Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy.

If you like heartwarming and character-focused stories with great representation, you'll probably like this one.

The book starts with the introduction of Wallace Price, a very selfish man, who dies after a heart attack. At his funeral he meets a reaper (Mei) who takes him to Charon's Crossing, a tea shop, where he'll find a ferryman (Hugo) responsible for helping souls to cross over.

During this journey we see Wallace grow into a very caring man. Also, we get to see a romance between two of the main characters that made my heart melt. Although the story is focused on Wallace, we have a very diverse cast of characters, each one bringing something to the narrative. Nelson had me at his first line, basically, the wise – yet funny – grandfather.

At the end, one of the strongest messages I took from this reading was the importance of having people in your life that you care about. (Sorry for those who don’t like it, but found family is one my favorite tropes.)

It was my first contact with the author’s work so I can’t compare with any of their previous books but now I want to read everything that has been published.

Those who’ve read Klune’s other works know that his stories are full of heart. His latest work, Under the Whispering Door, also has heart, but differs from his previous works; it’s a story about grief, a tale suffused with love but also tinged with sadness.

That’s not to say the story is a tragic one. It’s still uplifting, but it hurts at times, the very definition of bittersweet. Those coming to the story expecting something similar to his last adult novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea, will find something different here. Where Cerulean Sea is like a friend giving you a warm fuzzy hug, Under the Whispering Door is a friend hugging you while you’re in the middle of a cathartic cry.


In Under the Whispering Door, we follow Wallace Price, a Scrooge-like character who starts out as a lawyer with no empathy and little concern for others. It’s not really a spoiler to share that Wallace is dead by the second chapter. It’s his journey after his death that is the core of the story. Wallace meets a reaper named Mei at his funeral, and she takes him to his ferryman, a young fellow named Hugo who runs a tea shop in a curious building far from where Wallace lived.

[rest of review on tor.com]

“We aren’t supposed to force someone before they’re ready. That’s not our job. We’re here to make sure they see that life isn’t always about living. There are many parts to it, and that it continues on, even after death. Its beautiful, even when it hurts”
 
And boy does it hurt.
*NOTE TO SELF* do not read another TJ Klune on your break at work-or you will have to answer WHY YOU HAVE: tears cascading out of your eyes, snot sliding down your face and why you’re uncontrollably sobbing in the middle of the day.
 
Wallace was a tool: he didn’t care about anyone but himself. He won’t be missed by anyone when he dies because he never made one GOOD impact on anyone he came across. Did he care? No, he didn’t- but given the chance to reflect on his life and what he made of it, Wallace begins to see what life truly is about and how healing it can be to be vulnerable.
 
We follow Wallace when he is brought by Mei (the Reaper) to meet Hugo (the Ferryman who helps people cross), Nelson (Hugo’s adorable grand-father), and Apollo (Hugo’s sweet pup). He begins to understand what he missed out on while living, and how life isn’t about how much money or how many hours worked- it’s about the connections we make and how we have the ability to help others even in small ways.
 
The subject of death and grief is heavy-BUT Klune elegantly and insightfully touches on the importance of a life worth living and that death isn’t always an ending, but a beginning. That we should always say or do the things we want- we never know when it’ll be too late.
 
An amazing story of grief, loss, friendship and redemption-you’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you won’t want to leave your new friends behind when it’s over.
 
THE BIGGEST TY to @netgalley @torbooks and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review❤️

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"'Sometimes, death is a blessing, even if we don't realize it right away.'"

Actual Rating = 4.5

Well, first things first - TJ Klune sure knows how to write a wholesome fantasy that fills my cold, dead heart with light and laughter. I knew this after reading "The House in the Cerulean Sea," and I sure as heck still know it after "Under the Whispering Door."

I don't want to get too in-depth on the plot in this book because I think going in relatively blind is the move here. Suffice it to say that our MC, a hardass lawyer named Wallace Price, kicks off the novel by dying and it gets weirder from there.

The shining star of this piece are the characters. Wallace, Mei, Hugo, Nelson, Apollo, and even the Manager are all fully fleshed out, dynamic characters that I honestly wish I knew in real life. The found family between them is so freaking heartwarming and I even teared up while reading this. It's very rare that I'll cry while reading, so that's really saying something.

If you creep on my review history, you'll see that I gave "The House in the Cerulean Sea" 5-stars, whereas this is a strong 4.5. The reason for the 0.5 star decrease is the ending. While this had a perfectly lovely ending that I'm obviously not going to spoil here, I did think it could've been slightly stronger. I'll leave it there but am interested to see other people's thoughts on how this concludes.

