I requested this book because I ADORED TJ Klune's last offering, The House in the Cerulean Sea. I tried one of Klune's back titles, Wolfsong, and enjoyed it but didn't love it. Under the Whispering Door seemed in the same vein as The House in the Cerulean Sea. In a way, it is. Klune's writing style is engaging and fun. The beginning hooked me immediately, but it did not hold my attention. There are some funny moments in this book about death and dying. As is characteristic of Klune, the cast of characters inhabiting the Tea Shop where Wallace ends up after his untimely demise are full of wit and personality. But, somehow I didn't really connect with Wallace as a character. At the start, Wallace is a terrible person, and after his death, the book is about his journey towards becoming someone better. I didn't really feel that transformation. It felt like one moment he was terrible and the next he was a good person, but I had somehow missed the trip he took to get there. The other issue with the love interest, Hugo. Hugo is the ferryman at the Tea Shop tasked with helping Wallace and other dead people move to the other side. Klune does a great job with the fantasy element and the whole idea is painted with vivid detail. However, I also didn't connect with Hugo. The reader is told that the patrons of the tea shop love Hugo, and obviously Wallace quickly comes to love Hugo, but I felt that I didn't know anything about him and I really struggled to care about him one way or another. The result was that I didn't care much about the plot in general. For a book about a heavy topic- death and dying- it was slow-moving and lacked conflict. I think had I greatly enjoyed either Hugo or Wallace I would have been happy just spending time with them regardless of the amount of conflict. The blurb also makes it seem that there is more conflict than there is. The blurb indicates that the manager (some higher being in charge of all death-related activities) shows up in the middle of the book to create trouble for Wallace and Hugo. That doesn't really happen until the last 10% of the book and it felt misrepresented to me.

Review from my 13-year-old daughter:
"The House in the Cerulean Sea" was one of my favorite books of last year, so I had extremely high expectations for this one. Although I didn't love "Under the Whispering Door" quite as much, it was still beautiful and enjoyable.

This story follows Wallace Price, an emotionless and selfish lawyer who doesn't care about anyone but himself. When he unexpectedly passes away, he meets a Reaper who takes him to a tea shop, where he meets a ferryman who will help him move on to the afterlife. But soon he finds himself growing to love Hugo, Mei, and Nelson, the people/ghost who live in the tea shop, as well as Apollo, the ghost dog.

There were only a few issues I had with this book, and they were mostly in the beginning. The magic system didn't seem entirely fleshed out, and you just kind of had to go with it until things get explained later on (although other things just aren't ever explained). Also, although Hugo becomes more interesting later on, he seemed extremely boring in the beginning, which I found odd considering he was one of the most important characters as well as the love interest. But my biggest issue with this book, the one that caused me to give it only four stars instead of five, is the pacing. Although the pacing felt natural in the second half of the book, in the first half it felt off. I felt like it was just one long conversation after another, and nothing was happening in between. The difference in pacing between the two sections almost seemed like a change in tone. And my last issue isn't really a problem with the book, but more so with the summary. It makes you think that the Manager comes very early on and Wallace going through his final week of life is going to be the main plot, but we don't even meet the Manager until around 75%. I feel like that piece of information should not have been included in the summary, as it took away some of the surprise and the emotional impact.

But despite being rather bored in the first half, I loved the second half. I found Wallace to be an interesting main character and his character arc to be extremely well done. Mei was probably my personal favorite out of the characters, although I found them all to be realistic and life-like. Also, the writing and the story were similar to "The House in the Cerulean Sea," as it reminded me almost of a fairytale.

Overall, I extremely enjoyed this book and will continue to read whatever T.J. Klune writes.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. Okay focus. This was my first TJ Klune, and I am so happy it was. This story follows Wallace, who is, let's be honest, kind of a dick. He is unkind to his employees and basically everyone he meets. His ex-wife has nothing good to say about him, and he basically just works and sleeps. And then he dies. What follows next is the story of how he comes to grips with being dead, and learns to be a better person in the process. We meet Hugo, the ferryman, and Mei, the reaper. It takes Wallace a while to come to accept what has happened to him. As he does, he gets to know Hugo and the rest of the inhabitants of the Tea Shop, and realizes all the things that were missing from his life. I know that sounds cheesy and it TOTALLY is but in the most amazing way. I saw someone describe it as a “warm hug” and that is EXACTLY what it is.

There is so much else that is happening in this book I couldn’t even begin to describe the rest, but it is so much better if you go into it not knowing. If Klune’s other books are like this I AM SO EXCITED TO KEEP GOING! I loved the writing style, and it was all just amazing.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Under The Whispering Door by @tjklunebooks

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honoured guest. The third time you share tea, you become family"

When I reviewed it earlier this year, you never would have been able to convince me that I'd love another book quite as much as I did The House in the Cerulean Sea. Well TJ Klune, even without Chauncey in this one to steal my heart, you've done it again!

