I’m new to Uketsu – the ambiguous YouTuber whose true identity is unknown, only photographed wearing a mask. The press release for Strange Buildings refers to the author as ‘he’, on which basis we can presumably rule out half the planet. Either way, Uketsu exploded onto the Japanese literary scene and, thereafter, around the world, his enigmatic presence of course ensuring an immediate following of millions.
Following the wildly successful novels Strange Pictures and Strange Houses, the final part of this trilogy is exactly what it says. Eleven strange buildings all connected – but how? And by what or whom? Ranging from a lonely hut in the woods to a hidden chamber or a mysterious shrine, each has a secret. All very creepy and a touch Tales From The Unexpected… but much darker.
Each story is told via a narrator, who navigates and pulls together each mystery to a very chilling end with a deduction revelation. Uketsu is an author that weaves a clever path for the reader to follow, process and challenge. An author with a dark psyche: thank the lord he chose to be an author and not a serial killer. In fact, he may be. We wouldn’t know.
