I am a huge TJ Klune fan and was thrilled I was approved for this. And of course, it was incredible, just like all of his works. TJ Klunes books always feel like being wrapped in a warm hug. Even when its my first time reading them they make me feel nostalgic for something I have never had.

I will say, I didnt enjoy this one as much as his last adult novel, House in the Cerulean Sea. While I adored the characters in this one, the plot felt a bit confusing at times. There were some scenes I wish were just cut, such as the health inspector scene. They just felt unnecessary and clunky. Overall, this was a very enjoyable book even if I didnt enjoy it as much as some of Klune’s past works.
Also, got to say, I would do anything to have tea with Hugo

Rep: Gay, MLM, bisexual, POC (Black, Asian)
Own Voices
CW: panic attacks, off page suicide, death, death of a child, grief

I knew I HAD to have TJ Klune's next book as soon as I finished reading the very last page his previous book...which I absolutely love with every fiber of my being... called The House in the Cerulean Sea. That book had me feeling the gamut of Feels and those characters... ohhhh those characters... man can Klune write a good character!! Anyway, this book made me feel (almost) all of those (often) pesky things called Emotions just not on the same scale WHICH is fair since this book delves into darker and headier topics such as: Death, Grief, Hopelessness, Powerlessness, Suicide, Contrition, Depression and all manor of Dejectedness. I apologize for that made up word but it fits... so I think I'll keep it.

Now, Under The Whispering Door had much of what's needed to be considered a memorable read for me. There was a unique premise that was both palatable and easy to grasp. There were loveable/quirky characters. The writing was touching and I even cried a bit... ok, maybe I cried a bit more than a bit (especially towards the end). The dialogue was good but not as organic as it was in his last book. It might not be fair to compare the two books but it's hard not to when The House in the Cerulean Sea was mind-boggling amazing... I still think about it randomly and smile.

Okay, back to the book at hand... the crux of Under The Whispering Door tackled the VERY difficult (and often extremely polarizing) topic of "What Happens After We Die"? I really enjoyed Klune's ideas on the subject and I loved how he incorporated a crew of (loveable yet sadly not quite morally gray enough) characters that had varying degrees of involvement (powers?) in aiding those on the road to the After-Life. I'll start with management. I felt that the Manager who oversees all was not relatable or likeable, which was most likely written to read as such since this reader is a mere human BUT His(?)... its(?) whole demeanor and almost complete lack of empathy for we creatures in his care was off-putting and it just felt "Wrong" somehow. Another near miss for me was our MC Wallace. Wallace was an almost instantaneous convert from Lifetime Selfish Morally Bankrupt Douche ---> loving, empathetic, caring, brave and selfless being. His rapid transformation felt unlikely and disingenuous which made suspending reality with respect to (new) Wallace a bit difficult. Of course then there were the times when he was so charming I wanted to squeezly squish him in a great big bear hug and pinch his cheeks raw... I loathed him, I loved him, (at times) I couldn't care less about him SOOO Wallace was a wash for me. The other characters however fell more squarely in the Absolutely Cherish category. I adored Mei and of course our Ferryman Hugo as well as Hugo's very charming, rapscallion grandad Nelson. I also found myself enjoying each and every part with Cameron in it... what a diverse and textured cast TJ gave us!

Then there's the beautific LGBTQ representation. It's inspiring and understated all at the same time. I especially love how Klune manages to make every type of Loving relationship (whether it be the love of a friend, family member or paramor) feel "Right" even when I have no idea how things went from indifference---> amorous Kismet... 0 - 180 in what felt like three heartbeats' time. One minute he's a stubborn ass and the next minute he's a love interest? I don't know... I merely went with the flow even when the pace was jerky. BUT at the end of this one of a kind ride I found that I was quite satisfied. SO even with some pacing issues, minor character annoyances and some sections that came off as cliche... it all sorted itself out in the end.


Overall:
This highly anticipated book came right off of the heels of Klune's WILDLY successful previous book, The House In The Cerulean Sea, making conditions prime for comparison between the two. Is that fair? Probably not but I found I couldn't help myself. When you love a book so much it hurts, the author that gifted you with said book can feel larger than life to you... a veritable God, right? Well this author might not be God but he writes about matters such as divinity, higher Beings, what The Call of the Afterlife must be like, Love in the face of impossible situations and what makes a life Good and Worthy ... as if he has some kind of inside information we don't have and he even does so with flair. Don't get me wrong, Klune isn't flowery or verbose... his writing sits snuggly in the Goldilocks Zone, it's juuust right.

