I'm so so so SO sad that this was a DNF especially since I adored The House in the Cerulean Sea so much. I was around the halfway mark but I found I was zoning out so much of the time. It was boring me so much. I'm glad so many people loved this so much.

Under the Whispering Door is a breath of fresh air and wonderful, thoughtful read. Wallace, a partner in a law firm, was a very Scrooge-like man during his life. He cared little about anyone other than himself and liked things to be exactly his way.

When he finds himself at his own funeral, he is angry and doesn’t believe he has died. Through a journey with the Reaper and Ferryman, Wallace finds himself and his purpose in the afterlife.

The small cast of characters in this book are wonderfully developed, diverse, and loveable. Set in a small tea shop, the Ferryman Hugo helps Wallace, and other dead souls, to find peace and make their way up through the door.

This book provided perspectives on love, death, kindness, humanity, and the afterlife that will change how I see things in my life.

Thank you to Net Galley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel and thank you to TJ Klune for writing such an inclusive and lovely story where LGBTQ+ relationships exist without being the sole focus.

Give you readers death. But let's make it wholesome and humorous. I am literally(okay not literally I'm not that flexible) kicking myself for waiting so long to jump on the TJ Klune wagon. His writing is beautiful and has so much heart behind it. Now, I'm going to be pretty disappointed if this doesn't happen to me when I die.

I’ve been putting off this review because I am very conflicted with this author. On one hand, they have such uplifting and beautiful books that I adored (such as this one). However, the authors controversy around the first book has made it difficult for me to want to praise this book. A user named Kas wrote a fantastic review on goodreads for this if you want to learn more. That being said I do believe authors, or anyone, should receive feedback, have the chance to action it and change. So I am not “canceling” this author, just urging people to be aware as it spreads awareness. No hate intended, there was no malicious intent from the author them-self, and I believe they have learned from this.

That aside, this book took on the same whimsical properties of the first one but, to me, with a more somber tone. It felt a bit heavier due to the subject matter (which is ironic due to what his first book is based on). But I personally really enjoyed it. He took a tough topic and made it magical and I was able to walk with the characters on their mental journeys through mourning and sadness.

Overall, while I am conflicted with the author, this book was a comforting and enjoyable read. It made me laugh, (almost) cry, and just felt like a nice hug.

‘Above the fireplace, a clock, but it appeared to be broken. The second hand was twitching, but never advanced. A high-backed chair sat in front of the fireplace, a heavy blanket hanging off the armrest. It looked . . . welcoming.’

‘Time . . . slips a little in here. Sometimes it crawls to a halt, and then it skips and jumps.’

As I write these words, I’m eighty percent of the way through this book with tears in my eye—My Heart!

And…by stories end…Yes, yes I am still crying *moves facial-leakage-tissue-mountain to nearest waste receptacle whilst calculating how soon I will be able to buy a hardback copy…Not Soon Enough!*

I have never cried so much when reading a book as I did while reading UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR – by TJ Klune. I laughed, I cried—it's such a beautifully written novel, one that the I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Thank You, NetGalley and Tor-Forge (Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.), for providing me with an e-ARC of UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR at the request of an honest review.

THis book was so unexpected to me! I was really not interested in it for the first 50%, and I didn't like any of the characters...but then they all crept up on me. I loved the worldbuilding and how everything was created. The relationships were so intricately built and the MC just suddenly had the growth and realized he was a better person, kind of around the same time I did. I loved this.

Oh TJ Klune, be still my heart. Where has this brilliant man been hiding? I'm so glad he was pulled from the depths of anonymity. Beautiful book. Had me in tears but i wasn't mad about it.

This book broke me! I cried and cried and smiled and cried some more.

I wasn’t sure whether this was for me in the first couple of chapters, as I felt I had recently reached my quota of ‘irredeemable, oblivious arsehole redeemed’ stories, but I gladly confess that I was wrong. My life would be infinitely poorer, sadder and less beautiful had I not read this love story (between two men, a girl, an old man, a dog, and the act of living).

Honestly, I cannot rave about this book enough!

The story is touching, funny and heartbreaking, and the death-lore feels RIGHT in a way that I only ever felt before with Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, with his Death and the desert.

This is a must-read for me, and TJ Klune has jumped straight onto my list of favourite authors with this book.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

I had high expectations for his book after reading ‘The house in the cerulean sea’ and wow I was not disappointed! TJ Klune has very quickly become one of my favourite authors. I cannot recommend his books enough!!

Overall

This review is extremely overdue, but like all good things, it’s worth the wait. I knew from the moment it was announced that I was going to pick up Under the Whispering Door. Ever since I discovered T.J. Klune’s work last year, I have systematically been working my way through reading everything he’s ever written. Which, of course, includes his new releases. So obviously I was going to pick up Under the Whispering Door as soon as I could!