Overall, I definitely recommend this if you'd like your faith in humanity temporarily restored.

I'm not going to lie I was cautiously optimistic when I requested this book and boy am I glad I gave it a chance. I have read none of TJ Klune books but the hype of Cerulean Sea + the cover art and blurb of this book just drew me but I am NOT a fantasy reader so I was very unsure once I got my copy...

First off TJ Klune does a phenomenal job at writing his characters. He really makes you love the ones you're supposed to and dislike the ones you're not supposed to like. For a fantasy style book there wasn't a single time I wasn't completely caught up in this story. What I was not expecting was this book to have any type of love story at all and even better for the love story to be a LGBTQ inclusive love story. I'm not a part of the community but I LOVE seeing representation since we know there's not enough representation in books.

The story, Wallace is living his life as a self centered character. He's kind of a jerk and honestly not many people like him. When all of a sudden we wakes up at his own funeral and there he meets Mei, his reaper. Mei is here to take him to the ferryman so he can cross to whatever is next except she takes him to a quirky little tea shop where Wallace must decide when and if he's going to cross. What comes after death though? This is a question most people have? Wallace isn't ready to find out? He's not ready to abandon all that he knows and all that he is.

Our Characters:

Hugo: I LOVED HUGO. He's such a charing, lovable and quirky soul. I love that Klune's "quirky" characters and places aren't over the top and annoyingly so. He just wants to help everyone find their way. Find their journey and find out who they're supposed to be and what they're supposed to do. He also just wants to be their support of that's what they need. He's such a sweet soul and deserves all the good things in the world even if he doesn't always get that.

Mei: Is our lovable reaper. She pretends to be a hard ass when needed. She's the stubborn one and loud one. When someone is messing with her or her people she'll make sure you know about it BUT deep down she's a the biggest softie.

Nelson: He's a "grumpy" old man. JK He's Hugo's biggest support system. Everything he does is for his grandson. He's everyone's support system. He's the teacher of the group, the wise one and it's clear as day that Hugo get's his caring soul from Nelson.

Apollo: WHO DOESN'T LOVE A LOYAL PUP.

Overall this was a 5 star for me. I loved this book and it really makes you think what happens after death and how we should be living each day as if it's our last. We should be letting our loved ones know how much we love and cherish them but also it's a cute book. The character arcs are wonderful. The writing is wonderful. 5/5.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Tor Books and TJ Klune for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Though this novel touched on difficult topics, I really enjoyed this read! I loved how thoughtfully grief and death is discussed throughout the book. Klune does a fantastic job of showing the reader that death is not always the end...but sometimes it is also a beginning.
This story was a great reminder of the fact that our days are limited, and we should spend our time on earth living to the best of our abilities. I enjoyed how Wallace slowly realized throughout the story that it was okay to be vulnerable- and you never truly start living until you share your life with others.
Another amazing read by Klune- I didn't want this book to end!

BOOK: Under the Whispering Door
AUTHOR: TJ Klune
GENRE: Contemporary fantasy
RATING: 9/10
4.5 stars rounded up

Purchased this one for my shelf! After reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, I knew I had to get my hands on TJ Klune's next novel. Going in with expectations as high as they were, it was hard to separate my conscious thoughts from the overlap comparison to THITCS. TJ Klune is a fantastic author that knows how to transform words into pure magic. His writing style aids to his quirky characters and charming plot to an extent that is simply magnificent. I am ecstatic that I was able to read this before publication date! Full review to come on https://instagram.com/booksbyheath/

Wallace Price can't believe it. Per the young woman who appears to him one day and claims to be a reaper, Wallace has died - in the most unceremonious way possible (heart attack while working late at the law firm one night). The young woman, Mei, doesn't bring Wallace directly to the afterlife. Instead, she takes him to Charon's Crossing, a small tea shop run by a young man named Hugo. But Charon's Crossing isn't just a tea shop, and Hugo isn't just the shop owner. Hugo is a ferryman, whose job is to help the dead cross over. But Wallace isn't about to make Hugo's job easy. He's not even ready to admit that he's dead!

