This destroyed me. I am an emotional wreck after finishing this one.

The subject matter of death and where we go when we die is one that always gives me anxiety and fear. TJ Klune did a tremendous job at writing a story that can everyone can connect with. The different depths of grief, love, family, learning to let go and move forward, and personal growth in our characters was stunning. How death affects the living and the dead I thought was written really well too.

Hugo and Wallace together had this beautiful dynamic with each other. How they were there for each other in this sadness and also for things like Hugos panic attacks. They didn't dismiss the trauma of losing a loved one either suddenly or otherwise. The bit with Cameron just makes my heart twist with sadness. You really feel all the heartbreak in this book.

Definitely read this one when it comes out on September 21st. It was beautiful and be prepared to have tissues on hand.

Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for approving me for the earc of this beautiful book for an honest review.

Loved it. Talk about great character development from Wallace Price. One of the few books I've read this year that made me cry.

Wallace thinks he has good life as a successful lawyer but after he passes away and only 5 people attend his funeral (one he doesn't even know), he realizes he didn't really have any friends and he wasn't a nice person at all. A reaper collects him and takes him to a ferryman who lives at a tea shop. Their jobs are to help Wallace cross over. As Wallace reflects over his life and begins to make friends, he realizes what he missed out on in his life. Mei the quirky reaper and Hugo the patient ferryman are great characters. When the strange Manager appears, Wallace's afterlife takes a different turn. Like The House in the Cerulean Sea, Klune tells a unique, fantasy story with interesting characters.

Considering that 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' was my favourite read of 2020, I went into this with fairly high expectations and anticipation. TJ Klune has such a knack for writing books that are cosy and feel like warm hugs while also being able to shatter your feelings, and this book delivered all of that in spades! I had some long and loud laughs but it also tore at my feelings and had me ugly crying for... a good chunk of that ending. Safe to say, this was quite the emotional journey but I honestly didn't expect it'd be anything different! 😂

This was a real slow-burn of a story but with it's simple and compelling writing, it was still a relatively quick and easy read. There were moments when the writing did more "telling" rather than "showing", which made it feel a bit clunky and detached, but the story is infused with TJ Klune's witty and humorous charm, and I loved it! Fitting with the pace, I felt this was more of a 'quiet' story—it's not flashy but it's full of heart and it creeps up on you with a grounding sort of comfort. I wouldn't necessarily say this was an uplifting read either but it does explore worthwhile topics like death, loss and grief, and poses questions such as what does it mean to be alive, what constitutes a well-lived/fulfilled life and how to cope with death. The story has platitudes aplenty about living your best life, being kind to others and being the best person that you can be, and I have to admit that there was little subtlety in the telling. But while I don't think it introduced anything new or groundbreaking to the discussion I personally had no problem with that and still managed to thoroughly enjoy the story for the cheesiness it does bring.

What made my enjoyment of this story so full however was the amazing cast of characters that Klune brings to life. They are quirky and endearing and they wormed their way into my heart so quickly! I took some notes while reading and 90% of them were variations of: "OMG STAHP I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH!!!" (I'm not even kidding lol.) The found family trope is one of my all-time favourites and there is big found family energy in this that makes it so easy to feel invested in these characters and their stories. Wallace, Hugo, Mei, Nelson and the adorkably clumsy ghost-doggo, Apollo, tugged so hard on my emotional strings. They had me laughing and crying and all I wanted was to hang out at the tea shop and be friends with them.

Hugo was such a soft, empathetic cinnamon roll who lived for tea and to do his best to help those who've passed to cross over. Mei is a reaper who brings souls to Hugo and I loved her so much from the moment we meet her. She's loud and hilarious and so full of life that it just beams off the pages! Much like Wallace, Nelson and Apollo are ghosts and semi-permanent residents of Charon's Crossing Tea and Treats. Nelson is Hugo's grandfather and I loved this man so freaking much! He was fun-loving, mischievous and delightfully cheeky, as many endearing grandfatherly characters are. Being so big-hearted, generous and patient made all the characters complete opposites of Wallace, but in finding himself surrounded by them, it was great to see him come to the realisation that being kind and selfless reaps greater rewards than being cold and cruel, and that perhaps being surrounded by love and warmth is better than having everything and still, nothing. The romance between Wallace and Hugo was also heartachingly sweet. It's a slow burn that grows steadily from wary strangers, to steady friendship and builds up to a great love. Their inability to interact as people normally would created a feeling of such bittersweet longing and oh, my. They were easy to ship!

