*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book*

This book was amazing in every way possible. Such a funny and heartwarming story. If you liked House by the Cerulean Sea, you'll probably love this too!
I love the character development of Wallace as he interacts with rest of the characters. He starts out as an asshole and grows into a better version of himself.
The concept of death is a main element of this book, I can't say that it was my favorite take on the concept but it was relatively well done.
The romance is really cute and I very much enjoyed it.

I loved "The House in the Cerulean Sea" and was so hoping that I would love "Under the Whispering Door" just as much. TJ Klune did not disappoint. And the best part is that they are completely different stories, and not just a re-written rerun.

Warren starts out so tremendously unlikeable that it's hard to find any sympathy for his situation. His transformation after being at Charon's Crossing through his interactions with Hugo, Mei, Nelson and Apollo wasn't rushed and felt very natural to me.

I loved the romantic aspect of the story; how Warren and Hugo grew to love each other slowly beginning with admiration of each other's character and actions.

TJ Klune has written a beautiful book with characters you will fall in love with, and a story that makes you wish you were in it.

This book had me intrigued as soon as I knew it was about ghosts. It's a very similar structure to House in The Cerulean Sea: man has a (kind of terrible/boring) life, which get's interrupted and he ends up at a unique house with even more unique inhabitants. The main character is able to grow and become a better version of themselves and finds a home.

I do want to throw in a slight trigger warning as this book deals with death and grief, and it may be too much for some.

...Spoilers below...
T.J. Klune is excellent at writing descriptions of locations that make them come alive in the reader's mind. I love the tea shop and that Hugo finds everyone their perfect tea, that part was the most comforting to me. It makes me wonder what my tea would be. Probably something similar to Wallace's peppermint candy cane or something citrus. I appreciate that Klune makes all of the characters memorable, and I immediately fell in love with Nelson, Mei, and Apollo. I even looked forward to Desdemona showing up by the end.

I would have loved to see more of Wallace's development, which I felt was a bit rushed or fast-forwarded over. Wallace helping Mei in the kitchen, playing with Apollo, and learning from Nelson were some of my favorite parts and I would have enjoyed more of it.

The husks and Cameron's suicide story I think was well handled, but I would still caution people as it may be too much to read for some (or just not in the right time of their life to read this particular book).

Never thought I would be crying over ghosts, but here we are. I'm going to miss Apollo the most.

I loved the Manager and the fantasy element of him being a super powerful being that's normal form is a stag, but he appears to them as a young boy. I was hoping he would let Wallace stay and I'm glad it was so they could help the husks as a team. Very satisfying ending.

This was one of my most anticipated book after loving The House in the Cerulean Sea!
For this one, it was more of a slow burn and it took me longer to like it.
It tackles darker issues too. Death and grief are the main themes here but the novel, just like The House in the Cerulean Sea is very hopeful and quirkily charming too.
I loved the tea shop, the atmosphere and the care Hugo takes to grow and make tea, I loved their little found family. At first, however, I wasn’t really invested in Wallace’s story and the pacing didn't help because during the first half I really didn’t know where it was going and felt like nothing was happening. After a hundred pages, everything is back on track and halfway through I was completely charmed.
I would have liked some things to be more subtle at times, the lesson we learn don't always need to be explicitly put into words.
Some scenes were truly extraordinary and touching ans heart-warming and some others were a bit more conventional and less ground breaking.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and got misty eyes at one moment that really touched me personally. I loved the characters so much even though the plot was sometimes a bit weak. I definitely recommend it.

I’ve not read any of Klune’s previous work, but if Under The Whispering Door is anything to go by, I’d read his shopping list, his writing is that spectacular.

It is such an unusual plot idea, that somehow seems like it should be a really obvious plot idea, but this is definitely the first of its kind I’ve read. It is so emotional and moving but not over the top. It’s a fantasy that is so installed in real life and proves to us that it’s never too late to make the life you wanted.

This was being marketed as a LGBTQ+ book, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t even notice. If I read a book with a male/female relationship, I don’t consciously notice it, it just is. This just happens to be a male/male relationship and I can understand just how important it is for a reader to see this portrayed as normal in a mainstream book.

Considering most of this book is set in just the one location with the same half a dozen characters, it could have become quite dull, but it never ventures anywhere near dull-town.

