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!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor Books for gifting me a digital copy of this wonderful book by TJ Klune - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Wallace Price is not the most likable person and the fact that only a handful of people came to his funeral attests to that. Wallace knows because he was there - along with a stranger, Mei, who tells Wallace that she is his reaper. Mei takes him to a small village and to a cozy tea shop, operated by Hugo, a ferryman. Hugo is there to help Wallace adjust to being dead and guide his transition to what lies beyond.

I didn't read The House in the Cerulean Sea but it is now a must-read on my TBR because I loved this book! While it deals with death, it also has humor, hope, faith along with a bucketful of life lessons that are good reminders to all of us. I love quirky characters and the tea shop was full of them. This book will make you laugh, cry and feel all the emotions in between!

Sorry! Becauses of the illustrated cover I thought this was middle grade. I primarily review mg and ya books and won't be able to review this one.

Sorry! Becauses of the illustrated cover I thought this was middle grade. I primarily review mg and ya books and won't be able to review this one.

Oh, are my eyes going to be puffy tomorrow, the tears! I don't even know how to put into words what I'm feeling right now. I loved it.

Yes, my eyes are still puffy this morning! And no, I still don't know how to put into words my feelings about this book that I love so much. I full on cried, at times sobbing, from 74% on, it hurt so good.

Under the Whispering Door is such a unique story. Wallace's journey was so sweet and hopeful, and unlike anything I've ever read. It deals with death and grief in such a way that you can only hope when it's your time to go there'll be a Hugo and a Mei, a Nelson and an Apollo, to lead you on your way. Found families are truly the best, and Wallace was so very lucky to have found this one.

Death isn't a final ending, Wallace. It is an ending, sure, but only to prepare you for a new beginning.

Poignant and endearing, and at times laugh out loud funny, Under the Whispering Door captivated me from start to finish.

Under the whispering door is the story of Walalce Price and his experince as a ghost. Throughout the book we learn more about each of the characters and the underlying tone of the book is fairplay positive and optimistic, seeing as it is a book about death.
To me this book felt like a lesson in not taking life and the people around you for granted.
TJ Klune manages to write the most welldefined characters with so much diversity without any of it feels unnatural. This is the second book I’ve read from him and I definetly Think I’ve gotten a new comfort writer. If you want a good, diverse cast og a great morale to lift you up through the everyday life, TJ Klunes books are just the thing!

I think I'm breaking up with TJ Klune for good. This is my second book with him and I feel much the same about this one as I did the first. There's just a very strong disconnect with me and this author's writing. While everyone else seems to absolutely adore Klune's books, they just don't work for me. I am always confused with the marketing of the book because I feel like I'm picking up a middle grade book but the content is very adult. Maybe I just can't get that squared away in my brain, but it certainly sets the tone for disconnect for me. I know almost everyone else seems to love Klune and his books, but I don't think he's an author for me. I gave him a valient try!

“The first time you share tea,
You are a stranger.
The second time you share tea,
You are a honored guest.
And the third time you share tea,
You become family.”

The diversity in this book was so refreshing, and i was loving the greek references like “Charon’s Crossing” it made me laugh. A Lot in this book made me laugh, Mei was very comical with her anger and knife obsession, all the characters were easy to love, and it's been a while since i have read anything that didn't have a villain in it. Also i don't know if am the only one that thinks this way, but it was easy for me to picture Nelson as Morgan Freeman, it also helped that Nelson was Nelson Freeman. If there is a God i have always said it would be Morgan Freeman. It was a very addictive, mystical and very touching read, and i read this one at a time i thought i was going to lose my own mam, who went into ICU with a Brain Aneurysm, and got told the chances were very low for her to pull through. Luckily she is now getting so much better, but i think this book helped, it certainly gets you thinking about life after death.