บ้านวิกลคนประหลาด 2

Strange Houses #2

by Uketsu, ฉัตรขวัญ อดิศัย (Translator)

“เพราะมีคนจึงมีบ้าน และบ้านจะสะท้อนจิตใจของผู้อยู่อาศัย”

มองเผิน ๆ ดูเหมือนว่าบ้านของผู้อ่านแต่ละหลังมีความแปลกแตกต่างกันไป แต่ท่ามกลางเรื่องทั้งหมดมีบ้าน 11 หลังที่ผู้เขียนสังเกตเห็นจุดเชื่อมโยงบางอย่าง และความไม่ชอบมาพากลนั้นเอง





ผังบ้านหลังนี้มีอะไรแปลก ๆ

ฉันเขียนหนังสือชื่อ “บ้านวิกลคนประหลาด” ว่าด้วยผังบ้านแปลก ๆ ซึ่งนำไปสู่การค้นพบเหตุการณ์น่าสะพรึง หลังจากมีคนจำนวนมากได้อ่าน ก็มีคนส่งข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับ “บ้าน” มาให้ฉันมากมาย

โถงทางเดินไร้ปลายทาง
บ้านที่หล่อหลอมความมืด
บ้านกับดักหนู
อะพาร์ตเมนต์ไร้ทางหนี
ห้องที่เคยโผล่มาแค่ครั้งเดียว

ในบรรดาข้อมูลและเอกสารเหล่านั้น มีบ้าน 11 หลังที่ดูเผิน ๆ ไร้ซึ่งความเกี่ยวข้องกันโดยสิ้นเชิง แต่เมื่อตั้งใจอ่านกลับพบความเชื่อมโยงอย่างหนึ่ง

บรรดาบ้านประหลาดที่สร้างขึ้นในภูมิภาคชูบุ ความจริงที่ถูกฝังในความมืดซึ่งผ่านกาลเวลามายาวนานคืออะไรกันแน่

การกลับมาของ “บ้านวิกลคนประหลาด” นิยายสืบสวนสั่นประสาทชื่อดังที่เป็นไวรัลในอินเทอร์เน็ต การันตีด้วยยอดขายกว่า 1 ล้านเล่มและได้รับการนำไปสร้างเป็นภาพยนตร์ญี่ปุ่น

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Japan, Mystery Thriller, Japanese Literature

536 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2023

About the author

Associated Names:
* Uketsu
* 雨穴
* อุเก็ตสึ (Thai Profile)

Reviews

[aly ☆彡 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars might seem harsh, but I stand by this rating.

I went into Strange Buildings with fairly high expectations. It is slightly better than the previous installment, mainly because it avoids relying on an overwhelming deus ex machina. I got to admit that I am still intrigued by the premise which is why I will continue to read the series despite the string of disappointment.

Strange Buildings is a story of all the people who has reached out to the author following his release of Strange Houses where now, eleven house floor plans are presented, each tied to a strange saying and an incident. As the story unfolds, subtle inconsistencies begin to connect, eventually revealing a larger truth behind them all.

On paper, this structure works. The format of having all these conversations about these building is engaging, and the act of piecing together clues from floor plans is genuinely compelling at first. There are moments that feel clever, and the final revelations do carry a degree of shock, especially when the person who we taught the culprit, may not be the culprit after all.

What works best here is Uketsu’s undeniable talent for pacing. The book is thick, filled with diagrams and summaries, yet the reading experience moves forward with ease. I have pointed out before that maybe the conversational style in the previous book proved ineffective, as it lacked the depth and narrative strength necessary to sustain atmosphere or leave a lasting impression. In contrast, with 11 cases at hand, the same approach works more, consequently making the book feel brisk despite its length.

However, the execution is where the novel falters.

Now- you may want to call me parrot for all the points I am about to say next, only because the strengths are consistently undermined by a lack of believability, as always seem the case even in the last book. But simply, the deductions made by the narrator and his architect friend rarely feel earned even in this installment. Instead of following a clear logical process, conclusions often appear to simply land in place. Even when they tried to make it a bit tad believable with what supposed to be human error, because some of the architect friend's initial guesses happened to be incorrect, the story still quickly pivots to the right answer without showing enough convincing reasoning. This just makes it difficult to trust or invest in the mystery like a good mystery book should be.

