Uketsu

Strange Houses

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.

coco nini

took me one sitting to finish this. it was sauuur good !! this was the first book that kickstarted my love for reading !!

I applaud the book for its disturbing details. The book kept you hooked with it continuous revelations of things. That's another thing that I admire the book for.

Unlike the first book in the trilogy, Strange Houses focused more on the architecture of the houses instead of deep diving the mind of a murderer. In this case, it focused on the murder house used to kill people. From that point, the novel only revealed a lot of disturbing things that always left me yearning for the next paragraph. While the clues were a bit easier this time, I still commend the twists that were revealed along the way. You won't know who the killer is until the last pages of the book. You won't know the real story behind everything until a confession. And most of all, the story ended in a quite open ended perspective but still took on a full circle just like the firsy book. Who was the dead body found in Tokyo in the first chapter? Where is Keita now? The clues all point to an answer but since it's all just speculations, we can never know for sure.

One thing I am sure about is how twisted their family is. How generations of paranoia have made them murderers. It's something etched in their blood: one family manipulates the other into becoming a monster, and the other family not being able to escape their fate.

The book touched both the architectural aspect of how the murders are supposed to happen, and the psychological aspect of how rotten their family's mind is to the point of orchestrating a whole crime scheme.

In conclusion, I'd recommend this book to those who loves a good mystery plot.

I applaud the book for its disturbing details. The book kept you hooked with it continuous revelations of things. That's another thing that I admire the book for.

Unlike the first book in the trilogy, Strange Houses focused more on the architecture of the houses instead of deep diving the mind of a murderer. In this case, it focused on the murder house used to kill people. From that point, the novel only revealed a lot of disturbing things that always left me yearning for the next paragraph. While the clues were a bit easier this time, I still commend the twists that were revealed along the way. You won't know who the killer is until the last pages of the book. You won't know the real story behind everything until a confession. And most of all, the story ended in a quite open ended perspective but still took on a full circle just like the firsy book. Who was the dead body found in Tokyo in the first chapter? Where is Keita now? The clues all point to an answer but since it's all just speculations, we can never know for sure.

One thing I am sure about is how twisted their family is. How generations of paranoia have made them murderers. It's something etched in their blood: one family manipulates the other into becoming a monster, and the other family not being able to escape their fate.

The book touched both the architectural aspect of how the murders are supposed to happen, and the psychological aspect of how rotten their family's mind is to the point of orchestrating a whole crime scheme.

In conclusion, I'd recommend this book to those who loves a good mystery plot.

I finished the second book of the Strange series by Uketsu, and while I enjoyed it, it felt very different from the first book. This one was much slower in pacing, taking more time to build the mystery instead of constantly throwing shocking twists at the reader. Because of that, it felt more like a careful investigation than a fast thriller, which may work better for readers who enjoy piecing clues together step by step.

What I liked most was the use of floor plans as the center of the mystery. It was such a creative concept, and it made ordinary houses feel eerie and suspicious. Reading through each layout and noticing strange gaps, hidden spaces, and unusual room placements was genuinely fun. It made the story interactive, almost like solving a puzzle alongside the characters.

Compared to the first book, I do think many of the explanations here were more spoon-fed. Instead of leaving readers to fully connect every clue on their own, the story often walked you through the answers. Because of that, some reveals did not land as strongly or feel as surprising as they could have. Still, the tension remained because even if you understood the “how,” you still did not fully know the “who” behind everything.

I liked how the strange house designs were not random at all, but were tied to darker intentions and hidden crimes. The way architecture itself became part of the horror was one of the smartest parts of the book. However, one thing I felt was lacking was that they never clearly told us who the dismembered body in the first chapter was, which left one of the most shocking moments without a fully satisfying answer. I also found the ending very open-ended, and it made me wonder if Yoshie had been the one planning everything all along. That ambiguity can be interesting, but it also left me wanting a little more closure.

Overall, while it did not have the same jaw-dropping impact as the first book for me, it was still an entertaining and clever read. It may be slower and more direct with its answers, but the unique premise and eerie atmosphere made it worth reading

I finished the second book of the Strange series by Uketsu, and while I enjoyed it, it felt very different from the first book. This one was much slower in pacing, taking more time to build the mystery instead of constantly throwing shocking twists at the reader. Because of that, it felt more like a careful investigation than a fast thriller, which may work better for readers who enjoy piecing clues together step by step.

What I liked most was the use of floor plans as the center of the mystery. It was such a creative concept, and it made ordinary houses feel eerie and suspicious. Reading through each layout and noticing strange gaps, hidden spaces, and unusual room placements was genuinely fun. It made the story interactive, almost like solving a puzzle alongside the characters.

