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The Nudge
A new horror novella from the creator of Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead featuring original illustrations from Night Vale series artist Jessica Hayworth.
On the open road, evil doesn’t chase you. It waits . . .
Late one night, a wounded man checks into a remote roadside hotel. He’s running from something he can’t explain or escape. And over the course of a night, he’ll tell the hotel’s proprietor how his life fell apart.
It started with his wife. Subtle changes. Smiles that didn’t belong to her. Then violence―sudden, intimate, almost casual. Therapy offered hope. Recovery seemed possible. Until it wasn’t. He believes a hidden influence has attached itself to him, one that never forces, never commands. It whispers. It suggests. Nudges people toward their worst impulses.
Now the man wanders the country as a fugitive, hoping to break free from the evil that’s wormed its way into him. But as our narrator’s story unfolds, he begins to question whether he’s fled far enough . . .
Tense, atmospheric, and chilling, The Nudge is a slow-burn tale of suspense that will linger like a whisper in the dark, long after the story is over.
On the open road, evil doesn’t chase you. It waits . . .
Late one night, a wounded man checks into a remote roadside hotel. He’s running from something he can’t explain or escape. And over the course of a night, he’ll tell the hotel’s proprietor how his life fell apart.
It started with his wife. Subtle changes. Smiles that didn’t belong to her. Then violence―sudden, intimate, almost casual. Therapy offered hope. Recovery seemed possible. Until it wasn’t. He believes a hidden influence has attached itself to him, one that never forces, never commands. It whispers. It suggests. Nudges people toward their worst impulses.
Now the man wanders the country as a fugitive, hoping to break free from the evil that’s wormed its way into him. But as our narrator’s story unfolds, he begins to question whether he’s fled far enough . . .
Tense, atmospheric, and chilling, The Nudge is a slow-burn tale of suspense that will linger like a whisper in the dark, long after the story is over.
144 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2026
About the author
Joseph Fink
22 books2,677 followersJoseph Fink is the creator of the Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn't Dead podcasts, and the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Welcome to Night Vale, It Devours!, and The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home (all written with Jeffrey Cranor) and Alice Isn’t Dead. He is also the author of the children’s novel, The Halloween Moon. He and his wife, Meg Bashwiner have written the memoir, The First Ten Years. They live together in the Hudson River Valley.
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May 6, 2026I received this through NetGalley
The Nudge was a solid, super quick read. It kept me intrigued because I wasn’t sure if he was losing his mind or if something was really there.
The atmosphere and uncertainty worked well, and for such a short novella, it was easy to stay invested.
The ending did feel abrupt, though. It happened so quickly that I was left sitting there like… wait, that’s it?
I did really liked the artwork scattered throughout some sections. Since I have aphantasia, those visuals added something to the experience that I otherwise would not have had while reading.
Overall, a solid short psychological horror read for people who like unsettling setups and very quick reads.
The Nudge was a solid, super quick read. It kept me intrigued because I wasn’t sure if he was losing his mind or if something was really there.
The atmosphere and uncertainty worked well, and for such a short novella, it was easy to stay invested.
The ending did feel abrupt, though. It happened so quickly that I was left sitting there like… wait, that’s it?
I did really liked the artwork scattered throughout some sections. Since I have aphantasia, those visuals added something to the experience that I otherwise would not have had while reading.
Overall, a solid short psychological horror read for people who like unsettling setups and very quick reads.
Currently Reading
October 24, 2026Early Impressions:
Halloween reading is in full swing and oh my WHAT AN INTRIGUING horror story so far! Pretty short book so am already halfway through 😭
This is my second Joseph Fink book, after the truly Meh ...It Devours! The Nudge looks insanely better ... and it is illustrated wow! More adult horror books should get with the program!
So far, this is a conversation between a man who just checked in a hotel and his bell hop. He is sharing the story of his marriage to a woman with "the nudge"... this is a possession themed horror book if you haven't guessed already.
Looking like a solid banger already. Hope it sticks the landing 🙏
Halloween reading is in full swing and oh my WHAT AN INTRIGUING horror story so far! Pretty short book so am already halfway through 😭
This is my second Joseph Fink book, after the truly Meh ...It Devours! The Nudge looks insanely better ... and it is illustrated wow! More adult horror books should get with the program!
So far, this is a conversation between a man who just checked in a hotel and his bell hop. He is sharing the story of his marriage to a woman with "the nudge"... this is a possession themed horror book if you haven't guessed already.
Looking like a solid banger already. Hope it sticks the landing 🙏
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
BANGER ALERT! BANGER ALERT!
