This was another hit from T.J. Klune. I’ve just finished this book last night and I was wrecked by the end of it! I don’t know what it is about his books, but they literally gut me by the end! I was full of all the emotions one could possibly go through, sadness, tears, happiness, laughter -- everything!

Wallace Price is a successful, but very arrogant attorney who only lives for his job. When he finds he is a ghost at his own funeral, being collected by a reaper, he starts to realize that he may actually be dead. He is taken on a journey to a funny-looking tea house where he meets the ferryman, Hugo. In this tea house, Wallace is guided through the meaning of life, acceptance of death, and moving on to the beyond.

Y’all, all I can say is that I’m an utter wreck after reading this one! Another wonderfully written This one started out slower for me, but once I really got into the meat and bones of the story I was breezing through it. Klune did a wonderful job of knitting humor and sorrow throughout this book. I was laughing at the jokes and I’m not going to lie, but I cried at multiple parts. I also loved the way in which Klune was able to write such quirky, loveable, flawed characters all while weaving queerness into it. As with HITCS, T.J. created a family bond with characters that are so different but just work so well together. I loved Hugo, Mei, Nelson, and Apollo -- they shaped Wallace so much and I just love them for who they were. This is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve read -- and the way in which Klune covered grief and loss in all of its different forms, I was captivated by it.

I just can’t fully put into words how much I loved this book! I’m so grateful to Netgalley, Tor Books for the ARC as well as all of our leaders with #mysterybookclub! Under the Whispering Door comes out today, so please go and buy it now!

This was my first book by TJ Klune and it was such an incredible adventure. His characters kept me so engaged and were so full of whimsy and personality that you can’t help but fall a little bit for each of them in one way or another. I love that Kline’s writing transports you to another world, allowing you to travel alongside his characters, find yourself lost in his story-telling and learn a valuable lesson by the end of your time with him. I truly cannot wait to read his other work!

Wow. I am lost for words. That was marvellous. The writing, the story, the humour, the grief, all the things. I laughed out loud and I sobbed so hard.

Getting myself a physical copy ASAP. So good.
Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eArc. I’m so grateful.

Wallace Price wasn’t a nice man and certainly did not lead a great life. So when a reaper comes to take him to the afterlife, Wallace is just not having it. Once he realizes he is indeed dead he begins to see all that he missed out on, and bargains for more time to live the life he should have. Wallace is give 7 days to do all he can before he’s forced to cross over.

What can I say? T. J. Klune has done it again. If you are a fan of House in the Cerulean Sea like I am, you are sure to enjoy this one! This story hit me right in the feels, and once I cleared away my tears it wrapped me up in a warm squishy hug.

At its core this is a story about death- and coming to terms with death. While it is quite emotional at times, it’s also filled with humor, with a sweet love story tucked in. The love story snuck right up on me even though it’s there the entire time. It just wasn’t the focus.

Klune’s quirky and loveable characters remind us that it’s never too late to make positive changes in ourselves.

*Thank you to Macmillan/Tor-Forge and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

TJ Klune has done it again. He has created such a beautiful story that you cannot help but fall in love with each and every character. I went through so many emotions reading this, many of which included tears streaming down my face. Klune remains king of the found family trope. Everyone would be better off as humans if they read this book. 5 stars. 10/10 would recommend to everyone. Tissues advised.

V.E. Schwab described TJ Klune's previous book, The House in the Cerulean Sea, as "like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket." I feel much the same way about Under the Whispering Door. Under the Whispering Door has the same coziness, humor, whimsy, and bittersweetness that I've come to expect from a TJ Klune book. I laughed, teared up, and came to adore the characters in this book. If you are looking for a comforting book about death, grief, and the afterlife that explores these themes in a kind and loving format, this is exactly the book for you. I personally am so happy to see a book that explores the death of a queer person in a way where the character's queerness is unrelated to their death. In fact, the main character's queerness is one of the most humanizing and uplifting parts of him.

I have rated this book four stars rather than five simply because I felt there were certain platitudes about death and grief included in the book that were too close to cliches for my taste.

Thank you to T.J. Klune, NetGalley, and Tor books for my ARC of “Under the Whispering Door” in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first read by Klune, although I had heard wonderful things about Klune’s “The House in the Cerulean Sea,” which I have on my TBR. However, I was more drawn to “Under the Whispering Door” because it appealed to my gothic-loving self (I love macabre, gothic, spooky).

