This book was absolutely heartbreaking in the best way. I havent read something this amazing in quite a while, and Im so glad I did. The journey of every character was so well thought out, and it made me wish there was more. I loved Wallace’s redemption, and probably my favorite part was how the tea saying fit into the story. I would recommend this to everyone I know, and I will now go read the author’s other book as Im sure it is just as good.

This was a hard one for me. I love the premise, love so much of the characters (I mean, Hugo is probably my favorite fictional character of the year) but the book itself? It didn't always deliver the promised "heart and wit" that is the author's signature. The plot seemed muddied, at times jerking forward at breakneck speed and at other times meandering around unsure of where it wanted to go. The humor had me laughing out loud at times, and sighing at the too-on-the-nose-ness next. There's a lot of heart and feel-good moments, but even those at times veered into the melodramatic for me. The voice, though, the voice is absolutely stellar, and if I was rating on that alone it would be 5 stars. The House in the Cerulean Sea is the superior story to this one, but I will say that even for a "miss", this book is still well-crafted, unique, and is a fun read that I would tell others to pick up.

3.5 Stars

"We're all on different paths, but death doesn't discriminate. It comes for everyone."

I will say one thing, TJ Klune tells the stories he wants to tell and I commend him for that. He is in no way a cookie-cutter writer, nor does he follow any kind of formula. Every book of his is a unique experience. Also, there is a poignancy to his writing that leaves me speechless. Some of the lines in this book were so powerful, that I just had to pause and bask in their greatness for a hot minute.

For example:

"In death, Wallace had never felt more alive."

I am just going to come right out and say it... this book is ALL about death. Not in a dark, depressing, morbid way... but in a Klune way. He does a great job with the vivid world building that brings this afterlife idea, as he sees it, to life...no pun intended!

Without giving away any spoilers, I will say this: this book was like if the films Scrooged, City of Angels, Beetlejuice, and Ghost all had a polyamorous lovechild.

Wallace Price has died and he doesn't know what to do about it. Life was a job for him. He was all work and no play. He was so blind to how much he was giving to the things that didn't matter, that he let his whole life pass him by, until it was too late.

“I don’t know if I was a good person.” He let the words float between them for a moment, bitter though they were.
“What makes a good person?” Hugo asked."

I LOVED the beginning and end of this book. But during the middle...I kind of got super bored. Besides Hugo, I found the secondary characters to be very one-dimensional. I loved the Cameron/Zach story (like, hard), but the rest...did we really need it? I felt like Klune could've shaved like 100 pages off this and the book would've been better for it.

And for all my fellow romance lovers out there, there is a romance plot line in this story, but I felt like it needed way more attention than what it received.

Overall, the message of this book is a powerful one. I do think it will be widely loved and very popular. I love the found family trope, and am a huge believer in it. (TMI: I am blessed to have a wonderful, all-up-in-your-face family, but my found family are the people who know me better than anyone on this earth and are the people I know I can always count on).

I just felt like there was more the author could do with the middle of this book. Particularly the dynamic between Hugo and Wallace. It was there, but it could've been stronger. I felt like I was being told about their connection, rather than shown. I still totally ship them though!

“You’re not alive, Wallace. But you still exist. I don’t think you realized that until today.”

All in all, this book had moments that made me laugh out loud, (one word, Patricia Ryan and Applebee's) and other parts that made me cry, damn it! (That phone call to Naomi...aghh!) So, there is definite greatness in that. And as I said before, there is no denying T.J. Klune's talent with words. Death is like the mother of all challenging subjects to cover, at least in my opinion, and he did so with grace and humility.

This is a unique, hopeful, and inspirational read, and as I said in my brief Bookstagram review of this book, I hope the afterlife is exactly as T.J. Klune describes it.

