I was not expecting that kind of ending and intersecting of the stories!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the ALC and HarperVia for the DRC!

I started this reading the ebook copy and couldn't really get into the first story story as much (but loved the inclusion of the drawings). The audiobook reeled me in immediately and I found the story easier to follow along.

It definitely wasn't horror horror, but I liked the avenue the story went. It's truly terrifying the things people are capable of, how they change, and how easy it is for people to get away with murder. Also the analyzation of the child's drawing was so cool and made me want to look at drawings differently.

[ The fact that Iwata ended up passing away the same way his mentor did is crazy and surely added some darkness to the story. (hide spoiler)]

I believe there's a prequel/sequel or more in this realm by the author so I'm for sure on the lookout for more to read. Solid 4 stars.

ABOUT
A series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.
READ IT IF YOU LIKE-
Hidden Pictures
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Murder mysteries
- Quiet horror
- Conventions of found footage
- Internet age anxiety (creepypasta, urban myths)
- Visual imagery pivotal to story
- Multimedia aspect

BRIEF REVIEW
There were definitely moments I was very intrigued and I love anything with multimedia so that part was good but I feel the story too a hard to follow and far reaching turn towards the end but I loved the pictures.

BUY/BORROW/WAIT FOR PAPERBACK/SKIPBorrow or buy now on paperback. This would be a book I'd only for the sheer reason of wanting a copy of the drawings I became so fascinated with while reading.

I have never read anything quite like this. It was strange, suspenseful, and fantastic all at the same time. I appreciated that the drawings were clear enough in the audiobook that you didn't necessarily need them, but I was curious during the first one and wanted to solve the puzzle too, that I picked up a physical copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me listen to this one!

I loved every minute of this audiobook. It kept me so engaged throughout that I had to pause several times if anyone tried to talk to me. I felt like if I stopped listening even for a moment, I might miss something important. At first, I thought this was going to be a collection of short stories, because it changed perspectives so many times. But at the end, they all connected and were part of a bigger story and bigger picture. I must say the first story with the pregnancy and the sketches were creepy and I was enthralled by the story. The whole time listening to this book, felt like solving a puzzle. A really dark, creepy and mysterious one. It was really fun and engaging.

Many thanks to Uketsu and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this text.
I loved the pacing of this story: its speed balanced perfectly with the reflective tone, creating a text that was as atmospherically mysterious as it was compelling. I listened in one sitting, waiting for the full story to emerge in the connections between the vignettes. At the end I was impressed with the way everything drew together, but truthfully I would have enjoyed it quite a bit even if it was a short story collection with no connections between the stories.
Some of the detective elements could have been corny in another context, but there was something a little supernatural in the tone that kept my sense of disbelief at bay. I thoroughly enjoyed this book
I could see this being a good pick for the right book club, or a recommendation for someone looking for dark magical realism.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Uketsu did a fantastic job of arching the short stories throughout this book to tell a dark story of murder and betrayal. I would recommend this to my friends looking for a short but captivating read.

This was interesting and twisty but I was expecting it to be scary considering it was categorized as horror and my experience with Japanese horror is me being terrified. I would label this as more of a mystery but I enjoyed it.