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The Night Guest
The Night Guest is an eerie and ensnaring story set in contemporary Reykjavík that’s sure to keep you awake at night.
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.
When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same ― have you tried eating better? exercising more? establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to follow their advice, buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. Nothing helps.
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 . . .
What is happening when she’s asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?
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.
When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same ― have you tried eating better? exercising more? establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to follow their advice, buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. Nothing helps.
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 . . .
What is happening when she’s asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2021
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November 3, 2024A chilling, deeply disturbing read about a young woman whose life is slowly falling apart after the death of her older sister -- a tragedy we find out about only in glimpses and inferences. Iðunn goes to a doctor to report inexplicable aches and pains when she wakes up each morning. Is it possible she is sleepwalking? If so, what is her subconscious trying to tell her? Sometimes, it is better not to know . . .
This is a super-quick read. I finished it in one sitting. To say I enjoyed it is possibly not accurate -- it left me unsettled and disquieted, as no doubt the story is meant to -- but it was certainly compelling and haunting.
*Trigger warning / spoiler* As other reviewers have noted, animal cruelty is depicted in this book. As a cat lover, I found this difficult to get past, though the author does foreshadow the gruesomeness to come and I understand why it was part of the story. I finished the book, and am glad I did, but be warned if this is a topic about which you would prefer not to read. *END trigger warning / spoiler*
We visited Iceland a few years ago, and that certainly helped me picture the setting in which the novel unfolds. The narrative is spare and gripping, and though I don't know any Icelandic, the English translation felt beautifully done and did the story justice. It was like a dip into an Icelandic lake -- which I have done -- brief, shocking, and deathly cold. Glad I did it. Glad to be out again! BRRR!
This is a super-quick read. I finished it in one sitting. To say I enjoyed it is possibly not accurate -- it left me unsettled and disquieted, as no doubt the story is meant to -- but it was certainly compelling and haunting.
*Trigger warning / spoiler* As other reviewers have noted, animal cruelty is depicted in this book. As a cat lover, I found this difficult to get past, though the author does foreshadow the gruesomeness to come and I understand why it was part of the story. I finished the book, and am glad I did, but be warned if this is a topic about which you would prefer not to read. *END trigger warning / spoiler*
We visited Iceland a few years ago, and that certainly helped me picture the setting in which the novel unfolds. The narrative is spare and gripping, and though I don't know any Icelandic, the English translation felt beautifully done and did the story justice. It was like a dip into an Icelandic lake -- which I have done -- brief, shocking, and deathly cold. Glad I did it. Glad to be out again! BRRR!
February 8, 2024
Okay, so, trigger warning: dead cats. Murdered cats. Cats who are obviously not just “pining for the fjords.” I wish I'd read the reviews before reading this one, because our elderly cat passed away less than twelve hours ago and I was not emotionally ready to read about such things.
But, anyway, I have mixed feelings about this one … and not just because of the poor cats.
This book is awesome right up until the last chapter (or maybe the last two? I can't remember and my e-reader is all the way upstairs). It's beyond creepy. Iðunn wakes up every morning super tired. Her doctor says she's perfectly healthy. What could be wrong with her? And why is her fitness tracker showing that she's walking tens of thousands of steps every night? It's super suspenseful and I couldn't stop reading. It's a short book with short chapters and I read it all in one sitting.
The setting (Reykjavík, Iceland) is amazing, too. I really thought this was going to end up being a five-star read for me.
And then there are dead cats. But, okay, fair enough. Not everyone is squeamish about such things.
But that last chapter (or two)... I mean, WTF? I am (back) out of bed at 1:30 in the morning so that I can write about how much it annoyed me. Because not only did I not like it, but I am apparently incredibly stupid because I did not understand it even one little bit. I don't even know how to explain it to you guys without spoiling anything, but I am so confused right now. And the book ended super abruptly, too. I was hoping for at least one more chapter to explain what I'd just read, but nope.
I won't say not to read this book because the first 98% of it is totally awesome. But if I were you, I'd go into it expecting to be disappointed by the ending. Or maybe not, since judging from the other reviews on Goodreads (the English-language ones that I can read, anyway) I appear to be in the minority here.
My overall rating: five stars for the bulk of the book, but minus two stars for the ending. Yes, I really disliked it that much. I'll still probably seek out some more books by Hildur Knútsdóttir, though, because she really does know how to write a creepy story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advance (English) copy of this book to review.
But, anyway, I have mixed feelings about this one … and not just because of the poor cats.
This book is awesome right up until the last chapter (or maybe the last two? I can't remember and my e-reader is all the way upstairs). It's beyond creepy. Iðunn wakes up every morning super tired. Her doctor says she's perfectly healthy. What could be wrong with her? And why is her fitness tracker showing that she's walking tens of thousands of steps every night? It's super suspenseful and I couldn't stop reading. It's a short book with short chapters and I read it all in one sitting.
The setting (Reykjavík, Iceland) is amazing, too. I really thought this was going to end up being a five-star read for me.
And then there are dead cats. But, okay, fair enough. Not everyone is squeamish about such things.
But that last chapter (or two)... I mean, WTF? I am (back) out of bed at 1:30 in the morning so that I can write about how much it annoyed me. Because not only did I not like it, but I am apparently incredibly stupid because I did not understand it even one little bit. I don't even know how to explain it to you guys without spoiling anything, but I am so confused right now. And the book ended super abruptly, too. I was hoping for at least one more chapter to explain what I'd just read, but nope.
I won't say not to read this book because the first 98% of it is totally awesome. But if I were you, I'd go into it expecting to be disappointed by the ending. Or maybe not, since judging from the other reviews on Goodreads (the English-language ones that I can read, anyway) I appear to be in the minority here.
My overall rating: five stars for the bulk of the book, but minus two stars for the ending. Yes, I really disliked it that much. I'll still probably seek out some more books by Hildur Knútsdóttir, though, because she really does know how to write a creepy story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advance (English) copy of this book to review.
October 23, 2024
Was hoping to find a horror novel that I could get behind, but then the author had to go and kill the cats so it’s a big nope from me.
Plus nothing was explained and if you are going to have animal cruelty you had better give me a good reason, it was just confusing and awful. Do not recommend.
The audiobook narration was decent and helped with the Icelandic pronunciations.
I voluntarily reviewed a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Plus nothing was explained and if you are going to have animal cruelty you had better give me a good reason, it was just confusing and awful. Do not recommend.
The audiobook narration was decent and helped with the Icelandic pronunciations.
