I got an ARC of this book.

I wanted to like this book, but Klune has ruined my view of him which is drastically impacting my ability to like his books. I found out that Klune took the pain of Indigenous people and made a profit. What the actual fuck. seriously?

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2020/03/17/the-big-idea-tj-klune/

This book in particular is a lot like the book that ruined Klune for me so I couldn't put any distance and pretend I didn't know for a few hours. Add in that this book was so slow and boring and I just didn't like it in any way shape or form.

TJ Klune’s “Under the Whispering Door” is a beautiful and fantastical story of life, death, love and loss. I loved the imaginative way Klune told this story and the fantastical elements woven throughout.

If you loved House on the Cerulean Sea, this is for you. Klune will not disappoint (and it’s worth noting that the audiobook is also really well done)

I love T.J. Klune's writing style. He builds wondrous, fantastical settings for his stories, but they still feel cozy and heartening.

I felt that way while reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, and Under the Whispering Door also follows this pattern. This story reflects on life and death with empathy and humor.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book, and I loved the ending, but the middle felt too slow for me. I found myself skimming portions of the story often.

Read this if you liked The Midnight Library.

I'm a sucker for a reaper romance, but with the reaped? It was actually a pretty GOOD time. If you enjoyed the character writing, setting or the feelings that The House in the Cerulean Sea gave you, then you should probably be checking this one out too.

While this is touching (and downright heartbreaking), I just didn't connect with Wallace and Hugo and their story like I did with the gang in Cerulean Sea - but that might be my fault for setting such high expectations? Don't get me wrong, this is like a gut punch in the feels (in a heartwarming and life affirming way), but I think it being so soaked in death might have made it a bit too dark for my taste. I will continue to read whatever Mr. Klune puts out and did enjoy this engrossing and imaginative tale, but it honestly left me more contemplative and a tad bit depressed than uplifted and joyous. Take of that what you will...

4 out of 5 wine glasses.

(PS - the audiobook is PHENOMENAL though. The voice actor is uber talented.)

Under the Whispering Door- T.J. Klune

This book was just 🥺
Under the Whispering Door deals heavily with death, grief, and suicide. While this book is definitely heavier and sadder than The House in the Cerulean Sea, it also really reminded me of it. The way I fell in love with the characters and the setting was similar to THITCS. It was such a lovely and heartwarming story, and probably my favourite from TJ Klune so far!

I love that Wallace is a grumpy mean character that you don’t really like at first. He gets to evaluate his life after his death and he finds out he wasn’t a good person. (This reminds me of my favourite show, the good place.😂) This book takes place in a tea shop, which I loved. There’s a ghost dog named Apollo. Watching Wallace develop his relationships with the other characters, Mei, Nelson and Hugo (especially Hugo), was so lovely.

I really loved this book, the ending was unexpected but I’m so happy with the way the story went!

I loved TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea. I recently binged the Green Creek novels, and while I mostly enjoyed them, they were much darker and more intense than I've really been in the mood for lately. So when Under the Whispering Door came up on NetGalley, and the description and cover seemed a more likely match for The House in the Cerulean Sea, I jumped at the chance to grab it. (Thanks to NetGalley for this free book, in exchange for an honest review.)

Under the Whispering Door did ultimately feel like a more grown-up version of The House in the Cerulean Sea. Where the latter explored issues of prejudice and social justice, Klune's new novel was a very personal story of learning how to become a better person and to confront the realities of death. Like The House in the Cerulean Sea, it features a lovable band of misfits in a world that feels relatively ordinary but with fantastical elements. It even has the grumpy/sunshine dynamic of the earlier book, although it didn't feel at all like a retread of Linus and Arthur's relationship. The writing also felt more pitched to an adult audience; The House in the Cerulean Sea unfolds a little like a fable, while Under the Whispering Door had a more straightforward style.

