When I read the premise of this book, I was immediately blown away and eager to read it. I adored The House in the Cerulean Sea and was so excited for another amazing book by TJ Klune that was also have an incredible message. This book definitely did not disappoint!

I had the same warm feelings when reading Cerulean Sea, but this book was entirely different! The topic of death and grieving can be very tough, especially when including a romance within. I feel as though I was able to reflect on the concept of death and being alive while reading this. I think this book is extremely important for everyone to read. It has a bit of everything for any kind of reader.

That is what I love the most about TJ Klune's books; no matter what kind of genre you read or what you are looking for in a book, you can get an incredible message out of his stories and enjoy the ride.

This book hits hard. I can say with full honesty that this is one of the best books i’ve ever read. Under the Whispering Door is a heartfelt and tragic novel filled with grief and loss that deals with themes of death as well as heartache. Wallace, a super arrogant and selfish lawyer from the city is catapulted into his “journey to the next life” following his unexpected death. Along this journey, he meets Hugo, a patient and caring ferryman who will help him cross over the the next phase of his life and learns that maybe death doesn’t have to be the end. This book features some of the best character development i’ve ever seen and it is incredibly heartwarming to witness how much the main characters grow and evolve throughout. I fell in love with each and every character, the authors style of writing is absolutely phenomenal. I know that this book (and everything i’ve learned from it) will stay with me forever.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is a quick, relatively lighthearted read that touches on some heavy themes. The main character starts of the book alive and unhappy and quickly finds himself no longer among the land of the living. He meets Mei, a reaper, at his own funeral. Mei sets Wallace on his path to finding his place in the afterlife by taking him to meet Hugo, a ferryman, at Hugo's tea shop. The book largely takes place in the weeks after this initial meeting.
The book was a touch cheesy, a touch romantic, a little on the nose, but overall enjoyable to read. Some of the shenanigans, jokes, and plot points were repetitive but it didn't irreparably draw me out of story. I enjoy Klune's witty and dreamy writing style and it was nice to put down some of my more intense/heavy reads to be comforted by this book. Most of the characters were lovable even if they spoke largely in platitudes.
Thanks to netgalley for the advanced ebook.

Wallace is a thoroughly unlikable lawyer. A “ruthless shark”. So surprised to see that his funeral attendance was sparse. Not even enough people to fill a pew. But his service does come with a reaper called Mei. Mei takes him to a tea house where he meets a ghost called Nelson and most importantly a ferryman called Hugo.

I haven’t really decided if this was a sad story or a joyful one so I’m guessing it’s both. It evoked strong feelings either way. The story flowed easily. Very likable characters along side of unpleasant ones created a well rounded story that was difficult to put down.

The shark learns kindness and grace and above all how to live his best life after he’s dead.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are lovable in a way I didn't expect them to be. It's emotional, but it wasn't too heavy for me personally, it might be for other readers. There were so many things I expected to dislike about this book but they were all well done- asshole redemption arc? Usually too on the nose with the character development but I didn't mind it here. Sentimentality between the characters? Usually makes me cringe but it was well dosed, emotional, but didn't ruin the vibe. It's very morally driven which I don't usually like, but I don't usually like a lot of the things this book has and I happened to enjoy the way Klune did it. If those things are usually a turn-off in a book for you, I'd say to give this book a chance anyway. It does gag-worthy cliches in a palatable way.

Charmingly fanciful, melancholic, heroic, and hopeful. If empathy were a superpower, I would suspect to find the cape and mask for it hanging in TJ Klune's bat cave.

I'm not usually a fan of stories about death, but liminal/transitional tales? Those high-stakes pause-to-reflect moments? It's a Wonderful Life? A Christmas Carol? The Midnight Library? When those are done well they seem to worm their way into my heart. Add to the list: Under the Whispering Door, where a terrible excuse for a human gets the chance to reflect and become more while ghosting around at a teashop in the woods that's actually a way station for whatever comes after this life.

Is it a book about death? Yes. (Definitely see the content notes for sensitive topics.) But of course it's really a book about life and loss and empathy and second chances and letting go and holding on and family. It's lovely and painful and goofy. And if I weren't in such a pandemic-induced funk, I might've given it 5 stars.