To boot, the architect friend in particular, feels underdeveloped. Honestly, I am not doubting that someone with high cognitive functioning could connect all these 11 cases simply from a report. Yet, we were never given reason to buy that this particular friend has that capability. The story expects the reader to accept his ability to connect all eleven cases, without properly establishes why he is capable of doing so. His insights drive the narrative, but they lack foundation. Without that credibility, the central mystery loses much of its impact.

The plot also leans heavily on coincidence, and while I used to put Uketsu's writing to pedestal, all these convenience plot just made up for a lazy author. It is one thing to use coincidence to complicate a story, but here it is used to resolve it. Access to all eleven floor plans happens too easily, and the decision to link these cases together does not feel justified from the start. I feel like in reality, it is not as easy to get a floor plan to every house simply. While digital databases are growing and it is possible for some; particularly new homes or those listed for sale recently to provide floor plans, there is no single, comprehensive, and publicly accessible repository for the floor plans of every existing house. And you meant to tell me that you are able to gain access them through connections and internet searching for what to be the floor plans from a house that existed ten years back or more.

For good measure, this is also another case of a book suffering from massive cast. With eleven cases and multiple characters in each, many of them blur together. When a book has too many characters and the author does not remind you who is who, it is easy to get lost. By the time the story attempts to tie everything into a cohesive whole, it becomes difficult to recall which undercuts the emotional and narrative payoff. Maybe I was not good with names, but I reason that having indistinctive name is also a contributing factor.

Tonally, the book shifts more toward mystery than horror, but it does not fully succeed in either. The eerie atmosphere that defined the author’s earlier work is mostly absent, and the mystery lacks tension because the solutions feel predetermined rather than discovered. I think this has always been my issue with this series. If believability cannot be achieved, suspense should carry the story, but here, neither element is strong enough. I found myself constantly pulled out of the story by how forced certain developments felt. Not to say, this book just has to be another cult story! Can all these murder cases just be a different kettle of fish, instead of tied down to one same phenomenon? This is just getting predictable at this point.

In the end, Strange Buildings retains Uketsu’s gift for propulsive storytelling. The structure is accessible, the layout is engaging to an extent, and there are moments of genuine surprise. Still, the convenience woven into every stage of the investigation undermines both suspense and eminence. If one can overlook the lack of logical grounding and simply enjoy the fictional construct this book has to offer, there is entertainment to be found. But for me, I could hardly bypass the story’s fictional expediency, which made it all feel far from believable.

[Samantha Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been so addicted to any series of books as I am to these creepy architectural mysteries

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second installment of Strange Houses brings a very clever new mystery for the reader to work through. In this instance, there are 11 files containing 11 strange buildings. Each one brings something new to the table. The big question is, how are they all intertwined?

How these all came together was very clever, and while I was able to loosely see some of the connections, I was unable to see the whole picture until the author laid it out for me. Once all the pieces of the puzzle were laid out, it was amazing to see how intricately woven everything was.

What I really found helpful (since I’m not the brightest) was after the reader had the opportunity to review all 11 files, the resolution was explained by showing all the different pieces of evidence and how they tied together. My only quibble was some of this became a bit redundant as it would refer to certain aspects of the files multiple times. But I appreciated the little bit of redundancy in order to make sure I understood how everything tied together.

Strange Pictures will still be my favorite, but this one comes a close second. There is no need to read Strange Houses first, but a few characters are revisited, specifically the author’s architect friend, Kurihara. Fingers crossed there’s another installment on the horizon!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

[Nadiah Zakaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

what in the epstein files did i just read??

this was fantastic and deeply relevant. i need uketsu to move like the knives out movies and give me 14 more!!!

p.s. EAT THE RICH.

[Sadie E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into this I already knew the drill. I’ve done this twice before so I know the vibes and I know I’m about to be handed a “story” that’s actually three puzzles in a trench coat. No straightforward narrative, no hand-holding, just me and a bunch of suspicious af buildings.

What keeps this one so engaging is how different it manages to feel despite the familiar framework. On paper, “weird interconnected buildings” should be running on fumes by now, but the author keeps finding new ways to mess with perspective and structure (and me, specifically). Every time I thought “okay I get where this is going,” the book immediately pivoted just enough to make me doubt everything again.

