I was a little unsure of this book for the first, let's say, 70%, but that last 30 percent really got me. It was beautiful and I loved it.

I was a little unsure of this book for the first, let's say, 70%, but that last 30 percent really got me. It was beautiful and I loved it.

Absolutely love this author. He has such a way of writing these beautiful love stories. Plus all the life lessons in this book. Such a warm and sweet story. Highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an arc for an honest review. The novel follows the main character, Wallace, who’s pretty much a horrible person. He is a workaholic with no family or friends and doesn’t treat those in his life with compassion or respect. Wallace dies unexpectedly and finds himself at his own funeral, where a reaper, Mei, comes to collect him. Wallace is taken to an eccentric house that is running as a local tea shop. The owner is Hugo, a ferryman to souls. His job is to help those who’ve died prepare themselves to move to the next chapter, which involves going through a mysterious door. Upon learning all this, Wallace isn’t ready to leave the living yet. With Hugo’s and Mei’s help (as well as some other ghost spirits) Wallace begins to learn what life is really about.

If your a fan of TJ Klune, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Under the Whispering Door as Klune has a distinct writing style and the book is similar in story telling structure to how The House in the Cerulean Sea was written. It’s important to note that the book is not plot heavy which can make it feel slow and dragged on. While I didn’t have too many issues with this, I imagine that a lot of readers may find it difficult to finish or enjoy. Additionally the book is filled with found family, queer love (bisexual main character), and humor. As the central theme of the novel is about death and grief (also a cw for suicide), I think it’s important to make sure you’re in the right head space before delving in.

After finishing the book, I feel pretty ambivalent about it. I like the premise, the characters and their relationships amongst each other. I also enjoyed bits throughout that were silly and light hearted. The issues I had were mostly attached to the ending of the novel, the execution of the theme, and some character development with the Black and POC characters (specifically Hugo’s character falls into the Magical Negro trope which I discuss in depth later in my review).

The rest of the review will include spoilers.

I didn’t really like the ending for a few reasons
1. Klune’s novels tend to have a clear theme or lesson for the readers to step away with. In all honestly I prefer novels with more nuances when in comes to what the author is trying to tell me. However I actually enjoyed the theme in this book, of accepting your death and moving onto the next phase of your afterlife journey. Except when Wallace finally does this and isn’t afraid, the Manager makes him not dead anymore. I don’t understand the purpose of that? It was a bit predictable to allow the main character to live again. It would’ve been really profound and actually more emotional as a reader if Wallace actually moved into the next phase. He finally found a family and love but he’s dead, and for all the talk in the book about acceptance, they really just abandoned that for Wallace. I understand this was an intentional choice, but I think it contradicts what was laid out throughout the book. Also it’s interesting that Wallace was presented to us as a workaholic in his previous life and then he turns into workaholic in his second life because all anyone does is work (tea shop and helping the dead). Except in the second life it’s not presented as bad because the work he’s doing is consider good and he now has a family.
2. While living, Wallace wasn’t a good person but in death he learns, grows, and becomes a good person which is essentially why the Manager allows him another chance at life. The thing that I didn’t like about this was that the Manager says Wallace is basically the only person in existence to get this gift. I just think that’s really unfair considering he’s a mediocre white man (I’m sorry I had to say it! 😩). Also Wallace realized how horrible he was kind of suddenly, the introspection was pretty instant and makes me wonder why he never cared when he was alive. I get that dying puts things into perspective but I think I would’ve enjoyed more character exploration. For example, I don’t really know why he was horrible while alive. I guess it’s hard for me to have compassion for powerful, white men who are horrible.

The last thing I had issues with was the character development. All the characters were pretty one dimensional. This was troubling considering two of the characters are Black and one character is Chinese American. Without further development it felt like they were falling into stereotypes. I don’t think this was Klune’s intention but that’s just my opinion and speculation, I obviously don’t know what his thought process was. I did see there was sensitivity readers for the novel, so I’m curious who they were and what the feedback was, if they gave any.