As someone who has dealt with a lot of death in my young life, I found this book to be comforting. I think about death a lot, questioning the existential questions about “what is a good life?” and I think Klune successfully tackles that here.

I think for some, this book may be a heavier read than normal and people may need to take a breather or just time to sit with Klune is showing and asking us. I think he’s using Wallace as a mirror to hold up to the reader so we can evaluate our lives, decisions, and ask whether we’re going to end up like Wallace or if we are already Wallace and let it serve as a warning light. Life is so short, unexpected, and can be magical but many of us are riding the days, just struggling to get through to maybe have some time to enjoy this gift we have of being on this planet. And so many, including myself, squander it. It’s important to sit back and evaluate how we got to where we are, where we are likely to go, and how we can make changes for the better. And I think Klune really sets the reader to think about these things.

The setting was like a warm hug and oh my gosh do I wish Charon’s Crossing were a real place and I could be friends with these characters. After reading “Under the Whispering Door,” I am definitely adding more Klune to my TBR. I expect those who like Klune will absolutely enjoy this and I do sincerely hope that people take time to sit with what Klune has presented and do some serious life contemplation.

When I was filling in the stats on Storygraph for this book, one word stuck out greatly. And that was "reflective". I honestly don't think a better word could be used to describe yet another one of TJ Klune's incredibly heartfelt, queer-y, and just plain happy novels. It had the writing we're all used to from Klune and the dry humor that popped up sometimes truly had be dying. The book also took on character development to another level (more on that).

So, the book starts off with Wallace, top-tier asshole at this point in the book. We see him at his worst (?) when he fires a lady for one (?) incorrect action (that might not have even been her fault) and also revoked her daughter's scholarship. If that's not enough, Wallace truly felt there was nothing wrong with his actions. Fairly quickly though, our main character dies. Well, not actually. Ghost Wallace is at his funeral, where only the partners at his firm and his ex-wife are present (and a mysterious Asian lady he's never seen before). He questions why no one else is present and after some seriously heartfelt speeches (note sarcasm) from the guests at his funeral, Wallace is whisked off by Mei to see himself get buried and then ends up at Charon's Crossing.

Moving on, Wallace then meets Nelson, Apollo (the dog), and Hugo. That leads way to a paragraph about the characters (shocker). Nelson is the other resident (human) ghost at Charon's Crossing. He hasn't actually crossed through the door in the ceiling on the fourth floor of the house that clearly defies gravity (as evidenced by the cover) because he is staying there for his grandson, Hugo. Hugo is the ferryman who helps people cross through the door, he's the one who talks them through their death. Makes them accept it and not do anything completely rash (though he gives them all the freedom). There's Mei, the Reaper. She is the one who actually goes and gets the people's ghosts of those who died (like Wallace). And Apollo is just a super cute ghost dog.

The themes included in this novel were also so great. The way TJ Klune manages to weave heartbreak and love and death and life and grief and happiness altogether is so amazing. Death obviously being the most obvious considering the premise of the book, but somehow Klune was able to write that sometimes serious subject in a way that wasn't harsh or anything, and just showed how death was just a part of life. Simply that it was inevitable, but not final.

One thing, the thing that dropped my rating by half a star, that I disliked was the character development. I'm all for it don't get me wrong. I loved Wallace's development don't mistake that either. The only think I found lacking was the speed. I feel like though it was written out, it wasn't written enough. The book wasn't short, and any more might've made it tedious, but I feel like since it had a few chunky time skips we missed a lot of actual written progression of Wallace's personality.

Ultimately though, Under the Whispering Door is a near perfect novel that I absolutely loved almost every second of, that will get you cackling and half-crying, and truly will leave you thinking about it for at least a few days.

HUGE thank you to Tor Books, TJ Klune, and Netgalley for sharing this e-arc with me. The following review is my honest opinion and reflects my reading experience.

I fell in love with TJ Klune’s writing last year when I read The House in the Cerulean Sea. That book is so powerful and special. It has become one of my all time favorite books . . . easily in my top five. So when I heard that TJ was releasing a new book I was so excited. (Side note: I want to read his other series and I have a couple of his other books I just haven’t gotten to them yet). The cover and synopsis for Under the Whispering Door immediately captured my attention. I was THRILLED when I received the approval notification from Netgalley.

