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A review by the_joyful_book_club
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This story takes the cake as one of the creepiest I've read this year. This is narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal and she does an excellent job of bringing Iðunn to life. I think the narrative talent shines as the story progresses and events become more chaotic.
TW: There is animal abuse in this story. It's done off-page but does involve dead cats. I didn't know that going in, and it would have affected my choice to listen. That said, it's only mentioned a few times, and it's near the end. This isn't a story where it's done overly gratuitously, or occurring throughout the story.
Our story starts with Iðunn , who is at a doctor's appointment, desperate for help after she's been experiencing fatigue, and aches and pains for months. Tests have been run, but nothing is coming back abnormal. She's let herself become riddled with worry, thinking she has ALS, leukemia, or worse.
As the story starts, things appear fairly normal. Iðunn has dinner with her parents, girls night with her friends, and even meets a man and goes on dates with him. As she received minimal medical support, she took matters into her own hands and purchased a fitness watch. Iðunn is getting her 10,000 daily steps in, and one morning, she wakes up with the watch on and 40,000 steps logged. This leads her to more self-diagnosing (sleepwalking) and Iðunn asks for sleeping pills to help her stop sleepwalking. It works...at first.
This story is considered to be part of the horror genre, and I would say that's accurate. There is some suspense/thriller aspects but I'd classify it as horror. The chapters are fairly short, and it's easy to continue reading/listening. However, this book is short. Approximately 208 pages, and less than three hours via audiobook. I have a great appreciation for authors who don't overdo the story, but in this case, I wish there had been some more explanation of the area, Iðunn's sister, and more character development. I think it would have truly enhanced the story.
The ending is left up to the reader's interpretation. Depending on your perspective, the ending could take on a few different meanings. This doesn't necessarily bother me, but I do love seeing how the author intended it to be, it sometimes can pull the rest of the story together because you see incidents in a different light.
As a horror novella, I would recommend this book. It kept me hooked, and I kept wanting to listen to one more chapter to get answers, which led me to devour this book quickly. The narration brings the scariness to life because you experience Iðunn becoming nervous, but knowing something else is happening, but can't find anyone to help her.
TW: There is animal abuse in this story. It's done off-page but does involve dead cats. I didn't know that going in, and it would have affected my choice to listen. That said, it's only mentioned a few times, and it's near the end. This isn't a story where it's done overly gratuitously, or occurring throughout the story.
Our story starts with Iðunn , who is at a doctor's appointment, desperate for help after she's been experiencing fatigue, and aches and pains for months. Tests have been run, but nothing is coming back abnormal. She's let herself become riddled with worry, thinking she has ALS, leukemia, or worse.
As the story starts, things appear fairly normal. Iðunn has dinner with her parents, girls night with her friends, and even meets a man and goes on dates with him. As she received minimal medical support, she took matters into her own hands and purchased a fitness watch. Iðunn is getting her 10,000 daily steps in, and one morning, she wakes up with the watch on and 40,000 steps logged. This leads her to more self-diagnosing (sleepwalking) and Iðunn asks for sleeping pills to help her stop sleepwalking. It works...at first.
This story is considered to be part of the horror genre, and I would say that's accurate. There is some suspense/thriller aspects but I'd classify it as horror. The chapters are fairly short, and it's easy to continue reading/listening. However, this book is short. Approximately 208 pages, and less than three hours via audiobook. I have a great appreciation for authors who don't overdo the story, but in this case, I wish there had been some more explanation of the area, Iðunn's sister, and more character development. I think it would have truly enhanced the story.
The ending is left up to the reader's interpretation. Depending on your perspective, the ending could take on a few different meanings. This doesn't necessarily bother me, but I do love seeing how the author intended it to be, it sometimes can pull the rest of the story together because you see incidents in a different light.
As a horror novella, I would recommend this book. It kept me hooked, and I kept wanting to listen to one more chapter to get answers, which led me to devour this book quickly. The narration brings the scariness to life because you experience Iðunn becoming nervous, but knowing something else is happening, but can't find anyone to help her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death