Topics, tropes and themes: life, love, pets, death, grief, loss, regret, mourning, wholeness, found family, after life, empathy, courage, family, no soul left behind, LGBTQ, second chances, self-sacrifice
Content notes: death, loss of a child, heart attack, funeral scene, depression, suicide, murder, family estrangement

My thanks to #NetGalley and Tor Books for a digital ARC!

I absolutely loved this book; I am pretty sure that it is being added to my favorite books of all times. Throughout this novel, we get to see the character of Wallace Price develop from never truly having anyone in his life to finding family, from being selfish to doing anything he can to help others. This book had the perfect amount of love, found family, and character development. Throughout the book, I went from laughing to feeling emotional, and the ending had me crying a combination of happy and sad tears. I am so glad to have gotten to read this book and cannot wait for it to be officially released!

Under the Whispering Door by T J Klune

I loved The House on the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune and so I was incredibly excited when I received an arc of his new book from NetGalley. Under the Whispering Door is a tale of ghosts, tea, and magic, but most importantly it is about living and what that enormous word could possibly mean.

Wallace Price is a scrooge. He is the worst boss imaginable until he just isn’t, isn’t alive anymore that is. A reaper comes to collect him at his rather appalling funeral and takes him, not to the afterlife, but to Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats where he meets the ferryman who helps souls cross over. However Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived.

This may be my favorite book I read this year! From the first chapter I was laughing, by the sixth I was spiraling into a life crisis going around picking up chairs (if you’ve read this then you understand), chapter 10 had me filled with happiness, at the 14th I was filled with anger, and the last 4 chapters were a constant flow of tears. When I tell you this book made me feel things, I mean ALL the things.

I really hate ghost romance (and really ghost books in general). The difficulties involved like the inability to touch always aggravate me, but this book is an exception. It isn’t quite about the romance. While the slow burn did have me awing and oohing, there is a whole cast of lovable characters and a captivating plot dragging you into the story. It deals with so many different aspects of death, goes into detail of the grieving process, and while I know this may not be for everyone, I appreciated the depth of this book so much. It made me want to really live and that is priceless.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for an arc!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Under the Whispering Door tackles the universal question: What happens to us after we die?

I would say this book is part fantasy and part philosophy. I found it very interesting to see what TJ Klune dreamed up for the afterlife with reapers, ferrymen, the Manager, Husks, and a door with voices from beyond. It's intriguing to follow the journey of Wallace, who is completely unlikeable at first, and watch his transformation.

Nelson and Mei add comedic relief to a heavy subject. Under the Whispering Door has characters working through being murdered, death by suicide, and death from natural causes. These issues could be a trigger for some readers. There is a romantic relationship between two male characters but no sex on the page.

Some of the themes in this book include:
Grief
Death
You matter
Everyone needs love
Acceptance

I had two minor complaints about this novel.
1. I felt like the book cover is more whimsical than the subject.
2. I felt like the characters repeated their thoughts and moments of growth too often.

Overall, I was fascinated to delve into the world and afterlife created by Klune. The characters were interesting and deep. The key characters grew through the story. There was a small plot twist I didn't see coming, and that always intrigues me. I enjoyed the majority of the story.

Every once in awhile a book comes along that you just know will stay with you for a long time. Under the Whispering Door is that book. The main character, Wallace, is a lawyer who only cares for himself until he suddenly dies of a heart attack. He is greeted at his funeral by Mei, a wonderful character that is there to take him to the Ferryman.
Wallace goes through the stages of grief and with the help of wonderfully developed characters, learns how to live and be a better human. The book does a wonderful job with dealing with the concept of death and what comes after as well as the importance of putting others ahead of yourself.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc and for letting me read this amazing book.

**Before getting to the review of the actual work, I would like to first and foremost acknowledge that any harm TJ Klune has brought to BIPOC readers and creators is to be taken with the utmost severity. I personally have seen BIPOC creators voice a range of opinions when it comes to Klune's work and thus hesitate to make any claims about him as an artist; this is all to say, please listen to BIPOC reviewers with any work, and specifically with Klune's.**

Wallace is a self-proclaimed "asshole." A man who has been chewed up and spat back out by his own life, he has lost much of any compassion for those around him. But all of this can change when life throws him a curveball: death. After suffering from heart failure, Wallace finds himself in a tea shop: Charon's Crossing. It is here that he is given the resources and time to cross over to what lies beyond. With indelible characters in Mei, Hugo, Nelson, Apollo, and even "The Manager," Wallace might just find himself learning something about life when it has already escaped him.