Compared to the first book, I do think many of the explanations here were more spoon-fed. Instead of leaving readers to fully connect every clue on their own, the story often walked you through the answers. Because of that, some reveals did not land as strongly or feel as surprising as they could have. Still, the tension remained because even if you understood the “how,” you still did not fully know the “who” behind everything.

I liked how the strange house designs were not random at all, but were tied to darker intentions and hidden crimes. The way architecture itself became part of the horror was one of the smartest parts of the book. However, one thing I felt was lacking was that they never clearly told us who the dismembered body in the first chapter was, which left one of the most shocking moments without a fully satisfying answer. I also found the ending very open-ended, and it made me wonder if Yoshie had been the one planning everything all along. That ambiguity can be interesting, but it also left me wanting a little more closure.

Overall, while it did not have the same jaw-dropping impact as the first book for me, it was still an entertaining and clever read. It may be slower and more direct with its answers, but the unique premise and eerie atmosphere made it worth reading

Strangely enjoyed how the bow was tied in the end, albeit a teeny bit loosely

Started reading it this morning before leaving for work and finished it after work, and now my eyes are red :)))

Claudine

Strangely enjoyed how the bow was tied in the end, albeit a teeny bit loosely

Started reading it this morning before leaving for work and finished it after work, and now my eyes are red :)))

WTH i finished this in 4 hours... no notes, better than the first book

Germaine Lee

Please never make me look at floor plans like that ever again they actually made me tear up

Jasper

Got me simply confused. Still deciding if I like this better or Strange Pictures?

Tina Villarete

Quick read, fun to try to see the puzzle unfold. Very straightforward !

Valentina Moreno Escobar

prefer strange pictures bc was more consistent in plot development and i’m just a fan for well thought through intertwining plots!! 

strange houses starts off a lil slower and is a lil less “wow” throughout the book but the reveals at the end (chapter 4) really :: jaw dropping

big fan of uketsu’s style & again really impressed by jim rion’s translation — both manage to balance being accessible in the plot’s revelations (never too convoluted + always a clear path of logic) while also leaving just enough liminal space for you to imagine what all the dark possibilities that could lie in the gaps.

another huge page turner, with each flipped page leading you further into a rabbit hole and surprising you with majOr plot twists 

Nat Wong

prefer strange pictures bc was more consistent in plot development and i’m just a fan for well thought through intertwining plots!! 

strange houses starts off a lil slower and is a lil less “wow” throughout the book but the reveals at the end (chapter 4) really :: jaw dropping

big fan of uketsu’s style & again really impressed by jim rion’s translation — both manage to balance being accessible in the plot’s revelations (never too convoluted + always a clear path of logic) while also leaving just enough liminal space for you to imagine what all the dark possibilities that could lie in the gaps.

another huge page turner, with each flipped page leading you further into a rabbit hole and surprising you with majOr plot twists 

a fun read! 

really enjoyed reading this as an architecture student, because i saw so many flaws in the floor plans lol anyways i still had fun reading

ayoni

was a lil bit creepier than strange pictures given the floor plans + the murders.. but didnt really get my attention as much? 

the premise is interesting tho w/ the floor plans and all but the whole family curse thing kinda lost me…. like the left hand thing disappointed me. like all that lead up :| but the idea is still interesting dont get me wrong!! just didnt live up to how i felt when i was reading strange pictures (which i finished reading earlier today)

so overall interesting concept :) just didnt live up to expectations 

was a lil bit creepier than strange pictures given the floor plans + the murders.. but didnt really get my attention as much? 

the premise is interesting tho w/ the floor plans and all but the whole family curse thing kinda lost me…. like the left hand thing disappointed me. like all that lead up :| but the idea is still interesting dont get me wrong!! just didnt live up to how i felt when i was reading strange pictures (which i finished reading earlier today)

so overall interesting concept :) just didnt live up to expectations 

A unique book for its diagrams, uncomplicated style, and fast-paced no nonsense story. At times though the story seemed perhaps a bit too direct, as the characters flawlessly discover the mysterious thread of the story without tripping up nearly at all. A read that engages the reader heavily at first, but the reveal wasn't my cup of Matcha if you will. I truly enjoyed it up to 4 or 5 stars at first and savored the style. As I progressed I became uninterested there are more reveals but something about it felt deflated by that point. 

BC Hark

Unrealistic, an architect cannot guess all of that just by looking at the floor plan lawl

gishelle

The mystery was intriguing but the ending was meh~

But overall still a good read and captivating!

Natasha Mok

The mystery was intriguing but the ending was meh~

But overall still a good read and captivating!