Nightmarish, chilling, and filled with an ever-present sense of unease, The Nudge was a quick, clever read that is sure to live rent-free in my head for a very long time. With a mind-bending plot that had a definite Twilight Zone-like feel and a unique format, which immersed me fully into the unreliable reality of every scene, this novella-slash-short story packed quite a punch into just 128 pages. Narrated by two well-crafted characters in a conversational style, I felt as if I was there despite the length of this impressive work of psychological horror. Exploring several thought-provoking themes such as grief, isolation, paranoia, and the nature of evil, there was even a slight Criminal Minds-esque vibe by the time I reached the last jaw-dropping page. You see, it ended with a *mic drop* level “OH SHIT?!” twist all while feeling fully formed and complete by the time I was done.
The absolute best pieces to this one-sitting read, though, were both the atmosphere and the setting. Working hand-in-hand to creep me out but good, the maze-like hotel gave me a very claustrophobic feel as the Winchester Mystery House-like building became more and more spine-tingling. Paired with an air of mystery that made me read this with the lights on and a handful of disturbing illustrations, which brought the most horrifying scenes to life, and the ordinary was made to feel wrong in the best possible way. Somehow coming off as both fast-paced and slow-burning at the same time, I couldn’t get enough of this Edgar Allen Poe-meets-Stephen King-esque read. So if you love a book with a touch of emotional depth as well as a dash of supernatural vibes and flashes of violence, grab this one now. It was a can’t-miss banger for sure. Rating of 5+ stars.
Read if you’re a fan of:
- Mind-bending storylines
- Psychological horror
- Existential dread
- Short stories/novellas
- “OH SHIT!?” twists
- Story-within-a-story plotting
- Unreliable narrators
- Atmospheric settings
- Supernatural vibes
- A very Twilight Zone feel
BRIEF BLURB:
PLEASE OH PLEASE go into this one at least mostly blind. Even the publisher-provided synopsis will ruin your trip into this insanely talented author’s brain just a little. All you need to is the following…
Late one night, a man stops at a remote roadside hotel after traveling aimlessly for days. On the run from something truly terrifying, he’s relieved to finally be stopped somewhere he feels a least a little bit safe. Letting his guard down somewhat, he starts to tell his story to the kind and understanding yet mildly odd hotel proprietor. What he reveals is horrifying and grim. The only problem is that it just might not be over. After all, if our narrator were only to open his eyes a bit more, he just might notice that things might not be quite what they seem at this peculiar rambling, old lodge. Already fleeing something he can’t quite explain, has he reached safety—or the most horrifying place of all?
Thank you Joseph Fink and Podium Entertainment for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: September 1, 2026
Content warning: knife and gun violence, blood, gore, stalking, animal death, suicide/murder
Nightmarish, chilling, and filled with an ever-present sense of unease, The Nudge was a quick, clever read that is sure to live rent-free in my head for a very long time. With a mind-bending plot that had a definite Twilight Zone-like feel and a unique format, which immersed me fully into the unreliable reality of every scene, this novella-slash-short story packed quite a punch into just 128 pages. Narrated by two well-crafted characters in a conversational style, I felt as if I was there despite the length of this impressive work of psychological horror. Exploring several thought-provoking themes such as grief, isolation, paranoia, and the nature of evil, there was even a slight Criminal Minds-esque vibe by the time I reached the last jaw-dropping page. You see, it ended with a *mic drop* level “OH SHIT?!” twist all while feeling fully formed and complete by the time I was done.
The absolute best pieces to this one-sitting read, though, were both the atmosphere and the setting. Working hand-in-hand to creep me out but good, the maze-like hotel gave me a very claustrophobic feel as the Winchester Mystery House-like building became more and more spine-tingling. Paired with an air of mystery that made me read this with the lights on and a handful of disturbing illustrations, which brought the most horrifying scenes to life, and the ordinary was made to feel wrong in the best possible way. Somehow coming off as both fast-paced and slow-burning at the same time, I couldn’t get enough of this Edgar Allen Poe-meets-Stephen King-esque read. So if you love a book with a touch of emotional depth as well as a dash of supernatural vibes and flashes of violence, grab this one now. It was a can’t-miss banger for sure. Rating of 5+ stars.
Read if you’re a fan of:
- Mind-bending storylines
- Psychological horror
- Existential dread
- Short stories/novellas
- “OH SHIT!?” twists
- Story-within-a-story plotting
- Unreliable narrators
- Atmospheric settings
- Supernatural vibes
- A very Twilight Zone feel
BRIEF BLURB:
PLEASE OH PLEASE go into this one at least mostly blind. Even the publisher-provided synopsis will ruin your trip into this insanely talented author’s brain just a little. All you need to is the following…
Late one night, a man stops at a remote roadside hotel after traveling aimlessly for days. On the run from something truly terrifying, he’s relieved to finally be stopped somewhere he feels a least a little bit safe. Letting his guard down somewhat, he starts to tell his story to the kind and understanding yet mildly odd hotel proprietor. What he reveals is horrifying and grim. The only problem is that it just might not be over. After all, if our narrator were only to open his eyes a bit more, he just might notice that things might not be quite what they seem at this peculiar rambling, old lodge. Already fleeing something he can’t quite explain, has he reached safety—or the most horrifying place of all?
