This was my most anticipated release of the year, and, oh, how I adored this book. This has hands down become one of my favorite books of all time. It feels like one of those books that was meant to find its way into my life, and now that I’ve read it, feels like an intrinsic part of me. To share this book with a friend and to have them read it would be bearing a part of my soul. No amount of words will ever fully be able to encapsulate what this book means to me, but I will certainly try.

Those who’ve read TJ Klune’s well-loved predecessor The House in the Cerulean Sea will definitely find some familiar undertones in this story. Wallace is a similar character to Linus in that they both come from the corporate working world, temporarily set in their ways until they find themselves welcomed in by a colorful cast of characters that call themselves a family. Or maybe it’s just the quality of TJ Klune’s writing craft that make this book feel familiar, with characters who are undeniably good at heart and challenge the protagonist to view the world in a different light, full of compassion and understanding the emotional depths of being human. Stories that are vibrant and bursting with imagination while still connecting back to the world around us and the life lessons we learn along the way.

While House in the Cerulean Sea felt very whimsical and sweet, however, Under the Whispering Door hits deeper in a way that I think readers will really appreciate and just shows how Klune continues to evolve as a writer. The story centers around death and the journeys we all take in order to find our own peace with it, but Klune has such careful precision in balancing charming, lighthearted moments with the more heavy, emotional subject matter. It never feels overkill or too much for us to handle, but just the perfect ebb and flow. In this way, the pacing is so well done and you’ll find yourself easily being carried along through the highs and lows of this story, connecting so deeply to these characters and following their day-to-day living in a teashop, mixing hilarity with tender moments while navigating death in all manner of ways. Even within the larger theme of death, there were certain parallels made and different forms of grieving and death that were incorporated into the story, from suicide to a mother's grief over her young child, and these moments, while incredibly heart-wrenching, were handled so, so well and with such care.

Under The Whispering Door is one of those truly special books that come along that everyone should read in their lifetime, and TJ Klune is one of those writers whose books will always stay with you. I highly implore everyone to pick this book up!

I received this ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge Publishing via NetGalley to review before it’s debut on September 21, 2021. I fell in love with TJ Klune’s last book, House on the Cerulean Sea and knew I HAD to get my hands on this one. This story of a ghost who refuses to cross over and his ferryman took me a minute to get into but once I did, I was hooked!

Klune writes so beautifully and seems to really understand grief— something I know a bit about myself. I found tears in my eyes in the last few chapters. This book is pretty special and I hope people will read it when it comes out in a few months. I also look forward to Klune’s next release!

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge publishing and NetGalley for access.

This was a beautiful story about second chances, life, death, and grief. It plays on the trope of an awful man grows to be a good person in death. I cried. A LOT, but I also laughed and smiled and took comfort.

There is definitely some heavy subject matter in this book (it is a book discussing death after all) but they are handled delicately and with care. The whole cast of characters are unique and have their own stories to tell. Nelson's in particular really hit me in the heart. As a dog lover, I absolutely loved Apollo, of course.

I was barely able to read the last few pages through my TEARS.

My only gripe with this book is the dialogue. Having read The Extrodinaries and Flash Fire (a book around teens) it was really jarring for the dialogue to be so similar, especially when I kept remembering the characters in this book are adults.

As much as I enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea, I absolutely LOVED Under the Whispering Door. The cover is deceiving, because it makes you think you are getting the same quirky and fun story line as you did with Cerulean Sea. Instead, you are getting a beautiful story about grief, life, death and what comes after. It is not religious, but it is also not anti-religion which I think is important to note when talking about what comes after death.

Wallace Price is not a nice man. He lacks empathy and only cares about himself. He goes to work for 12+ hours a day and then goes home to work more in an empty house. He has no time for family or friends, but even if he did he is too miserable and selfish for anyone to want to be around him. When he dies unexpectedly from a heart attack, he simply can’t fathom what to do with himself in the afterlife.

This gets 5 stars because I haven’t stopped thinking about it since the moment I picked it up. It makes you think about what is actually important in life and how you really don’t know how much time you have with your loved ones. If you were to die today, who would show up at your funeral? It seems morbid, but very thought provoking because what is the point of living, if you don’t actually live?

Possible triggers: death, suicide, loss of child

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the chance to read this book.
It was amazing!
I loved the story and characters so much!
T. J. Klune has definitely become a new favourite author.

This was a surprisingly great story with so many aspects and dimensions. I loved the whole concept and the characters were very well composed. I think the mixture of sadness and humour were perfectly balanced.
Thank you to Netgalley uk and Pan Macmillan for an ebook arc of this story.

This is one of the funniest, sweetest, most tender books about death and grief I've ever read. From the very first page I was invested in the main character and his hard won redemption, and the romance absolutely swept me away. The writing was easy to read while still getting across these big feelings, and the characters are very loveable.

