I can only imagine that T.J. Klune is a highly empathetic and warm-hearted individual. His books always leave me with a warm, sentimental feeling when I've finished reading them and his characters stay with me long after I've turned the last page. I'm left to ponder relationships with those dear to me and contemplate what's truly important in life. Addressing profound topics that are generally associated with despair, he somehow ends up crafting stories that are uplifting and inspirational.

This story was no exception. In his usual whimsical manner, Klune takes his readers on an unusual journey into a uniquely-imagined afterlife. And it seems to be his modus operandi to create protagonists that are highly unlikable to begin with, but end up becoming incredibly endearing by novel's end. This author takes great care to expose the worst qualities in human beings, while also illuminating the best ones.

I will admit that The House in the Cerulean Sea is still my favorite of the two. I did feel that there were scenes in this novel that didn't really move the plot along. In the same breath I'll admit that this is a more character-driven book, and therefore the plot is perhaps not a central focus. Also, Cerulean Sea was more quotable, tbh🤷‍♀️.

As usual, this is a wonderfully inclusive book with BIPOC, AAPI, and LGBTQ characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Check out more of my bookish ponderings on my blog at mamasgottaread.blogspot.com or follow me on Instagram @mamasgottaread !

🐝 R E V I E W 🐝

Under the Whispering Door
By TJ Klune

☕️☕️☕️☕️/5

Happy Pub Day to this gem 💎! This one’s going to be everywhere!! It’s so well written and so well thought out. And, there were some laugh out loud moments despite the heaviness. I adored the characters!

🫖 Synopsis: Wallace is a callous attorney in life. Putting work before everything and treating everyone terribly. When he suddenly dies, a reaper comes and takes him to a tea shop run by a man named Hugo. Wallace begins to learn so much about life, and perhaps what he missed out on during his own while visiting the tea shop. And, he falls in love, but he’s dead. Wallace is given seven days to cross over, and his whole world@is turned upside down again.

🫖 I keep thinking this is like a modern, non-holiday A Christmas Carol. Bah humbug! Add in a romance and 😍This story, while familiar, is just unique enough that it will keep you intrigued. A book that will make you think, make you wish, and make you cry to get through. It’s a story about grief and regret over things lost, and time having slipped away from you. It will stay with you long after you read it.

🫖 A Fave Quote: “Everyone loses their way at some point and it’s not just because of their mistakes or the decisions they make. It’s because they’re horribly, wonderfully human.”

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

Wallace Price is a jerk. He is a workaholic, has no friends and is very self absorbed. Did I also mention that he is a lawyer and that he is dead? This is his story. Wallace must come to terms with his death and the life he left behind. His journey begins when a reaper takes him to a small tea shop where the ferryman, Hugo, is there to patiently answer his questions and guide him to the next place. As Wallace begins to accept the fact that he is actually dead he begins to see that the life he lived wasn't much of a life. Supported by a unique and heartwarming cast of characters Wallace begins to experience feelings that he has never felt before.

This story will have you laughing and crying throughout as only TJ Klune can do. The subject of death is a serious topic that is handled with great empathy and hope. I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to more from this very talented story teller.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I've already recommended this book to all of my book loving friends because I love how it makes you reflect and think about grief and death. I loved it so much I plan to get a physical copy so I can do all my annotations and apply my sticky notes to my favorite parts.

Biggest, hugest thank you to #netgalley for the ARC for this book. It was…beautiful and haunting (pun not intended).

Just like the book opens, I am opening this review on the content warning. This whole book is about death, grief, and the passage to the afterlife. But it’s also very TJ Klune in that’s it’s about found families in unexpected places and in very quirky houses.

RECOMMENDATION 1: Buy stock in your favorite tissue brand now. This one is a tear-jerker. And I am not a crier.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Have your favorite tea on hand and keep the kettle full.

Over the course of reading this I drank:

- Bigelow’s Perfectly Mint,

- 123 Farm’s Organic Lavender Mint with their Mint Sugar,

- Fraser Tea’s Honeybunch Berry Dandelion, and

- Fraser Tea’s Take Me to the Tropics.

Tea and Under the Whispering Door are the perfect pairing.

Wallace has died. Mei, his Reaper, has brought him to a tea house (he never liked tea) to meet the ferryman, Hugo. Hugo’s tea house/actual house is already occupied by the ghost of his grandfather, who hasn’t crossed over yet because he’s still taking care of Hugo and Hugo’s childhood (ghost) dog, Apollo.

