DNF'd at 10%. Way too much fat shaming and I understand the language was juvenile given the age of the main character, but I could just not get over it.

I love when authors branch out of their usual genre. Jo Nesbø writes Nordic noir, famously the Harry Hole series. The Night House is a fast paced horror novel that I read in record time. Unfortunately, not everything worked for me.

I flew through this one. It’s an immersive read that will keep you saying things like “what is happening?” For some reason, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief and the action in the very first chapter threw me off.

The Night House has a theme on bullying that happens in most horror books that involve children. There’s a lot fat phobic language I struggled with. While I understand it was there as a plot device, it was jarring.

I found the plot of this book very interesting. Told in three parts, you following Richard on what’s really a mental journey, and you never really know what’s real. Over the last few days, I’ve found myself thinking about this book a lot more than I thought I would.

The Night House is out 10/3/23, and honestly I might pick it up for the cover alone. I’m digging the 80’s/90’s horror covers we’re getting this year. Thank you to @netgalley for my copy!

Wow, I actually found this so delightful. Just when I thought it was over there was a part two that flipped the whole thing on its head and then just when that was over part three came and really twisted it around! The twists and turns kept coming and it was honestly just an overall delight of a horror story. I couldn’t ask for much more. Short and sweet, engaging story, keeps you guessing, suspense and gore….yes please.

With a cover like this I expected some scares. Instead I got a completely bizarre sometimes nonsensical book that started out so strong and had me hooked, then grew gradually weaker until the end when I just kind of went, "...meh?"

When Richard is fourteen, his parents die in a house fire. He is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in a small town called Ballantyne. He is an outcast from the start, but manages to convince one kid to hang out with him. But when Tom disappears, everyone thinks Richard has tossed him in the river. No one believes him that they made a prank phone call from a telephone booth and then the receiver ate Tom right up. Richard begins seeing things and hearing voices, then a second classmate vanishes. Richard is unable to convince everyone that Fatso, as he was rudely nicknamed, morphed into a giant bug and flew away after having dinner at Richard's house one evening. Richard is sent away to a correctional facility, where strange events continue to happen.

I love love love unreliable narrators, but Richard was on a whole other level, to the point this just bordered on absurd. Richard was awful and unreliable, which is also not typically a deal-breaker because some of my favorite characters have been not-so-great people. They're just that well written. And it's not that Richard isn't well-written, he's just such a little jerk. He's mean and always looking for trouble, nevermind the homophobia and misogyny. He was just so mean that when everything started happening, it was hard to feel bad for him. I kept reminding myself his parents had died, but eventually I just did not care because he's unlikable and not in a fun way.

The first part of the book was the best and I was so into the story, had no idea where it could go. Part two is told with Richard as an adult. Not the worst, but the feel of the story shifted and I wasn't as into it. Part three...I don't even know. It felt like a big letdown but I can't even explain why because, spoilers.

Overall I can't say I really recommend it, unless you want a bizarre read that leaves you thinking, "...WHAT? OH. Oh. Well...eh."

The Night House starts strong, reminding me of an upgraded 90s era YA horror. Then, part 2 happens.

I was excited for a book that would help get me in the mood for spooky season! I fell in love with the cover, and I was familiar with the author but had never read any of his other books as they typically aren't in my preferred genres. All that being said, I was looking forward to this one.

The Night House started out strong with its unnerving horror hook and the nostalgic feel of a 80s coming-of-age story. It only gets more surreal and exciting as it works through the part 1.

And, unfortunately, this was the only part of the book that I really enjoyed. I only got more confused and lost in part 2, and disappointed by the 3rd and final part. I found the ending to be trite and cliche, and I was hoping for something a bit more fresh or shocking. The "twist" didn't really feel like a twist at all which makes for a highly anticlimactic experience.

All this being said, I didn't HATE this book, I just wish it had handled parts of the story differently.

I was really hesitant to read The Night House because I am such a huge fan of Jo Nesbo's crime and Police Procedural novels and I had heard a few negative reviews of this book which takes a completely different approach into a more horror / YA genre. In the end, I didn't hate it but I didn't quite love it either. Told in three parts I did think that the way the story was split was really interesting. I enjoyed Part 1 and was imagining it being a nod to Stephen King's IT, a coming of age story which uses horror to explore the challenges faced by the young characters. Then, when I started reading Part 2, I realised that this section of the book explains a lot of the things that happened in the beginning of the story. Then, Part 3 explains a lot of the unanswered questions from Part 2. Essentially it's a story which is layered to gradually reveal more and more of the plot. I thought Richard as the main protagonist was brilliant, obviously you need to suspend belief quite a bit if you want to really get into this story, but no matter what your opinions are of the story, I'm sure everyone would agree that Richard had a lot to deal with at such a young age and everything that happened to him was quite disturbing. The thing I didn't quite understand was who this book was aimed at - is it supposed to be an Adult Horror or is it aimed at a more YA audience? For me the tone of the story felt YA but there were some quite dark scenes and events that could be a major trigger for some people. Still, definitely worth a read for any 90's horror fans!

This book had an intriguing premise that drew me in and I was really liking it through part one. Parts two and three was where it lost me. I did not like the ending so it lowered my overall enjoyment of the book.