Thank you Joseph Fink and Podium Entertainment for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: September 1, 2026
Content warning: knife and gun violence, blood, gore, stalking, animal death, suicide/murder
September 4, 2026
A new guest at a mysterious hotel explains why he’s on the run in this captivating novella. Some books are exactly as long as they should be, and there’s not a single detail in this tightly paced little book that doesn’t serve the story. This fully induced that pit-of-your-stomach sense of looming dread that horror fans like me are absolute suckers for. There’s a fun little twist that I sort of saw coming but was still incredibly satisfying.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book!
September 4, 2026
My only struggle with stories from Joseph Fink—and Jeffrey Cranor tbh—is that so much of their writing sounds like an extended Tumblr post from 2012. Which isn’t necessarily a critique nor is it exactly a compliment. But, it feels very accurate. It’s got a cadence. When I read their work, I’m suddenly seventeen again and the world is wonderful and weird.
Anyway.
All that is to say that I mostly enjoyed this eerie little book?
It’s quite tense and it builds suspense rather well. You feel hunted or watched—and so very off-kilter throughout.
I found our creepy “presence”—let’s call it—unsettling. I definitely did not like imaging it sliding across the floor or, worse, possessing a human body to crawl on all fours through the grass. It freaked me out a bit.
So, kudos.
Also, I really like the conversational format of this story.
I felt like I was a passenger on this harrowing journey with our ill-fated acquaintances. I LOVED walking through this spooky, Winchester House-esque hotel. I am DOWN BAD for a bad hotel. The more malevolent and dubious, the better.
For 120-ish pages, I think you get a lot of bang for your buck. Would recommend~
(Is the cover giving anyone else Doctor TJ Eckleburg vibes? Also, T. Kingfisher and Chuck Tingle blurbed this novella???? So very cool! I do judge books by who the author could get to blurb it ngl~)
Anyway.
All that is to say that I mostly enjoyed this eerie little book?
It’s quite tense and it builds suspense rather well. You feel hunted or watched—and so very off-kilter throughout.
I found our creepy “presence”—let’s call it—unsettling. I definitely did not like imaging it sliding across the floor or, worse, possessing a human body to crawl on all fours through the grass. It freaked me out a bit.
So, kudos.
Also, I really like the conversational format of this story.
I felt like I was a passenger on this harrowing journey with our ill-fated acquaintances. I LOVED walking through this spooky, Winchester House-esque hotel. I am DOWN BAD for a bad hotel. The more malevolent and dubious, the better.
For 120-ish pages, I think you get a lot of bang for your buck. Would recommend~
(Is the cover giving anyone else Doctor TJ Eckleburg vibes? Also, T. Kingfisher and Chuck Tingle blurbed this novella???? So very cool! I do judge books by who the author could get to blurb it ngl~)
September 10, 2026
tfw your girl starts acting like the chick from Obsession but it’s not even your fault because you haven’t made any stupid wishes recently
October 25, 2026
damn, this freaked me out a lot. not the hotel manager parts, but the possessed wife parts, really scared the bonkers out of me. also if I'd known this would satisfy the challenge prompt for a book written without quotation marks i wouldn't have slogged through Ella Minnow Pea, dammit! well if you liked Alice Isn't Dead you'll probably like this too, but do note the cw for animal death, a dog gets possessed and there's an illustration of it climbing thru a window that's pretty upsetting, and then later it dies on page.
July 27, 2026
BLURB:
An unnamed man arrives at a remote roadside hotel, where he tells proprietor Alan Lloyd the disturbing story of how his wife Sharon slowly changed into someone terrifying, forcing him to flee everything he once knew.
REVIEW:
The Nudge was my first book by Joseph Fink, and it definitely won’t be my last. This is a horror novella with much more psychological and existential horror than body horror or gore, but a few scenes did terrify me! I was immersed from start to finish, and one of my favourite things about it was its unique format. The entire story is told in just two chapters with an Intermission from the mysterious hotel proprietor in between. For most of the book, I felt like I was a fly on the wall, listening in on an unsettling conversation. This is also a slow-burn with creeping dread, an unseen evil, and unreliable reality—all woven into a mind-bending tale!