The characters are - ironically - so full of life. For a work of fiction - in other words a literal figment of Klune’s imagination - it is hugely touching and really gets you thinking about your own life and how you would want to be remembered once your time is up.

There are lots of books I could see being made into films but this one I saw clearer than any I’ve read. I could see the characters, the house, even the emotions had clear characteristics of their own.

I didn’t want to read this book quickly, I wanted to stay with it forever, and I would gladly read a sequel if it could warrant it. I don’t want to leave Hugo and Wallace quite yet.

This was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It is entertaining, original, emotional, loving, difficult, thought-provoking, and simply beautiful.

I will finish with my favourite line from it:

“It’s never enough, is it? Time. We always think we have so much of it, but when it really counts, we don’t have enough at all.”

Thank you so much @TorBooks & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 21 September 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Wallace Price in short is not a nice man. He finds himself as a ghost attending his own funeral, but he hasn't quite come to terms with the fact that he is dead. A reaper collects him and guides him to a teashop on the outskirts of a faraway town which is run by a ferryman called Hugo. Their jobs are to help the dead come to terms with their situation & cross over.

WHAT I LIKED:
- I SOBBED. Multiple times. I had to sit up because I thought there was a chance I would drown in my own tears.
- this does not have the same kind of warm & fuzzy feeling of The House in the Cerulean Sea, but oh boy this was such a beautiful story & it will stay with me for a long time.
- the characters were precious cinnamon rolls (even Wallace) & so well flushed out
- the found family trope was perfectly done
- it reminded me a lot actually of The Midnight Library

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the 25% to 50% mark is quite slow paced but persevere because it's worth it

First, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I got an ARC of Under the Whispering Door because I absolutely adored The House in the Cerulean Sea. And I was not disappointed at all!
I loved each and every one of the characters so much. Nelson is precious and hilarious, Apollo is the best dog ever, Mei is amazing (and I love that she's the designated hugger), Hugo is everything, and Wallace grows so much over the course of the book, how can you not fall in love with him?!
This is a book around and about death, so it's very very heavy at times. I needed a full box of tissues for this one (and for me, the tears started pretty early on). But everything was handled so beautifully. Why are we here, what's next, what do our lives even mean, how do we touch people, what is family, what kind of differences do we make, what do we want and need out of our lives and relationships? Exploring all of it, not only through Wallace, but also through Nancy and Cameron had me bawling.
It wasn't all tears though! I was howling with laughter at points, and TJK's signature banter and witty dialogue were 100% on point.
I 100% recommend this book, I loved it to pieces even while I was crying copious tears.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

I was nervous to read this book since I utterly adore The House in the Cerulean Sea, so I had very high expectations going into this one. It’s about the story of Wallace, an uptight lawyer who passes away unexpectedly and finds himself a ghost trapped between realms, and Hugo, the ferryman who helps people cross over to the next step in their journey after they’ve died. It’s a story that is both happy and sad at the same time, and overall I really enjoyed.

Honestly, it was a little slow to start, but in an unhurried way rather than boring (although I could see some readers finding it too slow). TJ Klune has a way of writing his characters with so many quirks and eccentricities that they are all the more loveable. The way he builds and develops his characters is just flawless and is one of my favorite things about his writing 💙

Overall, I just want to sit and think and process this book for a while. It is very different from The House in the Cerulean Sea, but with the same witty writing style that I love so much. No spoilers, but Apollo really got me!! Gah I love that dog so much. 🐶

Thank you to Tor Books and TJ Klune for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

21/07/2021

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

please read the Trigger Warnings at the end of the review

Book 42/52

If we worry about the little things all the time, we run the risk of missing the bigger things

genre: contemporary fantasy

age: adult

Review: This tore out my heart multiple times, and I loved every second of it. Don't be fooled seeing this cute little cover: the book is HEAVY. It deals with loss, grief, coming to terms with what you have and haven't done and accepting that that is how it is. I will say that the synopsis of this book spoils a lot: the manager arriving and giving him 7 days happens at around 70% of the book. It has some adorable, funny and heartwarming moments, but don't expect this to be as cute as The House in the Cerulean Sea, because your heart will shatter.

I adored this story however. Seeing Wallace change from this angry Scrooge-type of man to what he is at the end of the story, was a beautiful change. I highly recommend this, but please read the trigger warnings first, because there is a storyline in here that is VERY heavy.