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have tried to read this book off and on for over a month. And unfortunately right now is a time where i need to put it down and take a step back from it and come to it again maybe in a few months, when I’m able to give it more time and attention. What i read was really good, But for me to hold on to it for so long and not move forward would do this book injustice. Only rating it a 3 because that’s just where I’m at at this point.

This book reminded me of the movie Soul (Pixar). It's about enjoying life.

I loved the house in the cerulean sea and was super excited for this one. It was just ok. I got a little bored and it was dragging a little bit.

This is probably one of the most heartbreaking book I’ve read. Totally unexpected, but so great in all the good things that matters in the end.

I haven’t read the first book by the author and I know how hyped and well acclaimed it’s that one because every other person will recommend it. But, to be honest, I don’t think I’ve missed much and we might read this story as a stand-alone.

The writing was exquisite and the characters are so amazing pictured that I felt like actually seeing all the words on a screen, like in a movie. I was sad with them; I cried a bit at some chapters, but I also cheered them out on every occasion.

What a beautiful story.

Arc review . Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

After months of trying to read through this one, I finally had the courage to DNF it at 70%.

Story time: I absolutely loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, so when T.J. Klune announced that he's having another book that is as magical as that one, I got really enticed. I requested an advanced copy from Netgalley and got approved (yay!).

However, when I tried to read it, I got to 10% and enjoyed. After that, it was just plain and slow. It was so uneventful that I do not have something to look forward as to why I should read till the end. It was supposed be magical as it was described, but it was just so flat and even the funny parts feels bland.

The romance is forced and confusing, it did not give me the same warmth and cozy feeling I had from his previous book. I think that I just have too much expectations for this one because THITCS is my go-to light and feel-good read.

I'd still give it a 3-stars because they have dog ghost and that means there is a dog heaven.

A ​copy of this book was provided to me by Tor-Macmillan through Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

Although I wasn't as big of a fan as everyone else for the Cerulean Sea, I still was very interesting in reading Klune's new novel Under the Whispering Door. So glad I did, because I enjoyed it way more. 

 After Wallace's unexpected death he ends up in a small village with a unique cast of characters tasked with getting him to "the other side" 

This story kicks off with a scene that truly shows us the kind of man Wallace is. He is a money hungry, unhappy, mean business man. When he dies, there is a sad showing of guests at his funeral and no tears shed. 

I loved the characters in this book. They are so well written and my fondness for Wallace quickly grows as he interacts with these characters and he shows his true loving self. I was really invested in Wallace's journey. There is such a warmness to Klune's writing that brings these stories to life. 

Although this touches on death, loss, and grief- it also brings up joy, and hope. Its sad but life is sad sometimes. The ending is one that I won't forget.

This book is weird. Also funny, sad, and though provoking. I love the characters and character development and wish I had a book club to discuss it with.

Wallace Price is dead. He’s not overly impressed, but unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be much he can do about it - other than hang out in a teashop with the Mei and Hugo (the reaper and the ferryman) and refuse to move on. Hugo’s dead grandad Nelson is there too, like Wallace stubbornly ignoring the door at the top of the house that calls to him. Life in the teashop is quite nice actually and Wallace feels that he is living life more than he ever has before. Except that he’s still dead.

The character development in this book is as inspiring as it is depressing. It’s a lovely example of how anyone can change, although you can’t help but hope that most people can achieve this before they’re actually dead. Even Hugo, who seems perfect from the outset, experiences a development of character as he accepts that the weight of the world is not on his shoulders alone and allows those who love him to offer their help.

Helping others is a constant theme throughout. In the obvious ways, as Hugo helps the dead to move on. And in the less obvious ways, as he helps Wallace to become a better person and as Wallace helps Hugo to see the flaws in the system that he is blindly following. Even the ‘cruel’ manager is driven by helping others, although his methods are sometimes a bit questionable and the manner with which he delivers his assistance does him no favours.