I realize I'm spending a lot of time here comparing two books, but I do think it's worth noting the parallels and differences, especially since I suspect that, like me, folks who loved The House in the Cerulean Sea will enjoy this one enormously. I struggled initially, as Wallace begins as such an unappealing person, and Mei a bit of a cipher, and the first three chapters focus pretty much exclusively on them. Once Hugo and the rest of the household entered the mix, though, things picked up. Under the Whispering Door is an intense story, beautifully blending humor and grief and love. It's also meditative, so I didn't burn through it, but rather managed to savor the reading experience. I admit, I also sobbed through the last several chapters, so be prepared.

Highly recommended.

Under the Whispering Door was a peaceful ride into the great beyond. It is filled with some fantastic surprises and great twists on Western mythologies. This is a story that captivated my attention and made me feel Zen, maybe even at one with the universe.

What happens to us when we die? Where do we go? Who do we get to spend eternity with? These are the questions that Klune uses to look at what is really important in life. After all, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

When I finally dug into Under the Whispering Door (it had been sitting on my Kindle for quite some time), I was introduced to Wallace Price, and I thought, someone get me a two by four so that I could knock some common sense and humanity into this poor excuse for a human being. Well, apparently, Klune could do what I wanted, but without the violence (who knew that could work). The way that Hugo interacted with Wallace was the best part of the story; their interactions had a calming effect on me as I read.

It was the characters who drove the story, the events were few and far between – this was a story of interactions, and how these interactions can change someone. Could you imagine a place where people sit around and really listen to each other and not just wait to fire off their rebuttal?

What I appreciated most was Klune’s piecing together of this story. Some twists to what’s part of our mythology: reaper, ferryman, redemption, etc. He expertly pulls from many places, and pulls it all together into a complete, entrancing story.

*4 Stars

TW: greif, discussions of death and dying,

Wallace Price is a lawyer that you love to hate. He is mean and cold. Cares little for anything but his job. The people and relationships in his life have always taken a backseat to his career. Unfortunately for him, his last moments are spent in his office.

Wallace emerges at his barely populated funeral only to discover that he isn't as well liked as he thought he was. In fact, hardly anyone is at his funeral and the few people that did show up are speaking of him very poorly. Wallace is shocked he isn't loved better than this.

Wallace meets a sweet grim reaper, Mei and she takes him to a house in the woods to meet a ferryman named Hugo. Hugo is a kind and gentle soul who adores tea. We also meet Hugo's dead grandfather named Nelson, and Hugo's rambunctious ghost do named Apollo. Both Nelson and Apollo provide quite a bit of the comic relief in this dark comedy.

This is Wallace's journey to discover what his life actually meant and what he was missing from it. Wallace is a character that experiences a ton of growth throughout this story as he finds a place to be happy.

This book is significantly darker then House on the Cerulean Sea as we deal with heavy issues concerning life and death. I think this book was really well done but it doesn't hold the same kind of reverence that House on the Cerulean Sea does for me. It was really fun that the author included Easter eggs in this book from House on the Cerulean Sea.

This book also is huge on the found family trope, which is really consistent with TJ Klune's other books. Found family is one of the signatures of his story telling and you are always guaranteed to find friendships that feel like home when you pick up one of his books.

I really enjoyed this overall but the dark undertones made this a heavier read. I still really loved it, but not quite as much as House on the Cerulean Sea. If you enjoyed this previous books, Under the Whispering Door is a must read for any TJ Klune fan.

Thank you to Netgalley for an early ARC of this book.

Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune is a beautifully heartbreaking exploration of life, death, and grief. Charon's Crossing is one part tea shop one part waystation for the dead. When Wallace dies, he could never imagine he would see his own funeral, meet an energetic Reaper, or be lead to Hugo, the man who will help him cross over. Wallace must decide what it means to die and how to live in this odd tea shop amongst friends.
The book is magnificent. This is less a measured review and more exultation. Somehow it is sad and hopeful and funny and careful. Aspects of workplace fantasy Klune plays with in his other novels is flawlessly executed in an afterlife with Management. Wallace is the most unsympathetic lawyer alive and the warmest muffin dead. The rest of Charon's Crossing is wonderful and well-rounded to boot. Under The Whispering Door is a book that can easily be spoiled with a detailed review. Be careful if death, dying, suicide, and grief are subjects that you would like to avoid, but if you are open to deep consideration, the novel holds your heart gently in the palm of its hand.
Thank you, Macmillan-Tor and Forge via NetGalley for providing the eARC of Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune in exchange for my honest review.