NOW, is this book worth your time and emotional investment? Will it play your heartstrings like a literary virtuoso? I say yes on both accounts BUT it is not without its hiccups like spotty pacing and some cliché moments WHICH makes me slightly sad yet still VERY thankful to have been able to get my hands on it at all. Yes there were a few clunky, sluggish bits but the flow never stuttered to a halt or made me feel like skimming so it all worked out in the end

Bottom line: this book is good... a tad slow in places and a touch cliche at times but otherwise this is a solid (tear jerking) read!

~Enjoy

*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

I was really excited to read this book and Under the Whispering Door was a very good read. It just didn't meet my expectations. It took most of the book to care at all about Wallace. I liked all of the other characters Hugo, Mei, and Nelson but they also took a while to grow on me. I expected to have my heart strings tugged on and that didn't really happen. There was empathy in the story, and there were moments of humor, but again not what I had hoped for. I never found myself laughing out loud, or crying. I smiled and I felt the pull of sadness but it never fully reached laughter or tears. If I had come to this book and not had such high expectations I would have loved it. It would have taken a while for the characters to grow on me but I would have loved the story. I did really enjoy the story, it just didn't live up to my expectations. That sounds a bit harsh, but after The House in the Cerulean Sea this book had a lot to live up to.

Wallace Price was an asshole when he was alive and even though he changes pretty quickly, death will do that to you, the introspection and realization that he had been an asshole and he was lonely seemed a little to quick to me. Mei was also a bit grouchy and at first I thought she was an odd choice to send after Wallace as a Reaper, but it worked out. What really balanced the characters out for me though was Nelson, Hugo's dead grandfather. He was funny and willing to poke when necessary. Hugo brings the calm to the story and he was very empathetic, which you want in a Ferryman who helps ghosts pass onto what comes next. Hugo and Wallace matched nicely as far as their temperaments went. The longer Wallace stays at Charon's Crossing, the tea shop, the more he stops to think about his actions, the more he stands up for Mei, Hugo, and Nelson. Wallace gains a lot through their friendship and until that established itself I didn't care for Wallace. It was being built from very early in the story but it didn't really solidify for me until The Manager arrives at the tea shop for the first time. Once I got to that point the story read very quickly and it was excellent.

Under the Whispering Door is a great book and it is one that I will recommend to many people. I did like that the relationship building felt real and I ended up caring for the characters it just took a while. I guess in life it takes time to get to know someone and this book took a while for me to get to know. I would recommend you give it a chance if you enjoy TJ Klune.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book to review.

I have a lot of conflicting feelings when it comes to TJ Klune's newest book, Under the Whispering Door. (And NO, it's not a sequel to House in the Cerulean Sea -- I have seen that several places!) I am a big TJ Klune fan after falling in love with his style and characters in The Extraordinaries. Like his other books I've read, in Whispering Door the characters are all vivid and interesting, his wacky humor is totally appealing, and the premise is delightful.

Where this book suffers a little is, well, in the plot. First, I was annoyed that the tag line tells you "his death is their beginning." That basically gives away half the plot. I prefer to go into books blinder than that. While I loved Wallace and his growth throughout the book, I'm not sure the love story part was plausible, and I just didn't feel the spark between the characters I've come to expect from Klune.

I still really liked this book, and it had one of the most hilarious scenes in a book I've read in a long time. I was crying laughing out loud! I enjoyed reading it. I just felt like it was almost a little too sweet and happy.

This book touches your soul! It will make you think, laugh, and maybe cry. I loved the characters and how they changed, especially Wallace. Great book for everyone to read, contemplate, and make the most of each day we are given. Thank you @NetGalley for the chance to read and review this gem of a book!

“It took you dying to find your humanity.”

In its essence, Under the Whispering Door is about becoming a good person, even if that means it happens after death. I was excited to read this book because of my love of House on the Cerulean Sea, as well as the intruiguing concept. There are moments of this book that were endearing and I enjoyed greatly (namely the seance scene), but I didn’t find myself wholly engaged in the narrative. There were moments that I felt that the story dragged, and there seem to be some jumps in character & plot development. I wish I got more out of the book, and I wish I liked it more.

Overall, I would recommend this book to: those dealing with grief, fans of TJ Klune, and readers who want a charming yet melancholy story.

I am a huge Frederick Bachman fan so when I saw this book compared to his works I think my expectations were way too high. Definitely an interesting novel but not one I was over the moon for.

*Rating is 4.75/5*

After reading The House in the Cerulean Sea I knew I had to read more books by T.J. Klune so I was elated to find that I was approved to read his latest book, Under the Whispering Door, prior to its release in September.

