I've never read a book like this before! Mysterious and unsettling, it hooked me right away. I'm a newbie to the world of Japanese horror/mystery but this made me incredibly eager to read more

This is a "horror" book but it's strange... it's not particularly scary but definitely jarring.

"Strange Pictures" has some creepy/dark aspects, but overall what's most fascinating about it is how each little story is connected to another. I really enjoyed that, but sometimes it almost felt like a math problem more than a story.

Either way it's very unique and is worth a read. Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of "Strange Pictures"!

this is a DEEEEEEPLY weird, at times horrifying and just INCREDIBLE read. the translator did an AMAZING job as well and would love to find their credits a bit easier but holy shit!

I loved this book so much. The way that Uketsu tells this story is refreshingly unique and keeps the reader wanting.

This book was a ride I was not expecting but so glad I took! A series of four stories each center around a sketch (several of which are highlighted on the cover of the book). These sketches each drive at something sinister and connect to the larger story. In the first story, two students analyze a blog with a mysterious message. The second story focuses on the disappearance of a young boy. In the third story, a brutal murder remains unsolved years later. And in the final story, everything is connected together.

This book was instantly mysterious and drew me in and refused to let me go. If I didn't have kids I would have finished this in one sitting. I was impressed by the incorporation of the drawings as they were not a gimmick but instead integral to the ultimate solution. I wouldn't exactly classify this book as horror, but it was most certainly suspenseful and mysterious. The author themselves is a mysterious character, as they have never revealed their face or voice despite being a popular YouTube personality in Japan.

The whole book is a complex puzzle and it was an absolute thrill to work through. There was not any overly descriptive scenes that could put people off, though definitely some disturbing situations. I cannot recommend this enough!

*I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Strange Pictures is a unique horror novel that lets the reader piece together the mystery through pictures that accompany the text. I enjoyed the way the different stories were woven together and the mystery comes together. Suspenseful and fun! I am looking forward to the English release of Strange Houses.

Apparently I don’t hangout in the right places because I hadn’t heard of Uketsu until I saw this book. While I didn’t find this to be scary in the traditional sense, I definitely think it managed to be eerie, unique and a solid mystery at once. I love the sense of sleuthing having the pictures at hand added to this one and I found this to be a very quick read.

My very first Japan literature novel. It features an eerie, unsettling scenes but it’s like puzzle pieces scattered around and the reader has to figure out how the pieces might fit together, although Uketsu’s narrative slowly builds towards a big reveal finale. Throughout the book, there are Images that’s works as keys to solve these mysteries.

This was a gripping, entertaining experience, with surprising twists and turns.

𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙋𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙐𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙨𝙪 is a series of eerie, interconnected mysteries, each tied together by unsettling, childlike drawings that serve as cryptic clues, pulling you deeper into a web of suspense.
Each tale is a brain-teaser, challenging you to decipher the hidden meanings within the illustrations. It’s like playing detective, piecing together clues that lead to unexpected—and often unsettling—conclusions. I really enjoyed reading this book and honestly, there were so many moments I just stared at the wall, trying to connect the dots.

What I find most intriguing is the author! Uketsu is a Japanese author who keeps his identity hidden—always masked and digitally altering his voice during appearances. This is his debut novel, and I’m already looking forward to whatever he writes next.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Uketsu's "Strange Pictures" is an interesting chance to play detective by having Strange Pictures as your guide.

The seemingly unconnected, yet joined stories and clues unfold with unsettling encounters with enigmatic figures. Uketsu masterfully manipulates the reader's perception.

The prose is evocative, imbued with a dreamlike quality that mirrors the protagonist's disorienting descent into the abyss of their own mind.

"Strange Pictures" is a challenging and a rewarding and enjoyable read. It demands active engagement from the reader, forcing them to piece together the fragmented narrative and pictures.

What a wild trip. There were a few scenes in this that will stick with me they were so genuinely spooky. Once the mystery starts to come together from the seemingly discrete chapters, it’s impossible to put down. I highly recommend Strange Pictures to fans of fair play mysteries. I’m eagerly awaiting the English publication of Strange Houses.

This book is nothing like I have every read before and I gladly recommend for any mystery lover out there! But take your time because it get’s very twisty.

Strange Pictures
Uketsu

4.5 / 5

Shorter stories that form a larger picture, Strange Pictures was like a creepy puzzle you have to put together with your eyes.

It's a truly fascinating book containing drawings that encourage you to play detective. I thought this book was creepy, dark, and fun.

It reminded me of Pulse and The Grudge. Just more thriller than horror.

Recommend!

4.5 / 5

I loved how unique this book was. I have never read a book that includes pictures that play a huge part in the book. I also loved that I got to play detective. Such a fun book that I would highly recommend!

I appreciate the chance to read this work as the publisher's e-ARC accessed through NetGalley. Strange Pictures is a scrapbook of stories interwoven with pictures. Both elements increase in intensity as the narrative pieces itself together before you. Readers have the answer while also being the detective of the larger components at play. Having heard of the Strange Houses manga prior to reading this work, this style of storytelling is compelling, yet unique to Uketsu--as there is a subtlety, I think, may be hard for just any writer to accomplish. I enjoyed this work immensely and will be reading Strange Houses when it is published later this year.

I tried really hard to get into this one, and while I'm really thankful to HarperVia, Netgalley, and Uketsu for granting me advanced access to this title, I think I'd much rather hand it off to a friend for them to take a stab at it.

Thank you HarperVia and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting inception of a story! I love how everything slowly connected. I really enjoyed the pictures as a part of the mysteries and how each one played a role. There were a few parts in the middle of the story where I felt confused due to so many names important to the mystery, such as all of the students and journalists, etc. Without giving it away, the overall ending was a really satisfying conclusion.

CW: murder, violence, child abuse, death, death of parent, cancer

After reading literally tens of thousands mysteries throughout my life, I kept seeing the same recycled plots reused over and over again. I despaired of ever being truly surprised by a mystery again. Until I read Strange Pictures.

This book is a mystery that slowly comes together piece-by-puzzling piece. Each individual’s tale has its own conclusion. At the end of the book, the tales come together beautifully to reveal an overarching story. The book uses drawings that must be untangled to discover the mysteries’ clues. They are both visual and logical puzzles, which challenge the reader to process the book differently than a regular mystery plot.

I had great fun reading Strange Pictures. I highly recommend it to any mystery reader—but especially to those who feel there are no original stories left. 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for providing me with an advanced review copy.

I tried getting into it but just couldn’t. It is fairly slow but the way you can interpret the pictures differently was fairly interesting.

This was an intriguing little tale of a lot of events that slowly come together to form one heartbreaking tale. The pictures brought it all to life.