Although the plot was predictable and it was clear where the story was heading, I was still a little disappointed that it ended the way it did. I know a lot of people will love it and I probably would've too had I read this a few years ago because who doesn't want that well-rounded happy ever after? However, I felt that it was just too neat and simple (idealistic even?) and in a way I felt that it even took away some of the story's power. But did it stop me from being completely emotionally devastated? No. Was I still quietly ugly crying into my pillow at 2AM and wondering how I could make it all hurt less? Yes. Did it still leave me wanting moremoremore of these characters and other stories from the Charon's Crossing Tea and Treats shop? Abso-freaking-lutely, yes!

Overall, I think that if you like TJ Klune's writing, humour, and characters, then I think there's a very good chance that you will enjoy Under the Whispering Door. I can't wait to see what Klune comes out with next!

If you're a fan of The House In The Cerulean Sea then I think you will love this one as well. The main character, Wallace, wasn't such a likable guy in life and now he's found himself at a tea house waiting to cross over. While he waits, he has time to reflect on his life. It's got the wonderful characters, the humor and the heart that we expect with TJ Klune's stories. I highly recommend it!

After careful consideration I have decided not to read and review this book based on problematic news regarding this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the team at Tor/Forge for the opportunity.

Thanks to Tor Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! I’ve written about my love for TJ Klune before, but I absolutely adored this book. Seriously, Hugo and Wallace were just so adorable and cute and everything about their relationship really tore at your heartstrings. No one writes emotion like Klune does!

I’m only going to make one complaint about this book and it’s about the summary that’s included on Goodreads/the book jacket. Some of those events don’t happen until at least halfway through the book! Book summaries are supposed to give you a taste, not tell you everything that happens in the book.

Anyway, I digress. I truly believe that TJ Klune is a king of writing character, emotion, and found family. Wallace is totally, completely unlikable at the beginning, but everything changes once he meets Hugo. And Hugo! What an adorable cinnamon roll of a man. I never wanted anything bad to happen to him, and he absolutely deserved the world.

The world building was also really well done here. I enjoyed the way Klune imagined the afterlife and it worked really well for the story. I want to go to Hugo’s tea shop and just enjoy a cup of tea with them. When you read the book, I know you will too!

Coming off the success of The House in the Cerulean Sea, I think TJ Klune will have another hit on his hands. Fans of that book will definitely enjoy this one as well. Definitely be on the lookout for it when it comes out in September!

I think I've started to see a pattern in Klune's characters. It's only the second book by the author that I've read, but I can already predict the types of characters and situations that he is likely to introduce. We have a workaholic middle-aged protagonist who knows no compassion. He is invariably thrust into an unexpected situation that helps in character growth by the end of the book. He then meets a softie-but-a-hottie. The two of them strike up a friendship that eventually culminates into a slow-burn romance at the end of the book. To support the two main characters, we now meet other characters with 'strong' personalities. Each of these is designed to be as unique as the author can make them but end up being stereotyped.
I very much wanted to love the book. I requested for it on Netgalley under the impression that it would have characters with real depth. However, we are treated to an Asian girl who loves loud music and hugs, an older African American gentleman who takes no nonsense and loves knocking people over the head with his cane, and a myriad of lesser characters that added little to the story. The stories of the seances, the traumatised ghost, and the manager felt incomplete. I doubt that most people would have found anything lacking even if these characters had been cut out. Had the author focused on only some of them in depth, it would have made more impact on the reader. The manager was built up the entire book only to end up disappointing me towards the end. The only saving grace for me was the description of the grieving mother who couldn't find a way to heal herself. The story, on the whole, felt long-winded. I read the ARC, and I can only hope that the final book undergoes another round of editing before being published.