This is the heartwarming tale of Wallace Price.

Wallace is a jerk. Everyone hates him. Now he's dead and no one mourns him. He finds it quite rude.
Then a reaper comes to collect him so he can cross over. So why is he being taken to a tea shop in the middle of nowhere?

This is such a beautiful story! The characters are fantastic. I said it's heartwarming, but it is also heartbreaking and full of hope.

I need to read everything by this author.

Heartwarming story about a man named Wallace who dies suddenly and finds himself looking back on his life as Hugo, the ferryman, gets him ready to crossover to his final destination. Wallace learns to be a better person, find love, and that its never too late to make your life what you want it to be.

TJ Klune's endearing characters, quirky humor, whimsical  writing style, and the intriguing premise of the story will keep you reading and entertained.  It was a thought-provoking story that I won't soon forget.

The long and short of it is this: T.J. Klune has done it again.

In Under the Whispering Door, Wallace Price is a terrible person. And then… he dies. While attending his own funeral, he sees a young woman who can also *see* him. Mei, his reaper, brings him to Charon’s Crossing, an in-between for souls who are not ready to cross over just yet. It is there that Wallce meets Hugo, a ferryman. It is there that Wallace learns about life, afterlife, and all the things in between.

I loved this book from page one. Klune’s prose and voice are both so distinct and unique to each book he writes. This isn’t a new idea. I even wrote about it in my review for Flash Fire. It’s the fact that both can be different from book to book while still being quintessentially Klune is what’s most remarkable. Sure, this feels and reads more like Cerulean Sea than the Extraordinaries. But the heart of it all? That’s Klune through and through.

The best books are the ones that challenge your preconceived ideas and beliefs. That’s what this one did for me with the ideas of death and grief. I know it’s why it was written, and you can’t get a story like this without going through it, without seeing people you love leave before you’re ready to say goodbye. The question becomes this: What if they leave before *they’re* ready to say goodbye? And what happens when they finally come to peace with it all?

This book gives the same warm and fuzzies that you get from The House in the Cerulean Sea. This will also tug at your heartstrings more. None of the emotion is done in a manipulative way as if to say, “Hah! You’re crying! That’s the point!” Any emotions that come while reading I think are more rooted in the reader’s own experiences with grief and loss. This book is just a ferryman to process it all.

5 stars.

Under the Whispering Door is a heartfelt, and occasionally heartbreaking, story following Wallace.

Wallace was a wealthy workaholic in life, who upon dying, starts trying to learn what life is all about.

The story features a found family and a slow burn romance.

I really think you should go into this book knowing only what I have put in this review about the story. In my opinion, the official story blurb contains a big spoiler.

This story has its light moments, and it’s moments that had me crying. The story does deal with death and running out of time, so keep that in mind if death os hard for you to read about.

I received this arc from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful surprise UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR turned out to be. Yes, it deals with death, grief and the afterlife but it is actually a very uplifting book about life and what really matters. Wallace is an overworked, demanding lawyer who's life has devolved into nothing but work and more work. Then, he has a heart attack and dies. After some anger and denial about his life being over, he is able to have a life.

I know, it sounds bizarre but it works so well and TJ Klune did a wonderful job making this fantasy seem real. I for one wouldn't be afraid of death if it could be like this book!

The characters are so well thought out and entertaining, his Reaper, Mei, his Ferryman, Hugo, and of course fellow ghost Nelson and Hugo's dog. They all work together to help people cross over. All I can say is that it is very uplifting and beautifully written.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read in exchange for this honest review.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Whispering is similar to Scrooge's story except Wallace is dead. Grief takes on many forms, it can transform you for the good or bad. It's your choice. Take the journey with Wallace and decide if you agree with their choice. A thought and emotion provoking book. It will stay with you.

