I've literally finished this book and a bit speechless at how a book is able to generate so many emotions. It made me laugh, cry and feel fuzzy inside. I loved it and haven't really wiped the smile off my face when I think of it.
I wasn't sure if I liked the direction this book was going when I first met Wallace, the arrogant and unlikable main character. Was this going to be cheesy and predictable where he becomes "good" in the end?
As I read on, I was soon to find that the answer was no; at least I didn't think so.
Instead, I walked alongside Wallace through his journey after his death, where he meets Hugo (his ferryman to the afterlife), Mei (the Reaper), Nelson (a ghost) and Apollo (a ghost dog). Together, through a range of experiences, they learn, they bond and they grow.
This story has a handful of key characters from different walks of life who come together and belong together. By the end of the book, I was reflecting on many aspects of life and how I am living.
"What will you do with the time you have left?"

T.J Klune’s books know how to hit you in the feels. The House in the Cerulean Sea was my favorite book of 2020 and I was afraid to tackle his next book in case it couldn’t live up to my love for Cerulean but this comes awfully close. So much love, humor, found family, in-depth discussions about life and death and what it all means. My heart might burst. So so good!
Wallace Price was kind of a jerk when he was alive. A workaholic who takes everyone and everything around him for granted. One day he has a heart attack and drops dead on the spot. A Reaper comes to collect Wallace from his funeral and take him to the other side, or so Wallace thinks, but the Realer actually takes him to a small village in the mountains where a little tea shop exists and is run by Hugo, a ferryman who helps souls cross over. Wallace isn’t ready to give up the life he was barely living until Hugo shows him all the things he was missing. The Manager gives Wallace one week before he has to cross over, and Wallace sets out to live the life he didn’t before his time is up.
It was heartbreaking and heartwarming and everything in between. With lots of humor and depth and so much empathy and warmth that Klune is known for.
“it’s not about any one person. It’s about all of us , and what we do for one another. The door doesn’t discriminate. It’s there for everyone who is brave enduro look up at it. Some people lose their way, but that’s not their fault. They’re scared. My God, of course they are! How could they not be? Everyone loses their way at some point, and it’s not just because of their mistakes or decisions they make. It’s because they’re horribly, wonderfully human. And the one thing I’ve learned about being human is we can’t do this alone.”
Thanks to Tor books and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

This is the story of Wallace and his journey after his life ends. Wallace was not a good person while he was alive, so the main focus of his story is becoming a better person in the afterlife. The humorous nature of the writing draws you into his story immediately as we get his inner dialogue while he is trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to fire one of his employees in his law firm, which is one of his last acts before he dies. The rest of the story focuses on Wallace's journey after death and is filled with humor, humility, and opportunity for Wallace to become a better version of himself ultimately.

I enjoyed this character-driven story of the relationships Wallace builds in the afterlife, as well as the humor along the way. However, I was expecting more of a romantic storyline. Instead, it feels like the romance happens all of a sudden with no build up to it. I think I would have liked to have watched that relationship develop a bit more, and I would have liked to have watched Wallace have more opportunities to show how he might grow into a better person through the relationships he has with the people he encounters after death. I did really enjoy the ending though, and while I was hoping it would end how it did, I wasn't expecting it to.

I don't normally read fantasy books, but I'm glad I read this enjoyable story. I definitely would like to go back and read TJ Klune's earlier novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for the advanced copy of this novel!

Synopsis: Wallace is a lawyer, and he is a very serious lawyer. Think of a caricature of a lawyer, throw in an extra dash of bluntness, workaholism, and lack of empathy and you have a good picture of Wallace. He has no value for friends, he cares about expense over value, and he views life as a machine to produce wealth that should run as efficiently as possible. But very quickly his 53 year old heart wears out and he finds himself to be dead and on a journey to fully cross over to the other side.

The afterlife passageway is not at all to his liking, and he just doesn't understand it. He can’t do what he wants, he can’t go where he wants, he can’t wear what he wants, but somehow he also can’t bring himself to complete his journey. A cast of characters help him grow in an understanding of life and all its nuances - and he’s faced with the final inevitability of moving on.

This was a fun read, and while it dealt with the concept of death, grief, life, and love in a solid and fairly compelling story, something about it just didn’t quite hit me the way that I expected. The House in the Cerulean Sea was my first Klune read and there was such a narrative of acceptance, whereas this story felt more like a case for empathy. Personally, I’m not a big fan of stories where the main purpose is to convince the MC they should have empathy - granted that’s a very bare bones version of this story, but that’s how it hit me.