Trigger warnings: death of a young child, death of a child because of cancer, mention of suicide, grief, loss, death of a parent, death by heartattack, depression

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start this off by saying if you’re looking for a story with characters you cannot help but to adore? This is for you. Klune has a way with creating wholesome, dynamic characters. There was not one main character in this story that I disliked and that is difficult to do. The growth of Wallace, the kind heart of Hugo, the wisdom and snark of Nelson, and the humor and good nature of Mei. Apollo was a fun addition to the story as well! The dynamic between each character was lovely as well, as they each had individual relationships with each other that were endearing.

This book addresses grief and it is such a universal emotion that anyone can read this book and find something that touches their heart. It is brutally honest about death and how one may process it. I could feel Klune’s heart in those moments where it took the forefront.

I finished this book so quickly, feeling driven to keep going and see how it all turns out.

That is where my feelings about this book shift, making it a 4 star read instead of 5.

I like the ending, it is a good ending because everything turned out as one would hope. A “happily ever after” type of ending. However, we got there felt unsatisfactory.

Little was done to make it happen so Wallace could stay and it was solved in a few pages. It felt unrealistic and a little too picturesque. It also felt off for the Manager to do based on how callous we saw him being through the story. To suddenly change his mind and give someone another chance like THAT felt odd to me. It doesn’t mesh well. I’d have liked to see it be a little harder or maybe not end well immediately, but could allude to the fact that Wallace and Hugo end up together with time.

However, I still think people will read this and love the ending. It is an ending that will be subjective, with people loving it or disliking it.

Overall, this book did not disappoint. I loved it and I loved the characters. I’m so happy to have read it and thank NetGalley for the opportunity.

This book feel too big to put into words. It was too sad, too heartwarming, too depressing, too funny.. but it's that what TJ is all about, though?

The story starts with Wallace Price, big time lawyer and managing partner at a prestigious firm, he's severe and cruel and honestly a bit of an asshole. And then he dies..

from there it's a wild rollercoaster ride through finding friendship with a elder ghost and a dead dog and a blooming love with a small tea shop owner.

This book is about death so obviously it will have trigger warning, you can find the complete list <a href="https://triggerwarningdatabase.com/2021/05/12/under-the-whispering-door-by-tj-klune/">here</a>. For very personal reasons, at times this book was very hard to get through and it stole a few tears from me but I think these types of stories are so important.

<I> thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! </I>

Copy provided by NetGalley. I was told this book would wreck me and it did. I cried so hard! It was beautiful and sad and so many other things. Wallace dies at the beginning and he is taken to a place for him to wait till he is ready to cross over. He realizes he was not a good person while alive and he wishes he had been different. Hugo is the ferryman to help him be ready to cross over. Hugo and Wallace start to fall in love with each other but they both know it could never happen. So many things happen while Wallace is waiting to cross over. I cannot adequately describe this book at all. It is about grief and love and sacrifice and how life and death just aren't fair. There are funny parts too. It is not all sadness. The ouija board seen is hilarious.

"What else was there to life aside from success? Nothing, really."

"We second guess everything because it's in our nature. People with anxiety and depression just tend to do it more."

"I don't want you to go."

Wallace Price is not a very nice man. He’s very selfish and stubborn. He worked hard to get to where he was and firing one person for missing a deadline once is no skin of his nose.

When he wakes at a funeral he doesn’t remember anything about he’s curious as to whose it is. When he sees his own name on the sign he thinks someone is pulling some sort of prank. He sees a young woman he doesn’t recognise attending and she seems to be the only one who can hears his mumbles of confusion. When Mei introduces herself as a reaper he thinks he might well have gone mad. It seems she is the one to lead him to where he’s to go next. Little does he know it will change his afterlife and his outlook on life.

I thought this book sounded like something a bit different. I didn’t realise the emotions it’d bring out of me. It’s filled with loss and love, a hint of magic and a few tears too. The story was sort of unexpected I guess but I was drawn into it from the beginning with some great characters making it all the more difficult to put down. A really lovely and sometimes sad story that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

look out for it if you fancy something a bit different that will stay with you.

