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A review by acouplereadss
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Iðunn is beyond exhausted, no matter how much rest she gets. Her friends and family give her the round of the mill advice - eat more, exercise more, take these vitamins, etc. Her doctor has found no reason for her exhaustion, dismissing her concerns and symptoms. On the advice of her friends she buys a watch to follow her steps only to wake in the morning in her bed with 40,000 steps clocked. Where does she go when asleep? And where did she get these bruises and strange wounds? What is happening to Iðunn?
The Night Guest arrived and I immediately picked it up… and then finished in two sittings. This gave me My Year of Rest and Relaxation but make it horror. I had Mona Awad and Otessa Moshfegh vibes throughout - which is basically my personality now🤣. I loved the pacing of this, it was perfect. The Icelandic nightmare atmosphere seeped through the page and while Iðunn was an unreliable narrator, I did enjoy her musings. My only qualm was that the ending confused me but perhaps this was on purpose?
I don’t typically highlight content warnings but for my cat/animal lovers, this one hit hard even though the terror was off page. Thank you @tornightfire for this advanced copy, 4✨!
The Night Guest arrived and I immediately picked it up… and then finished in two sittings. This gave me My Year of Rest and Relaxation but make it horror. I had Mona Awad and Otessa Moshfegh vibes throughout - which is basically my personality now🤣. I loved the pacing of this, it was perfect. The Icelandic nightmare atmosphere seeped through the page and while Iðunn was an unreliable narrator, I did enjoy her musings. My only qualm was that the ending confused me but perhaps this was on purpose?
I don’t typically highlight content warnings but for my cat/animal lovers, this one hit hard even though the terror was off page. Thank you @tornightfire for this advanced copy, 4✨!