The format is a huge part of that. The book’s made up of floor plans, interviews, journals, and newspaper articles, with very little actual narrative. This isn’t a story where characters overcome great challenges or learn meaningful lessons. There’s no big emotional arc, no growth to latch onto, but it doesn’t detract from the experience at all. If anything, it sharpens the mystery. You’re not here for character development, you’re here to spiral over architectural choices and suspicious timelines, and the book fully commits to that.

Because I was already tuned into the format, I went in feral for details. Every line felt like a clue and every inconsistency felt intentional. There’s a real satisfaction in spotting patterns earlier this time around, like I’ve evolved and understand these books now, but also… not really, because I was still wrong a lot.

So even though I know this dance by now, I’m still dumb. I still missed so much. Like I’ve been fully conditioned at this point to pore over floor plans and criticise everything, and I felt incredibly smug when something I’d clocked actually mattered, but then the book would reveal something else and I’d have to flip back like “oh! oh it was right there. cool cool cool 😭” It’s humbling.

I also spent an embarrassing amount of time talking out loud while reading this. Like the main character would be working through a case and I’d just be sitting there arguing with the book like “no, that can’t have happened that way, check the floor plan again” as if I was part of the investigation. At this point I’m basically a co-detective. An unhelpful one, but still.

“Of course, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that anyone who lived in this house would end up a murderer. I suspect the boy had something in him from the start. The house just brought it out. Nurtured the darkness in his heart, I guess you could say.”

That quote sums up the whole unsettling tone. These buildings aren’t just weird, they feel complicit, like they’re quietly influencing everything in the background.
However, I do think this is where my relationship with the series gets slightly chaotic, because while I’m fully invested, I'm also a little split on it. There’s a very loud part of the experience that feels like genius puzzle design, like I’m actively participating and getting that little dopamine hit when a connection lands exactly right. And then there’s the other side, where some of the deductions get a bit too clean. Like, really, you’re telling me you worked out what someone had for dinner from a window placement and a slightly odd room angle? I’m exaggerating, but not by much. Sometimes it feels like the logic's sprinting ahead of itself just a little.

One minute I’m like “this is so clever, I’m basically inside the puzzle,” and the next I’m side-eyeing a conclusion thinking “wait… how did we get there that fast?” It’s impressive, but occasionally feels like the reasoning's doing backflips while I’m still trying to find the starting point.

The structure itself is great in theory. 11 houses, 11 cases is SUCH a good idea, but it does get a little tangled as it goes on. Not because the writing's unclear, but because there are just so many moving parts. By the time I hit case 9, I was like “I’m sure cases 2 and 3 were important… but I can’t recall a single detail.” It becomes a bit of a memory maze unless you’re actively keeping track.

The later sections also go HARD on the explanations (again, expected), and while I do enjoy the big “everything clicks” moment and the recap of everything we've learned, it starts to feel like the book's pinned me to a chair and is aggressively walking me through a conspiracy board. I respect it, but I was also slightly overwhelmed by it.

This is my least favourite of the three. Not because it’s bad, but because it felt a bit too disconnected for a bit too long. There’s a stretch where it kind of meanders and I was just floating there like “okay… but how does this all link???” Of course, the SECOND I recognised a name, I was right back in it and aggressively analysing every sentence, but it definitely took longer to hook everything together compared to the others.

Like with the others, in the last 10% or so, the story really picks up and goes completely off the rails. We go from Phoenix Wright to the Epstein Files in about 5 minutes flat and it’s enough to make your head spin. It’s chaotic and slightly overwhelming, but still incredibly compelling.

Tonally, it’s just as dark and unsettling as the earlier books. No unnecessary escalation, just a steady commitment to being quietly horrible. Love that but also kind of hate how effective it is.

What impresses me most is that this series still doesn’t feel like a gimmick. Each book feels like a deliberate remix rather than a repeat, like the author’s actively experimenting instead of coasting. Three books in and it’s still fresh and clever, and still making me question my ability to think.

If you’ve read the earlier books, this won’t surprise you, but it will absolutely drag you back into the madness.

Considering cryogenically freezing myself until book 4 comes out because I don’t want to wait.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books scare you with monsters.
Some scare you with killers.
Strange Buildings scares you with something far more unsettling: spaces.

