I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir, Translated by Mary Robinette Kowal Published by Tor Nightfire on May 26 2026
Genres: Adult, Domestic thriller
Pages: 160
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Two unhappy women seek revenge in this dark, bite-sized story, full of black humor and cats.
I loved Icelandic writer Hildur Knútsdóttir’s last book, The Night Guest, so I was very excited to read Dead Weight. First, I want to mention that although this is being marketed as horror, it’s anything but. Honestly, I would file this under literary fiction. There’s not even a mystery to solve, and although there is a murder, “thriller” just doesn’t quite fit the story either. This is a very short novella that focuses on toxic relationships and the fallout when someone is pushed too far. There’s also a couple of adorable cats that sort of tie everything together, and they ended up being my favorite characters.
The story revolves around two women who are struggling in their relationships and the cat that brings them together. Unnur is dating a married man and only sees him when it’s convenient—for him, of course. One day she comes home from work and discovers a cat in her apartment. She has no idea how it got in, but she decides to check “missing cat” ads to see if she can find its owner. The cat ends up belonging to a woman named Ásta, but when she comes to Unnur’s apartment to pick it up, she asks her if Unnur wouldn’t mind keeping Io, the cat, for a while until things settle down at home. Unnur is caught off guard by this request, but agrees to take care of the cat. Ásta will visit several times a week and supply all of Io’s food.
It isn’t long before Unnur figures out why Ásta is afraid to take the cat back to her house—Io is terrified of Ásta’s boyfriend Ragnar and that’s why she ran away. And when Ragnar becomes a threat to both women, Unnur isn’t afraid to do something drastic to make things right.
This is a rather bleak story about abuse, loneliness, and revenge, but there are bright spots too, like the sweet friendship that develops between Unnur and Ásta, as well as Io the cat and how both women care deeply for her. I love stories about women who take back their power, and while the way Unnur and Ásta get that power back isn’t ground breaking, it was very satisfying.
The author does some clever things with the title (“dead weight” has more than one meaning), and I also loved the tongue-in-cheek humor regarding Unnur and how adept she is at packing a carry-on suitcase (her relationship with her married boyfriend forces her to travel if she wants to see him), which takes on another meaning later in the story. The cats were a nice heartwarming touch (and they remain safe, so no need to worry!). And for squeamish readers, do be aware that there are some gruesome scenes that might be upsetting or difficult to read.
Ultimately, though, I was hoping for more. The ending sort of fizzles out, and while I can see what the author was trying to do, it just wasn’t impactful enough to give this a higher rating. Still, if you’re curious and have a couple of hours to spare, Dead Weight is definitely worth reading.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
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