That being said, there was a whimsy and beauty in the way that Klune portrays a vision of the afterlife. While I have yet to lose someone close to me, I imagine I could find comfort in this version of events, and I imagine this hits so much different if you've lost someone close to you!

Ultimately a solid read that I have no regrets about reading, and I would say walk don't run to get your copy of this one!

Have you ever read a book you didn’t know you needed? Under the Whispering Door was that book for me. I lost my father 10 years ago and reading this book helped me to better understand my grief. The story of Wallace and his life after death was more than I had hoped and expected. The book is beautifully written with poignancy interspersed with humor. A must read for everyone!

“What will you do with the time you have left?”

Beautiful. Poignant. TJ Klune is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me. His writing is warm, funny, moving. The characters he brings to life are ones you can’t help but fall in love with. The way he writes about death, grief, and moving on is eloquent and will make you question how you are living your own life. Definitely be on a lookout for this one when it comes out in September. It’s not one to miss!

I just finished this book and my heart is about to explode! Tears! So many tears! I had a huge lump in my throat for the entire last half of this book! This book is about grief, and finding a family when you have no one. About learning to live and learning to let go. About understanding to accept things you don't want to. I loved it SO much! As good as The House in the Cerulean Sea! I may have discovered my new favorite author! Love TJ Klune!

First of all, I must express my eternal gratitude to NetGalley and Tor Books for allowing me to read one of my most anticipated books of the year early by granting me this ARC. I usually read multiple books at any given time, but when I was granted access to this title, I stopped reading everything else and lost myself in this story.

This book is absolute perfection! Reading this book at the end of the day was like wrapping myself up in a favorite blanket with a warm cup of tea (of course) beside me . Everything TJ Klune writes hits straight to the heart, and this story was definitely no different.

Wallace Price was not a good man by anyone’s definition. He was a cold hearted snake of a man. He was an attorney and he treated everyone in his life (personal and professional) like garbage. He did whatever it took to get ahead. When he dies suddenly from an unexpected heart attack, he is surprised to find himself a ghost at his own funeral. A funeral that only a few people are attending and none of them have anything good to say about him. There he meets Mei, a Reaper who will take him to meet The Ferryman. Hugo Freeman is that ferryman- helping the dead grow accustomed to their new state of being and helping them to cross over to whatever waits beyond our world when they are ready. Along with Mei, his ghost grandfather Nelson and ghost dog, Apollo, Hugo runs a tea shop that does a lot more than serve tea and baked goods. When Hugo and Wallace meet, Wallace is determined to return to the living and continue on as he was. Hugo explains how that is not possible and begins to help Wallace get ready to move on. Yet as the days go by, the two grow closer and learn more about one another, and fall in love.


I legitimately wept throughout most of this book. I’ve suffered a lot of loss in my life (some quite recently) so the themes of grief and love going hand in hand, knowing when to let go and when to hold on really got to me. Wallace’s character arc was done so well. It was gradual and I appreciated that it didn’t come to him instantly. I loved watching him realize that maybe he wasn't a very good person when he was living, and thus he strived to be better in death.

As much as I cried, I equally laughed OUT LOUD at this book. I honestly cannot remember the last book that had me roaring with laughter, my family giving me side eyes wondering if I had lost my mind. Nelson Freeman (Hugo’s ghost grandfather) was so funny in his interactions with Wallace, especially when teaching Wallace how to change clothes as a ghost (but I won’t go too far into that to avoid spoilers!) .

There are a lot of lessons taught with so much love and nothing but respect in Tj Klune's books, and this one is no exception. I love how Klune makes the reader think about things that are difficult or painful without coming off as condescending or having a holier-than-thou attitude. His ‘voice’ is just very human, very gentle as these themes are presented to us. Even the content warning (for suicide, death and grief) was the single most eloquent warning I have ever come across. The author knows he is holding our hearts in his hands and wants us to know it could hurt at times.

Just like The House in the Cerulean Sea, the cover of this book is breathtaking and tells the story without saying a word. There is nothing more I can say except READ THIS BOOK! You will not regret a single moment you spend with these characters and this author.

Under the Whispering Door
By TJ Klune
Pub Date: September 21, 2021

First and foremost, thank you times a million to NetGalley and Tor Books for gifting me the ARC of this book. I wished with all of my might to be granted early access to this book and my dream came true!

