that just didn’t come together as I would have constructed them, which isn’t a fault of the author, just my own personal bias. There’s nothing offensively bad, just a mere divide from a style I would have preferred to the one that was presented, but I’ll still be intrigued to check out the next thing from Knútsdóttir moving forward!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/ Tor Nightfire for providing me with a eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Tor Nightfire for the gifted copy!

This is an extremely short read that definitely built an eerie sense of foreboding but ultimately left me with more questions than answers. I think avid horror readers will probably enjoy it a lot more than I did, as I prefer endings tied up in a neat little bow, so that's definitely a case of it's not you it's me.

Ultimately this was entertaining and I'd say anyone who thinks it sounds interesting should give it a shot!

The Night Guest will be on US bookshelves September 3.

I LOVED this book — devoured-it-in-one-sitting level love. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to the anxieties of the main character. That's why I think this book really works. There is SO much good commentary on how the healthcare system treats women and the chronically ill as well.

Short Terrifying Read . Iounn goes to doctor after doctor to find out why she wakes up with soreness and bruises. Constantly fatigued after a nights rest she tries to put the puzzle into place. Spine tingling and eerie you won't be able to put this down

Iðunn wakes every morning exhausted, often with bruises or signs of nighttime activities she can’t recall. The neighborhood cats, once friendly, regard her with suspicion. She buys a smart watch, only to realize she’s been sleepwalking to the harbor district. That’s when things get strange.

It’s a short piece, every word and moment used to best advantage. The suspense is exquisite. Some twists you can feel lurking just ahead and others blindsided me completely. I didn’t like Iðunn as a character, but still found her struggle compelling.

This was so well done and I hated it SO MUCH. It will probably haunt me. Kudos to Mary Robinette Kowal for what seems to be a wonderful translation of a deeply disturbing story.