The story only has two characters present from start to finish. An unnamed man (the narrator of the story within a story) is escorted by an overly friendly hotel proprietor, Alan Lloyd, to his room. The story unfolds as they traverse through seemingly endless maze-like corridors, stairwells, and elevators to get there. As they walk, the unnamed man tells the story of how his wife Sharon began having strange episodes that made her become increasingly creepy and dangerous toward him. She received treatment but nothing was able to stop whatever had taken hold of her. His story has some sudden, vivid body horror scenes that caught me off guard. Eventually, he had no choice but to flee, which is what brings him to the hotel. He tells his story over Chapter One and Chapter Two, while Alan interrupts with bizarre tidbits about the hotel’s history. How the hotel began as a home and gradually became a labyrinth-like hotel is really intriguing, and as they walk, there are a lot of vivid details of the hotel interior that are claustrophobic and dizzying! By the end, the hotel felt like a character in its own right, and its eerie atmosphere stayed with me after I finished.😱
The ending is a bit of a surprise but also ambiguous, and it will leave you unsettled and probably asking yourself, “What did I just read?” in the best way!
I highly recommend the audiobook. It’s a duet narration, and both narrators do a fantastic job bringing the unnamed man and Alan Lloyd to life in a high-quality production. It’s perfect for a commute or a one-sitting read/listen. After this one, I’ll definitely be reading more from Joseph Fink!
An unnamed man arrives at a remote roadside hotel, where he tells proprietor Alan Lloyd the disturbing story of how his wife Sharon slowly changed into someone terrifying, forcing him to flee everything he once knew.
REVIEW:
The Nudge was my first book by Joseph Fink, and it definitely won’t be my last. This is a horror novella with much more psychological and existential horror than body horror or gore, but a few scenes did terrify me! I was immersed from start to finish, and one of my favourite things about it was its unique format. The entire story is told in just two chapters with an Intermission from the mysterious hotel proprietor in between. For most of the book, I felt like I was a fly on the wall, listening in on an unsettling conversation. This is also a slow-burn with creeping dread, an unseen evil, and unreliable reality—all woven into a mind-bending tale!
The story only has two characters present from start to finish. An unnamed man (the narrator of the story within a story) is escorted by an overly friendly hotel proprietor, Alan Lloyd, to his room. The story unfolds as they traverse through seemingly endless maze-like corridors, stairwells, and elevators to get there. As they walk, the unnamed man tells the story of how his wife Sharon began having strange episodes that made her become increasingly creepy and dangerous toward him. She received treatment but nothing was able to stop whatever had taken hold of her. His story has some sudden, vivid body horror scenes that caught me off guard. Eventually, he had no choice but to flee, which is what brings him to the hotel. He tells his story over Chapter One and Chapter Two, while Alan interrupts with bizarre tidbits about the hotel’s history. How the hotel began as a home and gradually became a labyrinth-like hotel is really intriguing, and as they walk, there are a lot of vivid details of the hotel interior that are claustrophobic and dizzying! By the end, the hotel felt like a character in its own right, and its eerie atmosphere stayed with me after I finished.😱
The ending is a bit of a surprise but also ambiguous, and it will leave you unsettled and probably asking yourself, “What did I just read?” in the best way!
I highly recommend the audiobook. It’s a duet narration, and both narrators do a fantastic job bringing the unnamed man and Alan Lloyd to life in a high-quality production. It’s perfect for a commute or a one-sitting read/listen. After this one, I’ll definitely be reading more from Joseph Fink!
October 11, 2026
Welp. I didn't like this 🫣 the writing and dialogue felt so stilted and unrealistic.
The whole book is one long conversation between the narrator and the hotel proprietor as he's being led to his "room". The narrator was so obsessed with the idea of ✨The Nudge✨ an idea or thing that makes people/animals try and kill him.
There were many parts in the narrator's story that didn't really make sense and I'm still unsure if that was intentional or not? I was really hoping he was just an unreliable narrator, but that also doesn't seem to be the case.
And I was hoping for a cool switch/twist ending - but no, it was just fine. 🫤
The whole book is one long conversation between the narrator and the hotel proprietor as he's being led to his "room". The narrator was so obsessed with the idea of ✨The Nudge✨ an idea or thing that makes people/animals try and kill him.
There were many parts in the narrator's story that didn't really make sense and I'm still unsure if that was intentional or not? I was really hoping he was just an unreliable narrator, but that also doesn't seem to be the case.
And I was hoping for a cool switch/twist ending - but no, it was just fine. 🫤
August 29, 2026
4.5⭐️
What a twisty book (pun intended)
I loved how this ENTIRE book was a conversation between 2 people – a hotel employee and the guest as he checks in and makes his way to his room.
Without giving away any details of the story, I’ll say that this is mysterious, suspenseful, and literally TWISTY as hell. Read this if you like being on the edge of your seat and enjoy books where you never know what’s around the corner.
Thanks to Podium Entertainment & NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and my review is left voluntarily.
What a twisty book (pun intended)
I loved how this ENTIRE book was a conversation between 2 people – a hotel employee and the guest as he checks in and makes his way to his room.