Reading this less than a fortnight after losing my beloved dog was certainly an experience. Exploring grief and the meaning of life, the reader is introduced to ferryman Hugo, reaper Mei, and the ghosts of his grandad, Nelson, and dog, Apollo. It employs the found-family trope which TJ Klune writes so well and there's such a sense of cosiness to this story.

Yet it deals with heavy topics and ones that left a grieving reader broken and then set on the path to healing. There were pages that hurt to read and left me sobbing and others that had me laughing out loud or quietly smiling. It was thoughtful and thought-provoking and urges the reader to ask what makes a life worth living? Highly recommended.

Wallace Price is high-powered, NYC, lawyer and he is a terrible person. He is also dead. He is taken from his funeral to a way-station of sorts until he s ready to move on. There he meets an interesting cast of characters that help him realize that there is more to life and death than he ever imagined.
Another wonderful book by TJ Klune, full of rich characters and a fresh way of looking at the world. It made me laugh out loud and it made me cry. I was grateful for the epilogue. I will miss Wallace, Hugo, Nelson and Mei and if course, Apollo.

Okay, full disclosure...I received an arc (thank you!) from the publisher for an honest review. HOWEVER, when I saw that Kirt Graves was doing the audiobook narration, I decided to wait for the audio. It's actually the first time I've preordered an audiobook. I knew that I would enjoy TJ Klune's book, but I knew I would love it even more, with Kirt's narration. And thanks to these two men, I spent the better part of 3 hours crying...all in the name of a true HAPPILY EVER AFTER.I'm not even sure where to start with this book. The author's world building is so incredible, bringing life to what should be a dead place. All of the characters were rich and nuanced, not only the main characters. In fact, there really weren't two main characters in this romance, but five total, and we learn so much about them throughout the book. Meanwhile, Wallace learns a lot about himself, who he was before he died, and who he really wanted to become. And in the end, he did all he could to redeem the wrongs that he did in life, as well as the ones that he saw after his death.I loved that Hugo couldn't touch Wallace...it was such a small thing, but it really spoke to what these two men were dealing with as they fell in love. Their lives were going in separate directions, they couldn't touch, only see and talk, so Mei had to be the one to make any contact...well unless you could Nelson's cane (haha). On top of it all, this book was hilarious. I'm still working from home, and was super glad that I was not at work listening to this book, for all the laugh out loud moments...as well as the bawling I did for the previously mentioned 3 hours.There were so many little scenes in the book that moved it from an average book to amazing. Wallace playing with Apollo out back, or hanging out with Nelson and just talking all night. Even how much he clearly grew to respect Mei and all she did for her found family. Seeing Cameron's life, and doing what he could to help in the tea shop. Every small step Wallace made brought him from a man everyone hated in the first chapter, to someone who you rooted to find his happy ending. Wallace built himself a family simply by being the man he wanted to be.The narration by Kirt Graves was spot on once again. I enjoy the little inflections he adds to each and every book he narrates. He takes something mildly funny, and with just a simple pause, or a tiny gasp he turns it into a laugh out loud moment. His vocal range always allows me to know which character is speaking, even if the words don't, something that is much appreciated. Kirt is definitely my top 3 narrators in this genre, and I'm always happy to spend a few hours in the world that he works so hard to recreate from the author's vision.In the end, you could not have asked for a happier ending, or a more fulfilling ride along the way. Full of humor, joy at the little things (like tea!) and so uplifting. I may have had puffy eyes for a full day after, but it was all well worth it. Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candy Narration: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

This is obvious just a me thing but I did not love this book. I read The House In The Celuran Sea and felt the same way so not sure why I thought this one might be different. I find the writing overly saccrine and the themes very repetative. I am definitely in the minority for these.