“It comes from the earth,” Hugo said quietly. “Energy. Life. Death. All of it. We rise and we fall and then we rise once more. We’re all on different paths, but death doesn’t discriminate. It comes for everyone. It’s what you do with it that sets you apart.”

Under the Whispering Door is Klune at his best—with an extraordinary premise, kooky characters and a subject matter that hits you right in the feels, you’ve got the recipe for an exceptional novel, and Klune delivers.

The short premise for Under the Whispering Door is a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with. We follow Wallace Price, a certified jerk who bites the dust and finds himself led—by a reaper named Mei who deserves her own action movie—to a small teashop to meet the ferryman, Hugo, who will help him in departing to what comes next. Initially angry and disenchanted when faced with Hugo, Hugo’s dead grandfather’s and dog’s ghost and Mei, Wallace eventually comes to like the place and the people in it. But the teashop is a stop along the journey, not the destination, and Wallace will have to come to terms with what it means to let go, especially now that he’s found something worth holding on to.

Only Klune could make a book about death, grief, and loss a fun reading experience. Honestly, it’s a dark matter to follow a man who is dead, but somehow, it’s also really, really funny to watch Wallace try to be proficient in the arts of ghosting (e.g. changing the clothes he has died in, lifting a chair) and getting totally pranked by Hugo’s grandfather, who has been around for years and knows how to make everything work.

What I loved most about this is that we follow a character who is incredibly unlikable and he’s very aware of that. Wallace Price has been a prick all his life, rude and abrasive to his ex-wife, his employees and everyone else who’s ever crossed his path. As a lawyer, he rarely did anything besides work, eat and sleep. To now find himself in this small teashop with these eccentric people—Hugo, who is effortlessly kind, Mei who likes to make fun of him and Nelson, who has the time of his life getting under Wallace’s skin, is the exact opposite of how Wallace imagined his life after death. But like the tagline of the book reads, death is only their beginning and as the story progresses, Wallace learns to appreciate and even love the people who are trying their hardest to make him see the errors of his ways but also that he is a good man who just got lost somewhere along the journey of life.

This book breaks your heart in many ways through the messages it sends. One of them is the fact that life isn’t perfect, that there will be mistakes you make and sometimes, they’re irreversible. We all have regrets but in Under the Whispering Door, Wallace makes amends in the ways he can. It’s an uplifting notion, to think that even if you die with regrets, you still get the chance to make them right, or at the very least, the chance to realise what you could have done better. And most of that comes down to Wallace spending time with genuinely good people who guide him, emphasising the importance of a good support system, which also made me tear up quite a bit. You have so much love in this story, from the love all of the inhabitants of the teashop have for each other as well as the love Wallace learns to embrace. You get to see just how much someone blossoms under the right care, but you also see how the absence of it can turn people against each other. In the end, this book is a story about death—but it’s also about a beginning, about savouring the time you have on earth and about what it means to be human. It’s profound but in a manageable way, sad but uplifting, funny but honest. Pretty much exactly what you need on your shelves.

I won’t spoil anything, but the ending was so on brand for Klune—somehow making your heart shatter and soar at the same time, a trait I’ve come to appreciate over the years (and books) from this author. I love how Klune never just gives you the happy ending you want but somehow makes you work for it—to see that tiny glimpse of light at the end of a dark night and grab for it. Under the Whispering Door was no different and thus made the ending even more profound for me.

All in all, Under the Whispering Door is a must-read emotional rollercoaster, offering amazing characters, a compulsively readable story and an ending that will make you ponder your own existence for weeks to come.

What can I even say about this spectacular book. This book is a beautiful and profound exploration of grief, love, death, and what it means to become a better person.

Wallace Price is a terrible person, he is selfish and all he really cares about is protecting himself and his work. That is, until he dies. At his funeral, a girl named Mei comes to him and tells him to come with him. Wallace is brought to this quirky little tea shop, in 'ho-dunk nowhere,' where he meets Nelson, an older ghost man with a strong love of wordplay, Apollo, a little ghost dog, and Hugo, a 'ferrymen' whose job it is to help people cross into the afterlife. Their job is to help him get past what happened in his life and to pass into the afterlife, and what is the afterlife? Well, they're not entirely sure, all they know is that when someone is ready to pass on, they will.

