This book was my introduction to a new author and I very much enjoyed the pace and writing style. Throughout the book, I felt the anxiety of the main character and her ability to mix in her cynism in order to appear “okay” to the outside world.

I truly wanted this to be a 5 star read, but the ending left me so confused. I am not against an open-ended story, but I truly don’t understand where to focus and how to make sense of the last couple of chapters.

Overall, it’s a quick read and something I’d recommend, if only to have a discussion regarding theories for the end of the novella.

Thank you netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the arc.

This book grabbed my attention so quickly and I absolutely devoured it. I loved the format and style, the main character, all of it. Where it missed the mark for me was the ending. It felt very abrupt to me. I wanted more. Maybe an epilogue? It happened so fast I felt like I missed it.

The night guest is a fast paced Icelandic horror novella that will have you on the edge of your seat. I read it in one sitting and could not put it down.

It has a lot of great commentary on the female experience especially in medical and mental health spaces. The writing is quick and punchy yet wildly impactful. Most chapters are only a sentence or two long, but it works in this format. It’s put together so strongly you won’t even realize you’re reaching the end until you get to the final page!

I recommend this read to anyone who loves female rage, dark thrillers and mysteries.

This arc was provided by Netgalley thank you!

This was such a fast paced, quick, fun read. I had so many guesses to where it was going and it surprised me. I found it relatable in ways, at the beginning of the book as a woman. But then it just takes off into this creepy little story.

Creepy book with a disappointing ending

Content warning: animal death

Definitely held my interest, but I read the ending twice hoping I'd missed something.

This book was a quick read. I really enjoyed how unsettled it made me feel and wanting to know what was going on!

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir starts off innocently enough: Iðunn is tired of waking up exhausted, of seeing doctors that don’t take her seriously, of Googling her symptoms and coming up with nothing. Everyone has an opinion of what she should be doing to get better: eat better, take more exercise, meet more people, buy a smart watch.

Which is fine, until the smart watch begins logging all of the steps she’s taking at night. While she’s asleep. The rest of the tale slowly dissolves into a fever dream of mounting dread and beautifully detailed Icelandic cityscapes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s a quick read—I read it over the course of a few hours, devouring most of it during my lunch break. If you’re looking for a quiet, eerie read, I highly recommend this one.

Wild! I binged this one. I couldn’t put it down. Short chapters! 🙌🏼 This was bizarre, unsettling, and intense. I kept turning the page to find out what happened next. The sense of dread grew as the story progressed, and I loved the ending!
𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 4.25⭐️

Thank you @tornightfire for the #gifted copy! Opinions are my own.

Thank you for the ARC of The Night Guest.

I enjoyed the MC of this novella. I could identify with her and her frustration with Medical experts. It’s so easy to say the symptoms are in your head.

I liked the intensity and how it increased with one sentence chapters. It was intriguing to try to figure out what was actually happening to the MC. The step tracker was the perfect tool to establish what was going on when the MC slept or not.

I believe the ending will not be for everyone but I like endings that make you think.

Overall this is the first time reading from this author and I would love to read more. I enjoyed this nitty gritty psychological horror. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.Until one night Iðunn falls asleep with the watch on, and wakes up to find she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the night . . .

This book was so addicting! The way it is written sucks you in from the start. I wanted to know what was happening and was constantly trying to guess. The story was fast paced and I couldn't put it down till I finished. I did find the ending a little disappointing because of how ambiguous it was, but overall really enjoyed the story.

The Night Guest was a wild ride of a book! It's short, but it definitely packs a punch.

We follow Iðunn as she wakes up everyday exhausted, no matter what she tries (exercising, eating more, taking vitamins or sleeping pills,...). There's seemingly nothing wrong with her, but after she buys a smart watch and realises she walked 40,000 steps during the night, everything goes downhill. She wakes up sore and with bruises, or with her fingernails ruined and bloody; and she is desperate to understand what is happening to her.

Keeping a brisk pace and told through an unreliable and somewhat detached voice, this is almost a perfect short horror book. I personally thought it suffered from being a tad too short (though I had no problem with the one line chapters-they built the tension wonderfully), I would have liked some more character development; and the ending did nothing for me. I like open endings, but only to a certain point, and this one was past it.

All in all, though, a great quick read if you want some good psychological horror!

Well now, that was a little bundle of weirdness, hiding behind a pretty cover. Highly addictive weirdness though, because once I started reading it, I didn't have the willpower to stop.
The Night Guest practically pulsates with tension and suspense, and I don't think it would be unfair to say it is downright creepy.
The only thing stopping me giving it another star is the abrupt ending. It left me a little confused. A second reading has, I think, clarified things a little.
As I have friends who are cat lovers, I feel that I should warn them that several cats die in this book. It happens off page, but we are made aware of it towards the end.
Thanks to Tor Publishing Group and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this review.