Under the Whispering Door follows the life of Wallace, a successful lawyer, unsuccessful in maintaining relationships, who is ruthless and unkind. When Wallace unexpectedly dies he awakens at his own funeral to discover that his coldness and inability to empathize with his colleagues has led to hardly anyone showing up to his funeral.

"The grave filled quicker than Wallace expected. The first stars were starting to appear by the time she finished, though they were faint given the light pollution from the city. And that was it. All that was left of Wallace Price was a mound of dirt and a body that was going to be nothing but worm food. It was a profoundly devastating experience."

Wallace is whisked away by Mei, a reaper, tasked with brining Wallace to Hugo, a ferryman assigned to help Hugo cross over to his final destination. When Wallace arrives at the peculiar tea shop run by Hugo he has no idea what he is in for. The longer Wallace stays at the teashop the more he uncovers about the beauty and realness of death.

"Death has a beauty to it. We don't see it because we don't want to. And that makes sense. Why should we want to focus on something that takes us away from everything we know? How do we even begin to understand that there's more than what we see?"

He also begins to see the value of long-lasting relationships and companionship, especially with Hugo, who needs Wallace just as much as Wallace needs him. But is it too late?

Klune has a beautiful way of writing about death by adding humor to an already uncomfortable and sensitive topic. Through his book Klune shows the importance of creating strong relationships, being selfless for the sake of others, and the importance of living (even when you're dead). I absolutely LOVED this book.

Fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea will not be disappointed. Klune has once again taken a sensitive topic and turned it into literary artwork. *chefs kiss*

TW: Discusses topics of suicide

Yet again TJ Klune rips my heart out while at the same time caring for it lovingly. How he does this I do not know but it is definitely an amazing skill.

Some parts of this book were incredibly hard hitting, but done in such an understanding way. The characters draw you in and you feel like you are on a journey with Wallace. The different stories which all weave throughout the book drew me in and I became so invested in the outcomes of so many characters, not purely the mains.

TJ Klune contines to show he is a master at story weaving.

I gave this book 5 stars! If I could give it more I would. Reading about death was not easy, it made me think a lot about. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Wallace in the beginning but I ended up loving his character. I loved the found family trope in this one as well. This book made me laugh and oh my did it make me cry. I sobbed at the end so much. This book is definitely on my top list of favorite books I’ve read this year!

I really enjoyed this. As with Klune's other books, the heart of this book is the characters. They are wonderfully quirky and seem like real people. They are so easy to root for and also feel their pain which makes this a real emotional rollercoaster. I teared up in multiple places and laughed out loud in others.

The world in this one is also really interesting. The tea shop is really cute and has a great atmosphere for the rest of the story going on. The magic is explained well to the extent it is known by the characters but still leaves you with a hint of mystery that manages to work without being frustrating.

I went with 4 stars instead of 5 because the beginning (really first half) is pretty slow going. I does start to pick up the arrival of the Manager (which is literally in the blurb) is after the halfway point. The first half of this really needed to be cut down. The end left me with that warm fuzzy feeling I tend to have after every TJ Klune book I read but it was a little predictable and convenient in how they get there. I could see myself picking this one up again though, it'd be a great cozy read in the winter with a cup of tea so let's call it 4.5 stars.

Overall, I really did enjoy this and would recommend it to anyone who is good with reading a book that is literally all about death.

**I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I cried three times reading the end of this book. I was in no way prepared for the way I would feel when I closed it. It was like saying goodbye to friends. Friends you love and knew that one day, when you least expected it, you'd see them again and it would be like no time had passed.

This book was incredible. Every character had their own distinct voice. Even the ghost dog was memorable.

And the character growth? Phenomenal. Absolutely the best I've read in such a long time.

Wallace Price, Hugo Freeman, Mei, Nelson and Apollo are all so well written and so real that I could see them as I read. It was almost like watching a movie. Everything they did made since, every action taken moved the plot and none of it felt contrived. It was stunning.

I will give no spoilers for this book. I will say read it. Read this book.

We've got a man, Wallace Price who is bisexual are you kidding me? And it's sated right there on the page! And there are no bisexual stereotypes. None! It made me smile to see.

Hugo is queer as well and Black! A Black, queer love interest! And again: no stereotypes!

Mei is a cinnamon roll, I loved her. And her taste in music.

And watching Wallace grow. I cannot stress enough how incredible his transformation was. How evenly paced the book was, how well every single sentence meshed and moved the story.

The story and characters grab you and don't let go.

And the ending is fantastic. It yanked at my heart hard and I felt so much when I finished it. I can't even name the feeling. It just got me in the chest and stayed there.

Please read this book.