Under The Whispering Door is, quite simply, one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It's a very thought provoking, moving and intelligent look at life, death, grief, family and love. I couldn't put it down. Klune will have you laughing hysterically, while simultaneously crying happy tears and gut-wrenching ugly sobbing. It's all the feels at once, and it's perfect for it.

As always with Klunes books, the characters are the best part. They're all well conceived, rounded and individual, even the side characters add nothing but value to the plot. Wallace reminds me somewhat of Scrooge from Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a mean spirited but successful man who, upon his death, goes on a journey of self discovery to become a better person before moving on. Hugo is a tea shop owner and the Ferryman assigned to help Wallace come to terms with his life, his death and whatever comes next. Then there is my favourite, Nelson, Hugo's grandad, himself a ghost not quite ready to go through the whispering door. He is the mischievous spirit that brings the light relief to the story and the laughter into Wallaces life.

I'm a huge fan of a found family trope, and once again, Klune hits the spot precisely. Seeing the love blossom between Hugo and Wallace is lovely, but seeing Wallace slowing becoming a member of the Freeman family was absolutely beautiful.

This is a wonderfully heart warming, funny and original take on life, death and faith, a book that will leave you thinking about it for a long time to come. Keep doing what you're doing TJ Klune, the world is a nicer place thanks to your art..

A massive thank you to Net Galley and Tor for this advance copy of the book in exchange my my honest review.

All right, TJ Klune, you got me. Stayed up far too late last night finishing this and boy oh BOY, was it a doozy. I read and loved "The House in the Cerulean Sea", so I was supremely excited to find out I was auto-approved for this title.

Where "Cerulean Sea" has the over-arching theme of kindness and acceptance, "Whispering Door" is, at its core, about grief. It is still about kindness and acceptance, but...in a different way. I cried at "Cerulean Sea" but mostly because I was touched, and happy, and felt like I was getting a big ole hug. I SOBBED at "Whispering Door" because I felt like grief had punched me in the gut. It wasn't pretty (in fact, it was the snotty, chest pain, dog-had-to-check-on-me kinda crying.)

Thanks SO MUCH to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
The House in the Cerulean Sea was my number one favorite book of 2020. In many ways it got me through the craziest part of the lockdown. I LOVED it so much! I requested this as soon as I saw it on NetGalley but just now got it read.
OK. Here is the lowdown. It is NOT The House in the Cerulean Sea. It may take part in the same world (couldn't really tell) but it shares very little directly with this book. So. There is the thing I have against it. It is NOT The House in the Cerulean Sea.
That said, this book was beautiful. Technically it is about a man who is kind of an asshole lawyer who suddenly dies and goes to a waystation with a ferryman where he is supposed to come to terms with his death and pass over to the other side.
But really, this book is about . . . love. And how to live a life. And how to learn how to give, and what we gain when we do learn. And . . . about the healing properties of . . . tea. And how pure dogs are. And . . . so, so much more.
I can't tell you you will love this like Cerulean Sea. But I can tell you this book is very worth your time, and deserving of the five stars I am giving it.
Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

It took me a bit to get into this one but once I was in, I was hooked. Hooked, get it? You will when you read it! Klune once again gives readers the novel they didn't know they needed. A must read for everyone, be prepared to laugh and cry and love it.

Thank you to Netgalley, and to the publisher and author for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TJ Klune's writing has always fascinated me. He seems to jump between genres so easily, and each fits him like a glove, but the one thing that connects every book he writes, that I've read, is this sense of found family. It saturates every page.

Under the Whispering Door reminds me more of The House in the Cerulean Sea than any other book that TJ Klune has written (that I've read) in that the focus is on the softness of relationships and friendships, but it doesn't ignore the prickly parts. The plot is absolutely there, and it's fantastic, but the focus is on the characters and character growth. Both books are about humanity, and hope, and finding yourself, trusting others, making a home.

I lost my grandma about a month ago, and at first I wondered if it was a good time to pick up a book about death, but what I found more than anything else is that this book is more a celebration of life, of the connections we can make. Sometimes people make bad decisions, sometimes people aren't "nice" in the strictest sense of the word, and Under the Whispering Door explores themes of self improvement and the kindness of strangers, without fear.

It's really hard to review a book like this, because all I want to do is sit in a corner with it and cry a little bit when I think about it. Sometimes those tears are sad and sometimes they're happy, but reading this book was a cathartic experience for me in the aftermath of my grandmother's funeral and I think I read it at the exact right time.