Uketsu has this uncanny ability to make architecture feel alive—and not in a comforting way. From the very first eerie location, I knew this was not going to be a traditional mystery. This is a story built out of rooms, hallways, walls, and invisible lines that quietly whisper, something terrible happened here.

Each building in this book feels like its own haunted memory. A hut in the woods. A house that remembers violence. A prison that seems designed not just to hold bodies, but to crush minds. A home that burns not just with fire, but with buried guilt. Every chapter drops you into a new structure, and every structure feels like a fragment of a larger nightmare waiting to be assembled.

What makes this book so addictive is the way it treats the reader like a detective without ever saying so. You aren’t handed neat clues—you’re given blueprints, odd details, missing rooms, strange inconsistencies. And slowly, without realizing it, your brain starts to connect things. Why does this wall exist? Why does this corridor lead nowhere? Why does this space feel wrong?

And then it hits you:
These buildings aren’t just settings.
They’re evidence.

Uketsu’s storytelling is icy and methodical, but emotionally devastating beneath the surface. As the puzzle tightens, it becomes clear that something truly monstrous connects all of these places. Not a single villain—but a pattern. A human horror that spreads through design, intention, and silence.

By the time the truth begins to emerge, I didn’t want to believe it. Not because it was confusing—but because it was horrifying in a very real, very human way. This isn’t a book that screams at you. It watches you. It lets you put the pieces together. And when you finally see the full picture, it lingers.

Strange Buildings is the kind of mystery that leaves you staring at your ceiling afterward, thinking about walls, doors, and the things people try to hide behind them.

Dark. Clever. Disturbing. Completely unforgettable.

Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for sharing this unique, puzzle-driven thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
I loved this unsettling building horror story largely because it deviated from the usual tropey haunted house narrative. I appreciated that the vignettes of interconnected stories were not specifically about ghosts but more so about the evils of the people who reside within these buildings.

I got the opportunity to read this one on audiobook which I feel like enhanced the experience with the pseudo author giving the book a similar feeling to an investigative podcast. The atmosphere was so chilling and loosely gave me Junji Ito vibes (without the body horror).

I would highly recommend this one to horror readers looking for something a little different. I now want to read the rest of this author's published work.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Amended from 2/5 to 1/5 after further reflection.

TL;DR: The mystery is mediocre, and the story features the abuse of women and children without any critical lens.


I picked this up as soon as it was out because I loved Uketsu’s first two books. It had a strong start, but in the end, a lot of the loose ends were tied up in completely implausible ways. I am more than happy to suspend my disbelief for a fun mystery as I did with his first 2 books, but this asked for way too much.

My biggest issue is how the book handles trauma, effectively whitewashing a pedophile. What kind of mind thinks it's realistic to write a plot where a powerful predator marries the child he abused, and is then completely manipulated and terrified by her, a woman who is entirely financially dependent on him? The predator is a rich, influential man, yet by the end, he's portrayed as cowardly; a mere tool for her vengeful schemes. In reality, a rich, powerful man is never silenced by a dependent victim. By forcing this unnatural twist, the narrative conveniently shifts all the blame onto the female victim-turned-Big-Bad, allowing the male predator to fade into the background without facing any actual punishment.

Next is the sheer misogyny and the author's blatant inability to write female characters. The way he sets up the revenge by the "Big Bad" against her mother feels incredibly tone-deaf. (Bafflingly, this ultimate villain never even gets a name. He must really hate her). In the very same story, Uketsu writes a male character who easily forgives his mother, while the daughter, who knows exactly how helpless her own mother was, resorts to ruthless revenge. It’s a shallow cliché that proves the author simply cannot fathom the complex bond between mothers and daughters. Back in Strange Pictures, he wrote a son who forgave his mother for murdering his wife. It feels as though, in his mind, women are just vicious creatures who are incapable of empathy or getting along.

Ultimately, the whole book is top-heavy and feels like it was written for grotesque shock value. The most tragic character, Yaeko, is given almost no inner monologue; her endless trauma is put on display purely as misery porn for readers to consume.

I really enjoyed the parts up to the reveal, and the meticulous diagrams are great. But the more I think about it, the more I realize the resolution reflects a deep-seated misogyny. An author is free to have favorite tropes, but I’m really tired of his “female victim turned evil” schtick, and the blatant use of child abuse, sexual assault, and disability for no reason other than shock value. I loved his earlier writing style, but if his next book relies on this same formula, I’m done.