I voluntarily reviewed a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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September 14, 2024
Being inexplicably tired all the time and nobody believing you is a horror story enough in its own right, but in The Night Guest, debut Icelandic novelist Hildur Knútsdóttir turns up the tension into something far more terrifying. Quietly atmospheric, The Night Guest moves through the streets of Reykjavik compounding anxieties to a suffocating degree in this story of a woman tormented by troubling sleep habits that could spell doom for all those around her. Though, infusing the creepy with critiques on society, Knútsdóttir shows how the daily life of a woman is drenched in enough dread already. Wonderfully translated here into the the english by Mary Robinette Kowal, it's a quick novel that certainly pulls you along for the ride on foreboding prose that captures the feeling of blood turning to ice in your veins. While the occasional sense that the writing betrays the scaffolding attempting to mesh the themes together and a rather abrupt and fairly unsuccessful ending mar the experience, it still makes for a chilling read with a build-up pushing you to the precipice of terror at every turn. Blending the possibility of a haunting with the daily terrors of being a woman in a patriarchal society and the ways we haunt ourselves through our digital footprints, Knútsdóttir’s The Night Guest affects a slow burn and ponderous panic where sleep is anything but relief.
‘I remember, once, I decided I was going to live life.
It was nice while it lasted.’
At a glance, The Night Guest is a story of a body haunting itself trapped in a society that can seem like a daily haunted house, especially for women. Iðunn is troubled by a prevailing sense of exhaustion where sleep never brings rest but, instead, unexplained cuts, bruises and the occasional scent of the ocean. From the start, Iðunn sitting in a doctor’s office wary of the dismissive disbelief of women by men in medicine in the long history of misogyny and gender bias in medicine, readers will be aware this is far more than a standard fair horror thriller. This is the world as a horror show for women where a possible haunting of the body just happens to be cracking open the glossy facade imposed by patriarchal social positioning.
The book is at its best when it seamlessly integrates such social criticisms into the narrative of why a once happy and healthy young woman, beloved by friends and neighborhood cats, suddenly finds herself exhausted and bruised beyond explanation and now a point of terror to her feline friends. And all of her fears are often dismissed as irrational, a major issueGabrielle Jackson discusses in her book Pain and Prejudice: How the Medical System Ignores Women―And What We Can Do About It how ‘women’s accounts of it are often assumed to be an exaggeration….a form of hysteria- called ‘catastrophising’ in modern pain-management parlance,’ making them less likely to be believed or treated. We, the readers, are also then asked to consider how much we believe her which is rather clever in a book where unreliable narration could be a major driver of the story.
Iðunn, concerned over the inability to find a diagnosis or method to curb her nocturnal mysteries, begins to track her steps only to find she’s walked 47,325 steps while asleep, or goes further into GPS tracking her evening strolls. Without divulging too much—this is certainly a novel where the less you know about the plot beyond this initial set-up is likely the better—there becomes a sense that, regardless if a ghost is involved in her struggles, her data is creating its own ghost self that can be tracked, collected, analyzed and bought and sold by tech companies and retailers for targeted ads and, if her conspiracy friends are correct, government control. ‘I’ve read articles about the threats of modern technology to personal security,’ she considers, ‘All the data these devices collect. And who knows who’s sitting at the other end watching.’ Our we our own hauntings, leaving behind our ghostly trail that can target us or be used against us at any moment like an existential threat always eerily looming?
It can be difficult to productively critique a novel such as this where, arguably, the themes and issues are well presented and important to both society and the story, but could be more smoothly blended into the narrative. I can enjoy a good “issues” book and I feel Knútsdóttir integration of the themes into the primary horror of the story make it more than that, but there is a sense of a lot of themes being stacked together without being able to stand as a structure without seeing the scaffolding holding it up. Each is interesting and important in its own regard, though sometimes you can feel the mechanism of theme rather than the theme itself flowing through the story. However, it can be argued that is exactly what being a woman is like: knowing all these things, seeing the fault lines and cracks and hyper aware of the support beams keeping it all from crashing down yet having to carry on as if it isn’t there for the sake of not discomforting others.
This is highly present in Iðunn’s interpersonal relationships, particularly with men and her family. There is Stefán, the married man she has recently left, who ‘couldn’t handle me rejecting him.’ She observes that ‘he would have beaten me if we had been alone. I’m sure of that,’ a threat always looming over women in a world where 1 in 3 women experience physical violence by a partner during their lifetime and 89% of homicides against women are committed by men they knew, with the period directly following a breakup being the most dangerous time. A haunted house of days to be sure, and for those looking for a chilling, literary horror along those lines, I would recommend https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... from Jenna Clake.
‘Before she died, all roads were open to me. After she died there was only one.’
Familial expectations compound upon Iðunn as well and there is also Már, a man who had dated her sister, which triggers the second act of the novel and the ways past trauma informs upon our present actions. How much does the absence of her sister affect the direction of her life, and is that a metaphorical shadow hanging over her or something far more ferocious and frightening?
What makes The Night Guest really work are the ways it keeps much of the mystery even when pointing towards plausible answers. The unreliability becomes a major theme that keeps the reader guessing and feeling uncertain much the way that women are often told they cannot be reliable in their own feelings. While sometimes the slow burn pace feels like the novel is stalling out while trying to find it’s stride—and a mysterious ending that just didn’t work for me as effectively as the shock value of it hoped to carry through—it is still so eerily excellent in atmosphere and tone. There is also the stifling sense that, for all the aims of feminist resistance and education, the same problems find new methods of oppression while we are all allowing ourselves to be haunted by our own technological usage. A fascinating and often frightening tale of being unable to trust oneself, even in sleep, and a sharp social criticism on the treatment of women, The Night Guest from Hildur Knútsdóttir is a nice little debut that is sure to give you chills.
3.5/5
‘An icy cold certainty pours over me. I do not have to wonder what she would be doing now.
I know.’
‘I remember, once, I decided I was going to live life.
It was nice while it lasted.’
At a glance, The Night Guest is a story of a body haunting itself trapped in a society that can seem like a daily haunted house, especially for women. Iðunn is troubled by a prevailing sense of exhaustion where sleep never brings rest but, instead, unexplained cuts, bruises and the occasional scent of the ocean. From the start, Iðunn sitting in a doctor’s office wary of the dismissive disbelief of women by men in medicine in the long history of misogyny and gender bias in medicine, readers will be aware this is far more than a standard fair horror thriller. This is the world as a horror show for women where a possible haunting of the body just happens to be cracking open the glossy facade imposed by patriarchal social positioning.
‘Hysterical women. I seriously wanted to lecture him about all the diseases women have had that have been misdiagnosed over the years—and how medication (not to mention everything else in the world) is designed for the male body-but I just didn’t have the energy for it. Or maybe I was chicken. Or maybe that’s the same thing because it’s a lot easier to gather your courage when you’re not dead tired.’