I can barely put into words...this book. I had super high expectations as The House in the Cerulean Sea has been a STANDOUT favorite of mine since I read it. This book did not disappoint.

I literally cried - in the Epilogue, it was almost to the point of random sobs! This book has a beauty that you don't expect in a book about death. This is a heavy book about life, death, acceptance, grief, and reflection. I cannot state enough that the trigger warning/content warning in the beginning pages of this book is so necessary, but also, so appreciated that it was even included. Death is a fickle subject - it's inevitable in life, and the subject in a book is a hard one to balance. There is no fantasizing death in this book, but rather, the notion that death is not the end-all be-all of existence. There is no religious heaven or hell, no denomination of belief here, and I think that is really hard to do when discussing death. Well done, TJ Klune.

This book was funny, unexpected, poignant, and wonderful. 5-stars from me.

I really loved TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea last year, so I was really excited about his upcoming novel Under the Whispering Door . With its beautiful cover design and interesting premise, I was ready for the tears! The story focuses on Wallace Price, a brutally insensitive attorney with a heart made of glass who ends up having a heart attack and becoming a ghost. Wallace is extremely apprehensive and resistant about the process, but is assigned a Reaper who will help him be able to cross over. His Reaper, Mei, enlists the help of the ferryman to help him cross. The ferryman, Hugo, takes Wallace and Mei to a small village and moves Wallace into a unique multi-story tea shop. At the tea shop, Wallace learns about meaningful lessons that he's ignored during his time in life. Once time begins to run out, Wallace tries to pack in the most life lessons before it's too late.

Under the Whispering Door is very different from what you would expect after reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, but it does have some teachable moments that you'd come to expect from TJ Klune's stories. I felt like the story in Under the Whispering Door was a bit slower and more predictable than I expected, but overall it's still a solid read. Break out the Kleenex, because this book will hit you hard. I definitely think this book has important themes that are sprinkled throughout the narrative (love, acceptance, life or death, friendship) and it definitely gets you thinking.

I was gifted this book from NetGalley to read and review before it's released. Let me start by saying... The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my all-time favorite books. Like Goodreads mentions, Under the Whispering Door is a "contemporary fantasy with TJ Klune's signature "quirk and charm" about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with."

Under the Whispering Door has similarly lovable side characters, and a grumpy main character, although it isn't as whimsical as Cerulean Sea. It deals with death in a way that not many books I've read have approached it. I enjoyed this read, but didn't find myself attached to the book, "couldn't put it down" like I was with Klune's other book. It follows a similar storyline, but I did feel it was lacking in the middle and on the character development. I will say this book did make me cry (because what book doesn't, honestly). I think I had massively high expectations because of how much I loved Cerulean Sea. If you're new to Klune's books, I think you'll enjoy this!

I would suggest looking up trigger warnings, and the book does have them listed in the front, which is incredible!

#UndertheWhisperingDoor #NetGalley

TJ Klune always writes amazing stories. Stories that make you feel deep down in your chest…the romance is never overbearing but always wrote in such a beautiful way.

Wallace Price is a thoroughly odious man, and when he drops dead of a heart attack, the only people who show up to his funeral are his ex-wife, who goes on a rant about how awful he was, and the partners at his law firm, who are there for form's sake only. Mei, a Reaper, takes Wallace in his ghost form to a lovely, quirky tea shop, where he is supposed to adjust to being dead and eventually enter the door to what lies beyond. The owner of the tea shop, Hugo, is a ferryman, there to help Wallace with his crossing. Hugo's grandfather and dog also live at the tea shop, but like Wallace, they are both ghosts. As Wallace learns to care about more than himself and actually become a decent human being, he's faced with the looming deadline of needing to open the door. This is an absolutely lovely, sad, uplifting book about grief and found family. My only quibble is that the romance between Wallace and Hugo needed more development; it felt like I was told rather than shown their feelings. I loved the story and all the characters. My thanks to NetGalley, T.J. Klune, and Macmillan-Tor/Forge Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Oh my heart. This book was everything I hoped it would be plus more. It is beautifully written and it’s one you will not want to put down. Under the Whispering Door is about life, death, grief, love, hope and healing. It’s an emotional story that will make you want to live life to the fullest.

I absolutely loved the characters! Each one of them brought something special to the story. Wallace started off being a selfish jerk who only cared about himself. Throughout the book you see him change his ways little by little. His character growth was incredible. Hugo was literally the sweetest. He was so kind and had a big heart. He put so much thought into everything that he did. There is no denying that he is the perfect person for the ferryman job. Then there was Mei, Nelson and Apollo…wow, they were fantastic! Mei and Nelson were protective, funny and ornery. Apollo was the happiest ghost dog in the world.