Hugo and Mei only work - and that’s honestly the extent of who they are. They have great personalities, but do nothing outside of work. They don’t do anything besides run a tea shop everyday and help ghosts move to the next life. Thats so much emotional labor to constantly be doing.

There’s one instance that Mei talks about her identity- she mentions that she’s been able to see ghosts since she was young and her mom didn’t help her seek help because her mom wanted to be a normal American. A piece of the text reads, “China in the twentieth century was filled with war and famine, oppression and violence...My mom wanted to escape it all. She wanted fireworks on the Fourth of July and picket fences." Now this isn’t an abnormal experience for immigrants to want to assimilate. However this can be an issue if that’s the only time the character discusses their identity. The connection to race, ethnicity, and culture identity follows a person in their everyday life. And when the only time a character speaks about their identity is in a negative way (and no nuances) it plays into stereotypes.

With Hugo, his character falls into the Magical Negro stereotype. Maybe someone reading this doesn’t know what the Magical Negro stereotype is, so here’s a definition from Wikipedia: “The Magical Negro is a supporting stock character who comes to the aid of white protagonists in a film. Magical Negro characters, who often possess special insight or mystical powers, have long been a tradition in American fiction.” And well, Hugo is Black, magical, and helping a white man. He’s given the opportunity from the Manager (who presents himself as a white child) to work as a Ferryman (mystical powers), who’s job is to help ghosts come to terms with their death and move to the next stage (aids white protagonist). I’d like to emphasis that this is an abnormal job. And it’s interesting because there’s a conversation about how this is a horrible job.. to deal with death almost everyday. Except Hugo is constantly emphasizing that this was his choice. I think there should be a lot more discussion from readers about what this is telling us? To me its coming across as saying it’s this Black man’s choice to be this harmful stereotype. Whether it was intentional or unintentional by the author it’s still important to discuss. Further, as Wallace is being aided by Hugo, he jokes throughout the novel that Hugo is acting like a therapist. Could Hugo remain as he is in the novel and not fall into the archetype of the Magical Negro? Maybe.. But as I’ve mentioned before he can’t remain a one dimensional character. Like what’s his experience as a Black, gay man? I really couldn’t tell you based on this version of the novel. What does he enjoy to do outside of the tea shop (his job) and being a Ferryman (his job)? Does he have relationships outside of the characters presented in the novel? I’d love to see more people talking about this because right now I’m not seeing the majority of readers discussing it, and there might be stuff I’m missing and more to say about it.

Under the Whispering Door is a beautifully written story about grief, death and what comes after. The story is filled with quirky characters that you will fall in love with. It’s a book that will make you laugh, smile and cry. Death can be a very sad and depressing subject, but Klune sheds a new light, one that is whimsical, thought provoking and heartwarming. My one complaint is I thought that it was a little too drawn out, but other than that I really enjoyed it. If you loved The House in the Cerulean Sea then this is a must read for you.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 stars

Hugo and Mei manage a little tea shop in a small remote town. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, they also help souls to cross over to the other side. In this story, we also follow Wallace, a big city lawyer, who wakes up next to his body and struggles to accept the fact that he died. Thus begins a journey through grief and acceptance.

I read The House in the Cerulean Sea from the same author earlier this year and I totally fell in love with the characters and the writing style. When I saw Under the Whispering Door was getting published, I knew I had to read it. Seeing the gorgeous cover was similar to the one of The House in the Cerulean Sea, I knew we would get a similar type of experience with Under the Whispering Door. And I was not wrong.

I have to admit that I did guess the ending in the first third of the book. But it didn't bother me because I do not believe that the goal of this book is to have unexpected twists. It's more about the characters, their growth and their journey than the ending itself. It's also a book full of hope which I really appreciate considering the dark topic it discusses.

The characters in this book are amazing. TJ Klune has this particular way of writing that makes me care about the characters without me actually realizing it. Before I knew it, I was emotionally attached to them. Their growth was also a great journey to witness and follow. They are all very human and they feel very real which I appreciate a lot.