"Under the Whispering Door," once again proves that Klune is able to find nuance in what feels like a classic tale. There's nothing incredibly revolutionary happening when it comes to his stories, but what makes them feel so fresh is the delicate precision he brings to the plot and characters. He is able to find nuggets of beauty and life lessons where one is least expectant to find them.

The world building within the Crossing was stellar, providing a great sense as to its characteristics and nature. I would have loved to have seen more world building when it came to the world outside the crossing. Where are the other Husks? How does the ghost world mesh with the real world? Questions like this would have helped me color in and understand the larger scale of what we were operating under.

Ultimately, this book left me with the classic "lump in the throat" feeling that Klune books normally leave a reader with, and I'm excited to see how this book lands with the general audience.

This was a unique and riveting story about death and loss, and I was sucked in by the sweet characters especially Hugo and his grandfather Nelson. As someone who recently lost their grandfather who I was extremely close to, it made me wish that he could still be with me as well. I didn’t love the main character and thought his development was too fast to be believable, but I was touched by the ending and will pick up Klune’s next book.

This book is amazing! I love Klune’s writing and I enjoyed every second of it. The way the book made me think about death and how wonderfully written it is are the reasons why I would recommend this book. If you have already read The House in the Cerulean Sea and enjoyed it, get Under the Whispering Door because it won’t disappoint.

4.5/5 - I was beyond ecstatic to receive an early copy of this upcoming novel! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.

In this story, a grumpy lawyer named Wallace Price dies suddenly of a heart attack. He is picked up by his Reaper, Mei, who escorts him to a tea house which is his way-station before crossing over. At the tea house, Wallace meets Hugo (his ferryman) who is tasked with answering all of his questions before escorting him to his afterlife. In spite of Wallace's anger, he begins to learn that death can be a start of new beginning.

Initially, this book felt like Dickenson's A Christmas Carol, but it becomes so much more than a redemption story. For fans of Cerulean Sea, there is lots to love about this new book and there are some major differences. The characters are witty, genuine and very memorably written. They each pull at your heart strings and I cried (aka wept with tears rolling down on the pages) a few times.

Alternatively, the subject matter of this is very dark; there is even a note from the author at the beginning regarding triggers. It is a slower paced book focusing on character development and every page and detail was worth it.

I have trouble expressing all of what this book is and will be for some people. It's beautiful, touching, emotionally heavy and full of love and hope.

“...Life is messy and terrible and wonderful, all at the same time.” – Nelson Freeman.
This saying sums up this uplifting story about a life spent stuck in a rut and building a life that makes a difference in your feeling of happiness and sorrow. A place called “home”.

The theme of the book is about death, fear, grief and acceptance. In essence, it has touched my heart in many ways through those hard-hitting messages it send. It has brought me good tears especially in the latter part. The whole storyline is truly heartwarming and moving because the author has beautifully written the formula with a great balance of philosophy, humor, queer love story and compassion.

A few takeaways I took for myself from the book: redefine oneself to become who we are meant to be. At the same time, be smart enough to use the gifts we have to help other people.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc. I wanted to read Under the Whispering Door because I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea so much. I had high hopes going into this one.

Overall this book was not for me. I struggled with the message of this story and couldn’t get past the unbalanced tone. The book attempted to be both cute and dark, but the mix of the two was off in my opinion. I think this is a story that could have benefited from omitting the romance and focused more on the personal journey. I was disappointed with parts of the ending and didn’t fully understand the villain. However, one of the side characters, Nelson, was a favorite. He brought a sense of humor, warmth, and meaning to the story.

There are many trigger warnings for this book. Warnings for loss of a child, murder, suicide, loss of parents, and loss of a pet. I believe the author did his best to handle these topics with care.

Reasons others may enjoy this book:
-It has a quirky sense of humor
-There is a cute tea shop
-A spunky old man ghost + a dog ghost
-Explores the meaning of life and the afterlife

“I like the dead more than the living. Dead people usually don’t care about the little annoyances of life.” “He hadn’t thought about it that way. He’d give anything for those annoyances again. Hindsight was a bitch of a thing.”