Without giving away any details of the story, I’ll say that this is mysterious, suspenseful, and literally TWISTY as hell. Read this if you like being on the edge of your seat and enjoy books where you never know what’s around the corner.
Thanks to Podium Entertainment & NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and my review is left voluntarily.
September 12, 2026
“Anxiety becomes as much a part of your body as skin or blood, until that moment you take your first unanxious breath and realize what a weight it was you had been carrying this whole time".
September 12, 2026
I'll give you a little nudge to read this novella..
The ending, I wanted more than that.
The ending, I wanted more than that.
October 22, 2026
“Safety is a funny thing. When you have it, you hardly even notice. And the moment it's gone, it's all you can think about.”
This was such a fun, creepy novella!
This was such a fun, creepy novella!
August 16, 2026
It’s a 5⭐️ read. It’s creepy, scary, haunting, reminiscent of Sarah Winchester and also the movie Smile and it freaked me out more than I’d like to admit. It’s a short 144 page novella and there was no time for boredom because the action just keeps coming.
A dog does die but it’s quick and not very graphic.
The Nudge by Joseph Fink
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
144 Pages
Releases September 1st
In The Nudge we follow our man with no name as he shows up to a hotel in the middle of the night and is telling the hotel worker the story of the entity that’s been following him by taking over people around him and influencing them to try to kill him. The story is being told as the hotel worker is guiding the man to his room through a hotel that reminds me of the Winchester house.
The cover of the book is creepy, I’m kind of obsessed with it I find it so cool! The photos throughout the book are also so haunting and creepy they’re gorgeous!
I really recommend this book to my fellow horror lovers, it was a fun action packed horror novella and it was scary but I loved every second. The ending also had me shocked to my core.
A dog does die but it’s quick and not very graphic.
The Nudge by Joseph Fink
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
144 Pages
Releases September 1st
In The Nudge we follow our man with no name as he shows up to a hotel in the middle of the night and is telling the hotel worker the story of the entity that’s been following him by taking over people around him and influencing them to try to kill him. The story is being told as the hotel worker is guiding the man to his room through a hotel that reminds me of the Winchester house.
The cover of the book is creepy, I’m kind of obsessed with it I find it so cool! The photos throughout the book are also so haunting and creepy they’re gorgeous!
I really recommend this book to my fellow horror lovers, it was a fun action packed horror novella and it was scary but I loved every second. The ending also had me shocked to my core.
August 9, 2026
I requested a review copy of this purely because of the author - as a long-term Welcome to Night Vale listener I knew I would be in safe hands, and was not disappointed.
I burned through this gripping, twisty novella in no time at all - could easily have read it in one sitting had I not had to do a bunch of chores around the house. The narrative went down smooth and was compelling right from the start to the very end. I could easily imagine this being a terrific audiobook - not surprising given the author’s podcasting excellence of the last 15 years.
The story was dark and supremely readable…perfectly paced, I simply had to keep reading to know what happened next. The illustrations also added an extra, brilliant, flourish.
Throughout this book I got a bunch of vibes from pop culture heavy hitters: this was The Shining meets 1408 meets It Follows meets Smile and I had a truly lovely time. It was scary in that same way the best Stephen King short stories are - told to you directly, with the chills being mainlined into your blood.
I’ll admit I guessed the ending, but it didn’t take away any of my enjoyment. The length was spot on and I had a blast - definitely give it a try when it lands next month!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the review copy.
I burned through this gripping, twisty novella in no time at all - could easily have read it in one sitting had I not had to do a bunch of chores around the house. The narrative went down smooth and was compelling right from the start to the very end. I could easily imagine this being a terrific audiobook - not surprising given the author’s podcasting excellence of the last 15 years.
The story was dark and supremely readable…perfectly paced, I simply had to keep reading to know what happened next. The illustrations also added an extra, brilliant, flourish.
Throughout this book I got a bunch of vibes from pop culture heavy hitters: this was The Shining meets 1408 meets It Follows meets Smile and I had a truly lovely time. It was scary in that same way the best Stephen King short stories are - told to you directly, with the chills being mainlined into your blood.
I’ll admit I guessed the ending, but it didn’t take away any of my enjoyment. The length was spot on and I had a blast - definitely give it a try when it lands next month!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the review copy.
September 8, 2026
Late one night, a man arrives injured at a roadside motel. Over the next several hours, he tells the motel proprietor how he ended up there. Is he crazy? Is it evil? Something or someone else? I was 100% into this until the ending. It's not bad ending, but more of a "that's it?" Thought provoking for such a short book.
July 24, 2026
This was so eerie!!! Had me on the edge of my seat completely engrossed in the travellers story. I loved how this was narrated. Totally engaging. Great audio!
October 2, 2026
A creepy little novella
Sure, there were a few plot holes, but I had a good time with it. Sometimes that's all I need
Sure, there were a few plot holes, but I had a good time with it. Sometimes that's all I need
September 14, 2026
What an interesting and unique take on temptation and the evil within humankind.