The book is at its best when it seamlessly integrates such social criticisms into the narrative of why a once happy and healthy young woman, beloved by friends and neighborhood cats, suddenly finds herself exhausted and bruised beyond explanation and now a point of terror to her feline friends. And all of her fears are often dismissed as irrational, a major issueGabrielle Jackson discusses in her book Pain and Prejudice: How the Medical System Ignores Women―And What We Can Do About It how ‘women’s accounts of it are often assumed to be an exaggeration….a form of hysteria- called ‘catastrophising’ in modern pain-management parlance,’ making them less likely to be believed or treated. We, the readers, are also then asked to consider how much we believe her which is rather clever in a book where unreliable narration could be a major driver of the story.
Iðunn, concerned over the inability to find a diagnosis or method to curb her nocturnal mysteries, begins to track her steps only to find she’s walked 47,325 steps while asleep, or goes further into GPS tracking her evening strolls. Without divulging too much—this is certainly a novel where the less you know about the plot beyond this initial set-up is likely the better—there becomes a sense that, regardless if a ghost is involved in her struggles, her data is creating its own ghost self that can be tracked, collected, analyzed and bought and sold by tech companies and retailers for targeted ads and, if her conspiracy friends are correct, government control. ‘I’ve read articles about the threats of modern technology to personal security,’ she considers, ‘All the data these devices collect. And who knows who’s sitting at the other end watching.’ Our we our own hauntings, leaving behind our ghostly trail that can target us or be used against us at any moment like an existential threat always eerily looming?
It can be difficult to productively critique a novel such as this where, arguably, the themes and issues are well presented and important to both society and the story, but could be more smoothly blended into the narrative. I can enjoy a good “issues” book and I feel Knútsdóttir integration of the themes into the primary horror of the story make it more than that, but there is a sense of a lot of themes being stacked together without being able to stand as a structure without seeing the scaffolding holding it up. Each is interesting and important in its own regard, though sometimes you can feel the mechanism of theme rather than the theme itself flowing through the story. However, it can be argued that is exactly what being a woman is like: knowing all these things, seeing the fault lines and cracks and hyper aware of the support beams keeping it all from crashing down yet having to carry on as if it isn’t there for the sake of not discomforting others.
‘Centuries of socialization have conditioned us into believing that it’s our responsibility to create a cozy atmosphere and ensure that no one is embarrassed about anything. THat’s why we laugh at jokes that offend us. That’s why we smile at people who pat us on the butt. THat’s why we pretend that it’s just a coincidence when the boss repeatedly brushes against our breasts at work. Because anything else would be just so embarrassing. For everybody.’
This is highly present in Iðunn’s interpersonal relationships, particularly with men and her family. There is Stefán, the married man she has recently left, who ‘couldn’t handle me rejecting him.’ She observes that ‘he would have beaten me if we had been alone. I’m sure of that,’ a threat always looming over women in a world where 1 in 3 women experience physical violence by a partner during their lifetime and 89% of homicides against women are committed by men they knew, with the period directly following a breakup being the most dangerous time. A haunted house of days to be sure, and for those looking for a chilling, literary horror along those lines, I would recommend https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... from Jenna Clake.
‘Before she died, all roads were open to me. After she died there was only one.’
Familial expectations compound upon Iðunn as well and there is also Már, a man who had dated her sister, which triggers the second act of the novel and the ways past trauma informs upon our present actions. How much does the absence of her sister affect the direction of her life, and is that a metaphorical shadow hanging over her or something far more ferocious and frightening?
What makes The Night Guest really work are the ways it keeps much of the mystery even when pointing towards plausible answers. The unreliability becomes a major theme that keeps the reader guessing and feeling uncertain much the way that women are often told they cannot be reliable in their own feelings. While sometimes the slow burn pace feels like the novel is stalling out while trying to find it’s stride—and a mysterious ending that just didn’t work for me as effectively as the shock value of it hoped to carry through—it is still so eerily excellent in atmosphere and tone. There is also the stifling sense that, for all the aims of feminist resistance and education, the same problems find new methods of oppression while we are all allowing ourselves to be haunted by our own technological usage. A fascinating and often frightening tale of being unable to trust oneself, even in sleep, and a sharp social criticism on the treatment of women, The Night Guest from Hildur Knútsdóttir is a nice little debut that is sure to give you chills.
3.5/5
‘An icy cold certainty pours over me. I do not have to wonder what she would be doing now.
I know.’
October 9, 2024
HATE REVIEW TO COME!!!!!!!
ANIMAL CRUELTY IS NOT OKAY, I'M COMPLETELY DISGUSTED!!!!!!!
ANIMAL CRUELTY IS NOT OKAY, I'M COMPLETELY DISGUSTED!!!!!!!
October 28, 2024
my dude, my man, my guy......HUH???
December 9, 2024
By the time I was 14, I had so many babysitting jobs, I was practically like a drug dealer, with an 80s style pager at my hip.
I had a solid reputation, several regular jobs, and I was constantly being farmed out to work all-day events on the weekend, like weddings, for strangers who had gotten my number from people who already knew me.
As long as I was navigating the women and children, everything was fine, but almost as soon as I turned 14, I learned quickly that I was going to need to be very careful with any of the fathers, uncles, and male friends of any of these families.
I was a young 14, street smart, but innocent, and my introduction to the world of men with unchecked behavior and high levels of testosterone was a 30-year-old man who was the brother to a woman I was babysitting for, for the first time.
It's amazing how many details of this evening I still remember. . . it was a rented townhouse, dark and cramped inside, and there were two kids, already asleep, upstairs, and three young adults in the equation: the woman who had called me to babysit, her husband, and her adult brother. They were all in their early 30s.
I was on the couch, waiting for them all to leave, reading a book (of course), and as the husband and wife were still upstairs, getting ready, the adult brother popped open a bottle of beer and planted himself on the couch next to me, his leg touching mine. He was wearing hospital scrubs and a stethoscope. It was Halloween and he was dressed as a doctor for a costume party.
I smiled politely, and moved farther to the left on the couch, away from his leg, but he moved in on me and reinserted his leg against mine, and started rubbing my leg with his leg. He was chit-chatting with me, who knows what in the hell he was saying; all I could see was that leg continuing to rub against mine. I remember looking up the half-flight of stairs and staring at the carpeted landing, willing the damned couple to come down and free me from this mess. Just when I thought the rubbing leg was bad enough, he leaned in close to me and said something like, "I sure am glad I've got these baggy scrubs on, because you should see how hard I am, looking at your legs in that skirt. How about I stay behind from this party, and you and I have a little party of our own??"