I had tears rolling down my face as I finished reading this book. I definitely think this story will stick with me for a long time. I’m excited to have a finished copy on my shelves. TJ Klune is such a gifted writer and I cannot wait to see what he writes next!

Like many people, I read and loved The House in the Cerulean Sea. It was a fantastic book and very much needed. I was excited to read this and I was also apprehensive because how could it be as lovely and magical?

But it was. And it might even be better.

It's profound and sweet and heartbreaking and very much necessary. I don't want to get into specifics because anything would possibly spoil something. This definitely needs to unfold at its own pace and in its own time but it is the best, most special journey.

Highly recommended.

Under the Whispering Door is the latest fantasy from TJ Klune, an author that I find has an unmatched talent for producing stories that feel like being wrapped in a gentle hug.

Whispering Door is about death, and I found it more of a slow burn that some of the other novels Klune has written. However, once I was hooked there was no going back. I'd recommend reading this book with a few tissues in reach (although there are so many laughs as well) since it will leave you a mess.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re reading this book in hopes of the wholesome content that was The House in the Cerulean Sea, then boy are you in for a shock. Under the Whispering Door is a story about grief, death, and what comes after. As dark as it seems, it’s set in a small tea shop run by a ferryman, someone who sees spirits to the other side. It’s cozy while being sad and it will 100% break your heart a hundred times over, but it’s worth it.

*thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book

I had high expectations for this book and it did not let me down. Similar in the style of The House In The Cerulean Sea which I thoroughly enjoyed but different enough to stand on its own. Wallace Price frustrated me for the first quarter but I loved watching his character grow and learn. As per usual for T.J. Klune, the characters and their relationships were what made this book shine. Personally, if the characters aren't well written and have good interpersonal relationships, I just don't love the book in the same way. Fortunately, this is one aspect that I feel T.J. Klune excels in, and so I was quickly attached and sucked into the story (Hugo, I love you and never change). Highly recommend this and looking forward to what T.J. Klune puts out next.

4.5 stars. Under the Whispering Door was a very pleasant surprise, you’ll laugh and you’ll cry! This was my 1st book by TJ Klune and I definitely will read more!

Wallace Price is a selfish workaholic disliked by everyone who knows him. When he suddenly finds that he is a ghost at his own funeral, his Reaper takes him on a journey to a quirky little tea shop to meet the Ferryman who will help him cross over - Hugo. Wallace quickly realizes the mistakes he made in life and uses his time as a ghost to really life and make some amends.

The book is full of amazing characters and is a really beautiful journey of finding yourself even in the most unlikely time or place. Combined with some really quirky and witty writing - definitely worth a read!

Thanks to TJ Klune, #NetGalley, and Tor Books for the e-ARC of #UnderTheWhisperingDoor in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ — It was obvious from the summary that this was going to be an emotional read, and I knew already that TJ Klune has a way of tugging at heartstrings even when you least expect it, but this book still managed to take me by surprise in just enough ways. I wouldn’t say that it was thrilling or deeply shocking, and I think that’s exactly as it should be. There was just enough going on to keep the plot from falling flat, while still being laced with comfort, humor, and the found family angle the Klune has famously done so well.

It took me a while to get my roots into this story, and at around the 25% mark I was growing worried that my expectations had been set too high, but once I started to really learn about the characters, their dynamics, and watch the growth of our main ‘hero’, Wallace, my enjoyment increased rapidly for the remainder of the book. Klune is as adept at tear-jerking as he is at making you laugh at the most unexpected moments, and though it would be easy for such moments of humor to cheapen or ruin the sentimental scenes, they’re done so well that it never feels that way, balanced just right.

As the front of the book thoughtfully warns, this story contains a lot of difficult subject matter and I’d advise asking a friend who’s read it or reading the inside cover (upon the book’s official release) before deciding whether or not to dive in. The book never felt to me as if it was being cruel for the sake of being cruel, but take care of yourself as a reader nonetheless ♥️

[Vague spoiler ahead!] As Casey McQuiston once said in the acknowledgments of their beautiful book One Last Stop, this book is an “unbury your gays” story, as quick to make you cry as it is to build a tale of optimism and second chances. It’s a trope-builder as well as a trope-breaker, so if you like found family, seemingly doomed romance, and long-overdue hope, I’d recommend giving this one a shot.