I felt a little let down by the ending. I wanted more of a final punch, since the “twist” was very guessable. I was hoping for something that would leave me staring at the page for a while afterwards but it was more of a shrug.
I felt a little let down by the ending. I wanted more of a final punch, since the “twist” was very guessable. I was hoping for something that would leave me staring at the page for a while afterwards but it was more of a shrug.
September 15, 2026
OK. This was unsettling and creepy. And those illustrations? On a normal day, they would give me nightmares. WTF?
What started as an innocent and fated meeting of two destined souls turned into something sinister. The sudden change in the wife’s behaviour, needles in pasta, crawling on all fours, guttural voices, that sly grin… This made my skin crawl. Ick.
That twist at the end did not surprise me, as I guessed it a few pages in. Lol. Still, this is scary, interesting, and freaking weird!
Beware of the nudge, friends.
What started as an innocent and fated meeting of two destined souls turned into something sinister. The sudden change in the wife’s behaviour, needles in pasta, crawling on all fours, guttural voices, that sly grin… This made my skin crawl. Ick.
That twist at the end did not surprise me, as I guessed it a few pages in. Lol. Still, this is scary, interesting, and freaking weird!
Beware of the nudge, friends.
September 23, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Podium Entertainment for providing me with an eARC.
This was a quick nice horror book. It definitely gives that unsettling, deep discomfort feel. I liked how the narration/conversation progressed. This was a unique format that I haven't seen in many other books before so that kept it interesting. I did guess the final twist almost at the beginning of the book so I wasn't really surprised by how it turned out but it still definitely gave me the creeps. The book being short really added to the story, it felt fast and slow paced all at once but in a good way. The concept was nice and done in a different way than usual. I would definitely recommend this to all horror readers out there, especially psychological horror.
This was a quick nice horror book. It definitely gives that unsettling, deep discomfort feel. I liked how the narration/conversation progressed. This was a unique format that I haven't seen in many other books before so that kept it interesting. I did guess the final twist almost at the beginning of the book so I wasn't really surprised by how it turned out but it still definitely gave me the creeps. The book being short really added to the story, it felt fast and slow paced all at once but in a good way. The concept was nice and done in a different way than usual. I would definitely recommend this to all horror readers out there, especially psychological horror.
September 3, 2026
proper spookiness from the mind of night vale, complete with an eerie slow burn that culminates in a delightful twisted conclusion. short, sinister, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
September 13, 2026
Really great narration for the audiobook; I love Cecil Baldwin. It was an interesting story and I was definitely surprised by the ending. It wasn’t over remarkable to me, but the format was interesting and I enjoyed it.
September 2, 2026
It's ok I guess? Three stars because it isn't bad, but nothing more. SPOILERS AHEAD.
I'm biased because I love Nightvale and I had big expectations for this, but... I was kinda disappointed. Having listened to the podcast for years I expected something more interesting and unique, and maybe a better plot. Instead I got a run-of-the-mill possession story with an abrupt end and an underdeveloped twist.
The entity is called "the nudge" because supposedly it tips people into evil. This might have been interesting and original: an entity that pushes you to do or say those fucked up things that flash across your head now and then: shout something horrible, jump from the roof, punch that face. But most of the time that's... not what it does. It just outright possesses people and takes control over their bodies, so the name of both the antagonist and the book is pretty much meaningless. And it makes them smile, which is creepy, but if you've seen Smile you can't help but find it derivative.
Some plots details were also a bit weird. This part of the review might seem silly and whiny, but I guess the story did not earn suspension of disbelief to me.
* The protagonist almost kills himself jumping down from the roof because he sees no other way to get down. I can believe cars not stopping (more or less, I think if you shouted at them someone would eventually listen and at least stop to hear what you're saying). But we're supposed to believe that during the course of several hours absolutely not one person walks into yelling distance? This is the USA, so who knows, but it seems a little contrived.
* After the stabbing the protagonist just assumes that anyone can be affected by the nudge and isolates himself, but I was like "how do you know that"? How do you know it's not just your wife?
* He never tries calling home to speak with his wife? Doesn't even think about it. The wife just pretty much disappears when the plot stops needing her.
* A few weeks after breaking several bones he gets stabbed and violently attacked by a dog and he just keeps wandering around the world? I'm no doctor, but I think even if the knife misses your vital organs and the dog doesn't outright rip your throat off you're going to be in pretty bad shape, yet we don't see any indications that he's even in pain. I think even driving would be a little hard in that state.