[Kushagri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gonna learn Japanese so I don’t have to wait for Uketsu books. Oh my god, these are so good.

[sunny (jael’s version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

like the d*mbass i am, this book triggered me during certain parts. it’s definitely the darkest in my opinion.

thank you netgalley and harpervia for the ARC!

[Akankshya (catching up) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect eerie Japanese mystery book that creates an unsettling, intense mystery atmosphere with architectural diagrams. It'll have you jumping out of your skin at the walls of your own house. I couldn't stop reading well into the night. Probably my favorite one by Uketsu so far.

It does get a little repetitive at the end, but the puzzle resolves satisfyingly. It gets pretty dark in its deductions though, look up trigger warnings for this one. There are small spoilers for the first book in this series, so wait to pick this up if you want to read it too (I'd recommend skipping the first one). 4.5 stars, maybe some translation issues brought it down.

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Please keep translating Uketsu novels forever. Strange Houses was disappointing and yet I read the whole thing anyway. Strange Buildings is, thankfully, more like Strange Pictures where several different stories--with important illustrations, many involving the floor plans of buildings--eventually connect into one strange, larger story.

Ultimately that larger story is never going to be fully satisfying, that is not really the point. (Although it helps when it's not as ridiculous as the one in Strange Houses.) What Uketsu does so well is set this creepy atmosphere in those stories, everything feels ominous, disconcerting, weird. The stories seem so disconnected, it's unclear how they will come together. The last section goes very fast, but once it's done you are ready for another.

It's so hard to create this disconcerting feeling on the page, and Uketsu is 3 for 3. Ridiculously successful, I will always be ready for more.

[liv ʚɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

’As you sow, so shall you reap’

Strange Buildings is the second instalment in the Strange Houses series, although the two are only loosely connected via a few reoccurring characters. This time our author investigates the mystery behind eleven buildings, all connected via a strange cult.

Strange Buildings is absolutely my new favourite of Uketsu’s mysteries, even if it has its issues. I have seen many negative reviews of this book all with the exact same issue - it was too unrealistic. And this I completely understand, this story IS unrealistic to the extreme. Coincidences are incredibly frequent, and connections are made that no real human being should be making based on a few interviews.

But to me, personally, I couldn’t care less.

I just adore these books, in all of their insanely unrealistic glory. So what if this mystery is giving Agatha Christie on crack? I don’t care! This story was just so much fun, and I had a fantastic time reading it and seeing the connections slowly take shape. Uketsu has a brilliant way of making these stories so captivating that you quite literally cannot put them down, and Strange Buildings was no exception.

Overall, Strange Buildings gets 4/5 stars. I am very excited for the upcoming release of Strange Maps, and to continue reading these quirky little mysteries.

[Mirai · Rating 5 out of 5]

ยังจำความรู้สึกตอนอ่าน ‘บ้านวิกลคนประหลาด’ เล่มแรก (สนพ.bibli) ได้ดี สนุกมาก มีอะไรให้ตื่นเต้นและน่าติดตามตลอด ต่อมาก็มี ‘ภาพวาดปริศนากับการตามหาฆาตกร‘ (สนพ.prism) ตีพิมพ์ออกมา ทวีความสนุกเข้าไปอีก เลยปักธงขอเป็นแฟนหนังสือของคุณอุเก็ทสึนับตั้งแต่บัดนั้นมา 55555

พอมาถึงคราว ’บ้านวิกลคนประหลาด 2‘ เราก็ย่อมไม่พลาดอยู่แล้ว แม้เล่มสองจะหนากว่าเล่มแรกมากโข แต่ก็ยังคงความสนุกความน่าตื่นเต้นได้เหมือนเดิมเป๊ะๆ คือจะหนาก็หนาไปเถอะ ชั้นก็อ่านจบภายในวันเดียวอยู่ดี 55555555

สำหรับ ‘บ้านวิกลคนประหลาด 2’ ยังคงเป็นหนังสือที่ว่าด้วยเรื่องผังบ้านประหลาดเช่นเดิม แต่คราวนี้เป็นผังบ้านที่ซอยย่อยๆ ออกเป็น 11 ผัง และแต่ละผังก็มีเรื่องราวเป็นของตัวเอง คล้ายๆ กับได้อ่านเรื่องสั้น 11 เรื่องนั่นแหละ