AMAZING!! This book was above and beyond anything I was expecting. It was funny, heartfelt and extremely entertaining. I loved all the characters in the book and found the story to be highly enjoyable. TJ Klune has a remarkable way of writing which makes me feel like I"m watching a movie instead of reading a book. This is one of those rare books where I'm sad I won't be able to read it for the first time ever again. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for allowing me to read this story in exchange for an honest review.

Just call me the the Grinch because I swear my heart grew a size with every chapter. This is honestly one of the most wholesome books I have read in a very long time.

It reminded me a lot of ‘A Monster Calls,’ as this is also a whimsical story that so gently and lovingly explores grief and how to cope with loss. But in the same vein as ‘The Midnight Library’ and ‘The Five People You Meet in Heaven,’ this also insightfully shows what it means to live a good life, who to live it for, and how it is never too late to make it mean something.

This is my first book by TJK, but it will not be my last. Only a special author can create a story that radiates so much heart and warmth.

TJ Klune writes the most charming books. This one had me laughing and crying, sometimes simultaneously. I adored it and recommend it to everyone I meet.

Wallace was hard working. Wallace was precise. Wallace was correct. Worst of all, Wallace was an attorney. Being dead did not fit into his schedule.

Instead of finishing up his tidy work at the practice one Saturday afternoon, Wallace finds himself in a little tea shop in the woods where a cheeky woman who calls herself a reaper, a calm and empathetic young man, a very enthusiastic dog and a tenacious old ghost dwell. Together, they struggle to understand death and loss and what it means to have time.

Like most books by TJ Klune, this one is not terribly exciting, but it's somehow incredibly compelling all the same. The characters are carefully woven from threads of diverse backgrounds, unique history, unexpected health and mental health conditions and believable opinions. Add in the twist of what it might be like to die and find the way to the hereafter along with a touch of hipster culture and a dash of adorable gay romance, and you get a book that's difficult to put down. There are definitely some thought-provoking scenes and a few places that are bound to make anyone cry, but overall, this is a cozy reflection on what makes a person human and what it means to really live. It's certainly one of the first things I'd turn to on a rainy Saturday afternoon, but it's not something I'll be able to stop thinking about anytime soon.

Wallace wasn’t expecting to die. He still had so much work to do at the office. Lo and behold, that wasn’t a priority for anyone but Wallace. When he comes to, at his funeral, he’s flabbergasted to realize that no one in his life liked him. When he is brought to Hugo, a ferryman, Wallace must figure out if he’s ready to go to the afterlife as he is or if he can change for the better.
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune is poignant, moving and absorbing. Klune is a master at characterization. He managed to make you hate Wallace immediately only to completely fall in love with him a short while later. Every character is so well rounded and delightful, even the cranky ones. Wallace and Hugo were so surprised by the relationship they were forming, it made me root for them. I loved this book so much.

This book was amazing! It is a wonderfully entertaining and heartwarming story with a delightful alternative take on reaper mythology and a beautiful exploration of the stages of grief and the age old question of the meaning of life. There were time when this story was hilariously funny, beautifully heartwarming and gut wrenchingly tragic. Like House on the Cerulean Sea, this book sat with me for hours after I finished reading it. It was simply beautiful.

Just as with “The House in the Cerulean Sea,” Kline takes the reader on a gentle excursion through, what in other hands would be a horror story, a story of growth and awakening. His beautiful prose makes me yearn to travel to the tea shop in the mountains to discover my tea, and join in joy that can be found there. Thank you Mr. Klune for sharing this story with us! I am looking forward to more from you!

Well, T. J. Klune does it again and fills me with squishy, warm and fuzzy feelings. I don’t know how he manages to create such adorable characters, original storyline that combines reality and fantasy; he knows how to lift your spirit.
Having recently read The House On the Cerulean Sea, I had to read this as soon as possible. It was worth my 3-day readathon, I lived on basic needs only just to find time to finish this. It’s impossible to put it down once you start it, the story flows beautifully with Klune’s lovable protagonists, fun, whip-smart dialogs. Only this time he creates a bittersweet purgatory and make you question your own mortality and how you spent your limited time. Death is a difficult concept to write about and he creates a fantastic story with death in the center with such level of imagination that makes you wish it were real.
Wallace Price is a successful lawyer with little personal life until he dies and in his death, he discovers life and what is meant to be alive. Imagine the irony here. As he adapts himself to the fact that he’s actually ghost, his reaper (a paid worker of The Manager?!) takes him to a teashop at the end of the line, where all souls gather before they ascend. He has to complete his adjustment and prepare for his afterlife at this in-between shop, where Hugo, the owner and ferryman, help them with their transition. As days pass by, Wallace tries his best to accept the circumstance while falling desperately in love with Hugo and his new dead-life in the teashop.
If you enjoy fantasy fiction and loved the House On The Cerulean Sea, you must definitely read this new fast-paced novel of Klune. The ending fell a little short of my expectations, but I loved it anyway. It’s never possible to make everyone happy especially if you’re creating a universe so vast that drives reader’s imagination to the roof. Definitely recommended!