A majority of this book focuses on Wallace's journey to accept his faults in life and slowly become a better person, through self-discovery. I will not deny the fact that I despised Wallace at the beginning, he was selfish and callous, and continued to lash out at the people trying to help him. But slowly but surely, he grows to become so much more. The people around him guide him and he grows to care so deeply about them, especially his ferrymen, Hugo.

TJ Klune's character work and romance remains unparalleled as it is so strong and those characters are so easy to become attached to. (Nelson is one of my new comfort characters, and I adore this book so much.) They are each so well fleshed out, even the smallest side characters.

This book is very slow, which is one of the things I loved about it, but the pacing will feel off to people, especially at the beginning. The writing in this book is absolutely beautiful and the last few chapters made me absolutely sob.

Simply put, I loved this book (which is actually a surprisingly unpopular opinion since people think this is one of Klune's weaker books), the story is so beautiful and I honestly think that this might be better than House in the Cerulean Sea (which I adore).

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan, Tor/Forge for this amazing arc that I loved dearly. 💙

I was prepared for another charming and endearing T. J. Klune book but I was not expecting the emotions that I would go through while reading this incredible tale that so loudly speaks of love and kindness during the hardest event of a person's life... death. Accepting death, either facing your own mortality or a loved ones... so yeah, I might have been hugging my fat cat and crying just a bit (slightly) at the end.

When I first met Wallace Price, I knew he was not the best dude in existence (he sucked). He is firing a great employee for making one single mistake. It was unfair, it was harsh and it was cruel. 2 days later, Wallace dies in that same office from a heart attack. When he arrives at his own funeral, he is astonished that there are only 6 people there (including himself of course). However, one of them can actually see him. He meets Mei, a reaper, there to help him on his way towards dealing with his death. When he arrives at a very unique tea house he finally meets Hugo, the ferryman. It is here that Wallace finds a new way to live, a new way to exist, as he begins to accept his death.

This story has an incredible depth to it. Looking at life, the meaning, a way to look into death itself. And, through all of this serious topic, this book still retains that kind-hearted charm found in all T. J. Klune books.

I highly recommend this! Be prepared to face some existential questions Klune approaches in such a graceful manner. Also be prepared for possible triggers, grief, death, loss, suicide.

I hope everyone finds this book at a perfect time, right when you need it like I did.

The only book that’s made me cry this year. Wow. I loved this more than The House in the Cerulean Sea. I can’t wait for whatever comes next.

Huge thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: the book begins with stuck-up lawyer and all-round shitty person Wallace Price dying, and finding himself a few days later at his own funeral. Here he meets Mei, who brings him to a quirky teashop and introduces him to Hugo - the ferryman, who will guide him to the afterlife. Except Wallace doesn't really agree with being dead, and demands to be brought back to life. When he obviously can't, he has to learn how to deal with being a ghost and, perhaps, how to really live.

Where do I even begin with this book? As someone who has watched The Good Place at least four times all the way through, and considers it her favourite show of all time, this really hit the spot for me. The humor and snark of the characters is there, with the emotional and hard-hitting moments to boot. This book went much deeper into discussions of grief, death and loss, and what it really means to be alive.

I don't think this book is right for plot-driven readers. As a story set in one building for 90% of the time, not much... happens? But I deeply connected to the characters, and needed to be reminded of some of the messages in here. I loved how the queer representation was both casual and present, and how it showed that queer people can also be very shitty people (who knew?)

I cannot fully give it 5 stars - especially in the first 80 pages or so, the interactions and dialogue between the characters sometimes felt a bit clunky, which pulled me out of the story. I'm also not sure if the ending was the "right" one for me. So- maybe a 4.25 stars? Yeah.

Again, I don't think this book will be for everyone and it wasn't an absolute new favourite, but I cried and laughed and screamed a lot and now I wanna start a teashop and bake cakes for a living.

Thank you to the Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me an e-ARC of this book.