Overall, despite the expected negative undertone of death and missed chances, this novel has an overwhelming positivity to it. After reading I was left with the feeling that I wanted to be a better person and help more people, yet without any bitterness or regret as to how I was currently behaving. It wasn’t that the book made me feel I wasn’t doing enough, rather that there was always an opportunity to do better.

This book gave me everything i was looking for. I felt so many emotions while reading it… My heart dont lie.

This book has a lot going for it: intriguing premise, relatively likeable characters, and the humor that Klune is so well known for, however, it just didn’t meld together as well as it has in previous books. Under the Whispering Door is attempting to tackle larger topics like the meaning of life and how to come to terms with death, but when pushed together with the bordering childish humor that plays throughout, it lacks the cohesiveness that I come to expect from a TJ Klune book. However, for me the thing that put me off the most was the pacing.

A bit of the magic of this book was lost for me because of the slightly off pacing. I felt like the set-up took too long. I wanted something to happen a lot sooner than it did. I was mildly entertained, but mostly bored for around the first 60% of the book. Also, a lot of the philosophical musings seemed to repeat themselves almost to exhaustion. I’m sure that if an editor had really been looking, they could have cut at least fifty pages and made it a much tighter book, with better pacing.

Despite the plot/pacing issues, I still find myself in love with the whimsical style of Klune’s books. The way he describes his world from the tea shop to the characters themselves are absolutely lovely and often leave me with a cozy feeling and usually in tears. However, because of the other issues I had, this book never hit me in the emotional feels. Also, I find Wallace to be a bit of a prick and my empathy can only really extend so far.

Overall, I think a lot of readers will be quite happy with this. Especially if they aren’t bothered by the slow pace or put off by the main character. Those that fell in love with his writing in The House in the Cerulean Sea may be disappointed and be left wanting. However, there are also going to be readers who curl up in a puddle of their own tears and rock themselves to sleep so… read it if you’re interested, but just be aware that this may not live up to the expectations set up in your heart.

It took me a long while to finish Under the Whispering Door, TJ Klune’s new novel – and I even made a mistake on GoodReads, marking it as ‘read’ back in August. Ops.

Why? Because Under the Whispering Door is one of the most intense books I ever read. Intense, but also hilarious. Sad. Uplifting. Thought-provoking. Riveting. Charming.

—I mean, I could go on listing words here, but my point is, Under the Whispering Door is all I hoped to find when I requested it on NetGalley and then some.

Thank you, TJ Klune. This is a masterpiece.


**

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with.

373 pages
Paranormal, LGBTQ, romance
Macmillan-Tor/Forge
Goodreads

**

Cover: Beautiful! It’s whimsical yet evocative, I love it.

Yay!

- Under the Whispering Door is the story of Wallace Price, a freshly departed lawyer who’s meant to transition from life to death to The Big After. Ignoring my inherent fondness for books set in the afterlife, that’s a great hook. The plot is engaging and told in an upbeat style, with no mistakes or logical flaws. I’m mentioning all this because it’s not something to take for granted – believe me, it’s not.

- The characters! They’re so well-crafted I could spend hours waxing poetic about them. Wallace starts his journey as a grade-A asshole, then he grows along the way until you can no longer recognize him. Hugo and Mei read as actual persons—they do—but my favorite is Nelson. He shines through the pages. I don’t like the Manager, but that’s to be expected.

- Desdemona Tripplethorn. The tongue-in-cheek here is delightful. How many times have I encountered characters with improbable names? Too many to keep track of, and I guess Klune is as fed up with them as I am: that name is a mouthful, and it’s spelled out in clear letters. I’m glad she gets to redeem herself, in a way; I’m also glad she reminds everyone that we don’t need any more Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Ways 😛

- The love story is so delicate I wish I could frame it and put it on my walls.

- I cried. Nancy and Lea, they got to my emotional side, which is a feat in itself. It takes huge writing skills to get me to care that much about fictional characters, on account of them being fictional.

Nay!

- Under the Whispering Door is a flawless book. Nothing to see here.