I also loved the tone of the book, which is something I also enjoyed a lot in The House in the Cerulean Sea. There's something in his writing style that allows darker topics to be discussed without the book being to heavy and hard to read. He writes those themes in a lighter way while still getting deep into it. In this case, the grief theme could've turned this book very dark, but it didn't. I feel it was done with a lot of tact and respect. He balances light passages, laughter, serious issues and emotional scenes very brilliantly. It is cheesy (in a good way), quirky, cute and wholesome. I'm a very emotional person and I am a cry baby when it comes to movies and series. But I have never cried real tears for a book until I read Under the Whispering Door, regardless of the fact that I knew how it was going to end. It says a lot about TJ Klune's writing and how his story touched me.

Trigger warning for grief, which is the main theme of the book. I honestly do not have anything negative to say about this book. I will definitely purchase this book and read it many times in the future. I highly recommend this book for everyone, but in particular to anyone who enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Good Place (the show), feel-good books and character-driven books.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: Sept 21
Genre: fantasy, queer fiction

When workaholic lawyer Wallace dies, he is ferried to Charon's Crossing Tea Shop, a stop over where he can process his life and death before ultimately moving on. But what if he's not ready for it all to be over?

I liked the unique premise of this book, and "reaper" Hugo and his grandfather Nelson were standout characters. I really enjoyed Wallace's character growth over the course of the story - I just wish it had happened sooner! I actually put this book down about 30% in and didn't feel the need to pick it up for weeks afterward. Ultimately, I did continue because I knew the ending would be lovely and emotional (and it was), but I would struggle to recommend this one given the slowness of the story. Klune's writing is poetic but sometimes a bit overwrought. This is a 3 star read for me, and I'm glad I read it, but I can't help wondering what it could have been with a bit more editing.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

»When Wallace dies he isn’t ready to accept that. Not when a reaper appears to take him or even when he meets Hugo, a man who is supposed to help him cross over. Unfortunately he needs to realize that life for him is over and he needs to move on, but what will happen when the thing that helps him move on is the one thing that makes him want to stay?

»An enchanting book that made me see death with another perspective, understanding grief in a way that comforted me. The mood of this book made me listen to two songs in repeat while I ugly cried, a good sort of ugly crying: Saturn by Sleeping at Last and In This Shirt by The Irrepressibles. It was my first TJ Klune book and seeing as how much I loved his writing and complex characters, I will be reading other titles.

»I loved to hate and love Wallace lol Never have I ever disliked a person so much in the beginning and then slowly fell in love with it as the character started to have his development and growth. Absolutely stunning how words made me feel so deeply seen and understood, Wallace, Hugo, Mei and Nelson were my found family in a way and I have so much to thank them.

This book needs to come with a warning, because I ended up sobbing on multiple occasions. That said, this book is honestly lovely. I'm struggling to describe it, but it takes on the afterlife in a super sweet and thoughtful way. This book is more about the characters growing as people (alive and dead) and learning about what's important than a rollicking plot. There's progress and some really interesting sidebars about how death works in this universe, but they aren't the point. It's about becoming a family, what that means, and how to live as best as you can, even if you're dead.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Under the Whispering Door. I'm often hesitant to read books by author with such die hard fans because I worry I'll be disappointed. That was not entirely the case with this story. Klune has crafted a sweet and emotional story that is both heartfelt and original. On the whole I enjoyed the characters and the premise of the story. The characters and their world felt well built and fully formed. I understand why so many people are drawn to Klune's writing.

The story did feel drawn out at times and some of the exploration of the meaning of life and what it is to be a good person did feel overly simplified and surface level at times. I couldn't quite tell who the book was intended for. It felt overly simple and repetitive for an adult audience but it's not listed as YA. This seems like the kind of story written for adults who still love Disney movies. There's nothing wrong with that but it's not really what I tend to look for for myself.

This is something I see my self adding to my library and recommending to students and friends. While the tone of the story is a little outside of my personal interests, the wide ranging appeal is obvious and this is a beautifully written book.