Under the Whispering Door is a really great book. Did it impact me as much as House did? No. But that does not take away from this story. Under the Whispering Door tells the story of Wallace, a man who recently died and is now being guided by his reaper and the ferryman. My absolute favorite part of Under the Whispering Door was the characters. TJ Klune truly has such an incredible gift of writing the most beautiful characters. Hugo, Mei, Norman, Apollo, and Wallace were all so special. I loved reading their day to day interactions in the tea shop. The relationships that develop between each of the characters are also so well done. I especially enjoyed Mei and Wallace’s friendship. When he first meets Mei, Wallace seemed determined to not like her. But he couldn’t resist her charm!! I grew attached to these characters and definitely shed a few tears.

Under the Whispering Door is primarily a character driven story. I like to read both character and plot driven stories, so I really enjoyed this one. However, I will say that the pacing was a bit off. Because of this I’m not sure I’m sold on the love story. My only other small qualm is that the big life lessons that Wallace learns throughout his time in the tea shop are fairly obvious. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it just wasn’t anything new.

Under the Whispering Door was a fantastic combination of heartbreaking and heartwarming. TJ Klune tells a beautiful story of grief, hope, and family complete with his signature warmth and humor. Reading TJ’s books feels like coming home. I am so glad that I discovered him!

UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR IS OUT SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2021.

Under the Whispering Door is beautiful and sad; a bittersweet, captivating adventure that begins at an ending.

Wallace Price is not a nice person at the beginning of this book. He’s a coldhearted workaholic who hasn’t really lived his life when he dies at forty. When Mei, his reaper, takes him to Charon’s Crossing to meet the ferryman who will help him cross over, Wallace’s afterlife changes forever. Hugo Freeman helps people come to terms with their death and crossing over. He runs a tea shop and keeps company with Mei and his ghostly grandfather and dog. The Freeman family – those born and adopted into it – sparks an awareness in Wallace that perhaps all that he had spent his life focusing on wasn’t what was important. Wallace’s journey had me glued to the pages of Under the Whispering Door. His growth delighted me and I loved that it wasn’t too late for him to become a good, caring person. Hugo is his guide, his friend, and perhaps something more. The ferryman has an innate goodness that shines on the page and his empathetic, kind nature was like a warm hug.

Under the Whispering Door isn’t the kind of book I would normally pick up, but I’m so glad I did. TJ Klune’s prose is beautiful and engaging. Klune balances tragedy with hope and his version of what happens after death and before the hereafter is imaginative and interesting. I cried buckets over the course of this story and I imagine many readers will as well. Death is, after all, a sad topic. But there isn’t just sadness in this book. There’s humor and heart and all that makes life worth living. This is a story that grabs you by the heartstrings and doesn’t let go. Love, loss, and the stages of grief are hard topics and Klune just nails it when it comes to addressing hard topics while keeping the story hopeful. I loved that I couldn’t predict where this story would go and I stayed up far too late because I had to know what would happen next.

Under the Whispering Door has scenes that address all manners of death, including suicide. There are also scenes depicting depression, PTSD, and raw grief. Readers sensitive to any of these topics should be warned. If these things do not trigger you, I highly recommend reading this book, even if it’s not your usual fare. Klune’s strange and wonderful world will break your heart and put it back together again.

This was my second book from Klune and I loved it! Again, you can sense his sarcasm in his stories and found myself laughing out loud.

Under the Whispering Door is easier to follow than The House on Cerulean Sea since it doesn't have as many characters but equally as enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgally for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Having not read, T.J. Klune's House on the Cerulean Sea yet, I can truly say that I am giving a completely unbiased review of his new novel Under the Whispering Door. So many people told me going into this to expect the "same type of humor as with House on the Cerulean Sea", but since I've not yet started that, my experience with Klune's humor was newly founded and did not disappoint. What I love the most was the way Klune wrote about grief and death and learning how to live and appreciate life. The character development was truly delightful and each of the characters brought a unique and loveable aspect to the story and, boy oh boy, was the writing phenomenal! I loved the way the story was truly just a redemption song for who Wallace started out as, both in his life and his after life. Under the Whispering Door was deep and insightful and had me thinking about my own life and the things and people I hold dear.

3.8 stars

If you're into manga or anime, this book will give you a slice of life cozy yet somewhat dark feels while reading this book. And it captures us with some quirky dialogues yet stay true to the emotions we felt. Through this, we can somehow reflect on the life that we are having and can understand Wallace's actions as he is a sample of a human being who is not perfect and just rides on with life.