Reflections: do you ever wonder how someone so miserable can live with himself?

Wallace is an obnoxious character whom you love to despise. How can anyone live to be SO mean? As it turns out, Wallace doesn’t live that way, and he dies.
Grab a cup of your favorite tea. Pause to wonder where the tea leaves came from, then read on about Wallace.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and her five stages of grief are mentioned. Wallace says “I can’t grieve for myself.” He is told, “Of course you can......Everyone is a little bit sad all the time.” You won’t be sad reading this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for introducing me to author TJ Klune.

I also recommend you look for The Ferryman Institute by Colin Gigl https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1766185287

I debated for a good while about whether to give T.J. Klune's Under the Whispering Door three stars or four. The first two-thirds of the book dragged (at least for me), and if I'd stopped there, I would certainly have given it three stars. But the last third picks up the pace, giving readers "all the feels" and leaving them surrounded by tear-soaked tissues (the good kind). Even with my doubts, I couldn't NOT care about the characters by the end of the book.

I think my biggest complaint about the book is the glacial pace at which the key romance it's built around proceeds.

Semi-Spoiler Alert: I'm not going to reveal any special moments in the plot that aren't included in summaries and promos for this book, but if you're worried about weighting your reading experience before it begins, you might want to stop here.

So, my biggest complaint: the glacially paced romance. We have one character who's gay, knows he is gay, and is comfortable with his sexuality. We have another character who's bi, knows he's bi, and is less comfortable with his sexuality than the first character, but finding himself attracted to a man isn't a surprise and doesn't really affect his reflections on his own life any more than attraction to a woman would. It's like they're signalling "internalized homophobia!" when, in fact, that isn't actually an issue.

As I said above, the last third will have you weeping a copious mix of tears, happy and sad. My advice, let yourself move quickly through the first two-thirds. You'll get the gist of things. Then settle into "savor mode" when you hit the final third.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[I will also be posting this review on Edelweiss and LibraryThing.]

This was my most anticipated read for the year and it has absolutely met all of my expectations. Almost immediately, our main character, Wallace, has died and is picked up at his own funeral where he is uselessly heckling the mourners for not doing a good enough job mourning him. I was hooked from there. There is a combination of reapers and ferrymen who help the recently deceased prepare for what comes next. There is a tea shop called Charon's Crossing, run by ferryman Hugo who provides a place for both the living and the dead to come and exist without the distraction for whatever time they need.

The big question that came with this book was whether or not you think you can change once you've died. Wallace isn't supposed to be able to change for the better. He's just supposed to find a place to accept his circumstances and move on. I love his journey and the realization of what a jerk he was in life and the struggle of what he can do with that knowledge now that he's dead.

As Hugo the ferryman says several times, everyone in this book contains multitudes. It is at times funny and at other times devastating. I was honestly unsure of what the outcome would be, and I was prepared for whatever ending T.J. Klune decided to give this book because I felt that it would be chosen with care and I loved every moment of it.

I requested this title without even reading the synopsis - not generally a good idea - because it's the author of House in the Cerulean Sea. When I actually stopped to read the summary, I got a little worried. It didn't seem like my kind of book. Thankfully, I was wrong.
Wallace Price is dead. And also an asshole. Our brief meeting with him before his death makes that very clear.
But upon dying, he is led to away by a Reaper named Mei, and sheltered in the house of a Ferryman, Hugo. Their job is to help him cope with his death until he is ready to cross over into whatever is next.
During his stay, Wallace starts to realize awful his living self was, and he starts to mellow out. Growing fond of his keepers, he starts to ignore the temporary aspect of his stay with them.
Eventually he is given a deadline to move on, and makes some drastic decisions in his last days.

I feel like the official summary, and even my own above, really don't do the book justice. Though Wallace's development is slow (it takes like 40% of the book) so much more is going on that the summary lets on.
It took a little while for me to be invested in this book, but I definitely recommend it. Klune walks a delicate line with this story, switching back and forth between characters contemplating death and moments of loveable slapstick comedy. It was somehow masterfully done.
Absolutely read this book.
~I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.~