Five (5) stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another magical book by TJ Klune. I just adore his quirky and lovable characters. He has cemented himself as a must-buy author for me. This book is both heartbreaking and heartwarming and I guarantee you cannot read it without shedding a few tears. However, it is worth it. I read this book slowly to absorb all the gems it has to offer. This book is a lot about grief and death but it also covers life and warmth. I highly recommend it!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book is set to be published on September 21, 2021.

I adored <i>The House on the Cerulean Sea</i> and wondered how Klune's sophomore effort would do. Now I have my answer: he's written an entirely different book, one that still encompasses magic (of a sort) but is more about the here-and-now and coming to terms with mortality. In this world, people don't just die, they're provided with a Reaper who escorts them to what I can only think of as a halfway house where they can adjust to their new status (and drink tea!) before going on to whatever is next. Wallace, one of those newly dead, isn't ready to leave... perhaps he'll never be ready. And if the idea is that the dead decide when they'll move on, if Wallace is never ready, well, what next?

In many ways this is as good a read as the first book, albeit slightly less charming. The characters are more well-rounded so let's call this a draw. Rounded up for four-and-a-half stars just because.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune.

I was so excited to be chosen to receive an ARC of this book and it did not disappoint!

Although not much of a fantasy reader, I had previously enjoyed TJ Klune’s book The House in the Cerulean Sea. It was heartwarming and funny.

Under the Whispering Door was similar in feel despite the different story line.

Wallace Price finds himself at his own funeral. There he meets Mai - the grim reaper who has some to take him to the ferryman.

What follows is a heartwarming story filled with charming and humorous characters.

This book does deal with death from several causes, so it should be noted that there are potential triggers. That being said, I didn’t find that any of that went into too great of detail and the story was mostly focused on Wallace and the lessons he was learning, the relationships he was developing.

Definitely worth a read. I gave this book 5⭐️

A Christmas Carol remastered - this book will talk to you if you like that traditional tale and enjoy calm fantasy. This wasn't exactly what I thought I was picking up and I must admit I was not as excited about it as most readers here. I did not know Klune before reading, but while it was a well written book, I wasn't engaged by the characters very much. Obviously, this is the point, this is about the transformation of Wallace from a mean workaholic to a freed man with emotions back in his life. But all the characters and situations felt a little too much like characters and situations I have already read and seen. The pace was a little off and too slow at the beginning.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

TJ Klune's newest work, Under the Whispering Door, explores life, death, and grief with care and humor. Readers follow Wallace Price, who is a white-collar attorney and a bit of a jerk. When Wallace has a heart attack, he discovers there is more to life and death than he bargained for, courtesy of a Reaper and Ferryman charged with leading him to cross over.

Klune, in consideration of his readers, included a content warning in the form of an author's note at the beginning of the book. This book deals in depth with grief and death, including deaths of various types (illness, suicide, accident, sudden, unexpected, etc). This book may be too much for some readers based on that content. I am not a reader who has anything I would list as a trigger. I work around dead people daily as part of my profession. Yet I still caught myself needing a minute to gather myself due to feeling anxious at some of the passages. If you have discussions of death and dying as a trigger, this may not be the book for you.

That being said, Klune still managed to make this novel into a hopepunk sort of low fantasy. There is a sort of whimsical tone that infuses both this novel and The House in the Cerulean Sea. While the latter is more joyous and lighthearted throughout, this book is more pensive and reflective. Both leave the reader with a message of hope in adversity.

Klune's strength, to me, continues to be his character work. Mei, Wallace, Hugo, and Nelson were all perfectly lovely characters. I also enjoyed Nancy and Cameron's character arcs. I found the ending of the book to be very predictable, but if I am honest with myself I would have been disappointed and unsatisfied if it had ended any other way.

Overall, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book early and am eager to go through more of Klune's backlist while waiting for his next release.

Anyone else find they go back to the cover of a book they've just read and notice things they didn't before? Because it me.

<i>Here, at the end, he'd found a friend.</i>

Surprising no one, this book made me cry. A lot.

"<i>I can't grieve for myself.</i>"
"<b>Of course you can. We do it all the time, regardless of if we're alive or not, over the small things and the big things. Everyone is a little bit sad all the time.</b>"

If you've read the synopsis for this one, there honestly isn't a whole lot more I can say without ruining everything. But this story deals with grief, death, and the unfortunate reality of hindsight and perspective; and how often it occurs to us too late. But it's also about being a better person, or trying to be, even if -- especially if -- there's no benefit to you. Just doing the right thing because it's what should be done.