This was PERFECTLY paced. I couldn’t put it down.
It would have been nice to have a little less of an open ending, but I’m not mad at it. It’s given me tons to think about.
Also the translation was so clean, I wouldn’t have known it was translated if it hadn’t said.

Now that I’ve read it the choice of bright cover is hilarious, it really doesn’t match the content.

The Night Guest" by Hildur Knútsdóttir is a haunting and atmospheric novel that delves into the depths of loneliness and isolation. The story follows Iðunn, a woman grappling with a mysterious illness that leaves her increasingly debilitated and isolated. As her condition worsens, she begins to experience strange occurrences in her Reykjavík apartment, blurring the lines between reality and delusion.

Knútsdóttir's writing is evocative and chilling, immersing the reader in Iðunn's deteriorating mental state. The descriptions of Reykjavík, with its long dark nights and eerie landscapes, add to the growing sense of dread and paranoia. The slow-burn suspense keeps you guessing, as you question what is real and what is a figment of Iðunn's imagination.

However, the pacing can be a bit slow at times, and some readers may find the ambiguity of the ending frustrating. Additionally, the lack of resolution for certain plot points leaves some questions unanswered.

Overall, "The Night Guest" is a well-crafted psychological thriller that explores themes of isolation, vulnerability, and the insidiousness of loneliness. While it may not be for everyone, those who enjoy atmospheric and thought-provoking stories will find this novel a haunting and memorable read.

A very unsettling story about paranoia, society’s expectations of women and an ode to all women who seek medical help and they are misdiagnosed or simply ignored.

Our main character is a middle aged woman who feels exhausted and has no explanation for her lack of energy. She has tried it all, she has gone to multiple doctors but no one has been able to help her.

One day she gets a smart watch to help her track her steps because she wants to be healthier and walk more. However one night she forgets to take off the watch when she goes to bed. The next morning the step count is over 40,000. How can that be? Is she sleep walking? Where is she going?

It is a quick and intense read with excellent writing that hooked me from the very first page. I could not put it down. It is one of those books that truly creeps under your skin.

This is a book from 2021 that was finally translated into English and I can definitely recommend this to everyone.

I had to lower the rating a bit because the ending was a bit disappointing for me.

However if you are a cat and animal lover like I am I need to give you a content warning for animal harm.

Imagine you have been waking up for days feeling achey/exhausted and the extent of your activity is a short commute to work. You keep having test done at doctor’s office and there are no anomalies found. Then one day you leave your Apple Watch on and wake to find out that you somehow walked over 40k steps - plus you are covered in bruises and… is that blood?? Yeah, that’s what’s happening with the main character of this story - spooky stuff.

The first half of this book was full of suspense and includes some scenes that were truly horrifying - at least with the imagery my imagination offered. However, the ending was a major disappointment which unraveled a lot of my enjoyment of this one.

Let me say, I am not one for ambiguous endings as is, however, the ending of this one was left WIDE OPEN. I don’t have a thought or a theory as to what was going on here, just complete confusion - which is frustrating.

So i’m left a bit conflicted with this one with feel as if it had such strong potential but wasn’t fully realized in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the provision of an English-translated ARC.

This title is a fantastic example of doing plenty with 'less', letting the readers curious and speculative nature to attempt making sense of what is going on as its short chapters are consumed.

The Night Guest is about a woman suffering a bout of ill health that starts to pervade her waking life. Her doctors think her hysterical (or are hesitant to believe her), her friends and family offer pithy suggestions like "go for a walk" or "eat more meat"...and in the end she is alone in trying to figure how why she is alway so exhausted, or has scratches and bruises when she wakes up in the morning.

Many will speak about the ending - and I will say that the ride is still worth it (especially for how short a book it is).

I was skeptical going into this however I am happy to report that The Night Guest is surprisingly spine-tingling, especially for straight Horror. A quick page-turner that I finished in just a couple of hours. This story had me on the edge of my seat; needing answers as quickly as possible. Atmospherically tense yet bleak this was fabulously translated.

It was refreshing to read a story that intertwines a narrative that many women experience; being dismissed by the doctor as stress or “in your head.”

I will seek out other works from this author in the future!

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected! The short, snappy chapters are exactly what I love & I was intrigued throughout.

I’m not usually a fan of open endings but for some reason it just worked with this book - it made the most sense. I did find the ending slightly rushed, especially upon discovering the bodies/hostage - I wish we’d seen slightly more from that.

Overall a really good mild horror.