I don’t know if this can be called a review. It… if anything, it’s a love letter to this novel, to the characters it brought into vivid life; to the grief, to the heartache, and to the irrepressible joy it made me feel. I know, even as I start typing this, that I will never be able to adequately explain what this book is or what it meant to me. Hell, I probably won’t even be able to explain, not truly, how it made me feel. So take this however you would like: a review, a love letter, or a long, rambling essay.

If nothing else, it’ll be honest. I can’t imagine being anything else, not for this one.

Under the Whispering Door is about death. It’s about death and grief and what it all means; life, living, and if any of it means anything at all. It’s beautiful and poignant and so, so incredibly powerful. It’s about companionship and friendship and love. Holy heck, is it ever about love.

I truly had no idea what to expect going into this book, and it still managed to blow away every expectation I may have had. The novel might start a little bit sooner than this, but in my opinion, the story truly begins when a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral. It’s then, sitting in a pew and not being heard by the measly few in attendance, that Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. But… how is that possible? If he’s dead, how is he at his own funeral?

He doesn’t know, and he doesn’t quite know what to make of Mei, a reaper who’s come to collect him and bring him to a ferryman who she claims will help him. Amidst his confusion, Wallace doesn’t know how to feel about Hugo, either, who’s the owner of quite the peculiar tea shop that should absolutely not be standing with it’s mystifying construction job. But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, not when he’s finally found out what it means to be alive.

And holy crap, does Wallace find out what it means to be alive.

As I’ve said, this book is absolutely incredible. An adorable cover, and interesting premise, AND an Author’s Note that is essentially a content warning. A content warning that is so, so appreciated, as this book really does cover some heavy topics (with beauty and care).

Deciding where to start with this review is tough. There is so very much to say, how am I supposed to pick a starting point?

Since we’re all here for the writing, I’ll try to start there.

Klune always starts strong and this novel is no exception. If there is anything to be said about Klune’s writing, it’s that he has an exceptional ability to craft strong, bright, and vibrant narrative voices that truly jump off the page. He crafts SUCH strong characters, and Under the Whispering Door is no exception with a lively cast that I quickly fell in love with.

While I hated Wallace for the first few chapters for being an insufferable ass, he quickly became one of my favourite characters of all time. The journey he takes from the beginning to the end of this book is absolutely beautiful. He goes through such a tremendous change, and by the end of the book he’s almost unrecognizable from where he starts in the absolute best way.

He became someone I loved, and I feel almost lucky that I got to see this fictional character grow so much. Wallace lived a simple life, and it’s only in death that he is able to truly discover who he is, and Klune explores that beautifully throughout this novel.

Hugo is another character that I truly adored, and I loved Hugo in a way I can’t explain. I was a fan of his from the very beginning to the very ending, and I think that might say enough.

The cast that supports our two main, romantic leads is equally strong. Mei and Nelson are both fierce and absolutely hilarious, and I learned so much about love through these two beautiful souls. They are just as bright and wonderfully written as Wallace and Hugo, and their presence absolutely aided this story and the tale it was trying to tell (while allowing me some much-needed laughs).

Beyond these four, Klune crafts some very interesting side characters that bring laughter, drama, and a lovely dose of (fantastic) jealousy, which all work to round out the novel and deliver an exceptional story.

Regarding our main cast, I am so happy about the diversity in this book! This book features a cast of four main characters, and only Wallace is white. I found this cast of four to be a bit of a refreshing change from Klune’s other recent books—which, while diverse, focus on white main characters—as Under the Whispering Door has two black, male leads and one Asian, female lead that are with us from beginning to end.

I cannot say enough good things about the story Klune tells through these characters. This is a character-driven story, through and through. The plot is simple: Wallace dies, and he’s brought to Hugo, a ferryman, to see him through to the afterlife and help him with his passing. Set in a tea shop that’s been built on a foundation of love that’s soaked into its very walls, Wallace finds out who he really is and, more aptly, who he’s always been.

Klune takes us on this journey, and he does so amazingly well. This story is well-paced, well-plotted, and very well-read. It might not be the most complex or action packed novel out there, but the quiet strength of Under the Whispering Door is what it makes you feel. It’s how it touches your heart, and the imprint it leaves upon it.