แต่งานคุณอุเก็ทสึน่ะ จะมาแค่เล่าเรื่องผังบ้านประหลาด 11 ผังแค่นั้นคงไม่ใช่เนอะ คือคุณเค้าเล่นหย่อนเบาะแสและคำใบ้รายทางตามแต่ละผังละเรื่องเลยค่ะ พออ่านไปสักพัก เราจะเริ่มเห็นจุดเชื่อมโยงบางอย่างอันนำไปสู่ปริศนาฆาตกรรมหรือความจริงที่ซ่อนเร้นอยู่เบื้องหลังผังบ้าน รวมไปถึงการแง้มประตูสู่จิตใจอันต่ำตมของมนุษย์ผู้สรรสร้างผังบ้าน และเรื่องราวอัรนแสนเศร้าของผู้อาศัยในผังบ้านประหลาดนั้นด้วย

เรายังพบกับนักเขียนอิสระผู้เชี่ยวชาญเรื่องลี้ลับท่านเดิม เธอจะเป็นตัวละครหลักในการดำเนินเรื่องและสืบสวนหาเบาะแสต่างๆ จะเป็นครนชวนเรามานั่งอ่านเอกสารเกี่ยวกับผังบ้านทั้ง 11 แห่ง และพาเราไปพบกับตัวละครที่เกี่ยวข้องอีกมากมายจนสมองจดจำชื่อไม่หวาดไม่ไหว ก่อนจะปิดท้ายด้วยการนำข้อมูลและเบาะแสทุกสิ่งอย่างมาวิเคราะห์และตีแผ่ไปพร้อมๆ กับ ‘คุณคุริฮาระ‘ คู่หูสถาปนิกคนเดิมจากเล่มแรก

[ohna · Rating 2 out of 5]

uketsu thinks solving mysteries falls on the same difficulty level as finishing a children’s puzzle. it cant be that convenient smh

strange buildings was interesting until the eleventh and final case file then the narrator went to his friend and somehow this friend knew how to solve the mystery. it got boring pretty quick. besides maybe be this is a translation problem but the story lacks emotional depth specially when the author is tackling some really disturbing and horrible topics. and the ending was extremely unsatisfying i dont even know what to say. i still think strange pictures was the best one it made me guess and attempt at figuring out the mystery. nothing was spoon fed to the readers and it felt more horror-y.

[Chontiwat Udomsiripat · Rating 3 out of 5]

บ้านวิกลคนประหลาด 2 - ภาคต่อของซีรีส์บ้านวิกล โดยภาคนี้มีผังบ้านเพิ่มขึ้นมากถึง 11 หลัง และมีจุดเชื่อมโยงกันทั้งหมด จากที่อ่านภาคแรกมาก็รู้สึกว่ามันเวอร์พอสมควร หาความสมเหตุสมผลไม่ค่อยได้ หรือความสามารถของสถาปนิกอย่างคุริฮาระก็เก่งยิ่งกว่าโคนัน ตอนอ่านภาคแรกก็คิดซะว่าเป็นบันเทิงคดีก็แล้วกัน - พอมาภาค 2 ผมคิดว่าบรรยากาศคงจะเหมือนกับภาคแรกละมั้ง แต่ที่ไหนได้ ผิดคาดเเหะ สนุกกว่าเฉยเลย และการแสดงสมมติฐานของคุริฮาระก็ล่อไป 1/3 ของเล่มเลยทีเดียว

มันสนุกกว่าตรงที่มันมีความสมเหตุสมผลมากขึ้นระหว่างเหตุที่ต้องสร้างบ้านกับผลพวงที่ตามมา โดยเริ่มจากสังคมที่บิดเบี้ยว การเมืองที่ไม่มั่นคง เศรษฐกิจที่ไม่แน่นอน ส่งผลให้เกิดความสั่นคลอนภายในจิตใจของมนุษย์ เมื่อจิตใจของมนุษย์ไม่มั่นคงก็นำมาสู่การเข้ารีตหรือเข้าลัทธิประหลาดเพื่อเยียวยาหัวใจในวันที่ไม่สมหวัง การสร้างบ้านก็เหมือนกับการสร้างตามความเชื่อ ความเชื่อที่ไม่มั่นคงส่งผลให้แบบบ้านนั้นออกมาประหลาด พอบ้านประหลาดก็ส่งผลต่อจิตใจของผู้อยู่อาศัยให้วิกลไปด้วยเช่นกัน