After an abrasive corporate lawyer dies of a heart attack, he finds himself at a haunted tea shop where the kind-hearted ferryman tasked with helping him transition into death inspires him to start living.

Readers that are willing to trust Klune with their hearts will have them broken, healed, and filled to bursting through this tender exploration of the meaning of life (and death). Like Klune's recent bestseller, THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR is full of emotional swells, humor, quirky characters, love, deep thoughts, and a touch of whimsy. The protagonist's personal growth drives the plot while a quiet, mature romance blossoms along the way. It is another stunning novel that will draw in both fantasy readers and readers who tend to prefer literary fiction (add it to your adult book club list!). This novel won't capture all of the CERULEAN SEA fans, specifically those who are craving another charming and escapist magical island. Rather than immersing the protagonist in the child-centered emotions of wonder, joy, and tolerance to catalyze his change, UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR is about the transformative experience of grief. It is hopeful, hilarious, and uplifting, but also you will cry (at least, I did). Still, Klune earned every one of my tears through the sheer immersive beauty of his story and even days after finishing it, I am still smiling. I highly recommend this one!

UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR by TJ Klune introduces a workaholic lawyer who has a heart attack and is conveyed to another world. Frankly, I did not like Wallace Price and decided that life is too short to keep reading about such a clueless, selfish character. I had heard very positive reactions to Klune's earlier work, The House in the Cerulean Sea, and this newest title topped the September LibraryReads list so I had high expectations when I requested this title. However, Price's interactions with a Reaper named Mei, a ferryman named Hugo, and ghosts called Nelson and Apollo were as frustrating for me as a reader as they were for him. Library Journal describes this book as "a winning story (slow-paced and heartwarming) about grief, loss, and moving on." I agree about the slow pace and, unfortunately, did not feel any of the other emotions. 2.5 stars

“I see it now. It’s not always about the things you’ve done, or the mistakes you’ve made. It’s about the people, and what we’re willing to do for one another. The sacrifices we make. They taught me that. Here, in this place.”

5 stunning stars. fun fact i’ve never cried at a book or movie but this bad boy right here almost made my eyes water 🥺. @tjklunebooks you don’t disappoint! under the whispering door will 100% be in my top 5 books of 2021.

(Please note this book does talk about depression, grief, and suicide).

shoutout to @netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! find under the whispering door in your local book stores on September 21st! :)

Under the Whispering Door is T.J. Klune’s next contemporary fantasy, following Wallace. Wallace is a successful lawyer, focussed on his career and ruthlessly working toward his succes.
Next thing he knows, he is standing at his own funeral, where a reaper appears to lead him away.

Under the Whispering Door is a sweet, affecting story about life and death and found family, with themes of denial, grief and acceptance, filled with T.J. Klune’s trademark humor.

One of the strongest aspects of this book is the ensemble cast and the way the author used them to approach the cycle of grief and the impact we have on the people around us. There is Hugo, the compassionate ferryman, Wallace's sarcastic grim reaper Mei, and the spirits of Hugo's sprightly grandfather and absolutely adorable ghost dog Apollo, who were my favourite characters of the novel. Through their interactions I quickly became invested in Wallace and how things would play out for him.

I think my only gripe with this book is that it feels very drawn out. We follow Wallace as he learns to become a better person, but there isn’t a lot happening in the book and follows quite a formulaic plot, which makes certain passages feel repetitive. The message of the novel also isn’t anything new under the sun, and I would have liked a little more development on the romance front.
On the other hand this didn't detract of my enjoyment of this book at all and I still had a great time reading this, and all the emotional beats hit close to home.

A wholesome and emotional tale about second chances, learning how to live and compassion. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loved The House in the Cerulean Sea!

y’all need to pick up a copy of this book TJ Klune absolutely nails it again. Something about his style just feels like a warm hug straight to my heart & he absolutely nails the grumpy sunshine trope yet again. can’t even explain how charmed I was by this book.

pub date - sept 21 2021

MOVING AND EMOTIONAL

Sometimes a book just hits you square in the chest. This was one of those times.