It doesn’t need anything more. It’s a beautiful exploration of death, and grief, and love, and life. God, this book is about life in the most beautiful and unexpected of ways. It’s about living and healing and loving. This book is about people, it’s about relationships, and the relationships (familial and romantic) that Wallace explores throughout this novel are incredibly done.

It is, as you might imagine, a difficult book to get through (or, at the very least, it was for me). While this book is packed with humour and love in a way I’ve never seen before, its central theme is death. I don’t think I had really understood that before going into it, but this is a book about grief.

I cried so much. So. So. Much. I have never in my life cried like this through anything, and from chapter 17 to the ending, I essentially, read, cried, read, took a break because I was crying too hard, read, cried, read, took a break because I was crying too hard, and then repeated that process time and time again. Klune, who has such a fantastic way with words and imagery, absolutely tore at my heartstrings.

But, he also made me laugh. I mean, I CACKLED. I clutched at my chest because it felt so full of love. I bled with compassion. This book made me feel so, so very much, and that is why I know that none of my words could ever do it justice.

There is no way I can explain the way this book made my heart feel. The way that it touched my soul.

Simply put, this was the best book I’ve ever read. I don’t know if I can explain it better, or simpler. I don’t know if I’ve explained it at all, really, but… I hope I’ve done something to do this book justice.

Please, please read it. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is a truly beautiful exploration of grief, humanity, and what it means to have a life well lived. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you decide to give it a go.

If you loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, then you'll love Under the Whispering Door. Both books are funny and tender, although I thought that UtWD was a little "talky" in places. A couple of the secondary characters felt pretty shallow and stereotypical, and were used mostly for plot effect. Still, this was really a feel-good story that's obviously as much about life as it is about death.

OMG this book takes you for a ride and then some. I loved this book. Now if you read The House you have to detach yourself from thinking of that story. Like I had to remind myself that this was a separate story in its own right. That being said the story is wonderful.

this was the first book that got my eyes a little damp. a wonderful book about growth, love, death, and family. I just hope the cliff notes of my life are a little entertaining!

LOVE love loved! I am so excited for this book to be out in the word. I loved the story. It is so meaningful to read about a life after death, even if it’s fantasy, I imagine this book will bring so much comfort for those who are grieving.

WOW. Where do I even begin?

Under the Whispering Door tells a beautiful, gripping, haunting story of the beings that care for souls after death: the reapers who collect the souls, the ferrymen who guide them to the afterlife, and the souls themselves as they grapple with their own mortality. TJ Klune does a wonderful job of taking complicated and very real concepts and transforming them into something tangible and approachable through fantastic elements.

I don’t read a lot of fantasy, so it takes me some time to get into books like this because I’m so focused on understanding the characters and working through the world-building. I do think the first half was a little slow in general, though maybe it was because of my own challenges with this. However, the second half of the book really took off for me. I had a general idea of where it was going to go, but I was still really taken with the plot and the resolution. (I was completely sobbing by the end.)

The characters are so lovable, the story something we all can understand, and the themes universal: grief, death, sense of self, belonging, growth, new beginnings. The book does cover some heavy topics of death and loss, and the trigger warning at the beginning of the book is helpful for readers.

I recommend this widely and will think of this story for a long time.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune-DNF @ 28% 😕

I was given an ARC of this by NetGalley and was super excited to start it, and then I got about 1/4 of the way through and…didn’t care anymore. It just draaaags. I told @pilartyping that I wish I could put in some edits and send them back to the publisher because there are so many sentences and words that add nothing to the plot or story-and sometimes I’m okay with those if they’re like…beautifully written?-but these are just “x did y and looked at z and blah blah blah” and it’s like ???? Who cares?

Kind of disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this more as I was a big fan of The House in the Cerulean Sea which I DEVOURED in like a day last year. I’ve also recently become aware that there’s some criticism of that book because he based some of it on the experiences of indigenous North Americans in residential boarding schools-so that’s kind of fucked up.

But hey, maybe it’s just me and you won’t think this book drags about 1/4th of the way through 🤷🏼‍♂️