I think I must have stopped breathing in sheer terror at this point. I don't know how many minutes passed before this couple came down the freaking stairs. I'm going to calculate that it was an eternity, but they finally did, and lo and behold, he announced to them both that he wasn't feeling great and he was going to stay behind with the sitter. My God, what was I going to do, if he stayed??
I saw the woman glance over quickly at me and then she looked at her brother and said, "If you stay home, we don't need a sitter, so tell me if you really want to stay and I'll take her home." I don't remember all of the details after that, I only remember that THANK GOD he went to the party with them and the woman took me home, promptly, when they returned later that evening.
I want to be clear: this was one of the more innocent things (of the bad things, involving men) that happened to me, while babysitting, but it was my introduction to the possibility of what could go wrong, particularly if the woman involved wasn't paying attention or refused any role in my personal safety. The patriarchy speaks with my mother's voice.
You may be wondering why I'm blathering on about this, here in my review of an Icelandic horror novel, but there is a reason, and the protagonist of this short novel, Iðunn, explains it here:
Centuries of socialization have conditioned us into believing that it's our responsibility to create a cozy atmosphere and ensure that no one is embarrassed about anything. That's why we laugh at jokes that offend us. That's why we smile at people who pat us on the butt. That's why we pretend that it's just a coincidence when the boss repeatedly brushes against our breasts at work. Because anything else would be just so embarrassing. For everybody.
I have been trained to smooth out all the imperfections, the same way other women have.
We women, especially women my age or older, were taught not to say anything about the oral surgeon who would massage our thighs as he worked on our teeth or the employer's husbands who always insist on driving us home at night and ask for "goodnight kisses," or the male family members who would comment on our "cheerleader's legs" or "playfully" spank our butts as we walked out of the room. Naughty girls!
And. . . resentment grows. Has grown. Turns into a seething anger, an anger that too many men like to overlook, or make fun of. We are sometimes labeled "Femi-Nazis," if we speak openly about our rights, as human beings, or the old standby: crazy bitches.
Some women, like Iðunn, in Reykjavik, have clenched their jaws for so many years, after being beaten by ex-boyfriends, invalidated by their own parents, overlooked and underappreciated by employers, living on their own, doing it all. . .
They start doing weird shit in their sleep. . .
And they wake up with blood on their hands.
In my opinion, this little novel didn't quite, quite maximize its full potential, but it still left me wondering. . . what if. . . what if. . . what if?
And Hildur Knútsdóttir's style (which, to me, felt a lot like American writer, Paula Fox's, style, but was also uniquely her own) is certainly effective in giving the reader the serious creeps.
3.5, rounded up
I had a solid reputation, several regular jobs, and I was constantly being farmed out to work all-day events on the weekend, like weddings, for strangers who had gotten my number from people who already knew me.
As long as I was navigating the women and children, everything was fine, but almost as soon as I turned 14, I learned quickly that I was going to need to be very careful with any of the fathers, uncles, and male friends of any of these families.
I was a young 14, street smart, but innocent, and my introduction to the world of men with unchecked behavior and high levels of testosterone was a 30-year-old man who was the brother to a woman I was babysitting for, for the first time.
It's amazing how many details of this evening I still remember. . . it was a rented townhouse, dark and cramped inside, and there were two kids, already asleep, upstairs, and three young adults in the equation: the woman who had called me to babysit, her husband, and her adult brother. They were all in their early 30s.
I was on the couch, waiting for them all to leave, reading a book (of course), and as the husband and wife were still upstairs, getting ready, the adult brother popped open a bottle of beer and planted himself on the couch next to me, his leg touching mine. He was wearing hospital scrubs and a stethoscope. It was Halloween and he was dressed as a doctor for a costume party.
I smiled politely, and moved farther to the left on the couch, away from his leg, but he moved in on me and reinserted his leg against mine, and started rubbing my leg with his leg. He was chit-chatting with me, who knows what in the hell he was saying; all I could see was that leg continuing to rub against mine. I remember looking up the half-flight of stairs and staring at the carpeted landing, willing the damned couple to come down and free me from this mess. Just when I thought the rubbing leg was bad enough, he leaned in close to me and said something like, "I sure am glad I've got these baggy scrubs on, because you should see how hard I am, looking at your legs in that skirt. How about I stay behind from this party, and you and I have a little party of our own??"
I think I must have stopped breathing in sheer terror at this point. I don't know how many minutes passed before this couple came down the freaking stairs. I'm going to calculate that it was an eternity, but they finally did, and lo and behold, he announced to them both that he wasn't feeling great and he was going to stay behind with the sitter. My God, what was I going to do, if he stayed??
I saw the woman glance over quickly at me and then she looked at her brother and said, "If you stay home, we don't need a sitter, so tell me if you really want to stay and I'll take her home." I don't remember all of the details after that, I only remember that THANK GOD he went to the party with them and the woman took me home, promptly, when they returned later that evening.
I want to be clear: this was one of the more innocent things (of the bad things, involving men) that happened to me, while babysitting, but it was my introduction to the possibility of what could go wrong, particularly if the woman involved wasn't paying attention or refused any role in my personal safety. The patriarchy speaks with my mother's voice.
You may be wondering why I'm blathering on about this, here in my review of an Icelandic horror novel, but there is a reason, and the protagonist of this short novel, Iðunn, explains it here:
Centuries of socialization have conditioned us into believing that it's our responsibility to create a cozy atmosphere and ensure that no one is embarrassed about anything. That's why we laugh at jokes that offend us. That's why we smile at people who pat us on the butt. That's why we pretend that it's just a coincidence when the boss repeatedly brushes against our breasts at work. Because anything else would be just so embarrassing. For everybody.
I have been trained to smooth out all the imperfections, the same way other women have.
We women, especially women my age or older, were taught not to say anything about the oral surgeon who would massage our thighs as he worked on our teeth or the employer's husbands who always insist on driving us home at night and ask for "goodnight kisses," or the male family members who would comment on our "cheerleader's legs" or "playfully" spank our butts as we walked out of the room. Naughty girls!
And. . . resentment grows. Has grown. Turns into a seething anger, an anger that too many men like to overlook, or make fun of. We are sometimes labeled "Femi-Nazis," if we speak openly about our rights, as human beings, or the old standby: crazy bitches.
Some women, like Iðunn, in Reykjavik, have clenched their jaws for so many years, after being beaten by ex-boyfriends, invalidated by their own parents, overlooked and underappreciated by employers, living on their own, doing it all. . .
They start doing weird shit in their sleep. . .