Much like The House in the Cerulean Sea, it took me a bit to get into the book. The snarkiness of Wallace in the beginning made it difficult to like him. Why should I care about this journey he's taking if he's an awful character? But, like in Cerulean Sea, there's a turning point. Maybe it's character growth, maybe it's the story telling, but I was hooked (no pun intended) and needed to know that this book was going to end differently than the inevitable ending you can see a hundred miles away.

I think my biggest complaint is the title is "Under" the Whispering Door. How can something be under a door, if that door is in the ceiling?

I did enjoy the book thoroughly.

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a review.

Under the whispering Door follows Wallace Price after his untimely death and subsequent relocation to Charon’s Crossing, a combination tea shop and way station for the dead. While Wallace refuses to move on by remaining in the shop, he learns to value the parts of life he missed out on, proving that not even death can stop someone from learning how to live.

“If we worry about the little things all the time, we run the risk of missing the bigger things.”

TJ Klune does it again with another heart-wrenchingly beautiful book that made me sob my heart out. I knew that a book about death and what comes after would hit me in the feels, but Klune also includes moments of light and laughter that made me smile in between the tears. Basically what I’m saying is, if you want to experience a wide range of intense emotions, pick this book up as soon as possible.

“Death isn’t a final ending, Wallace. It is an ending sure, but only to prepare yourself for a new beginning.”

Klune’s lyrical writing style was what made me fall in love with his other book House in the Cerulean Sea. This same style works perfectly in UtWD to discuss the intricacies of loss in an open and honest way. On top of the stunning prose, the cast of characters that basically embodied the term “found family” pulled at my heartstrings in the best possible way. Plus, there’s a ghost dog named Apollo so it was almost guaranteed that I would love this book.

Under the Whispering Door releases on September 21, 2021. Thank you again to the publisher for providing a copy to review.

CW: Animal death, Anxiety, Cancer (terminal), Child death, Death of parent (past, mentioned), Depression, Heart attack, Murder, and Self-harm

Alright so I have finally found my religion. When I die I am going to Charon's Crossing Tea and Treats and no one is telling me otherwise.

Wallace Price is dead and he is NOT happy about it. As an attorney of a large firm, he is far too busy for this nonsense. When the Reaper leads him to a strange house and he meets the ever so charming owner, Hugo, Wallace begins to understand what really matters in life - and in death.

Wallace starts off as such an insufferable character. I remember thinking a quarter of the way in "there is no way they're gonna get me to like this guy." But... I LOVED Wallace.

The "found family" tropes is one of my favorites and I adored this little group of misfits. Even though the entire book focused on death, fear, and grief I found myself smiling so often.

This is a story of grief and loneliness but it's also a story of hope and empathy. I gave it 5 stars on my Goodreads.

Many thanks to NetGalley + Tor Publishing for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

It should be no surprise that this book jumped to the top of my to-read list. The inimitable writing style of TJ Klune is clearly present in Under the Whispering Door. This story, about death and what comes after, is told with a gentle hand and an unhurried pace. While the story deals with some very sad themes including suicide and murder, the story remains edifying and hopeful.

The story begins with Wallace Price. When he dies unexpectedly, he is still in denial when the reaper, Mei, comes to collect him at his own funeral. But instead of taking him to an afterlife, he is taken to a tea shop, where he meets Hugo the ferryman. Hugo will help him and when he is ready, he can go through the door at the top of the house. At the tea shop, we meet Nelson, Hugo's grandfather, and his dog Apollo. This little group becomes a found family for Wallace, who hasn't lived a life he is proud of.

There are several themes in the story and it covers a lot of emotional situations related to death. But also, what it means to be alive, to love, to be selfless, and empathetic. The story is funny, sad, heartwarming, and conflicting. I fell in love with these characters.

If death is not a topic you feel comfortable reading about, you should be aware that that is discussed throughout the entire book.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the e-Arc. This is my honest review.

Wallace was not a nice man, but he was efficient. He was feared by colleagues and foes alike. When a reaper tries to collect him from his own funeral, he has far too much work to do to cooperate. This reaper convinces him to meet her boss Hugo, a strange tea shop owner, who promises to help him cross over to the next life. But Wallace isn't ready to leave life behind, even as the inhabitants of the tea shop (alive and dead) show him that what he was doing could barely be called living. Klune has created a beautiful world full of quirky, damaged, and loving characters in this tender and thought-provoking story of life, love, and second chances.

