Uketsu is now two for two when it comes to crafting deeply unsettling reads. Their latest work is another short, eerie tale that lingers long after you’ve finished it. While not overtly graphic, the horror here is psychological, creeping under your skin with quiet intensity.

I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as Strange Pictures—the episodic structure of that novel appealed to me more—but both books evoke a similar sense of dread and disquiet. Uketsu continues to prove that horror doesn’t need gore to be profoundly disturbing.

Strange Houses by Uketsu is an eerie and surreal journey into the bizarre — a unique listening experience that blends horror, folklore, and unsettling imagery. The concept is fascinating, and the world it builds is undeniably imaginative, with each “house” more disturbing than the last.

As an audiobook, the narration does a solid job of amplifying the tension and strangeness, but the pacing occasionally lags, and at times, the disjointed structure makes it hard to stay fully immersed. While the atmosphere is thick and the ideas are intriguing, I found myself wanting more cohesion and emotional connection to the characters.

That said, fans of experimental horror and Japanese surrealism will likely find this an intriguing experience worth exploring.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Strange Houses is a dark, mysterious, and highly creative read that borders on the absurd — I found myself rolling my eyes more than once, yet couldn’t help but be intrigued by its cleverness.

I began the book feeling like a detective, much like when I read Strange Pictures. However, as the large cast of characters continued to grow, I struggled to keep track and eventually had to pause, take notes, and reread sections to fully understand the complex relationships. Once I sorted through the characters, the story finally clicked, allowing me to enjoy the eerie and unsettling plot.

While not quite as mind-blowing as Strange Pictures, this follow-up still offers plenty of dark twists and a uniquely strange atmosphere. The author’s imagination is certainly something I’d love to explore further!

This is definitely a bit of a let down after strange pictures. It's much less intricate and interwoven than its predecessor, but still enjoyable.

Look, this is the perfect kind of book to break you out of a reading slump or to devour on summer afternoon, but a well-constructed story it is not. I felt similarly when reading Strange Pictures, though the way the pictures are used in that book and the way the different strands of the mystery weave together made the author's hand-holding and the characters' far-fetched conclusions easier to bear. Here, however, the pictures, though still a fun and a unique way to tell a story, don't play as large of a part, especially towards the second half and the way the characters go about solving the mystery strains credulity even more than in Strange Pictures.

Let's just say, Occam and his razor are no friends of Uketsu. Uketsu and his characters operate more under the assumption that the more complicated and unlikely an explanation or theory is, the more they should pursue that theory until the very end. And that's how this story begins: two characters come up with the most unbelievable reasoning to explain the layouts of the titular strange houses and rather than one of them being like "yeah right, that's crazy!" they're more like "sounds good to me, I can't see anything wrong about that line of thinking!" Despite the implausibility, it still a rather propulsive read in the first half, but as the second half becomes even more nonsensical, I started to tire of it.

The simplicity of it all is explained in a thoughtful translator's note at the end when Rion explains that the inclusion of pictures, the basic and unembellished language and sentences, and the is to "lower the barrier to entry" and make the text accessible to readers of all ages. I suppose I can't fault the author for that but I do believe there is a way to create even a slightly more plausible story while still keeping the language accessible.

I say all of that, but you bet I'll be reading Uketsu's next book!

Creepy, Clever, and Unnervingly Addictive

Review:
Strange Houses pulls you into a quietly disturbing mystery that unfolds through eerie floor plans and haunting discoveries. The atmosphere is tense and claustrophobic, and the deeper the narrator digs, the more sinister things become. The concept of a house hiding secrets in its architecture is brilliantly executed, and Uketsu masterfully builds dread with each unsettling reveal. It’s a unique blend of horror and mystery that lingers with you—perfect for fans of slow-burn psychological thrillers with an edge of the supernatural.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#StrangeHouses #NetGalley #HorrorMystery #Uketsu

This is a fast-paced mystery about a family, a house, their secret, and one writer is determined to figure it all out. I enjoyed the narrator for this audiobook and liked this read!

This story surprised me (pleasantly, if possible with such a dark topic) and went in really interesting, unpredictable directions. Since it's shorter, it went quickly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
A writer with a deep interest in the macabre is contacted by an acquaintance considering the purchase of a second-hand house in Tokyo. At first glance, the home with its bright, open layout appears to be an ideal find. However, a closer look at the floor plan reveals a puzzling “dead space” concealed within the walls. Curious and uneasy, the writer consults an architect friend, only for the two to uncover even more odd, hidden areas scattered throughout the structure.
What are these eerie, unexplained spaces? Do they truly exist, or is there something deceptive about the floor plan? And what became of the home’s previous occupant, who mysteriously vanished?
Unable to ignore the mystery, the writer and the architect set out to uncover the truth behind the baffling blueprints and the chilling secrets they conceal.
𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
This book follows a familiar format, with characters working through a series of murders by questioning each other and deciphering bizarre blueprints. It’s an interesting concept, and there are moments of genuine intrigue, but the execution didn’t fully land for me. The translation felt a bit stiff at times, which made the dialogue harder to connect with. I also struggled to keep track of the characters many of them had similar names, which made the final reveal more confusing than impactful. Overall, it’s not a bad story, just one that didn’t quite resonate with me. Fans of slow-burn mysteries might still find something to enjoy here.
Thank you @Netgalley and @HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio for allowing me to review this audiobook.