Under the Whispering Door is a queer rom-com between two cinnamon roll men, where death is really only the beginning and everyone deserves a second chance. It’s heartwarming, mired in feels, full of laughs, and has an irresistible cast.

While I didn’t love this book as much as some of Klune’s other works, it’s yet another example of why he’s a freaking fantastic author, and I wasn’t disappointed. My biggest qualm was really just with how quick Wallace’s character growth occurred. A little too quickly, and every time he talked about what he used to be like, I was reminded how unrealistic it was. To be fair, though, this is a relatively small nitpick about a book that I very much enjoyed.

My Thoughts

- Meet Wallace Phineas Price, who was a remarkable businessman but a wholly unremarkable person in life. But in death? Well, that’s another story. Wallace is an entirely unlikable character. There, I said it. Intentionally so, of course, but the point still stands. He’s the sort of person that literally no one will miss when they die. And, in fact, no one does. That’s just how awful he is.

That’s just how the story begins, though. This wouldn’t be a Klune book if it was left at that. Because as far as Wallace is concerned, death is really only the beginning. While it’s exceedingly clear to the reader from the very beginning that Wallace is a garbage person, it comes as a bit of a surprise to him. I guess no one really wants to think that they’re truly awful, do they?

Despite starting as an unlikable protagonist, that isn’t always the case. Throughout the book, I warmed up to Wallace and his plight. I mean, even from the beginning, I appreciated his sarcasm and his no-nonsense attitude. He just needed to dial it back a little. He was at about a 29 and he needed to be around a 7.49.

- Klune crafts a compelling take on the afterlife, where souls are given one last chance to ready themselves before moving on. I absolutely love this world. Honestly, I hope this is true, because what could be better than one last perfect cup of tea and good company before passing on into the afterlife? Sounds perfect. Well, not to Wallace, but as we’ve already established, what even does he know, hmm?

There’s a whole complex system to the afterlife, and there are rules. Can’t have souls running around all willy-nilly, can we? It’s not important for everyone at each step in the process to understand the rules, but needless to say, they exist for a reason.

I actually don’t want to say too much about this, because the reader discovers what happens in the afterlife along with Wallace, and there’s a sort of beautiful symmetry to that. So go in without expectations and prepare for a fun journey.

- The romance in this book is too. stinking. sweet. I know I’m not normally one for romance, but it’s impossible not to fall for both Wallace and Hugo. And also Wallace and Hugo. One thing I’ve found out is that I absolutely cannot resist the way Klune writes romance. It’s so warm and wholesome and full of banter. Honestly, in this day and age, is there anything better? It’s like sipping hot cocoa under a warm blanket in the dead of winter. Who could possibly say no to that?

Wallace and Hugo themselves couldn’t be more different on the surface. Then again, they do say opposites attract, right? I’m just not so sure that they’re truly opposites, when you get right down to it. Even better, they’re technically an interracial couple (though, that seems less important somehow when one of them is dead because there are more important considerations here?!), which is something that I don’t see often when it comes to fantasy romance. That’s not the focus of the relationship (and isn’t even brought up in the book), but it was nice to see an interracial queer couple that was allowed to just exist in these pages without needing to be quantified in some way.

And the banter! Oh my gosh, if you’re into absolutely hopeless, easily embarrassed cinnamon rolls throwing around banter and accidentally flirting, this relationship dynamic is for you. I need all of my fantasy romance to be like this, please.

- This cast of characters is *chef’s kiss*. I love every single one of them. Let it never be said that Klune can’t write characters, because he freaking can. Ones that worm their way into your heart like a bad parasite and refuse to let go. It might hurt, but only a little. Probably. Mostly in a good way.

Mei is my favorite, because of course she is. She’s fiercely loyal, mouthy, and quick to stab things. What’s not to love about her?! There’s definitely more to her than there first appears, but even what you see on the surface is pretty great.

Nelson is the cranky old Black guy who died and refuses to move on. In other words, he’s the character who says what everyone is thinking . . . unabashedly and unashamedly. And of course I love him. Because he’s honest, even when the truth hurts. But he also cares (though he would vehemently deny that if ever pressed).

- Klune touches on a lot of deep, philosophical questions like the consequences of our choices, second chances, and our place in the universe. This book does a lot. It’s funny and romantic and adorable, but it also asks some big, important questions. Wallace realizes he messed up his life and he’s lost any chance he had to do . . . well, anything. Death has that effect on people. So what do you do, at the end of your life, when all you have left is regrets?