Even though it’s Hugo’s job to help Wallace come to terms with death and to find the desire to crossover, what he actually does is show Wallace how good of a person he could be. How good this tea shop and these people (and dog) are. Wallace ends up helping the residents with lots of problematic cases, alive and very much not, he catches the eye of the Manager.

I think the only reason this book isn’t a five-star for me is because the subject matter isn’t as charming as say, a house for “dangerous” and adorable magical orphans. Otherwise, it’s perfection. It’s gorgeous and soft and kind. It’s exploratory and deep. It’s all the flavors in your favorite cup of tea crossing your tongue.

Go read this one if you can. It’s exemplary

I devoured this author’s previous tale, “House sun the Cerulean Sea” and encourage everyone in the world to read.... then read it aloud to everyone that hasn’t so their lives are also fulfilled. It was THAT good!
So my hopes for this new book were possibly set a bit unrealistically high, tagging along to it's older sibling’s caboose; I had to put it down about 35% in. It felt recycled and a bit repetitive, I’m sad to say. That’s not to say I won’t go back later and try it again but for now, I’ll have to pass.

Thanks for this ARC & the opportunity to review this gifted author’s tale!

I am a huge fan of T.J. Klune's writing (I've not read anything of his yet that I haven't enjoyed) and he sits up there with authors like Becky Chambers who I've come to expect quiet, moving stories from... and they might just happen to feature a few out of this world characters, too. To say I've been anticipating this book is probably a little misleading, because I've had the arc of this sitting on my Kindle for months and sometimes expectation makes me reluctant to start things because I'm worried I'll be disappointed.

So, was I disappointed?  Not really.

I will go into this prefacing that it does feel a bit oddly paced and possibly a little too long in places. It doesn't feel as tightly plotted as some of his other work, but I still enjoyed myself regardless because of the kind of book it was.

Wallace - a lawyer by trade, and not a very nice one, dies and is met by his Reaper at his funeral. Brought to a way station for souls on their way to the other side, Wallace meets Hugo, a ferryman who's job it is to help deceased souls come to grips with the death and the path laid before them.

Like a lot of his Klune's previous works, this book is very quiet and it takes place almost exclusively at Hugo's tea shop, so the setting and characters are very contained. There's a small core cast of characters, plus a few supporting characters who pop in and out of the narrative, but there's the signature element of found family that underlines the entire thing.

The whole book is told from Wallace's perspective, and he goes from a very self-centered man in his life to angry about his death and then moves towards acceptance and finding that it's possible to change even after death. There are plenty of references to the stages of grieving and how everyone processes events (not just death) in different ways. Hugo's job is part-counsellor, part-confidant for those who come to him before they pass on, and he has his own history of anxiety and death of loved ones that has prompted him to embody the role he has taken on.

While it may not have been the best-paced of Klune's books, it was definitely one that explores some interesting ideas. 'Death' (both the reality and the idea of a character of 'Death') is a topic I do like seeing explored in books - because depending on your background and beliefs, people see it in different ways and I love those discussions. So even though Under the Whispering Door doesn't hit the same notes for me as The House in the Cerulean Sea or the Green Creek series, I was very invested in the story and the characters and enjoyed my time reading it.

I cant say enough how much I loved this book! House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my favorite reads this year and Under the Whispering Door easily meets the expectations!

T.J. Klune takes hard topics and makes them relatable through fantastic characters. What an interesting book that I think people will enjoy.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Yes, it's possible to thoroughly enjoy whole swaths of this novel without ever quite accepting its premise.

Indeed, I could very much enjoy the romance and the stages of grief and the whole personal development bits a great deal, even to the point of giving this novel a full five stars, IF it hadn't been for the truly rough intro.

I'm sorry. If I had started reading this after his death without ever having seen him in action during his life, I never would have had a single issue with the novel.

As it is, it stuck in my craw. Hard. Wallace is a grade-A prick. Frankly irredeemable. No amount of effort put into personal growth, with or without such an enormous afterlife prod, would have made me accept this guy as the wonderfully sweet and impressively open-minded guy in the afterlife. At the very least, I would have been quite happy with a stint in hell and some massive torture for him before some kind of massive sacrifice that MAYBE made him redeem himself in my eyes.