<i>What if across the top, written in bold letters (and in Comic Sans!) was a summation of Wallace Price's life that was less than flattering? HE DIDN'T DO A WHOLE LOT, BUT HE HAD NICE SUITS! or, worse, NOT THAT GREAT, IF I'M BEING HONEST.</i>

For all the tears, and for all the story is saying something lovely, though not particularly profound -- though maybe the simplicity makes it profound? you decide -- I'll admit that, some fun antics with the characters who live in this bizarre tea house side, there was only so much that could happen, that we could see play out. The journey is mostly internal for Wallace, our lead, to relive moments of his life, to relearn things he had forgotten, to be better. We do sort've go through some motions, which makes sense because, I mean, he's dead, all he has is motions to go through, but this story is almost all character-driven. There is more action, more excitement, near the end, though. Both related to, but also not, to all my tears. There's one character, Cameron, well.. yeah, lots of tears for that one.

<i>Honesty was a weapon. It could be used to stab and tear and spill blood upon the earth. Wallace knew that; he had his fair share of blood on his hands because of it. But it was different now. He was using it upon himself, and he was flayed open because of it, nerve endings exposed.</i>

You'll definitely find some Klune-esque humour, though not quite to the extremes he can often get, and some of his characters -- Mei, Nelson -- all but leap off the page in your face. As much as I enjoyed Wallace, and Hugo, they weren't my favourites; and seeing as the story focuses the most of them, that might be why this isn't a full five stars. Their parts were sometimes lovely, moving, and often sweet. But when I think back on this story, which I'm sure I will, they won't be the first ones to come to mind.

"<i>We don't murder people.</i>"
"<b>Maim, then</b>."
"<i>We don't do that either.</i>"
"<b>Nothing's stopping us. You told me that we should always try and achieve our dreams.</b>"
"<i>I didn't have murder in mind when I told you that.</i>"
"<b>That's because you think too small.</b>"

Full of thoughtful exploration and devastating observations, tea, and equal parts cozy and sad and strange, as long as you don't go thinking this is another THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA -- though you may see a little blink and you miss it throwaway reference to it, and another of Klune series or two -- I think you'll really appreciate this story. But don't forget to pack the tissues.

Grab the tissue box or your sleeve if it’s closer because there is a very good chance that you will finish reading Under the Whispering Door in tears like me. If the words TJ Klune or The House in the Cerulean Sea (aka my favourite read of 2020) weren’t enough to bring me to this book, the premise itself would have intrigued me to pick it up.

Wallace is not a good man. Or rather, he was not a good man when he was alive. And when he is suddenly faced with death, he is having trouble understanding what is going on. He’s picked up by a very chatty Reaper by the name of Mei, who guides him to Hugo, a ferryman, who works in a tea shop. They are there to guide him so that he is ready to continue on his journey. Whatever that means.

And such is the start of a reading journey that ended in tears. How could it not? Such big topics about death, grief, letting go, moving on, redemption, forgiveness, family and friendship. But just like The House in the Cerulean Sea, I’m left with a feeling of comfort, love, and warmth in my heart as I finished the story. While I know that this was all fictional, somehow in reading TJ Klune’s version of what happens when people die, Under the Whispering Door has given me a sense of peace for what may be after death. And that is a surprisingly spiritual feeling to manifest from reading a fictional novel. As of writing this review (shortly after completing the novel), I’m also left with a feeling that something was missing from the story to make it as perfect as Cerulean Sea. I’ll try to pinpoint what that may be - perhaps with a second reading of the story - but for now, I will say that I really enjoyed Under the Whispering Door and it definitely make the list for this year’s favourite reads.

Wallace is a cold-hearted lawyer who suddenly die. He comes to awareness in the afterlife at his own funeral, where a grand total of four people are in attendance. A young woman leads to him an odd tea shop that serves as the bridge between life and what comes next. Here he meets Hugo, the ferryman who leads people on to the next step, as well as his ghost grandfather and ghost dog.

I am probably going to have some rocks thrown at me for this review, but so be it.

This book just didn’t do it for me. I found the overall writing style and plot with lengthy sections consisting just of conversation to drag on and felt overall it seemed very preachy and sappy and repetitive. I felt like there was very little character development and was completely unable to grasp the relationship that develops in the book because the development is just not shown. The book opens with Wallace showing his horrible personality in full force, and he very rapidly does a complete personality 180 after his death without any reasonable demonstration as to WHY. So much time is spent on Wallace figuring out how to touch physical objects or change his clothing his ghost wears and I completely failed to understand why this developed the plot whatsoever. Many of the characters felt exceptionally Mary Sue to me. Very disappointing read overall that I struggled to get through.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader’s copy.