TL;DR

5 stars on GR.

TJ Klune's stories will resonate with people in the world for years to come. There's just something about his stories that dig themselves into your core no matter who you are. Even if you're a disgruntled lawyer, who doesn't want to be dead, but deeply just wants to be loved, or reading about the disgruntled lawyer, it feels as if a little tiny kitten has chosen to curl up in your lap instead of the designer bed you've purchased for it. You can't help but feel pleased and proud that this little creature has chosen you to be close to, even though in theory, there are much more comfortable locales available.

And Under the Whispering Door really does feel like that. I have to admit that when I first started this, I was armed with the knowledge and experience that was The House in the Cerulean Sea being my favourite read of 2020, and somehow expecting to experience the exact same story over again. Which is obviously unfair to the book, the author, and me, as a reader. This is an entirely different story, and will touch the readers in a way that while similar to THITCS, hits different buttons. I didn't like Wallace at first, and in fact, it took me a significant way through the book to even begin to warm up to him. I was much more taken, as I suspect other readers will be, with Hugo and the other tea shop characters. And yet, as the story progressed, I found myself opening up to Wallace, much in the same way he opens up himself. We're all on a similar journey throughout the course of the story, which I think, after reading these two books, is TJ Klune's superpower as an author that always makes you feel part of the narrative.

This book also touches a lot on grief, and lives that could have but were not lived, perhaps unfairly, or before their time. It is also about growth, and progression, and softening the hard shells that we build up around us as humans who are afraid of getting hurt, or even of feeling, in case it leads to getting hurt. I think that instead of describing how the book approaches these topics, it would be the most beneficial to encourage others to read the book and experience its message and story themselves, because much like we see in this story, the topic of grief and sorrow is such an intimate and differing experience for everyone. It would be difficult to describe accurately to someone who has a completely different perspective of their own. I will just say, however, that as much as I accompanied Wallace on his specific journey and perspective and acceptance in his death, my eyes were also opened to just a few of the ways that humans, as humans, process different emotions (did I mention TJ's superpowers????)

This book is going to be just as big as The House in the Cerulean Sea, I'm fairly certain. It makes you feel so many deep emotions, I can see a lot of readers connecting with it and sharing it with others. While I don't know if I could pick between the two of TJ's books that I've read thus far, I can certainly tell you that expecting the same book as one you've previously read is not the way to enter this story. Instead, go into with the knowledge that no matter what, that little kitten will still choose you to sleep on, because you are warm and comfortable, and much more approachable than anything money can buy.

This is one of the most delightful books i have ever read! After House on the Cerulean Sea, I know I needed to read more by Mr. Klune. If you are looking for a funny, sweet, heartwarming story, look no further. You will laugh with ever page turn, and might even shed a few tears, if only for the intense love you will feel for all of these incredible characters! Klune certainly has a knack for creating settings and characters hat you as a reader really want to root for.

To briefly summarize the plot, Wallace has recently found out that, surprise, he's dead! He is gathered by a reaper named Mei who takes him to a tea shop where a ferryman, Hugo, is waiting to help Wallace accept his death and "cross" through the whispering door to the "beyond." Wallace realizes he wasn't very nice in his human life, and learns a lot of life lessons in death, with the help of some friendly ghosts along the way.

Don't miss out on this incredible story!

TJ Klune's storytelling and writing always manages to warm my heart and this story is no different. It's a subtle change to the sunshine feelings of The House in the Cerulean Sea but it's still so comforting even if the vibe is different. Under the Whispering Door feels like a soft knitted blanket with its occasional roughness from the material but still so warm and comforting.

If House in the Cerulean Sea was a cozy blanket, then Under the Whispering Door is the perfect cup of tea and a chair by the fire. This book was wholesome and gentle, yet truthful and powerful.