TJ Klune writes the SWEETEST characters. By the end of his books you want to be part of their “framilies”.

Under the Whispering Door introduces us to Wallace Price. He’s practically the Ebenezer Scrooge of the legal world, & runs his life with an iron fist. Upon his death(heart attack) he is discovered wandering around his own funeral as an apparition by Mei, a reaper. She takes him back to Charon’s Crossing Tea & Treats to assist him in crossing over to the other side.

Wallace is not prepared for what he finds at Charon’s Crossing. He is met by Hugo, the ferryman for the dead. But Wallace refuses to accept that he is dead. He digs his heels in and refuses to pass through the door to the other side. So he begrudgingly sets up shop with Mei & Hugo as he figures out how to exist in this new world.

This book was like a hug from beginning to end. I want to visit Charon’s Crossing & drink tea with Hugo & pet Apollo & bake scones with Mei & cozy up to the fire & listen to Nelson’s stories. This was a beautiful world that I’ll want to revisit again.

4 stars! Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advanced copy!

This is the story of Wallace Price, who is a lawyer at a top firm in his state. Nobody likes him, he has no friends, and all he does is work. He's somewhat like a more modern version of Ebenezer Scrooge at the beginning of A Christmas Carol. When suddenly he's at his own funeral, and a Reaper named Mei says she's to deliver him to the ferryman, he ends up at a tea shop run by a man named Hugo. The tea shop is a waystation where Wallace is to try and figure himself out before he goes to what is next, and Hugo is the ferryman who helps him along the way. 

This was a lovely book, much like I was hoping, given my feelings about Cerulean Sea. It has that same vibe, and although there aren't any children in this one to instantly latch onto, I still found myself cheering for Wallace although he doesn't start out as a very good person. I loved Hugo and Mei almost immediately, and so this one was so easy to just get settled down with for hours. The last quarter or so kept me up into the wee hours as I had to find out what happened. 

My feels were jostled several times, as this one deals with some tough topics at times, as a book whose theme centers around death would. I thought that these things were presented with care, though others who have a difficult time with themes like suicide or the death of a child may have more trouble than I did. Some of the characters here have traumatic backstories. 

This is a great example of the found family trope yet again from TJ Klune, and I absolutely loved it. I would definitely recommend that anyone who enjoyed Cerulean Sea read this one. It's another great example of a book that leaves me feeling happy and hopeful for the future.

Content warnings for literally every kind of death, but especially child death, cancer, animal death, and suicide.

For fans of The Good Place and A Christmas Carol, I guess? Maybe even Dead Like Me, if there are buyers who remember that show. And also, of course, House in the Cerulean Sea, although this one is definitely more overtly dark than that one. Personally, I had a hard time feeling emotionally connected to the main characters. I honestly felt the most connected to a bit character, and to the main side characters. This one felt pretty intentionally emotionally manipulative - like talking to a grieving mom about things only she and her dead daughter shared to get her to accept her child's death - and I'm not quite sure how I personally feel about that, but I have a feeling that other people are going to really like this one because it's some Up-type plotting, and people loved that.

Through death, TJ Klune talks about life but not only. He talks about fears, love, vulnerability, anger and tea.

During his entire life, Wallace Price was an awful human being. His marriage has failed, he has no friends and is dedicated only to his work, where he is successful but nothing more as his employees hate him.

Thanks to Nelson (an old ghost), Hugo (a ferryman) and Mei (his reaper), it is in death that he will be fulfilled and realize that existing is essential and can take many forms.

Grief is approached in a gentle way, in a warm house over tea. Each client or ghost can find an ear to talk to, but also a silent presence in Hugo Freeman. He is full of empathy and dedicates his life to his job as a ferryman, in his tea shop where people are only passing through.

Mei is a strong woman, very honest and ready to fight to help other people in death, whatever they went through.

Nelson is Hugo's grandad. He decided not to walk out the door and find his inner peace to stay with his grandson to ensure his happiness. He teases everyone and is not afraid to use his cane to assert his thoughts and calm down people who step out of line.

All together, they form an unusual but supportive family. They will turn Wallace's existence upside down.

This story is profond and truly warmed my heart. I was moved to tears, I smiled and laughed. It was beautiful.