As it was, it was WAY too easy. Grief is never that easy, neither is redemption. And the people in here are WAY too welcoming and accepting... unless they were angels... but that doesn't make Wallace an automatic conversion, either.

Ugggh.

What pisses me off is this: without the opener, this is a wonderfully sweet and precious little novel. Without it, all my objections disappear.

This problem just got under my skin. I mean, seriously, what an asshole. Everyone acknowledged it. Uggh.

Last year, I read The House in the Cerulean Sea and fell in love immediately. Under the Whispering Door was immediately interesting and fascinating but it took me a little bit longer to fall in love with it but I did still find this book to be magical. The characters and issues were thoughtfully created. I laughed and cried and wished that these people were real. By the end, I was hysterically sobbing but so so grateful that I got to experience this novel.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is a fantasy novel following Wallace, a hardened lawyer who doesn't seem to have a heart for anyone in his life. However, when Wallace passes away suddenly from a heart attack, he runs into a stranger named Mei at his funeral. Soon he must come to terms with the fact he has died and must move to the whispering door with the help of Mei, a reaper, and Hugo, the ferryman. Will his time at the teashop with the other inhabitants help him get closer to the next steps or will he remain a shell of who he could be even in death?

This cover is fabulous and as soon as I saw this book I knew I needed. to read it. Although I have heard of the author's most recent book, this was the first time I've read their work. Needless to say I am so pleased, this book was such an experience and I am so excited to read more from this author.

To start, the setting was fantastic and I loved seeing the daily life of the characters in the tea shop and some of the guests that came into the shop. The setting definitely made it feel so cozy! However the book does tackle difficult topics such as death, suicide, grief, trauma, and much more. The difficult topics were still handled thoughtfully and added to the story rather than feeling dramatic or overwrought.

What is most compelling about this book is the characters. It was fantastic to see the character growth from Wallace and how he made sacrifices at the expense of himself for his found family. I also loved seeing how his relationship with Hugo developed during his time at the teashop. Their relationship was so heart-warming and I loved to see the longing that was so clear between the two. However, this book would not be the same without wonderful characters like Nelson, Hugo's grandpa, who has decided to remain a ghost at the teashop with Hugo.

Overall, I highly recommend this heartbreaking, then heartwarming book for anyone I know!

Many thanks to the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This book was so lovely. It well exceeded my expectations. Although it dealt with heavy topics such as death and grief it was masterfully well balanced with the humor and light hearted moments. This is a book that takes you apart and puts you back together again. I experienced a whole emotional rollercoaster of a journey. It was heartbreaking, uplifting, and funny. I was invested from the first page to the last. This book wholly has my heart, and i highly recommend it if you're a fan of Klune's previous works or if you want to be introduced.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, This book was everything and more. TJ Klune does an excellent job maneuvering the plot and its characters to create a story unlike any other.

This is my first book by the author and what a treat. So this is probably the only review that won’t compare and contrast it to The House in the Cerulean Sea. Wallace was a self-centered jerk in life, but when he makes his way to the way station on his way to the afterlife, he meets a cast of quirky characters that make him rethink everything he’s believed.

I love a book about second chances. From Mei to Hugo and Apollo to Nelson, I was invested in the cast of the book. And while the lesson is as old as time and not incredibly subtle, I was still drawn in and shed a tear or two. The book is fantasy without seeming too out there to the casual reader and was a joy to read.

When I first heard this described as a “comedy about grief” I would’ve been put off if it had been penned by any other author. But since TJ Klune had yet to lead me astray, I picked this up and I wasn’t disappointed.

From the startling opening with a character so unlikable the only way I could describe him was actually “comical”.

Along this journey I laughed, I cried, I rejoiced in the humanity and also sat down in the fetal position for long stretches of time.

While I urge you to take care of yourself if you choose to pick this one up, I can also guarantee the warmth and vulnerability you’ll find within these pages won’t be something you’ll soon forget.

Let me start off by saying that this book is, by far, my favorite book of 2021 so far. The impact it had on me is comparable to The Nightingale. If you know me, you know that's a BIG statement.

This book changed me. It spoke to me. It also really kind of scared me. Going into this book I was nervous, because even the mere thought of my mortality usually sends me into a spiral of anxiety. I don't like to think about death, and have far from embraced the idea that we're all slowly marching towards it.

