Not Moving Here!

 

TITLE: Strange Houses

AUTHOR: Uketsu

PUBLISHER: HarperVia

PUBLISHING DATE: March 3, 2025

PAGES: 208   

SOURCE: Library 

FROM GOODREADS: A writer fascinated by the macabre is approached by an acquaintance who is considering purchasing a second-hand house in Tokyo. With its bright and spacious interior, the home seems perfect. But looking closer, the building’s floor plan reveals a mysterious "dead space” hidden between the walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plan with an architect friend only to discover more “strange spaces” dotted across the house. 

What are these mysterious “strange spaces” and why do they exist—are they really there, or is there something off with the floor plan? Who is the home’s former resident who suddenly disappeared?  

The freelance writer and his architect friend can’t resist the challenge of solving the riddle of these puzzling floor plans . . . and the terrifying plot behind it all.

MY THOUGHTS: This book really blew up on Booktube early on in the year and the author is some mysterious Youtube figure so when I saw it at my library, I decided to see what all the hype was about.  It was a short read and there are lots of house diagrams, so it moves even faster than anticipated.  This is also a reason I highly recommend a physical copy if you decide to pick it up.  I don't regret reading it but fear I set my expectations too high.

The book is told in parts and reads like a short story collection which are all interwoven to tell one big tale.  Pretty much a writer is telling the story of this mysterious house, mysterious deaths and unsolved mysteries through interviews and examining floor plans.  It's a unique format which worked well overall but did add quite a bit of repetition, which honestly, I was not a fan of.  The ending was satisfying and I'm hard pressed to say much more the synopsis for fear of spoiling too much.

The best thing about Strange Houses was the atmosphere and vibe.  It definitely gives off a feeling of dread and creepiness and screams to be read by flashlight on a dark rainy night when the electric goes out.  The author's first book, Strange Pictures, has a similar concept and I do plan on picking it up eventually, I'm just not in much of a hurry.  I also believe this originated as a Manga which I don't really read but it might have worked better in that format.

MY RATING: 3 PAWS