Even the afterlife isn’t as simple and straightforward as it appears. Hugo has a pretty tough job of his own, trying to help souls move on (wherever “on” is). But there’s not exactly a handbook to what he does (though there is a rather extensive rulebook, as it turns out). Hugo is plagued by a lot of normal emotions, though, like insecurity about whether he’s doing the right thing and regret for things that didn’t go the way he had hoped.

In short, if you thought the afterlife was going to be easy and straightforward, think again. There are a lot of moments that will really make you stop and think in this book.

This book is about death and what follows afterwards.

I really like most TJ Klune books, but something felt a little disingenuous with this one. I don't know if it was the stark character contrast between the main two characters, or the quirky/spunky sidekick. Something about it just felt a little too fake for me.

I will say, I did cry at the end when the grandfather passed over and when one of our main characters attempted as well. It was a bittersweet moment, even for these characters that I wasn't really connecting with.

Either way, I will continue to read TJ Klune books because we need more happy ending LGBTQ books :)

I fully understand what the book is going for regarding the message of redemption, grief and how death might not be the end. But the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The book veers from saccharine sweet to slapstick comedy to dull workplace politics that really did not mesh well. The characters don't feel fully real and they're just there to help the main character (and even then, I thought they all did a terrible job). The repetitive conversations feel like platitudes that could come straight out of a self-help book and didn't illuminate much. I actually thought the best moment we got was with a side character whose life we get to see. We didn't even get that much for the main character!

I was interested in the idea of a mystical being overseeing souls, but I didn't like that it's all set up like an office. The Manager decides things with no explanations, and the others are happy to go along with it? It just didn't make sense. I also thought the romance was unnecessary and the ending, while feels good, did not feel earned. Overall, that's how I feel about the book - that a lot of the character decisions or plot turns did not feel earned. This book might work for others but unfortunately, it's just not the right fit for me.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, not expecting much or having read anything by TJ Klune before. I wasn't completely satisfied with ending and how it kind of went against Klune's whole message about grief and acceptance, and Wallace's character transformation wasn't exactly believable. However, my enjoyment of the book outweighed that with loveable characters, tear-jerking scenes and a mostly quiet but heart-warming story.

What an absolutely beautiful book! I went into this completely blind. I didn't read a single review beforehand and I suggest going at it the same way. Don't spoil any of the beauty or intrigue ahead of time if you can help it.

The characters are so loving and warm, I fell right into them.

Klune's first book was widely described as "a big gay hug." This book is more of the same, but with a comforting pat on the back to help you cope with any and all grief you have ever or will ever deal with.

The characters are both relatable and loveable. The character development over the course of the book feels realistic, despite the fantasy world the characters are living in.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone dealing with grief, grappling with their own identities, or who just wants a good cry while they read a fantasy book.

TJ Klune is so so good. I was skeptical of the premise of the book, but it's so well written. The characters are so lovable. Klune is an automatic buy for me now.

DNF @ 30%

Well, I gave it my all. I don't know if it was the book itself or the point in time at which I was reading it, but it was not doing it for me. I read a third of the book and nothing had happened! Like, Wallace died and went to the tea shop and they talked a bunch. And that's all in the jacket summary! So I'm not actually sure what this book is supposed to be about.
I would have forgiven its slow pace if the writing had been super gorgeous, but as it was I found it very saccharine and cliché - the characters just felt like tired stereotypes and for a book about death/dying, it was very Not Poignant.

This book was so heartwarming. I loved all of the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This book has good messages of acceptance. grief , kindness and love. I thought this was just a hug in a book and I was smiling (sometimes tearing up) the whole time I was reading it. Would recommend to anyone.

This was my first book by T.J. Klune, and I enjoyed it. I felt like the pace was a little slow, but besides that, I have no complaints. The book explores some complicated topics, like life and death, and being terrified of both, but overall stays mostly focused on more of a mystical fantasy feel.

-Found Family: Wallace is a corporate asshole when he dies and alone. Along the way of the story, everything Wallace thought he knew changes. It's a great story of self-discovery.

-LQBTQ+:This book has some deep romance that I loved. It was wholesome, faded to black romantic scenes.

I can't wait to read more books by T.J. Klune!

After reading House in the Cerulean Sea, one of my absolute favorite books, I knew that picking up Under the Whispering Door would be a similar experience. I don't know how Klune does it... I don't know how he creates the memorable characters and situations, the vivid setting, the feeling of reality being suspended and being fully immersed into a novel. I'm not sure there was anything I particularly didn't like about this novel. Similarly to HITCS, I felt connected to all the characters and was completely invested in every one of their stories. Particularly that of Wallace. He's not someone you really want to succeed in anything because he's just an awful person, but Klune has a way of making the unlikable... likable. I highly recommend reading this book to all, but especially those who like semi-fantasy worlds, laughing out loud, and getting teary eyed because this book did all of the above for me!