And they wake up with blood on their hands.
In my opinion, this little novel didn't quite, quite maximize its full potential, but it still left me wondering. . . what if. . . what if. . . what if?
And Hildur Knútsdóttir's style (which, to me, felt a lot like American writer, Paula Fox's, style, but was also uniquely her own) is certainly effective in giving the reader the serious creeps.
3.5, rounded up
February 14, 2024
What a spine-chilling read! This novella is truly unique, with its fast-paced horror narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat. While I was prepared to give it a full five stars for its scary and unconventional storyline, the ending left me slightly disappointed, leading to a slightly lower rating. However, don't get me wrong! The book is still a thrilling, smart, and surprising piece of work, with a well-executed translation that perfectly captures the dark and sarcastic tone of the characters and the overall creepiness of the story.
I devoured this novella in less than two hours, completely engrossed in the story even as my husband complained about the burned dinner. After finishing the book, I found myself losing my appetite and feeling a spine-tingling sensation on my neck, as if the main character, Iðunn, was watching me with her vacant, sleepy eyes!
Now, let me give you a quick recap of this dark and bleak novella that you definitely shouldn't read before bedtime:
The story unfolds in the starless nights of Reykjavik, where Iðunn lives, suffering from clinical fatigue that she fears may be a symptom of something terminal. However, blood tests reveal she's physically healthy, suggesting her situation may be psychosomatic, related to stress. She has a dysfunctional relationship with her family, who are also grappling with the death of their elder daughter, and her relationship with her coworker ended on a sour note.
Iðunn tries to control her sleeping habits by tracking her sleep patterns with a new watch, but each time she wakes up, she finds herself in disturbing situations, such as blood covering her face, a black swollen eye, or broken nails, with her body covered in dirt. She discovers that she sleepwalks at night and always ends up in the same location. But why is she walking there? What is happening to her?
I may have revealed too much already, but if you're up for an ultra-bizarre ride that will send shivers down your spine, I highly recommend diving into this unputdownable journey!
A big thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Tor Nightfire for providing me with a digital review copy of this riveting horror novella in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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I devoured this novella in less than two hours, completely engrossed in the story even as my husband complained about the burned dinner. After finishing the book, I found myself losing my appetite and feeling a spine-tingling sensation on my neck, as if the main character, Iðunn, was watching me with her vacant, sleepy eyes!
Now, let me give you a quick recap of this dark and bleak novella that you definitely shouldn't read before bedtime:
The story unfolds in the starless nights of Reykjavik, where Iðunn lives, suffering from clinical fatigue that she fears may be a symptom of something terminal. However, blood tests reveal she's physically healthy, suggesting her situation may be psychosomatic, related to stress. She has a dysfunctional relationship with her family, who are also grappling with the death of their elder daughter, and her relationship with her coworker ended on a sour note.
Iðunn tries to control her sleeping habits by tracking her sleep patterns with a new watch, but each time she wakes up, she finds herself in disturbing situations, such as blood covering her face, a black swollen eye, or broken nails, with her body covered in dirt. She discovers that she sleepwalks at night and always ends up in the same location. But why is she walking there? What is happening to her?
I may have revealed too much already, but if you're up for an ultra-bizarre ride that will send shivers down your spine, I highly recommend diving into this unputdownable journey!
A big thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Tor Nightfire for providing me with a digital review copy of this riveting horror novella in exchange for my honest thoughts.
opinions.
medium.com
August 13, 2024
The Night Guest is a creepy horror novella that can easily be read in one sitting. I frantically read this book in less than two hours! The English translation is easy to follow and exceeded my expectations.
Iðunn has been waking up every morning feeling exhausted and her arms and legs ache. She seeks help from doctors and psychiatrists, trying everything from sleeping pills, to filming herself sleeping, to staying up all night. What happens when Iðunn goes to sleep?
Iðunn is a captivating character with incredible depth. It appears the author intends for the reader to psychoanalyze Iðunn in order understand the open ended last scene. With help from my fantastic friend, Katie, I believe we worked out the deeper meaning. If you are interested in her analysis, it is hidden in her comment below. I have updated my rating, as I knew I would when I finally understood it! I will be reading this one again!! The Night Guest would be a terrific book club read.
Final note: The Night Guest reminds me a lot of Sebastian Fitzek’s The Nightwalker, which I highly recommend!
Trigger warning: animal cruelty (especially cats)
5/5 stars
Expected publication date: 9/3/24
Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the ARC of The Night Guest in exchange for an honest review.
Iðunn has been waking up every morning feeling exhausted and her arms and legs ache. She seeks help from doctors and psychiatrists, trying everything from sleeping pills, to filming herself sleeping, to staying up all night. What happens when Iðunn goes to sleep?
Iðunn is a captivating character with incredible depth. It appears the author intends for the reader to psychoanalyze Iðunn in order understand the open ended last scene. With help from my fantastic friend, Katie, I believe we worked out the deeper meaning. If you are interested in her analysis, it is hidden in her comment below. I have updated my rating, as I knew I would when I finally understood it! I will be reading this one again!! The Night Guest would be a terrific book club read.
Final note: The Night Guest reminds me a lot of Sebastian Fitzek’s The Nightwalker, which I highly recommend!
Trigger warning: animal cruelty (especially cats)
5/5 stars
Expected publication date: 9/3/24
Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the ARC of The Night Guest in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2024
A quick, tense read! Reminded me a lot of Come Closer by Sara Gran, and a pretty popular horror movie I can’t name or else it would spoil everything 😂
June 4, 2025
Where Did I Go?
THE NIGHT GUEST
by Hildur Knutsdottir
4 stars. It wasn't that Iounn had trouble sleeping...
She could fall asleep and sleep through the night, but when she woke up, she was exhausted. Her arms and legs were tired...
Like she'd been on a rampage all night...
Actually, she was tired all over her body, even her jaw. This had been going on for a while and getting worse...
She went to see the doctor a few days later. The doctor found nothing wrong with her. There's nothing worse than unexplained symptoms...
One morning...
She woke up with the taste of iron in her mouth and a red spot on her chin. It was blood, and her jaw ached...
Next morning...
She felt something wasn't right. Her knee, calf, and thigh hurt. There was an odor. A cold briny scent...
Her wet hair smelled like the sea...
That night, she accidentally wore her pedometer to bed. When she woke up, it showed that she had walked 47,000 miles...
Eerily...
The neighborhood cats, who used to like her, now hissed at her, and later, some of them turned up missing...
After many more episodes of waking up sore and bloody, the pedometer clearly recording many miles walked, she asked herself...
Where did I go?