This story is (what I’m starting to consider) typical Klune fare - making me laugh and cry at the same time. A fantasy story with a plot that is just rooted enough in reality to be very relatable, an array of great characters with quirks that’ll tug at your heartstrings, a running theme on redemption and wit that'll make you chuckle out loud.

Usually, everything ends with death. But I adore how Under the Whispering Door begins with it. Ah, to be lonely AF and then find your family in the afterlife, people who truly want you there, back you up, see you for who you are, and not what life made you into. *DAMMIT THOSE NINJAS CUTTING ONIONS*

I love how characters’ sexuality is a dominant thread in TJ Klune’s stories, but in the most subtle of ways. That might be oxymoronic, but if you’ve read Cerulean Sea, you’ll know what I mean. Diversity too - over time it becomes obvious what race everyone is, but not through obvious turns of phrase (“she brushed her long blonde hair out of her blue eyes” *audible eyeroll* or “he adjusted his turban and looked out the window, before saying quietly..”). In my personal opinion, this is an example of decent representation - it is made clear that everyone looks different, but there isn’t a need to make a production out of it unless it’s directly relevant to the story.

The empathy people exhibit in the story is through the roof - exactly the way I'd like it to be. Even when something feels like a lost cause, people fight for it just because they believe everyone is allowed to make mistakes and deserves a chance at happiness. I love how many second chances a lot of things get in the storyline.

“Under the Whispering Door” reiterated my absolute belief that hurt people hurt people. If someone is a moron, there is almost always a reason. That said, I’m not justifying bad behaviour, but just trying to redirect focus on how to break the cycle.

MILD SPOILERS
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Wallace's transformation from a dick to a decent person wasn't the smoothest, but I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that those in the afterlife didn't immediately judge him (outwardly anyway), without ever giving him a chance to experiment with other versions of him that he could be.

The whole trying to fix shit from the past life bit (towards the end) felt bogus. I mean, you did what you did, Wallace, you can't choose to go back and try to score brownie points. We can’t fix shit that we broke in the past, we can only choose to do better in the future, that’s the reality we have to live in and so do you. I also wasn’t completely sold on Hugo, he felt like a caricature and too good to be true. Arthur (Parnassus) was way more real to me.
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END OF SPOILERS

The pace flags a little midway into the story. Also, the fake omniscient and the inspector seemed like unnecessary characters - they served a specific purpose and there was no need for them to make multiple appearances.

The way it ends is going to polarize everyone - you'll either love it or think it's a cop out. I'm not sure, there is middle ground. And personally, while I usually dislike conclusions like these (trying really hard to be vague here lol), I was rooting for this to happen and I'm SO GLAD it did!!

The only kinda serious bone I have to pick with is that, in some ways, the story feels similar to House in the Cerulean Sea and this gave me a feeling of deja vu. Not complaining, I loved that book. But I wouldn’t want to continue seeing patterns across Klune’s stories.

My recommendation is that you don’t go in all moony eyed about House In The Cerulean Sea. I did, which is a little unfair to this book, and I had to adjust my expectations to be able to enjoy this one as a standalone read that doesn't have anything to do with Cerulean.

If House in the Cerulean Sea was a warm hug from a loved one, Under the Whispering Door is a pat on the head from a favourite teacher.

P.S: In my hurry to "find out what happens", I'm kinda concerned that I didn't catch ALL the easter eggs (I KNOW there were some, I caught a couple). Definitely doing a reread later this year, especially if I can find a really good audiobook for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC, I appreciate it. All opinions however, are my own.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

I expected to like this book a lot more than I did based on the premise of a man, Wallace, not understanding he is dead until the reaper comes to collect him.  I really enjoyed both the set up and the epilogue of this book.  The epilogue in particular made me teary.  That said, I found this book to have a slow pace and I really did not get enough depth about any of the characters outside of Wallace.  I thought the romance developed too quickly.  I did not like how Wallace's journey ended and I hated both the Alan and Nancy subplots.  I did however love the tea shop, how the teas matched the taster, the dog, and the grandfather.  Basically this story felt too easy overall with not enough nuance or development.  It also had a lot of repetitive dialogue.  I can see how this would work for other readers even if this is not one I would reread or buy for others.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!