I do think that the pacing was a little weird in the first quarter. Everything seemed to move very fast at first especially with character development aspects, but by the halfway point the book had really found its groove. Definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year.

It was definitely more of a romance and much darker in subject matter than Klune's last irreverent fantasy comedy (The House in the Cerulean Sea) so I'm not 100% sure this will work as well for everyone who loved that book, but it worked even better for me so I am not about to complain.

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley

Oh this book! It’s made me laugh and it made me cry. The book has a bit of a slow start, but then it gets so good! The book deals with death and grief, but keeps the tone light with humor and found family.

If you read and loved the House in the Cerulean Sea it’s a must read- it’s more of a serious book but still has the whimsy and coziness of Cerulean Sea 💙

It’s cheesy, but in a warm cup of mac and cheese way - comforting

This is my first TJ Klune book and it was such a welcoming read. Given the plot I figured it was going to be an emotional and contemplative read, but I was pleasantly surprised by it's humor.

The main cast of characters were all so lively and unique on their own. Together, they made such a heartwarming and fun close knit group. All of their interactions were a pleasure to read. I kind of didn't want the story to ever end.

The antagonist was pretty great. Not quite what you'd expect. They were not evil but also not exactly all good. They were almost exactly lawful neutral, which felt fitting for their role in the story.

The M+M love story was precious and I wish the best for them <3 Love the bisexual rep.

4 stars

TJ Klune wrote it? I'm obviously reading it. That's the stance I came into this novel with, and upon completion, I feel the force even more powerfully.

When readers meet Wallace, the m.c., at the start of the novel, he comes off as a stubborn misanthrope who derives pleasure from punishing others and making sure that he has as few meaningful personal attachments as possible. True to form, Klune still manages to make Wallace hilarious, complex, and extraordinarily round from the jump, and it's impossible to not want to follow his journey. That road seems to be cut short when - almost immediately - Wallace dies. However, that's really where the extraordinary adventure begins.

There is so much tea talk in this novel, and for me, reading this was very much akin to the process of drinking a cup: a long, slow steep with an outcome that is absolutely worth the wait. A good chunk of the novel felt pretty slow to me, but the complexity and engaging nature of the characters make up for this. The world building is also steady but believable as a result. So much of the novel is about change, growth, and potential, and these motifs are also reflected in the structure.

Though there is a lot to move readers throughout, the last quarter of the novel is packed with really powerful outcomes and moving realizations. Like a good cup of tea among friends (or even among more than friends), the end result is exceptional. The ultimate messages are hopeful without being saccharine and empowering without being damaging. And in the way that really only Klune can execute, there's a thread of humor and comradery built in to even the most difficult moments.

Klune is providing readers with prolific variety these days, and this is yet another example of Klune's ability to build characters, connections, and worlds with staying power. Grab your tea and maybe a tissue, hug a (vaccinated) friend (only if you are vaccinated), and find out what's under the whispering door. What you learn there is bound to stay with you for the long haul.

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved The House in the Cerulean Sea and this met all my expectations as well! The characters are beautifully written and it's easy to lose yourself in the story. Science fiction/fantasy isn't my favorite genre, but this is so well written that I forget all about the genre and just enjoy it for what it is - a wonderfully written book. Without a doubt, I'll read more by TJ Klune in the future.

God this book!
It broke me into a million tiny shards but the journey and creation of putting it back together was so wonderful and beautiful. I loved these characters as if they were my own. I will always treasure klunes word sorcery as it never leaves my heart.

First off, let me state that I am not typically a fan of fantasy. But this novel was so BEAUTIFUL, from the plot to the characters and everything in between! This was a stunning story of death, grief and what comes after and it came at a time in my life that I needed to read this so much. Can't wait to share this story with my friends!

This is a book that demands to be felt and experienced. For anyone who has experienced a loss, you will feel like you are in the tea shop yourself and the characters are talking to directly to you. With TJ Klunes classic humor and style, I never wanted the book to end, I did not want to have to leave the cozy tea shop.

The first part of the book does drag on for a little bit but the last half of the book is an emotional journey that is just so satisfying. So many lessons to be learned from this book about grief and loss. I want to go back and have tea with Hugo and Wallace.

OMG this was so freaking good. Wallace is an attorney and not a very nice person. He is cold & rather mean. He dies suddenly from a heart attack & "wakes" up at his funeral & isn't very happen when there really isn't anyone there. His partners in the firm & his ex-wife. Enters Mei who is a reaper who is task with brining him to Hugo, the ferryman. When he ends up at the house/tea shop where Hugo is, he sees that he is tethered to him by a hook & rope. He also meets Hugo's grandfather & his dog Apollo who are both dead & just hanging out. Needless to say, he is not happy & demands to be sent back. We have a story of Wallace coming to realize that he is a better person then who he was prior to his death, learning from his mistakes and trying to make some things right as well as falling in love. I loved all the secondary characters, even the Manager. There are moments in the story where I broke down and cried not wanting certain things to happen, but it was the way it was meant to be. I have already pre-ordered the audio book so I can listen to the story over & over. I really don't want to give away any spoilers, but I highly recommend this book to all you TJ Klune fans out there.

