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Strange Pictures
Strange Pictures | Uketsu
11 posts | 10 read | 7 to read
"Wonderfully innovative. . . . Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever. Seemingly unconnected stories tie themselves into a complicated knot, which Uketsu masterfully unravels."--G. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller Murdle "Uketsu is a disrupter, the master of quiet horror."--Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal The spine-tingling mystery horror bestseller that has taken Japan by storm--an eerie fresh take on horror for fans of Hidden Pictures and Junji Ito, in which a series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches. An exploration of the macabre, where the seemingly mundane takes on a terrifying significance. . . . A pregnant woman's sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning. A child's picture of his home contains a dark secret message. A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbithole that will reveal a horrifying reality. Structured around these nine childlike drawings, each holding a disturbing clue, Uketsu invites readers to piece together the mystery behind each and the over-arching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the internationally bestselling debut from mystery horror YouTube sensation Uketsu--an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors. Translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion
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review
Doppoetry
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Pickpick

This was an interesting read. I found it a bit goofy at times, and at times it made me really uncomfortable. I would say some things are a bit overexplained and overwritten, but the way this book makes the reader rethink how they view the images that are presented is very unique nd refreshing. The “mystery“ itself isn't exactly revolutionary, but the book does a good job of humanizing the antagonists and protagonists.

Doppoetry The translation was pretty decent, although some sentences here and there were awkwardly worded. 5d
Doppoetry The “mystery“ also solved a bit TOO neatly for my taste, considering most of the statements that were made were speculations, and yet they were correct each time. 5d
4 likes2 comments
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vivastory
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A volume of seemingly disparate stories that are actually tied together, each one driven by epistolary elements. The tone of SP is at times that of the content creator of a You Tube video essay. While surprising at times, SP is not quite as clever as it likes to think. For the shortcomings, it's a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. A soft pick,

Suet624 But the cover says it‘s a sensation! 😂 5d
vivastory @Suet624 There was a blurb on the back calling it “quiet horror..“ I'm so tired of the qualifiers when people speak of genre “elevated horror“ “quiet horror“ A couple of weeks ago I was watching a video online & someone used the phrase (in all seriousness) “elevated sci-fi“ I rolled my eyes so hard that I nearly strained them lolol 5d
Suet624 😂😂😂 literary hyperbole 5d
See All 8 Comments
vivastory @Suet624 Facts! 😂 5d
BarbaraBB I am excited about this one. Will get to it soon! 5d
vivastory @BarbaraBB As a fellow fan of Japanese mysteries I thought of you while reading this & am curious to see your thoughts 💙 5d
BarbaraBB Yes I couldn‘t resist 😜 5d
vivastory @BarbaraBB Reading my review I was a bit harsh, but it's a good beach read with some genuine surprises. Hope you enjoy 5d
45 likes8 comments
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MaleficentBookDragon
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. The picture puzzles were intriguing & the twists compelling. I sped through this book. I would have finished it in one go if I didn‘t have to work. 😁 I hate to use the word “fun” because there are some really bleak moments in this book, but it WAS fun to read.
Didn‘t have the perfect green, and it was a lighter weight so I added an additional round, but I still like this #grannysquare for my #bookblanket #doublespin

TheBookHippie Ooooh I love the square!!! 1w
BarbaraBB Looking forward to the book, sitting on my shelves already 1w
MemoirsForMe 😍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1w
See All 8 Comments
marleed Ooh, I love your squares! 1w
sarahbarnes I have this one stacked already! 1w
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1w
Kitta Love the square! 1w
kspenmoll Love your crotchet! 5d
59 likes8 comments
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AbstractMonica
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Mehso-so

Okay, I somewhat enjoyed this one. The stories were creepy, but a little far fetched. It felt like a giant riddle which I wasn‘t too crazy about. The ending felt like too many explanations

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Leniverse
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Pickpick

Very unsettling mystery! And a fast read. I would have done the whole thing in one go if I hadn't made the mistake of starting it just before midnight. As it was I still read half the book before going nervously to bed 😅

I have the sushi cover, and I just have to say that it has absolutely nothing to do with the book. At all. Unlike the other one which features clues from the story.

BarbaraBB I have the left one. Very curious now. I‘ll read it soon 4w
36 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Leniverse
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This book has been described to me as cerebral crime/horror, and I sincerely hope that it's dark and unwholesome and full of fiendish puzzles.

#Eastercrime

BarbaraBB I bought this one too thanks to Stefanie‘s review. So intriguing! 4w
30 likes1 comment
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Mattsbookaday
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Pickpick

Strange Pictures, by Uketsu (2022, transl. 2025)

Premise: Apparently disconnected creepy stories fit together to create a disturbing story.

Review: WOW! I can‘t say too much about this without spoiling anything. But, if you love a mystery and can stomach some violence and disturbing imagery, do yourself a favour and read this!

Bookish Pair: For another Japanese puzzle story, Kinae Minato‘s Confessions (2010, transl. 2014)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Lillie
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February brought another 5* into my world. Picked Strange Pictures up at the airport and it ended up being really good. Can't wait for the author's next one to come out.

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shanaqui
Pickpick

This was fascinating. It seems at the start like it's a series of unconnected stories, revolving around some weird sketched pictures. There are some surprising links, though -- I won't say more than that.

I ended up reading it all in one go.

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lisakoby
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Pickpick

Fun and twisty read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

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bookish_wookish
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Barnes and Noble got me again. Somehow while I‘m on my way to pick my son up from work, my car seems to always turn into the Barnes and Nobles parking lot!

Soubhiville How strange… 📚 🧲 4mo
40 likes1 comment