"Faith is hard, especially in the face of the unknown."

First, what I struggled with:
The slower pace and I didn't love and feel the depth of the characters, as I did with his previous novel. This book didn't pack the punch I was expecting, but I think it did a lot of good things.

What I liked:
This book gave me scrooge vibes with a great redemption arc. I thought, this book was meaningful and help many suffering through grief. From the cast of characters who find family with each other, to showing us the power of patience, understanding and empathy. I think that everyone fears death and this book tackles that and grief in a way that's accessible to young and old, with a nod to an after that can give us comfort.

Going on, it has LGBTQIA+ representation that I appreciated and had a great voice of narration.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read but not a favorite.

3.5 stars

Although he’s wealthy and successful, Wallace Price has few if any friends. When he wants something, he uses the threats or fear to get it, and he certainly doesn’t help anyone without the promotion of reciprocity. The sparse attendance at his funeral, his ex-wife in near celebration, is only expected. One guest, Mai, though, is a surprise, someone Wallace has never met before.

Wallace is beginning to think something is not right. How can he be at his own funeral? Could he be dead? Mai, a Reaper, is there to help him understand that he Is In fact dead, and she’s taking him to Charon’s Crossing to meet the ferryman, Hugo. That is Charon’s Crossing, the tea shop, where Hugo will help him prepare for the next step on his journey: crossing through the door.

In the face of death, Wallace can admit that he was, in fact, quite a horrible human..when he isn’t trying to understand the strange physics of being a ghost or railing against the unfairness of his situation. Yet, with the help of Hugo, Mia, and the other residents of the tea shop, the ghosts Nelson, Hugo’s grandfather, and Apollo, his dog, he finally learns the kind of person he wants to be. Unfortunately, his time at Charon’s Crossroads is only temporary.

The book has a diverse, interesting cast of primary and secondary characters, with Wallace’s journey of self-discovery at the forefront, and while not all are easy to love, they all contribute to the narrative. Desdemona, a self-described medium, wears anachronistic clothing, but there are modern conveniences like microwaves and caller ID. It almost feels like the decades are compressed ultimately giving the book a timeless feel.

At times, I thought the book tried to hard to be meaningful and profound through characters’ conversations; I thought it achieved that effect in more subtle moments. It certainly affected me emotionally. Several times, I had to stop reading because I was ugly crying so hard! (Not a bad thing!) And the more so think of the underlying themes, the more I value the book and its message.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy quirky stories about redemption and found family!

Wallace is a very successful attorney, he is selfish and basically lives to work. After a heart attack he dies and has barely anyone at his funeral.

Wallace realizes he must really be dead when a reaper comes to collect him. He is taken to a read shop where they ferryman Hugo waits to help him cross over. However Wallace is angry and not ready to go.

Hugo helps Wallace start to learn about the things he missed in life and reflect. Wallace has a week to crossover and is determine to live the life he missed in during those days.

This book is an emotional roller coaster. This story deals with coming to terms with death and what it really means to be alive. This charming will touch your heart and make you cry all at the same time!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for my ARC. You can get this on September 21st.

This is one of those reviews where I can’t express in words how much I loved this sweet book. All the books by TJ Klune, I simply want all of them now.

You will fall in love with every single character in this book. It is full of life (funny for a book about death), love, kindness, understanding and compassion. It makes me think of what The Good Place became in the end. A story about life and death and how we approach both with an open heart. Like his last book, The House in the Cerulean Sea, the characters are wonderfully written and I became very attached to them. It is also LGBTQIA friendly and features a great love story. I can’t rave about these two books enough. I hope you will pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did. This is a comfort read, and I know I will be going back to them both in future.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley

I think this is my new favourite book by TJ Klune.

A story of a ghost and a ferryman falling in love? How could I not love it.

Shortly after Wallace passes away suddenly, Mei the reaper shows up to take him to meet Hugo the ferryman whose job it is to help people cross over.

Wallace Price is incredibly unlikeable in the beginning and I didn’t have much sympathy for him. However as the story goes on and he grows, he becomes such a better person!

Hugo is perfection and I love everything about him. We can’t forget Mei, Nelson and of course Apollo!

Wonderful characters, a great plot, humour and tons of emotion - there is so much to love about this story and I don’t want to spoil a thing. I definitely recommend picking it up.

Thank you to MacMillan-Tor/Forge & NetGalley for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.