I was hoping for a little bit more when I picked up the book but unfortunately the plot was not for me. I love a good horror story and I hope other readers love it but I couldn’t get into it like I’d hoped.
Thank you for the arc!

This book just wasn't for me. I don't know if it was the writing style or what but injuts couldn't get into it. Leaving a 3/5 in fairness because it might just be me.

This one just really missed the mark for me. I've never read anything by this author before and when the word "fatso" showed up in the first chapter along with our main character making fun of another boy's stutter, I just knew I wasn't going to have the best time with this. I was hopeful that it would work itself out as I continued reading but it just left a bad taste in my mouth so the rest of the story was disappointing.

I will still give this book a 4 because the writing is well done, and the plot propelled me to keep reading. However, I have no clue what I actually read. What can be believed? What actually happened? Was it real, the novel, or something else altogether? I did get inklings throughout of what the "truth" revealed at the end was. But this could also be because some of my favorite movies follow this plot. It did at least make everything else make more sense.

A horror novel that explores the eerie and unsettling experiences of a young boy, Richard, who moves to the remote town after his parents die tragically. Richard quickly becomes an outsider and is implicated when a classmate, Tom, mysteriously disappears. The town suspects Richard, but he insists that supernatural forces within a telephone booth are to blame, a claim supported only by Karen, another outsider who becomes his ally.
The two delve into the mystery, tracing clues to an abandoned house in the Black Mirror Wood, where Richard encounters terrifying visions and ominous voices that threaten the safety of those he loves. As the story unfolds, Richard's reliability as a narrator is questioned, adding layers of complexity to the chilling narrative. The novel combines classic horror elements with psychological twists, creating a tense atmosphere of suspense and fear

The cover for The Night House is what first drew me to it. This was such a creepy, unsettling read. I wasn’t sure what was real and what was in our main character’s head, which is just what I like in a psychological horror book. It kept me on my toes for the whole time and I was thoroughly entertained throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and Jo Nesbo for an e-arc of The Night House in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This novel was quite the story! Told in 3 parts, it was the story of nefarious evil in the forest surrounding a small Norwegian town and our main character's attempts to vanquish it. The way that the story was told in 3 parts also did keep you on your toes, as at the conclusion of one part you thought one thing was going on, only to start the next part and what you thought was going on was totally wrong! It was an interesting way to structure the novel and I think it did well to promote a feeling of untrustworthiness in the main character, but did ultimately lead me to be very confused at the end of the novel. What story was true? Who was the narrator? Was this the "origin story" of the Night House? I NEED ANSWERS!!!!

Overall I really did enjoy this novel though and the horror elements that were included were well done. A short, engaging read that I would certainly recommend to my fellow horror lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The Night House by Jo Nesbo immediately grabbed my attention with its chilling and atmospheric storytelling. The plot revolves around a teenager named Richard who moves to a new town and discovers a mysterious house with a dark secret. From the very beginning, Nesbo creates an eerie, suspenseful vibe that kept me hooked.

What makes this book stand out is how Nesbo masterfully blends supernatural elements with psychological tension. Richard’s experiences in the nightmarish house are both terrifying and deeply unsettling, making it hard to distinguish between what’s real and what’s imagined. The character development is strong, and I found myself deeply invested in Richard’s journey.

The pacing is perfect, with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep me guessing. While the supernatural theme might seem familiar, Nesbo’s unique approach and gripping narrative make it feel fresh and exciting.

Overall, **The Night House** is a must-read for fans of horror and psychological thrillers. Jo Nesbo delivers a story that’s both haunting and thought-provoking, making it a memorable read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book. I’m a big fan of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole series, but I’ve never read anything outside of those. I know he writes other YA books, but when I found out he had a YA horror book, I knew I would be reading it.

What a fun book. Richard is a foster kid who tries to make friends. His first friend is eaten by a pay phone. His second friend turns into a cockroach. Clearly, something is going wrong in Richard’s world. No one believes him except his friend, Karen, who wants to help unravel the mystery. To say much more would contain major spoilers, but I will say the twists weren’t unique but they worked for me. I really enjoyed this book.

In "The Night House," renowned Norwegian crime novelist Jo Nesbo delves into the depths of dark horror.

In this spine-tingling tale, Richard Elauved, a troubled 14-year-old, embarks on a sinister journey that starts with bullying his classmates and leads to an encounter with a telephone booth and telephone book with eerie consequences. As the story unfolds, mysterious disappearances, unsettling transformations, and a web of twisted perceptions grip the reader in a relentless grip of fear. Fifteen years later, an adult Richard attends his class reunion. Now a successful author haunted by the horror that shaped his life so many years ago. Yet, as he seeks redemption for his past actions, he discovers that reality is far more elusive than fiction. Creepy occurrences abound, raising questions of truth and illusion, and leaving readers to ponder what is real and what is merely the product of a fevered mind.

With a cast of characters whose motives remain shrouded in darkness, including a fiendish figure offering cryptic advice and an ill-fated individual with a chilling ultimatum, the narrative twists and turns with macabre delight. "The Night House" delivers scares aplenty, inviting readers to question their perception of reality and leaving them wondering if the horrors within its pages will linger long after the final chapter.

OMG SO GOOD! Horror lovers with love this book. Set in the same town as the Lizzie Borden murders, the main character investigates the death of town prominent people because her brother is being accused of the murders.