อีกประเด็นเลยคือ "บ้านโคลนนิ่ง" ผมชอบประเด็นนี้มาก ทุกวันนี้หมู่บ้านจัดสรรมีเยอะมากในประเทศไทย ถ้าสมมติว่ามีบริษัททำบ้านออกแบบแปลนบ้านประหลาดแล้วนำไปใช้สัก 100 หลังล่ะ จะน่ากลัวขนาดไหน ประเด็นนี้เลยน่าสนใจ ในเรืองลัทธิประหลาดในสังคมไทยเรามีลัทธิมากมาย สะท้อนให้เห็นถึงความไม่มั่นคงทางการเมืองที่ส่งผลกระทบต่อจิตใจเช่นกัน ขณะที่บ้านไม่ได้ประหลาด แต่ก็อาจมีคนวิกลอยู่ในบ้านก็ได้

สุดท้ายนี้ ชอบการเล่นมุกนี้มาก "บ้านวิกลคนอุบาท" เออ ... ใช้ได้เหมือนกันนะ เป็นแบบ Japanese weird story

[a Cat a Box · Rating 5 out of 5]

ชอบเล่มนี้ ภาคนี้ มาก อ่านไปสามบทแรกก็ งง ว่าทำไมเป็นเรื่องสั้นคนละเรื่องกัน ที่ไหนได้ ทุกอย่างเชื่อมโยง ลงตัวลงล็อคไปหมด น่าประทับใจ ทุกอย่างจบตามสไตล์อุเก็ตสึ ขมขื่นรันทดใจ

[AG · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟✨/5

Uketsu's 'Strange Buildings' is his most expansive mystery novel yet, and just as addictive as his other two. I got this as a treat for myself after finishing my exams and predictably devoured it in a single sitting.

In the first half, the narrator introduces us to 11 files: interviews, excerpts from books and newspapers, and journal entries about horrifying events that, on the surface, don't seem connected in any way. All of them have some sort of building playing a role in whatever transpired. In the second half, the narrator and his friend analyze this collection of facts and somehow put the whole story together by drawing some satisfyingly shocking and some entirely too outlandish conclusions (more on that later). 

I enjoyed the first half more than the second. It's definitely weird that the characters suddenly jump to wild conclusions based on floor plans or someone's recollection of a hazy childhood memory of an event that took place years ago, but I admit there's a lot of creativity involved in crafting these stories. 'Strange Buildings' was especially fun because of the eleven events that were quite different from one another but intriguing in their own way. I hesitate to use the term 'interactive mystery' because it implies that the reader can put the story together upon closely examining the many threads involved, which is pretty much impossible here. However, the book has a lot of illustrations of floor plans which made it all the more fun and easy to visualize what was going on. These stories are from different timelines and feature structures built for various purposes that may just have something in common after all...

I have mixed feelings about the second half. On the one hand, I loved how everything came together in a (mostly) satisfying way. Uketsu did an amazing job at connecting the stories together. On the other hand, I wasn't the biggest fan of the way these conclusions were derived. Am I supposed to believe that the narrator's friend put together an elaborate narrative based on a collection of facts? Overall, I liked the story itself, but had mixed feelings about how it was presented. 

Uketsu's stories are wild rides and extremely fun if you have the right expectations in mind. For reasons I can't quite put into words, 'Strange Pictures' was genuinely creepy and scared the hell out of me. For that reason alone, it still remains my favourite of Uketsu's works. The best and the worst thing about his books is that you can finish them in a single sitting. This means that I'll have to wait for quite a long time for the next one, but I'm so glad there's another coming soon. Can't wait to read 'Strange Maps' whenever it comes out!

[✮ osanna aoki ✮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely obsessed with Uketsu.

Strange Buildings was quite literally one of my favorite shin honkaku stories read to date— and I widely adore the genre, it’s one of my specialties.

Not only was this book extremely puzzling and a lot of fun, but the mystery is pretty outrageous.

