Finished reading: Strange Houses by Uketsu

Strange Houses ended up being a dud, for me at least. It’s a good, tightly written book that I highly recommend, it just wasn’t for me.

I loved the use of architecture floor plans and visual aids to help the reader follow along, as if they were examining the sketches for themselves. Also, without spoiling the plot, the central cause of the drama is pretty creepy. The writing was just too on-the-nose, telling the reader instead of showing them and letting the mystery build. It might be a cultural or translation issue - maybe if I was raised in Japanese society, this story would affect me differently. As it exists now, it doesn’t compare well to Poe’s works, in my opinion.

I’m still glad I read it, and I happily recommend it! It was well written and translated, and it made for a nice and quick diversion from my reading list. If horror, mystery, or detective-like stories are something akin to what you prefer, pick it up, give it a shot! 📚