This was a stellar story, much like COME CLOSER by Sara Gran, until I got to the gratuitous killing of neighborhood pets (cats). The killings were very graphic, and I felt unnecessary to tell the story.
The ending was abrupt and didn't adequately explain what I was reading. Therefore, the 4 instead of 5 star rating.
Warning to some readers: Graphic animal cruelty and domestic abuse are a part of this story.
THE NIGHT GUEST
by Hildur Knutsdottir
4 stars. It wasn't that Iounn had trouble sleeping...
She could fall asleep and sleep through the night, but when she woke up, she was exhausted. Her arms and legs were tired...
Like she'd been on a rampage all night...
Actually, she was tired all over her body, even her jaw. This had been going on for a while and getting worse...
She went to see the doctor a few days later. The doctor found nothing wrong with her. There's nothing worse than unexplained symptoms...
One morning...
She woke up with the taste of iron in her mouth and a red spot on her chin. It was blood, and her jaw ached...
Next morning...
She felt something wasn't right. Her knee, calf, and thigh hurt. There was an odor. A cold briny scent...
Her wet hair smelled like the sea...
That night, she accidentally wore her pedometer to bed. When she woke up, it showed that she had walked 47,000 miles...
Eerily...
The neighborhood cats, who used to like her, now hissed at her, and later, some of them turned up missing...
After many more episodes of waking up sore and bloody, the pedometer clearly recording many miles walked, she asked herself...
Where did I go?
This was a stellar story, much like COME CLOSER by Sara Gran, until I got to the gratuitous killing of neighborhood pets (cats). The killings were very graphic, and I felt unnecessary to tell the story.
The ending was abrupt and didn't adequately explain what I was reading. Therefore, the 4 instead of 5 star rating.
Warning to some readers: Graphic animal cruelty and domestic abuse are a part of this story.
December 10, 2024
3.5 rounded up
Reykjavik, Iceland. Iðunn is suffering acute fatigue and has unexplained injuries. She consults yet another doctor who does try to help but despite many tests no causes are detected. Iðunn we’ll have to find her own solution which includes purchasing a watch device that counts steps. What she learns is shocking.
After a start which I think is slow with chapters that I can’t see the point of, the purpose of these slowly reveal themselves and you start to get a sense of what is happening and it’s dark. As Iðunn steadily deteriorates, her situation seems to worsen with every passing day and the author gives some clues as to what might be happening. She makes me want to know and understand, however, how reliable is Iðunn as a narrator as she does leave you hanging with many questions? It becomes increasingly tense, you learn some very unpleasant things, the twists keep coming to a good ending which doesn’t entirely surprise me.
Along the way there are some really good descriptions and comments that makes you think. There’s one about silence which is so true and a comment about a prince which makes this Brit chuckle! There are some descriptions that stand out amongst the dark dark storyline,
It’s well written with an excellent translation. It has very short chapters which aren’t really chapters if you’re being technical but it really works as a technique in order to build the confusion, the mystery and the tension.
There are quite a few things that you have to work out for yourself and although I do like this, perhaps there’s a little bit too much of a necessity to gap fill.
Overall though, it’s a good short novel.
T/W animal deaths
Reykjavik, Iceland. Iðunn is suffering acute fatigue and has unexplained injuries. She consults yet another doctor who does try to help but despite many tests no causes are detected. Iðunn we’ll have to find her own solution which includes purchasing a watch device that counts steps. What she learns is shocking.
After a start which I think is slow with chapters that I can’t see the point of, the purpose of these slowly reveal themselves and you start to get a sense of what is happening and it’s dark. As Iðunn steadily deteriorates, her situation seems to worsen with every passing day and the author gives some clues as to what might be happening. She makes me want to know and understand, however, how reliable is Iðunn as a narrator as she does leave you hanging with many questions? It becomes increasingly tense, you learn some very unpleasant things, the twists keep coming to a good ending which doesn’t entirely surprise me.
Along the way there are some really good descriptions and comments that makes you think. There’s one about silence which is so true and a comment about a prince which makes this Brit chuckle! There are some descriptions that stand out amongst the dark dark storyline,
It’s well written with an excellent translation. It has very short chapters which aren’t really chapters if you’re being technical but it really works as a technique in order to build the confusion, the mystery and the tension.
There are quite a few things that you have to work out for yourself and although I do like this, perhaps there’s a little bit too much of a necessity to gap fill.
Overall though, it’s a good short novel.
T/W animal deaths
August 10, 2024
4.0 Stars
This was a surprising piece of psychological horror. I found that it started like a very familiar, simple narrative of a sleepwalker. I honestly wasn't expecting much from the simple translated prose. However, this short novel used the chapter structure to create a remarkable experience. I was surprised how unsettling the novel became, creating an atmosphere of dread as it progresses through the pages to the ending.
I would recommend this horror novella to readers looking for a short read that packs a punch.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a surprising piece of psychological horror. I found that it started like a very familiar, simple narrative of a sleepwalker. I honestly wasn't expecting much from the simple translated prose. However, this short novel used the chapter structure to create a remarkable experience. I was surprised how unsettling the novel became, creating an atmosphere of dread as it progresses through the pages to the ending.
I would recommend this horror novella to readers looking for a short read that packs a punch.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
August 15, 2024
I don't think this book was for me...... Ok ill say it, I did not like the end! What the heck was that?! 😪
Ok our MC is losing her mind, at least she thinks she is, she's constantly waking up tired and thinks something is off with the scrapes and bruises she beginning to see on her body. The book kept me guessing and here I was expecting some big reveal at the end, only to be sorely disappointed.
Yes I would recommend this, but be warned, the last few pages could annoy you!
Solid 3 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this ARC, Beyond humbled 🙏🏾
The Night Guest, out Sept 3rd 2024!!!!
Ok our MC is losing her mind, at least she thinks she is, she's constantly waking up tired and thinks something is off with the scrapes and bruises she beginning to see on her body. The book kept me guessing and here I was expecting some big reveal at the end, only to be sorely disappointed.
Yes I would recommend this, but be warned, the last few pages could annoy you!
Solid 3 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this ARC, Beyond humbled 🙏🏾
The Night Guest, out Sept 3rd 2024!!!!
July 17, 2024
Major content warning: cats/animal cruelty and death. It happens.
This took me about an hour and a half to read. The chapters are concise, and the story is captivating, escalating quickly. If you have read Come Closer by Sara Gran, where a woman wonders what is wrong with her, this novella gives the same vibes. The health issues and the mentions of women advocating for their bodies and healthcare--not being gaslit or dismissed by healthcare professionals, not being treated like you're "hysterical" because you think something is seriously wrong with your body, are legit. So relatable.