Oh, this book! Where can I even begin?? I adored this book so, so much. From the setting, to the ragtag cast of characters, to the incredible prose, TJ Klune has created a beautiful story. I don't want to give too much away, and struggle really to even find the words to express how much this book meant to me. All I can say is, I am better for having read Under the Whispering Door, and would recommend it to almost anyone (there are definitely a few TWs). I laughed, I cried, and I hugged my family a little tighter after I finished reading. I haven't read The House in the Cerulean Sea, but it is definitely on my tbr after this!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

Under The Whispering Door was an enjoyable read! I liked the focus on life, death, and grief. Overall, a very sweet and melancholy story. A more in-depth video review can be found at the link below.

Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story that book deals with fear, acceptance, and death while telling a captivating story full of whimsy, enchantment, and some excellent laugh out loud moments.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

ALL OF IT!! The story, the plot, and the characters meant so much to me. I found myself laughing at all their unique quirkiness, crying tears of joy, and feeling the need to hug them and their tender hearts. Each character is endearing, and will move you and cement themselves in your heart before you turn the last page of the story. All through the book I wanted to go live in this magical and colorful tea shop (as an avid coffee drinker that should mean a lot).

I also love how Klune can write in a way the creates compassion within the reader.

This story deals with death…Was it a heavy and depressing story?

“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.”

Klune wrote an insightful and deep, without being heavy, story full of love, whit and charm that made me laugh and smile over and over, and - for someone who doesn’t cry easily - made me ugly cry.

I also have so many tabbed pages that mark quotes that I found beyond valuable.

How was the pace?

Fast! As soon as I sat down with this book I knew I wasn’t going to want to put it down, and was moved by it in ways I didn’t expect.

Do you recommend this book?

YES!! I cannot express how much this is a must read book. It has a lot to offer and teach for all those who read it no matter their age, young or old. Do yourself a favor and go pick up Under the Whispering Door now! This is a story that will melt your heart and warm your soul.

Thank you Tor Books for the gifted copy of this book.

This book immediately dumps you into you the lap of the irritating Wallace Price. From the very first chapter you're introduced to his, well, "crappy ass" personality, and you already know that you're in for a very interesting ride. For me, Whispering Door didn't suffer with any excess nonsense. I liked that it took its time navigating through Wallace's daily struggle with being dead. This book centers around character development and relationships, which isn't always fast-paced and exhilarating. It's a slow process as the relationships Wallace's forms with the other occupants of Charon's Crossing Tea Shop transform him into a new person. Some may not enjoy that slower journey, but I was just as engrossed in it as I would be any plot driven story.

And a book driven by relationships must have an interesting cast of characters, with the star of this one being Wallace. Wallace is a workaholic who centers his life around being a partner in a well-run law firm. He doesn't accept any type of failure and sees personal relationships as an interruption. He's driven by his success, with the only measurement of that being his work. But watching him grow and his interactions with the others was such a delight. He's actually a pretty funny person.. for an attorney, haha! Then we have the loveable Hugo. He's the proprietor of Charon's Crossing, as well as the local ferryman. He has the softest heart and his ability to empathize and connect with others makes him one of the best ferryman that The Manager has. I loved getting to see the relationship between Wallace and Hugo blossom. They really embody the saying that opposites attract! Next is Mei, the resident Reaper. She's feisty, strong, and incredibly loyal towards Hugo. Her and Nelson definitely bring out the humorous side of the story. And speaking of Nelson, I'll admit that he's my favorite. He's Hugo's deceased grandfather who sticks around to keep an eye on things. He plays both the wise old man, and the jokester. I always caught myself really thinking over the things he would say because he has such gravitas. Out of all of the characters, he seemed most alive and real to me.

I've seen some people say that this story has a pretty simple message - be kind. But I don't necessarily agree with that. This is ultimately a story about grief and death and the long path to acceptance. I have always been scared of death and the unknown. I hate the idea of not being around to experience new things. But reading this book actually has made me feel better about it. SERIOUSLY. TJ Klune actually wrote a story about death that made me feel better about it. And oh yes, you better believe that I cried 3 times while reading it but it still gave me relief in a way that I wasn't expecting. It was profound and insanely bittersweet, and that's actually a lot like how death really is. He nailed it.

This may be my favorite book of the year so far. I can't find any faults with it, no matter how hard I look. If there's one issue, it's that it's only a standalone novel. I want more. I would love to follow this amazing little group of people and learn more about the world of Reapers and Ferryman. I feel like Klune did give us just enough room to possibly explore later down the road, though maybe that's just my wishful thinking. I can understand if that isn't the case, as the ending does have more weight this way. But come on, can't a girl get a little something extra?!

