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A review by humbleboar
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
feel slightly guilty about this one, as though the page count is falsely inflating my numbers. this 200 page book has 100 chapters. i found this to be extremely effective in keeping the tension high and the pace fast. you fall into a rhythm of turning the pages that makes you just have to know what comes next. even if you don't want to know.
some good commentary about the difficulties of being a woman seeking health care. some good commentary about being a woman in modern society. this was a very frank book that didn't feel cloyingly buddy-buddy. some books try too hard to be relatable that they feel like an overly familiar stranger. this one felt like listening to a friend rant and chiming in "yes, exactly!"
initially i didn't like the ending, but the more i think about it, the more beautiful i find it. lake mungo vibes, hill house vibes. unsure what the take away of the book really was. is it about drowning under other people's expectations? is it about smothering yourself to be someone else? or is it about those 10,000 steps? was it all one really elaborate ad for a fitbit?
if not for other people frequently referencing her sister, i could almost believe that iðunn didn't have one. that her future has come to haunt her present. to turn her into a self-fulfilling prophecy. if she did have a sister, did she experience the same thing? what drove her into the water the first time? was it really her sister clinging to her back, or something else? her cheekbones were higher, her lips fuller, her eyes darker. i fear we'll never know.
some good commentary about the difficulties of being a woman seeking health care. some good commentary about being a woman in modern society. this was a very frank book that didn't feel cloyingly buddy-buddy. some books try too hard to be relatable that they feel like an overly familiar stranger. this one felt like listening to a friend rant and chiming in "yes, exactly!"
initially i didn't like the ending, but the more i think about it, the more beautiful i find it. lake mungo vibes, hill house vibes. unsure what the take away of the book really was. is it about drowning under other people's expectations? is it about smothering yourself to be someone else? or is it about those 10,000 steps? was it all one really elaborate ad for a fitbit?