It is honest in its portrayal of grief, but it never gets preachy. In much the same way Hugo eases souls into the afterlife, so too does this book ease you into big feelings of life, love, death, and grief. I never really knew where Wallace and Hugo were going (and I know they didn't either) but the journey wasn't just for them as characters, but for the reader as well.. TJ Klune has written another fantastic book and I am so excited to see what comes next.

I loved this one. Wallace is dead. But he’s a Very Important Man who doesn’t have time to be dead - he has appointments to keep (ouch, I related to this). Unfortunately, he’s now confined to a whimsical looking tea house with his Reaper, his Ferryman, and a couple other ghosts.

I laughed quite a bit - there's a particularly memorable bit with a Ouija board - and spent much of the last few chapters quietly weeping. It deals with grief and loss, but if this is how the afterlife goes, I’m okay with it.

It’s a love story, too, about finding your person when you least expect it. And learning to savor the moments your have, however you have them.

Just wonderful.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Everyone loses their way at some point, and it's not just because of their mistakes or the decisions they make. It's because they're horribly, wonderfully human. And the one thing I've learned about being human is that we can't do this alone. When we're lost, we need help to try and find our way again."

Oh how much I loved this book. It has Greek mythology references, LGBTQ+ relationships... deep topics like suicide and death in general, grief... topics not to be taken lightly but that are discussed in a "light" way.
I don't know if I liked the ending if I'm being honest, I thought it was going to go one way and even though it would have destroyed me, I think I would have preferred it to the way it actually ended.
It still made me cry, don't get me wrong!
A book I would definitely recommend.

Wallace Price is one of the most reprehensible men I’ve ever read. He’s slimy, he’s self involved, he’s inconsiderate and misogynistic. He’s stuck up and an all around unlikable person; I hated him within the first few paragraphs. And yet, somehow, I grew to sympathize with him in the second chapter and thereafter. Wallace quickly comes to terms with the fact that he is dead and can’t go back. Then he quickly realizes that, maybe he wouldn’t want to go back anyway because he was a terrible person. He had no friends, no partner, no life outside of work. As he grows to know and love Hugo, Mei, and Nelson, the people who are there to help him on the journey to death, he yearns for who he could have been and who he will never be. When he’s given only seven days before he has to move on, to go through the door into the proper afterlife, Wallace has to decide what to do with the time he has left.

I pictured Wallace as an older, balding, fat man in the first chapter. A classic boss who’s only out for himself and his own wealth. He’s revealed to be in his forties, tall and skinny, and quite good looking by all accounts. It was a kind of whiplash to realize this but also revealed how I picture a villainized character with little description. The lack of description was only in regards to specific physical characteristics–I got a good view of who he was as a person and how people reacted to him; what he valued and what he didn’t.

In death, Wallace is just as he was in life, at least at first. Mei greets him and, with her flippant, upbeat attitude, she quickly draws him out of his persona. I love how she balances indifference and respect for the dead and how she draws Wallace out of his shock. Both her and Hugo balance quite well, with Hugo’s quiet strength and her bright and blut personality coming out at different times whenever they are needed. While the plot felt a little formulaic at times, the characters shone, with Klune’s classic humor and well written dialogue. I can’t resist a good slow burn love story, especially if it’s a queer one.

There’s something about Klune’s writing that draws out so much emotion without being overly complicated or verbose. His writing makes the characters feel so real and comfortable. They feel like friends.

I loved the setting of the tea shop, too. Cafes are such a safe place and a tea shop feels even more comfortable because it’s tea rather than coffee. Coffee always feels go go go and tea feels much more relaxed and chill. A good atmosphere to spend your death in and observe and absorb life.

I recommend this book for fans of Klune’s other books. Even though the subject matter can vary wildly, he understands found family and grief in a way I haven’t yet seen in other books. I also recommend it for anyone who wants a slow burn romance with no spice but a ton of emotions and small touches when the love interests literally can’t touch each other. The closeness is emotional rather than physical and is so slow, it’s glacial at times, but still satisfying.