Another thing that irks me is that it doesn't feel like a well structured story. There's the part with the wife and the part at the motel and then just the twist. It left me feeling like a chunk of the book was missing. The "rule of three" might sound silly at face value, but the story would feel a lot more rounded to me if only it had a third act either before or after the motel. See, maybe it could have happened at the hospital and solve some of the problems I mentioned before. Maybe there could be one or two "mistakes" on the part of the hospital staff that hurt him or almost kill him and it makes him realize the nudge can affect other people. Maybe we could have a scene where he tries to speak with his wife here. Maybe a whole night at the hospital where night staff and other sick people start trying to hurt him until he leaves.
I was also left a bit confused as to why any of this was happening. The entity just decides to fuck with the protagonist for no reason? That might have worked in isolation, an entity that does evil for no reason at all, and I had no problem when the protagonist said it was like that. But then it turns out the entity had a plan, and was manipulating the protagonist into coming to the hotel, and that just makes you wonder: why? Why did it want to add specifically this guy to its "collection"? The twist would be a lot better if it gave the barest hint of an explanation (or even if it was stated that the entity was collecting him just because). And were there other "collected" people in the other rooms? Some kind of foreshadowing that the hotel was a prison would have made me enjoy the twist a lot more. As it is it left me with the feeling that the author just wanted "a twist" at the end, and he had the hotel framing story so he just shrugged and used that without giving it a lot more thought.
I did like the writing though. The framing story is cool, and the fact that the story is told entirely in a conversation, but it doesn't make up for how uninteresting the rest of the book was.
I'm biased because I love Nightvale and I had big expectations for this, but... I was kinda disappointed. Having listened to the podcast for years I expected something more interesting and unique, and maybe a better plot. Instead I got a run-of-the-mill possession story with an abrupt end and an underdeveloped twist.
The entity is called "the nudge" because supposedly it tips people into evil. This might have been interesting and original: an entity that pushes you to do or say those fucked up things that flash across your head now and then: shout something horrible, jump from the roof, punch that face. But most of the time that's... not what it does. It just outright possesses people and takes control over their bodies, so the name of both the antagonist and the book is pretty much meaningless. And it makes them smile, which is creepy, but if you've seen Smile you can't help but find it derivative.
Some plots details were also a bit weird. This part of the review might seem silly and whiny, but I guess the story did not earn suspension of disbelief to me.
* The protagonist almost kills himself jumping down from the roof because he sees no other way to get down. I can believe cars not stopping (more or less, I think if you shouted at them someone would eventually listen and at least stop to hear what you're saying). But we're supposed to believe that during the course of several hours absolutely not one person walks into yelling distance? This is the USA, so who knows, but it seems a little contrived.
* After the stabbing the protagonist just assumes that anyone can be affected by the nudge and isolates himself, but I was like "how do you know that"? How do you know it's not just your wife?
* He never tries calling home to speak with his wife? Doesn't even think about it. The wife just pretty much disappears when the plot stops needing her.
* A few weeks after breaking several bones he gets stabbed and violently attacked by a dog and he just keeps wandering around the world? I'm no doctor, but I think even if the knife misses your vital organs and the dog doesn't outright rip your throat off you're going to be in pretty bad shape, yet we don't see any indications that he's even in pain. I think even driving would be a little hard in that state.
Another thing that irks me is that it doesn't feel like a well structured story. There's the part with the wife and the part at the motel and then just the twist. It left me feeling like a chunk of the book was missing. The "rule of three" might sound silly at face value, but the story would feel a lot more rounded to me if only it had a third act either before or after the motel. See, maybe it could have happened at the hospital and solve some of the problems I mentioned before. Maybe there could be one or two "mistakes" on the part of the hospital staff that hurt him or almost kill him and it makes him realize the nudge can affect other people. Maybe we could have a scene where he tries to speak with his wife here. Maybe a whole night at the hospital where night staff and other sick people start trying to hurt him until he leaves.
I was also left a bit confused as to why any of this was happening. The entity just decides to fuck with the protagonist for no reason? That might have worked in isolation, an entity that does evil for no reason at all, and I had no problem when the protagonist said it was like that. But then it turns out the entity had a plan, and was manipulating the protagonist into coming to the hotel, and that just makes you wonder: why? Why did it want to add specifically this guy to its "collection"? The twist would be a lot better if it gave the barest hint of an explanation (or even if it was stated that the entity was collecting him just because). And were there other "collected" people in the other rooms? Some kind of foreshadowing that the hotel was a prison would have made me enjoy the twist a lot more. As it is it left me with the feeling that the author just wanted "a twist" at the end, and he had the hotel framing story so he just shrugged and used that without giving it a lot more thought.
I did like the writing though. The framing story is cool, and the fact that the story is told entirely in a conversation, but it doesn't make up for how uninteresting the rest of the book was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2026
As a huge fan of Welcome to Night Vale I knew I needed to read this creepy, bite-sized novella by the same creator and it was just what I was hoping for. Less whimsical than the podcast but packed with creepiness and just the right amount of uneasiness that'll make you think twice about the reality of "the nudge" while you read. Also, there's artwork included so you can see the horrors come to life as you fall deeper into Joseph fink's mind. Highly recommend reading with the lights off for extra spookiness.