The first 95% or so is premium horror reading.
The last part is a little maddening. I honestly feel a little letdown. Ambiguity is fine but this feels like punishment. I invested, I pushed all my chips in to call the bluff and when the cards were flipped over, it just wasn't enough, I'm afraid. I'm eager to talk to other readers and read more reviews to see if anyone has a theory here that makes sense.
This took me about an hour and a half to read. The chapters are concise, and the story is captivating, escalating quickly. If you have read Come Closer by Sara Gran, where a woman wonders what is wrong with her, this novella gives the same vibes. The health issues and the mentions of women advocating for their bodies and healthcare--not being gaslit or dismissed by healthcare professionals, not being treated like you're "hysterical" because you think something is seriously wrong with your body, are legit. So relatable.
The first 95% or so is premium horror reading.
The last part is a little maddening. I honestly feel a little letdown. Ambiguity is fine but this feels like punishment. I invested, I pushed all my chips in to call the bluff and when the cards were flipped over, it just wasn't enough, I'm afraid. I'm eager to talk to other readers and read more reviews to see if anyone has a theory here that makes sense.
August 28, 2024
The ending fell off a bit but a really compelling narrative of medical misogyny, hauntings or possessions or something else super sinister, and wtf is going on in Iceland
March 31, 2024
Iðunn has been struggling with fatigue so she goes to yet another doctor. After going through the normal routine, they never learn anything new.
Until one night she falls asleep with her smartwatch on and when she wakes up she learns she’s walked over 40,000 steps over the course of the night.
What happens when she’s asleep? Why is she waking with injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?
I really enjoyed this book. BUT please do not read it if you have a hard no for animal death/abuse. It happened off page, but it was talked about, and there was quite a good portion dedicated to it. Like so many cats. Besides the multiple cat deaths, I really enjoyed this book! It was a short and sweet horror novel that was great. The pacing on this book was also really fast, so before I knew it the book was over! The downside was the overly ambiguous ending! I’m all for a little mystery in my ending but this was left wide open, and I needed a little more resolution. While I have made up my own ending in my head, it just doesn’t work the same for me as if the author did it for me.
As this was a translated book, I just wanted to say that it was well done, and I think the translator did fantastic! I read a few translated novels a year, and sometimes the translator doesn’t quite nail things, but I think that this one was flawless.
Until one night she falls asleep with her smartwatch on and when she wakes up she learns she’s walked over 40,000 steps over the course of the night.
What happens when she’s asleep? Why is she waking with injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?
I really enjoyed this book. BUT please do not read it if you have a hard no for animal death/abuse. It happened off page, but it was talked about, and there was quite a good portion dedicated to it. Like so many cats. Besides the multiple cat deaths, I really enjoyed this book! It was a short and sweet horror novel that was great. The pacing on this book was also really fast, so before I knew it the book was over! The downside was the overly ambiguous ending! I’m all for a little mystery in my ending but this was left wide open, and I needed a little more resolution. While I have made up my own ending in my head, it just doesn’t work the same for me as if the author did it for me.
As this was a translated book, I just wanted to say that it was well done, and I think the translator did fantastic! I read a few translated novels a year, and sometimes the translator doesn’t quite nail things, but I think that this one was flawless.
December 19, 2024
"Centuries of socialization have conditioned us into believing that it’s our responsibility to create a cozy atmosphere and ensure that no one is embarrassed about anything. That’s why we laugh at jokes that offend us. That’s why we smile at people who pat us on the butt. That’s why we pretend that it’s just a coincidence when the boss repeatedly brushes against our breasts at work. Because anything else would be just so embarrassing."
I have mixed feelings about this one. I really vibed with the writing. There were great quotes, and the author's voice was strong. There was a lot to say about how things have gone down for women historically when it comes to receiving medical attention and getting appropriate cares and diagnoses. And the premise was so great. I could imagine this happening to me, waking up with every muscle aching and realizing I've registered 40K steps in the night. I was so intrigued. There was humor, and I could empathize with the FMC. I loved the first two-thirds of it.
It's a novella, so I am sad to report the last third of this, especially the ending, just lost me completely. I'm fine with an ambiguous ending; I often prefer it. This just missed the mark for me completely. I was left feeling unsatisfied which was a bummer.
I have mixed feelings about this one. I really vibed with the writing. There were great quotes, and the author's voice was strong. There was a lot to say about how things have gone down for women historically when it comes to receiving medical attention and getting appropriate cares and diagnoses. And the premise was so great. I could imagine this happening to me, waking up with every muscle aching and realizing I've registered 40K steps in the night. I was so intrigued. There was humor, and I could empathize with the FMC. I loved the first two-thirds of it.
It's a novella, so I am sad to report the last third of this, especially the ending, just lost me completely. I'm fine with an ambiguous ending; I often prefer it. This just missed the mark for me completely. I was left feeling unsatisfied which was a bummer.
August 4, 2024
A young woman consults her doctors about recurring extreme tiredness, bruises on her body, stiffness, blood stains... Having found a doctor who'll take her seriously, a normal struggle for all women all around the world, she slowly starts figuring out what is wrong with her - thanks to the activity app on her watch.
My mom uses a step tracker and it drives me insane how important it is to her how many steps she walked in a day, but who knew it can very concretely and literally save a life though?
This little novella is well paced and keeps the attention. Unfortunately I thought the ending was such a let down, it will make you gasp and throw the book to the next wall.
I received an advanced listening copy from Libro FM via the Otherland Bookstore. The audiobook is narrated by Marie Robinette Kowal who also translated the book, and that was a big plus for me, as I have listened to audiobooks read by her before and I really click with her voice and narration style.
My mom uses a step tracker and it drives me insane how important it is to her how many steps she walked in a day, but who knew it can very concretely and literally save a life though?
This little novella is well paced and keeps the attention. Unfortunately I thought the ending was such a let down, it will make you gasp and throw the book to the next wall.
I received an advanced listening copy from Libro FM via the Otherland Bookstore. The audiobook is narrated by Marie Robinette Kowal who also translated the book, and that was a big plus for me, as I have listened to audiobooks read by her before and I really click with her voice and narration style.
December 9, 2024
I really enjoyed this quick and slightly weird little story. The chapters are extremely short and the storytelling is breathy, it made for a quite anxiogenic read for me. It was a quite minimalist story with a main character that managed to be quite relatable in her small modicum of rambling. Do approach with care if animal deaths are triggering to you.
September 20, 2024
Nope! She kills cats 😭
What else to expect:
~ single 1 person POV, present tense
~ short chapters (100), some only one sentence
Narration notes:
Mary Robinette Kowal did a good job for 2 hours and 42 minutes.
