The Night Guest

Books | Fiction / Horror

3.7

Hildur Knútsdóttir

Hildur Knútsdóttir's 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?

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More Details:

Author

Hildur Knútsdóttir

Pages

208

Publisher

Tor Publishing Group

Published Date

2024-09-03

ISBN

1250322049 9781250322043

Community ReviewsSee all

"This was a weird, creepy, fever dream of a story. A quick read, but please be aware of the trigger warnings. 3.25 stars"

The Lazy Reader

"3.5. I would not recommend it if you don't like ambiguous endings. For me, that's never been a problem, so I enjoyed this."

S B

Stephanie Bartley

"i didn’t realize how short this audiobook was and finished it in one day. i’m still a little confused on what happened to the main character in the end but it wasn’t a bad listen. if you want something quick, this is your book!"

Anya 🤍🩶🖤

"I really enjoyed this book. It’s a quick, easy read that I didn’t want to put down! "

K K

Kadee Kizer

"This was a shorter spooky read that may not be for everyone. Though there is some animal cruelty and death contained within the pages, it is not excessive nor is it the point of the story. This book is laid out in almost a journal style starting with Idunn visiting a doctor and having her symptoms dismissed. She insists there is something wrong despite clean tests, every night she goes to sleep and, in the morning, wakes up exhausted and in pain. Following the advice of others, she tries to eat healthier and prioritize exercise despite her fatigue. One night she falls asleep with her fitness tracker on and when she wakes, she discovers that she has walked 40,000 steps while she slept. Believing that she is sleepwalking she tries everything from sleeping pills to blocking the exits, only to wake up with the same symptoms and now strange injuries. She questions what is happening while she sleeps and where is she going… This story is obviously dark (it is horror) but it is also surprisingly deep. The entire thing lingers on long after you turn the last page and takes awhile to digest. While the writing style is sparce, it is very impactful, like each of the words were chosen with care to properly set the mood. The wintery Icelandic setting gives the story a folkloric feeling despite its city setting and unique storyline. People who like women’s fiction AND horror should add this book to their TBR immediately."