September 10, 2026
I was so intrigued by the premise of The Nudge, but was very disappointed by the completely unrealistic dialogue, frequent typos, and wild plot holes. This book was so short, and yet I was so bored.
Also…if it’s just a “nudge,” how did it make people stab him, kill themselves, etc? Seems like more than just a nudge to me 🫠
On a more positive note, the illustrations were fantastic, definitely the best part of the book.
1.5 stars, rounded down
🪡🏨🪜
Also…if it’s just a “nudge,” how did it make people stab him, kill themselves, etc? Seems like more than just a nudge to me 🫠
On a more positive note, the illustrations were fantastic, definitely the best part of the book.
1.5 stars, rounded down
🪡🏨🪜
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2026
4.5⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!
I really liked the way this was written as a man telling a story. Genuinely fit the vibes of the setting being an architecturally strange hotel so well.
I really liked the way it started to creep up on you that maybe he hasn't run away far enough! Joseph Fink is just # that girl
Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!
I really liked the way this was written as a man telling a story. Genuinely fit the vibes of the setting being an architecturally strange hotel so well.
I really liked the way it started to creep up on you that maybe he hasn't run away far enough! Joseph Fink is just # that girl
November 2, 2026
I enjoyed this. I have a slim little hardcover volume. I thought the illustrations were fantastically creepy. I thought the conversation between the man and the innkeeper had these sinister undertones that slowly build and build. You know something is wrong but not quite what it is.
The backstory was creepy.
I do think there were parts of the conversation that could have been improved on? Like sometimes the hotel concierge would say like “oh watch your step there” or the guy (whose name is currently escaping me) would say “we sure are going down deep huh?” And I would find it a little jarring because I either thought they were sitting somewhere talking or just didn’t realize they’d transitioned from where they were.
Maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention? But I thought a little more attention could have been paid to that. I know it’s easier said than done in a book with no (exposition? Is that the word?)
Otherwise I really enjoyed it. Read it all in one day.
Will check out more from Fink.
The backstory was creepy.
I do think there were parts of the conversation that could have been improved on? Like sometimes the hotel concierge would say like “oh watch your step there” or the guy (whose name is currently escaping me) would say “we sure are going down deep huh?” And I would find it a little jarring because I either thought they were sitting somewhere talking or just didn’t realize they’d transitioned from where they were.
Maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention? But I thought a little more attention could have been paid to that. I know it’s easier said than done in a book with no (exposition? Is that the word?)
Otherwise I really enjoyed it. Read it all in one day.
Will check out more from Fink.
October 22, 2026
5 Stars 🌟
Thank you, Podium Entertainment, for the physical ARC and ALC! ❤️
Woahhh, this mysterious, thrilling story had me hooked from the very start! I absolutely adored the storytelling aspect of things. Telling a story within a story was such a fun thing to read and experience. I was constantly wondering where the story was going. And, yall! The gasp I gasped at the end!!! Honestly, I probably should have seen that coming, but I was so engrossed in the story that I missed it entirely. Also, the illustrations within the book were incredible to further help the imagery of the story! The Nudge was a book that I had so much fun with and would definitely recommend!
Major shutout to the narrators, Kevin R. Free and Cecil Baldwin, for the AMAZING narration of this story. Genuinely, it felt as if I was sitting there listening to the two men converse as the story was told. I pictured everything in my head, and it was so well done overall!<3
Thank you, Podium Entertainment, for the physical ARC and ALC! ❤️
Woahhh, this mysterious, thrilling story had me hooked from the very start! I absolutely adored the storytelling aspect of things. Telling a story within a story was such a fun thing to read and experience. I was constantly wondering where the story was going. And, yall! The gasp I gasped at the end!!! Honestly, I probably should have seen that coming, but I was so engrossed in the story that I missed it entirely. Also, the illustrations within the book were incredible to further help the imagery of the story! The Nudge was a book that I had so much fun with and would definitely recommend!
Major shutout to the narrators, Kevin R. Free and Cecil Baldwin, for the AMAZING narration of this story. Genuinely, it felt as if I was sitting there listening to the two men converse as the story was told. I pictured everything in my head, and it was so well done overall!<3
September 25, 2026
this novella was really, really good!! perfect atmosphere of slow and creeping horror. the second half of this book was very reminiscent of a nightmare that i had maybe a decade ago that scared the pants off of me, so i would call this effective horror. there are beautiful and eerie illustrations in the physical version, and the audio version is stellar. I highly recommend checking out both. thanks to my bestie for this rec <3 :)
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