Uketsu is a sensation in Japan thanks to his successful YouTube channel, which he launched in 2018. Wearing a white mask and a black body stocking, no one knows what he looks like and he uses distortion to hide his true voice. Known for his creepy horror videos, Uketsu released his debut novel ‘Strange Pictures’ in 2022 in Japan and now it’s finally reaching our shores, thanks to a translation by Jim Rion.
‘Strange Pictures’ is as unusual as fans of Uketsu would expect. Sitting somewhere between Manga and a traditional novel, the book tells three stories based around a series of pictures. At first glance the pictures are fairly unremarkable but each story reveals the hidden secrets behind them. The first, ‘The Old Woman’s Prayer', unpicks troubling entries on a blog with a final post that teases that the author has solved the puzzle behind a series of drawings done by his late wife. In ‘The Smudged Room', a child draws a picture of his home that troubles his school teacher and his mother, and in the final story ‘The Art Teacher’s Final Drawing', a journalist tries to understand why a murdered man was found with a hand-drawn picture of the mountains he was camping on.
The style the book is written may well be an adjustment for many readers, but once you get to grips with it you’ll be pulled into the mystery. Many of the pages feature imagery and graphical elements, putting the reader into the shoes of a detective. As you read through each chapter, you pick up clues about what’s going on and by the end you understand the puzzle behind the picture. The three stories are seemingly unconnected but the further you progress through the book, the more it becomes apparent that there’s a link between them all.
Uketsu’s strength is that he understands how to build slow dread in a way that keeps you captivated. He expertly pulls the reader into his stories and he makes you think. A final chapter explains everything that has come before, and honestly, I was impressed by how everything linked together. The book operates on the basis that not everything is what it seems and that often the truth is hidden in plain sight. I felt satisfied when I worked parts of the book out and frustrated when a twist revealed something I hadn’t spotted that should have been blatantly obvious.
I can confidently say that I’ve never read anything like ‘Strange Pictures’ before. Uketsu has crafted a unique and engaging novel that will appeal to those armchair detectives out there. The brightly packaged book gives way to a deep and twisty mystery that requires you to put your brain into action and pay close attention. The style of the book might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you like mysteries, thrillers and horror then I heartily recommend you get yourself a copy and see what all the fuss is about.
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo Release date: 16th January 2025 Buy ‘Strange Pictures’ now
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