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
The summary of this book captures the nuts and bolts of this book. Wallace, a workaholic dies and is taken by the reaper and is allowed a week to cross over. But oh what a week! Wallace, first selfishly focus inward as to what he has lost to death but slowly comes about to see what he has lost in life by focusing on all the wrong things. Throughout this week he slows down, forms relationships, listens to others and becomes to value what is truly important. The story is entertaining, very funny and incredibly moving. HIghly recommend.
A thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Don’t be fooled by that magnificently colorful cover that reminds you of his previous novel - this is no House in the Cerulean Sea.

It’s about a Wallace, a curmudgeon of a man who dies and is being led to the door to cross over, but this fussy ungrateful man isn’t ready to go. Out of kindness he is given one more week by the man who is to help him cross, and in seven days Wallace learns to live an entire lifetime.

Whispering Door is a book about life, love, compassion, and grief. It’s a captivating tale full of warmth written with a tender heart and an insightful hand that somehow is able to teach us to appreciate even the smallest of things around us every day. It’s a brilliantly writen story that will warm the heart of even the hardest person yet can be appreciated by every age group. T.J. Klune has proven once again that he is a force to be reckoned with in this beautiful book, and you don’t want to miss it.

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.

𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭!

Only TJKlune can write something so unique. A beautiful story about love, loss, death, compassion, second chances and faith. It touched me and moved me completely, I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for this gifted copy.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺, 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘓𝘎𝘉𝘛𝘘 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Adore TJ Klune's writing but I very much feel like I need to be in a particular mood for it. This one had super similar vibes to House on the Cerulean Sea which was a 5-star read for me, but some aspects let me down. I didn't quite love the concept as much nor the characters. I also felt like this one droned on a bit and felt kind of repetitive.

A fantastic addition to the body of work of TJ Klune. I loved meeting these new characters, and also seeing hints for other books Klune has written. I will definitely be recommending this to fans of House in the Cerulean Sea.

This was my third book by Klune and I have to say I am a complete fan. He has a way of sweeping you up into his stories and touching your heart in all the right ways. Wallace is a hard core attorney that doesn’t have time for anything or anyone until the day he dies. When a reaper comes to collect him from his own funeral, Wallace can not believe that he is actually dead. As is his way of life, he will fight it until the end. As Wallace comes to grips with his situation, he finds that maybe his life wasn’t spent in the best of ways. This is a story about life, death, love, loss, and redemption. It is emotional, funny, touching, and a bit of a tear jerker. I loved every bit of this book. Thank you so much NetGalley for the eARC. 5 stars.

Under the Whispering Door is a poignant, thought-provokingly brilliant interpretation of the afterlife that is guaranteed to thaw even the most frigid of hearts.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most about this novel was T. J. Klune's interpretation of a modern-day Charon. Fans of Greek Mythology have come to associate Charon with the river Styx however in this retelling, Charon's Crossing is depicted as a tea house that is home to a benevolent trickster of a grandfather, a benign reaper, and a pet specter. The icing on the proverbial cake was the ingenious rendition of Charon, as Hugo Freeman, a gay person of color.

I relished that the author doesn't delve into the metaphysics of death but instead centers around understanding death and its inevitability. One of the most profound moments for me was when the main character realizes that his time is up and he laments all the things he wished he did. It's a reminder to grab life by the horns and live it to the fullest.

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

This novel puts forth the philosophical viewpoint that death is not the end but merely a new beginning. The author did not try to exert religious ideals but instead focused on spirituality and having faith in the unknown.

The main character, Wallace Price, was a modern-day Scrooge, married to his job and oblivious to everyone else but himself. Watching Wallace's redemption, and his ability to find humanity in death sends a deep message of it never really being too late to change, to be a better person.

T.J. Klune is truly a gifted storyteller! His ability to talk about one thing, while meaning something else is sublime. Any writer that can describe the ritual of tea drinking while imparting valuable life lessons is nothing short of spectacular.

"The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time, you share tea, you become family."

#MoraloftheStory- "Make the most of the time you’re given."

Thank you to the author, Tor Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc. My review is available on my blog from 21-09-2021 here:

dnf @ 28%

it’s not you, book, it’s me.

this story seems whimsical and charming and would normally be right up my alley, but my grandmother is sick right now and i can’t read this without wanting to cry.

A pretty powerful look at death and ultimately life. I enjoyed the writing style and found myself so invested in Wallace’s journey and those who helped him along the way. A solid read and I look forward to reading more from this author!