What else to expect:
~ single 1 person POV, present tense
~ short chapters (100), some only one sentence
Narration notes:
Mary Robinette Kowal did a good job for 2 hours and 42 minutes.
September 20, 2024
2.5? Lots of cats were killed for this short ambiguously ending book. Wth happened. I've no clue.
August 19, 2024
First I have to say - this might be one of the smoothest works of translation I've read in a while! I have no idea of the fidelity to the original text, but the reading experience was excellent. Second, this was unsettling in the best way. This is such a short novella, I think you should just go in blind and see if you like the vibes, but nice and creepy IMO. A very ambiguous ending, though, if that is a no-go for you
September 26, 2024
Started reading this three times, it is a very strange book, but not one that I enjoyed. Didn’t understand what was going on half the time. Weird scenes, weird characters. Big trigger, dead cats. Definitely not my cuppa.
The audio was well done, but I can’t help wondering if I would have been as lost, if I was reading. The cats though would have been off putting either way.
The audio was well done, but I can’t help wondering if I would have been as lost, if I was reading. The cats though would have been off putting either way.
December 8, 2024
not exactly how I would handle my own cat allergy but okay girl
February 12, 2025
Imagine when you wakeup every morning but feel as if you've never gone to sleep. Limbs exhausted and muscles sore as if you ran a marathon while in slumber.
That's what's happening to our main character, Iðunn, and it has her not just worried but terrified. Because exhaustion is not the only thing she's finding wrong with herself in the morning. It seems she's been sleepwalking. When she gets a step counter she is shocked to see that she's traveling far from home in the night. She wakes with seaweed in her hair, blood stains on her hands and clothes, and jagged filthy fingernails. What is happening to her? You'll have to read this to find out.
Strange, surreal, and utterly engrossing. I had to know what was happening to Iðunn as much as she did and I was not left disappointed. This is an impressive novella that I found to be a page-turner. With that said, there is cat death off page for sensitive readers, so I can't recommend this to everyone. 4 stars!
That's what's happening to our main character, Iðunn, and it has her not just worried but terrified. Because exhaustion is not the only thing she's finding wrong with herself in the morning. It seems she's been sleepwalking. When she gets a step counter she is shocked to see that she's traveling far from home in the night. She wakes with seaweed in her hair, blood stains on her hands and clothes, and jagged filthy fingernails. What is happening to her? You'll have to read this to find out.
Strange, surreal, and utterly engrossing. I had to know what was happening to Iðunn as much as she did and I was not left disappointed. This is an impressive novella that I found to be a page-turner. With that said, there is cat death off page for sensitive readers, so I can't recommend this to everyone. 4 stars!
November 8, 2024
5 stars
Put your thinking cap on for this one, The Night Guest is an effectively told psychological horror novella that is easy to consume with its concise language and short chapters (many used brilliantly to intentionally setting up tension and dread), but also trust its readers to pick up clues along the way to decode its ambiguous ending.
I'll confess when I first got to the end, I was very confused by its out of left field strangeness. It was not until digging through other reviews and comments where I started to piece together the author's intent, and how the more nuanced, layered interpretation could be constructed via the various incidents, mentions happening prior to that point.
I love puzzle games, and The Night Guest was a refreshing reminder how passive I might have become recently, expecting stories to explain themselves to me in the end. Very excited to re-read this again now knowing how the pieces fall together! vibe-wise this reminds me greatly of Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Put your thinking cap on for this one, The Night Guest is an effectively told psychological horror novella that is easy to consume with its concise language and short chapters (many used brilliantly to intentionally setting up tension and dread), but also trust its readers to pick up clues along the way to decode its ambiguous ending.
I'll confess when I first got to the end, I was very confused by its out of left field strangeness. It was not until digging through other reviews and comments where I started to piece together the author's intent, and how the more nuanced, layered interpretation could be constructed via the various incidents, mentions happening prior to that point.
I love puzzle games, and The Night Guest was a refreshing reminder how passive I might have become recently, expecting stories to explain themselves to me in the end. Very excited to re-read this again now knowing how the pieces fall together! vibe-wise this reminds me greatly of Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
August 11, 2025
Women in Translation Month 2025 #2
Myrkrið milli stjarnanna
I get it. The animal killings bother white people. But this is fiction. And a horror. But I get up in arms about colonizer romances, so I'll let it slide. Ratings and reviews are for reviewers, and we're all allowed freedom of choice.
Tor Nightfire is usually a bit of a miss for me, so I've been holding off on this one, but I thought I should try to stay on theme this month, and this is translated. I'm ngl, the Pepto Bismol cover kind of throws me off.
Iðunn goes to the doctor a lot. She's very tired. It's not normal. She gets a smartwatch. 9,000 steps? Normal. 46,000? Is the watch broken? Spoiler alert: It's not broken. Homegirl has been walking around doing some nasty shit at night. There is caked blood underneath her fingernails. The neighborhood cats are scared of her.
I read this one day. Two sittings. I read fast, but also the novella kept me captivated. And because I'm allegedly a horror fan now. I cannot deny this anymore. I keep rating them so highly. I still don't think I love watching them, but maybe that's changed, too. I won't be testing that anytime soon.
Skál 🍻
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire
Myrkrið milli stjarnanna
I get it. The animal killings bother white people. But this is fiction. And a horror. But I get up in arms about colonizer romances, so I'll let it slide. Ratings and reviews are for reviewers, and we're all allowed freedom of choice.
Tor Nightfire is usually a bit of a miss for me, so I've been holding off on this one, but I thought I should try to stay on theme this month, and this is translated. I'm ngl, the Pepto Bismol cover kind of throws me off.
Iðunn goes to the doctor a lot. She's very tired. It's not normal. She gets a smartwatch. 9,000 steps? Normal. 46,000? Is the watch broken? Spoiler alert: It's not broken. Homegirl has been walking around doing some nasty shit at night. There is caked blood underneath her fingernails. The neighborhood cats are scared of her.
I read this one day. Two sittings. I read fast, but also the novella kept me captivated. And because I'm allegedly a horror fan now. I cannot deny this anymore. I keep rating them so highly. I still don't think I love watching them, but maybe that's changed, too. I won't be testing that anytime soon.
Skál 🍻
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire
August 6, 2024
DNF for murdered cats.
I need horror authors to stop using animal cruelty in their stories, please and thanks.
I need horror authors to stop using animal cruelty in their stories, please and thanks.
April 1, 2025
more like 3.5 stars.. i just wanted a little more from it
vlog: https://youtu.be/Nxoacb4XZKk
vlog: https://youtu.be/Nxoacb4XZKk
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