💙 What I Loved 💙

Humor: Right off the bat I was laughing along with this book. There's so much quirky humor, so much banter between the characters. Some of it's silly. Some of it's profound. All of it is humorous, which is just what I liked.

Characters: This is primarily a character driven book. Which is okay, because the characters are strong enough and well enough developed to carry it perfectly. The characters are perfectly developed, each with their own specific personality. I really enjoyed how I was able to really feel these characters, identify with them and clearly see them. Especially Mei and Nelson, they were my favourites. And even though Wallace is not all that likable to begin with, I still found myself rooting for him. That's strong characterization.

Emotions: I always love a good book that can make me feel something. I got so invested in these characters, so invested in the story, that my emotions got evolved too. That is the best kind of book in my opinion.

I have mixed feelings on this one. The premise intrigued me, and I liked the small ensemble cast, particularly Nelson, the grandfather spirit. The middle dragged for me, but at about the 72% mark the stakes were raised and my interest was reignited.

The examination on grief and the afterlife was interesting, although the media it’s being compared to (A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place) handled it better. Near the end I found this book almost as saccharine as Klune’s previous work The House in the Cerulean Sea. I expected a darker tone given the subject matter (sudden death, grief, suicide, loss, etc.) and the buildup regarding someone as detached and cruel as The Manager, but it didn’t quite deliver.

I had a hard time buying the chemistry between Hugo and Wallace. I didn’t feel it building for the characters organically, rather their budding relationship was narrated or pointed out by the supporting characters, which made the final chapter and epilogue somewhat difficult for me to believe. For a book that’s about the messiness of life, this story was tied up neatly at the end.

That being said, fans of Klune’s previous works will enjoy this one. It has a tone similar to The House in the Cerulean Sea with queer main characters, humor and quirkiness, found family, and angst resolved with a happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Solid 4.5⭐️

“A river only flows in one direction”

I think in some ways if you hear about this book you might think about the Midnight Library. Although it’s very different (and better imo) it still carries that story of loss and growth and learning not only about yourself but also about what it means to live.

It’s quite lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an earc of this beautiful book.

Under the Whispering Door is the kind of book that will stay with you long after you're done reading it. Klune's books are always filled with longing, pain, but most of all, hope. And this beauty is no different.

In Under the Whispering Door we meet Wallace, who just passed away and is brought to a little tea shop by Mei, a Reaper, where the ferryman who will help him pass on lives. Wallec has never been a warm man, dedicating his life mostly to work, work, and more work. But when he meets the owner of Charon's Crossing, the whimsical tea shop in the woods, Hugo, and his little family consisting of Mei, Hugo's grandad Nelson and their dog Apollo - the latter two ghosts as well - things start changing for him. Wallace starts living to the fullest, despite being dead and confined to the tea shop. As he learns more and more about Hugo and Mei's work, Wallace discovers secrets both about himself and other souls that passed through the tea shop before.

Under the Whispering Door starts almost whimsically, with cute descriptions and awkward encounters that will make the reader laugh out loud, but with definite hard-hitting segments that get more and more frequent as the story progresses. You WILL need tissues while reading this book.
And while this is of course a story of grief and pain that are a given in every person's life, it's also a story of hope and living on, despite the scars life has left on us. You will feel for Wallace and his dawning realizations about his life, you'll cry while reading gut wrenching stories of other souls that have passed and those of the Charon's Crossing residents, but you will also smile at the little things that we sometimes take for granted but that carry a bigger weight- and you will definitely fall in love with the love story in the center of this book, regardless of how hopeless it may seem. Because while we never have quite enough time, we can do a lot with what we're given if we learn to cherish it.

Prepare to be blown away by another TJ Klune masterpiece.

Oh this book! TJ Klune’s characters grabbed me by the heart in The House in the Cerulean Sea and the same can be said with his latest.

This book deals with heavy topics, but Klune expertly writes characters with humor and whimsy. There’s meaning to this story which shines through with each chapter and should be read by anyone looking for a bit of fantasy-mixed with reality.

Thank you Tor Books and Netgalley for my copy.