The letter from TJ Klune that came with my arc copy of this book calls it a "comedy about death". Still, I wasn't convinced. A character-heavy book? About death? I could see it going very, very badly.

This is a book I want to hug. I want to read it over and over and over again. I want to bring it to my classroom and analyze it to pieces with my students. I want to sing about it from the rooftop. This book made me feel a little bit less scared of the idea that life may just be a part of the adventure. Enveloped in hope and grief, humor and heartbreak, this book is just as much about death as it is about learning to appreciate every moment of your life.

This broke my heart many times over, and will continue to do so again and again.

Unpredictable, whimsical, and poignant, this one will leave you with a book hangover you don't want to miss.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars!

Under the Whispering Door
By TJ Klune
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•••
Summary:
Dead and alive. Wallace Price’s life as he knows it is over. Wallace’s life has ended unexpectedly and now he’s sitting at his own funeral watching on as just a few people show up. Wallace notices a woman he’s never seen before and quickly finds out that she’s here to help him navigate life after death. Her job is to deliver him to the ferryman. Hugo’s job as ferryman is to help those who have recently passed to cross over to whatever’s next for them. But once Wallace meets Hugo, he starts to understand that maybe he didn’t live his life the way he should have. For weeks to come, Hugo helps Wallace come to grips with his past and helps him prepare for his future. The Manager’s patience is wearing thin with Wallace. He’s given him one more week and then he has to cross over. With one week left, Wallace sets out to live a lifetime before he’s forced to cross over.
•••
My thoughts:
Okay lots of thoughts and emotions about this one. My favorite book in late elementary school was “Elsewhere” by Gabrielle Zevin and this book gave me very similar vibes. Let me just say, I read “Elsewhere” and loved it so much that I made my mom read it. Less than a year later, she passed away and I had so much comfort after knowing we both read it and it gave me a different perspective on death. This novel is the adult version of “Elsewhere” for me. It’s been 12 years since my mom passed, but once again I’m finding comfort in the ideas presented in this book. TJ Klune’s newest novel is super cute and the characters are so lovable. After reading “The House in the Cerulean Sea” earlier in the year and loved it so much. I wasn’t sure how UTWD would compare, but I really enjoyed it. I read this one in about 24 hours because I just had to know what would happen with Wallace!
•••
Read if you:
- Know a lot about different teas
- Have ever struggled with what death might be like
- Want a read that has diverse and lovable characters
•••
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for an eARC of Under the Whispering Door in exchange for an honest review! TJ Klune’s newest book is out on September 21, 2021!

I was lucky enough to get an arc of this book from NetGalley. This was my first read from Klune and it was really excellent, I need to read more of his books ASAP. Y’all this book was so good! I really need to branch out and read stuff other than contemporary romance more often.
I don’t really want to give too much of a synopsis but basically the overall of the book is that Wallace died unexpectedly and finds himself between life and death. The book is about reflecting on your life and choices and accepting death and what comes next. Also I’m always happy to read a book with queer representation.
My favorite character was Nelson. We love a feisty wise old grandpa!
It was a pretty quick read for me but I wouldn’t say it was fast paced. For me, the slow start and build up made sense for the subject matter. It was a very good book, well written, emotional, the works. I am definitely an idiot for not reading any of TJ Klune’s books sooner. I will be doing that for sure!

✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐉 𝐊𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐞

Happy pub day!! 🙌🏼 📖 I’ve seen many mixed reviews about this new release, but I ended up enjoying it overall 💙

This story centers around Wallace, a real a-hole 😂 who suddenly passes. He isn’t immediately taken to the afterlife, but to a small village with a tea shop & quirky characters where he reflects on his past life and what it means to truly live.

👍🏼: I really enjoyed the overall concept of the story with dark, emotional moments surrounding death/grief paired with light, heartwarming moments as Wallace transforms & forms relationships in this new, strange environment.

👎🏼: The middle of the story did seem to drag, with some unnecessary plot lines. I had to push through the middle, but overall enjoyed the last few chapters of the story. I wasn’t blown away or deeply moved by the ending, but thought it was an interesting, comical, thought-provoking read about what happens after we pass ✨

Thanks to @torbooks @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for both the ebook & audiobook advanced copies in exchange for my honest review! I enjoyed both reading and listening to this story 📚🎧

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