An initially fun exploration of some house blueprints, mystery rooms, and what/why are these rooms the way they are. I enjoyed the chase of tracking down the mystery of these houses, the characters' theories, and their strange obsessions with these blueprints. The second half of the book reveals the mystery, and I felt like it unraveled too nicely in a concise confession letter. I wish it had split this all into a few pieces, rather than what I would refer to as a "conclusion chapter." Great premise, good characters, and good overall story.

I didn’t read the first book in the Uketsu series so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The premise was really interesting, and let’s be honest. Japanese horror is amazing. Far better in a lot of ways than American horror. Ever seen Audition? It’s probably one of the most twisted horror movies I’ve seen, and I’ve seen A LOT. Uketsu definitely met the mark in this one. It was sick and twisted in all the best ways. It absolutely addresses that question you ask yourself about what kind of weird stuff your neighbors do behind closed doors, and then he took it to the most extreme level he could. It started out in the direction I expected, even with the explanation of why the houses were built the way they were, then went so much further. This is the type of stuff I like to see in my horror! I loved the characters and everything about it. I can see it being a little slow for people in spots, but that’s what made the extreme parts so extreme. An absolute must read for people who like Japanese horror or if they want something different than the same old stories that keep coming out! I can definitely see this getting onto the big screen one day!

Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Thank you Harper Audio for the ALC through NetGalley. While the book was well written, I think it’s just not for me. Some parts seemed very cookie cutter while other things came out of nowhere.

Thanks to NetGalle and HarperAudio for the Audio ARC!

Some people really like Japanese fiction. Some people really don't. If you like Japanese fiction, I think you'll really like Strange Houses.

Another group that I think will really like this unique novel is the ever-growing group of people that enjoy the increasingly popular genre of podcast/documentary-style fiction.

You can count me in both of those groups, so it's no surprise that I really enjoyed Strange Houses.

Who loves the weird stuff? STRANGE HOUSES by Uketsu and translated by Jim Rion is certainly bizarro! It’s a horror/crime thriller that is a “partner” novel to STRANGE PICTURES.

It’s about a writer who is asked his opinion about the blueprints of house that shows odd trapdoors, windowless bedrooms and dead spaces. The first portion of the book introduces the house and the second part focuses on its macabre history.

I listened to the advance audio version and to be honest, I don’t recommend it be consumed this way. I feel the actual read of this puzzling story would be much better. The narrator was stiff sounding and did not add anything significant to the mystery.

I think it will be a hit for those readers who think the stranger the better!

Much better than I expected based on the cover and description. I was a little worried I was picking up a home building manual.
very interesting story, a mystery that keeps you wondering pretty much the whole time!

A fairly original mystery in translation, a unique floor plan catches the eye of a curious author who delves into the mystery with the help of their architect friend. The most unique aspect might simply be the fact that it's rare to read a mystery book with so little suspense or need for urgency. I applaud the book's brevity as all brief books should be applauded but it also meant that largely, everyone's initial hunch ended up being correct.

Strange Houses by Uketsu was not my cup of tea. It was boring and felt like a badly written creepy pasta. I enjoyed his first book but this was a huge miss for me. I'll still keep my eye on him!

This was a bit disappointing. It started off great while our main characters come up with random conspiracy theories as to why this house has such a strange format. The problem was then the story just went along with it. It was so over the top that I started to lose interest which is a shame because this is a short story.

Strange Houses was a very interesting and eery mystery told in a unique way. Written interview style. The discussions and questions between different characters as they unfold the mystery of a home’s former residents and their disappearances. As well as the homes odd floor plan and hidden spaces.
Story is a little slow and mildly uneventful while at the same time equally intriguing and holds your attention. Translated well and without oddities to the story.
I am very interested to check out other titles by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an early copy of the English translated version for an unbiased review.

The premise of the book is that the main character is a journalist that specializes in the spooky and macabre. A friend of his approaches him regarding a house she is hoping to buy - but she is subconsciously put off by the blueprints of the house and enlists his expertise on the how and why there is 'dead space' in the blueprints (space that is on the diagram but is nowhere seen in the physical house itself).

The author begins to investigate, recruiting a building expert in this task, only to fall into a rabbit hole as he discovers the history of the houses inhabitants and the fact that this may not be the only house out there with dead space...

Premise aside, I appreciated the inclusion of blueprint images in the book itself, for the discussion of the architecture is how this investigation proceeds, and it is fun to follow the puzzle along with the characters - and I wish the book could have proceeded along this path the entire way.

Alas, exposition takes over and the novel gets a bit bonkers, but not too bonkers that I have regret for reading it in the 1st place.