The idea of an outrageous, probably-not-realistic enigma may genuinely throw some readers off, but for me— the book was absolutely PERFECT.

My inner couch-detective spent a lot of time writing a vast amount of notes hoping to connect the dots completely on my own.

And I made it incredibly far in my deductions!

Of course, Uketsu presents some solid red herrings and a brilliantly disturbing conclusion that nobody will completely see ahead of them.

People may think Uketsu’s stories are far-fetched, but really, they’re exceedingly witty. Sitting down to conjure up a complex mystery that actually makes sense is not an easy feat.

Strange Buildings is a novel that takes the common locked-room mystery and uses eerie floor plans and a collection of documented files instead. It’s a book that will pull its reader into a crazy conundrum of architectural and deeply investigative detective work. The premise is unique— just admit it.

Every one of Uketsu’s books have gotten more complex and fleshed out as he continues to release them, and it’s impressive. This time around, there are eleven separate “strange building” files that eventually wind together to create the most unexpected and malicious conclusion.

Both the unnamed author— who I believe is a specific individual from a story in the first book, and the author’s overly-intellectual architect friend, Kurihara— come together for the second time to solve the most puzzling mystery.

Love them.

Did I already say that I ♡ Uketsu…

And genuinely— I adore the translator, Jim Rion. He’s become a true favorite. The flow of the book is smooth and its readability high.

Strange Buildings was easily a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star read for me and I’m so happy that Uketsu is bringing shin honkaku to the FRONT for the whole world to explore and read. Hopefully this prompts readers new to the genre to pick up some other works.

Absolutely yes to all of this.

[arlyn ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating: 3⭐️

don’t you hate it when your most anticipated read turns out to be the most disappointing one 😭😭 this tried so hard to replicate strange houses but it was ten times more convoluted and ten times less rewarding. all that build-up really didn’t lead to anything worth gasping over. should have just kept it short and sweet 🤷‍♀️

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eu nem sei o que dizer??? Tantas reviravoltas em cada documento. Eu achei alguns mais inquietantes que outros, mas foi bem divertido tentar juntar todas as informações para ver como eles eram conectados. Eu peguei a maior parte das pistas e consegui mapear a ordem as coisas, mas ainda assim fiquei super feliz quando a segunda metade do livro recapitulou tudo e revelou todos os segreos, tragédias e conexões. De novo, o livro abordou alguns temas bem bem pesados e não teve finais felizes para ninguém.

Uma leitura super envolvente!

[Julianna ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Omg I finally finished it I’ve never been more disappointed in my life

[꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ brandon sklenar’s baby (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last chapter gagged me! So fucking good!

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I love Uketsu’s books because they are always so entertaining and clever. With this novel, I enjoyed trying to figure out how each building was tied together. It felt like solving a puzzle and piece by piece I began to understand more of what was going on. By the midway point it becomes clear what the common thread is, but the motivation behind it doesn’t come into focus until later.

In usual Uketsu fashion, we get a few surprising and messed up reveals at the end. It concludes on quite a bleak note, but everything is answered by the time the story wraps up. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it’s definitely my least favorite of the three books I’ve read from him because the overarching story wasn’t quite as strong as the others.

[♡ retrovvitches ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was prob my fav of the series ngl, this was a great mystery about different houses that all somehow comes together in the end. it can get a bit confusing as you uncover more of the connections, but it’s genuinely entertaining and a fun read! also love the purple cover

[clumsyplankton · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favourites. I love this author and I’m excited for the next one

[Moon_child31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

[Alaina P · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars ⭐️ this is the best book this author has published! I hope to see more of their work in the future. This was crazy, appropriately dark, and the drawings in the book added so much depth 🫣
I HIGHLY recommend (obviously read Strange Houses and Strange Pictures first ‼️)

[Clarice · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars, no notes. Love everything this author writes. Please keep writing more of these ❤️

[tahaslibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

these people need psychological help. the men deserved way worse than they got. also, idk if this author knows how to write male or female characters with consistent depth. i'm sitting here for the third installment of this series featuring sex crimes with little to no critical analysis through the selected medium.

anyways, if you love twisty stories, abrupt endings and grappling with unresolved triggers then this is for you.

[3🌟 for now]