TJ Klune, who hurt you?

In a similar whimsy vein as The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door is another quiet yet heavy book to slowly read throughout the day, preferably with plenty of tea and cozy sweaters.

Wallace has not been a good man. Even in death, few mourned him. His spirit is taken to a strange tea shop under the care of the Ferryman where he has to confront the reality of his awful behavior and learn how to grow – even flourish without the usual restrictions of the living. With the additional help of another ghost, a slobbery dog, and a reaper, Wallace has to figure out how to live a full life in a single week before he is forced to crossover…

The book has a quiet ache that many people will feel by reading. Appealing to fans of The God Place, Under the Whispering Door asks: What have I don’t to become a better person? How do I make amends with those I’ve hurt? Wallace’s struggle to overcome his general apathy shows an outstanding character beneath his trimmed suits and sour expressions. He succeeds, he fails, he learns, showing that the path to becoming a better person is always best done with support and the realization that few things in life are straightforward. Underlining this narrative is a message about healing. So many characters have been hurt, either by Wallace or by various circumstances. Reading about Hugo, Nancy, Cameron, Nelson, Alan, and Mei strikes a deep cord about what it takes to heal from constant pain. Each goes through their own process; all have different reactions to trauma. What stood out for me the most was Hugo, the level-headed Ferryman. His empathic personality, while shining brightly, is only a facet of who he is. The gradual building of his characterization, his hopes, and flaws, made every moment with him a delight.

Despite these heavy topics, there are moments of humor. The Ouija board scene – perfect. Wonderful. What every ghost should aspire to do. Much like Klune’s previous Tor book, this manages to balance whimsy with pain and comedy,

There were some fumbles. A particular scene near the end felt like a Deus Ex Machina, but the genuine development Wallace went through will satisfy any reader.

An ARC has been provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an eARC of this book.

After falling in love with The House in the Cerulean Sea last year, this was probably my most anticipated read of the year. I was stunned to receive an ARC abut about halfway through I began to regret requesting it. Not because it was bad – I think the five star rating says that – but because I wasn’t certain how I’d ever be able to put my feelings about this book into words.

I’m still not. But I’m going to have to try.

Under the Whispering Door is a completely different kettle of fish to Cerulean. It’s just as special, but in its own distinct way. Beautifully written and full of hope, with a cast of characters who will stay with me always.

The story is Wallace’s, a man who, had he lived in Victorian England, would have definitely been on the shortlist for a visit by three ghosts. He’s not a good person in the slightest: a workaholic who doesn’t see the value in other people, who doesn’t do anything for anyone unless he’s getting something out of it himself.

In many ways, this is reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, though instead of telling the story of a man who sees all the wrong he’s doing with his life and getting to change it, Wallace doesn’t get to realise how utterly he’s wasted his life until he dies and gets a… not a second chance, but a chance to come to terms with his death.

He’s taken to a waystation, a small tea shop managed by Hugo, the Ferryman, whose job is to prepare the spirits to cross over, and Mei, his Reaper, who brings them to him. Also present are Nelson and Apollo, Hugo’s Grandad and dog, both long-term residents of the tea shop and also, quite dead. They’re a charming cast and I fell in love with them at once. Nelson and Mei are hilarious. Apollo is a dog. And Hugo – Hugo is a perfect cinnamon roll, so full of hope and wisdom and the belief that people can be good and that they deserve another chance.

And Wallace – for it is his story – grows. He doesn’t do it at once, but inch by inch until he’s unrecognisable from the man we first meet. I don’t believe that everyone is good at heart, but I believe that people who want to change should be given the opportunity to. And at the tea shop, Wallace is given a chance to change, and he does, finding a family (oh how I love that trope) and love all at once.

On the whole, this is a book about grief and death in all its forms – and for that reason, I couldn’t wholeheartedly recommend it to everything as I could Cerulean. It’s a lot darker and the topics it discusses could be incredibly triggering. I spent the last few chapters in tears – but at the same time, it felt cathartic. The book deals with grief and death incredibly sensitively. If The House in the Cerulean Sea was warm hug, Under the Whispering Door is a blanket around the shoulders and a mug of tea pressed into your hands: a promise that everything can and will be alright.

I loved it. I loved it so very much.