*4.5*

This book had me feeling so many emotions throughout. Klune did a really good job of making you dislike the main character in the beginning then learning to admire him in the end. Watching Wallace accept his life was heartbreaking. I consider myself a workaholic, much like Wallace. I’m not an important lawyer but I do work long hours with very little down time. Reading this book made me question why I even have to work in the first place. Death comes for us all and what matter is life is the way you spend it. If you’ve been working too much, just remember to take a break and be around loved ones and do what you like.

The book starts with us meeting Wallace, a lawyer who is very serious and all about the job. His employees hate or fear him, he has no friends. It’s just work work work. Then he dies. But miraculously, he wakes up at his funeral. Seeing the amount of people that attended, (five) he realizes just how little he meant to anyone. After that the rest of the plot resumes with his journey to the afterlife.

What I love most about this book is the many different stages of death that’s represented. There’s the initial death, how loved ones are affected, how people move on, what happens when you die. There is no holding back when talking about death.

Throughout the story the characters grew on me and by the end I loved them all. You will feel the tenderness, suspense, grief, all the emotions they had and more by the time you finish. The only reason I’m knocking off half a star is the way the dialog made me feel. At times it felt forced, it didn’t flow very well. Most of the time when the characters talked to each other I was confused about what was so funny or why they would say something. I think that’s a personal problem though.

Overall this book was really great and I highly suggest anyone to read it if they can stomach the topic of death. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for accepting my request and providing me with this arc.

I was intrigued by the concept of TJ Klune's latest book - hard to ignore the fact that death has been on all our minds a lot for the last year, and I was intrigued to see how this particular author would approach the issue.
It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' that this story takes you by the hand and gently steps up to confront that which we often avoid, making it hopeful and deeply human.
This book has a lot in common with Cerulean Sea but has enough differences that it doesn't just feel like a rehash. I particularly liked the idea of starting with a genuinely very unlikeable character and seeing how/if he could change. At the start of the book I was concerned, I wouldn't come around to Wallace but Klune manages to make his changes feel both genuine and profound. In another author's work this might come across as saccharine or just a retake of some kind of Scrooge story, in this case Klune's tone is so carefully balanced that it doesn't feel sickly sweet.
The themes of grief and death are prevalent in this book and a content warning is included in the book for some of the more difficult aspects of those themes. I personally felt they were handled as carefully as you might expect from this author and I found it very interesting as a person who has been exploring more around death positivity and grief in my own life. Once again I have to say Klune manages to keep things from becoming toxically positive, acknowledging that life is messy and so often death is the same. Obviously Klune's work is a fantasy but, much like 'The Good Place' it's a fantasy that I want to believe in.
Overall this is *exactly* what I was expecting this book to be, it's a gentle, hopeful love story that takes place among the dead and those who help them. I'll be interested to see if Klune breaks away from this style of writing in the future but I also secretly hope that we get more books like this!

In the way that a generation went to see Titanic over and over, to experience the love story that was Jack and Rose, I think that people are going to read this book over and over to read again and again about Wallace and Hugo. It's not just a love story though. This story is a comfort to queer people everywhere. For all of us raised to believe that Heaven was not meant for us, this is our story; this is a mythology to give us comfort about the unknown. I would gladly accept an afterlife like this. This story is about friendship; about family,the chosen-- our tribes. Most of all, it's a story that shows it's never to late to make changes in your life, (or death) and become a better version of yourself. I was not expecting the ending but I absolutely loved it. I was a fan of The House in the Cerulean Sea. But my heart is with this story.

I loved this book. Prepare to have your heart broken, to cry and to love these characters with all your Heart. It’s not only a story about death but a story about love. A love story about a ghost and a ferryman. A tea shop and family. A book everyone should read❤️ To mr. Klune thank you for one again writing a fabulous heart wrenching and heart warming story for us book needs to get lost in!

*Full review to be posted closer to publication on my blog, Goodreads, and Amazon.*

I, like many others, fell head over heels in love with The House in the Cerulean Sea when I read it last year, so I knew that I absolutely had to pick up Under the Whispering Door as soon as I could. This book had a very different overall setting and concept from Cerulean Sea, but it carried over many similar themes and overall messages about acceptance, understanding, love, and so much more. I will be honest and say that this one didn't grab me quite to the extent that I expected, but that's not to say that this wasn't also a perfect and beautiful story all on its own. It's heartwarming and heartbreaking, and I look forward to reading more from Klune.