Thank you to Netgalley and TOR Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars!

Let me start off this review by saying that TJ Klune is the reason I have a pile of tear-stained tissues next to my bed at the moment. If you are a crier like me, don't bother doing your mascara before you pick up any of Klune's books.

Wallace Price was a selfish, unempathetic person in life. That's why it comes as no surprise to anyone when, at his funeral, more roasting than grieving was done by the very few people in attendance. In death, however, Wallace finds himself faced with a chance to begin anew. He's aided by Hugo, a ferryman for ghosts; Mei, a new hire in the soul reaping industry; Nelson, Hugo's late grandfather; and Apollo, proof that some dogs don't go to heaven. With his newfound family, Wallace works to find his true self, make amends, and build a new life/death for himself.

Under the Whispering Door is a warm, lovey, and emotional novel about death and grief. It is also about living your death to the fullest and never allowing your past to prevent you from growing into the person you want to be. If you have read and enjoyed Klune's other popular novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea, there's a good chance that you will enjoy Whispering Door. If you did not enjoy Cerulean Sea, odds are you will dislike exactly the same things about this book. Whispering Door is about as cheesy as it gets, so if you're lactose intolerant beware.

I enjoyed Under the Whispering Door, but I think if I hadn't read any of Klune's work before I probably would have been surprised by just how rom-com like it is. Personally, I connected a lot more to Cerulean Sea, but that's mostly a matter of personal preference. Whispering Door hits all of the notes that Cerulean Sea did, but with a focus on death and grief rather than acceptance and the harms of bigotry. It is a book you read to cry, to laugh, to hurt, and to ultimately feel happy.

I love Klune's writing, and I'd recommend Under the Whispering Door to anybody who enjoys the cheesiest of cheese, queer love stories, comforting books, and tea. If you're dealing with death or grief, this book could be incredibly comforting and/or hard to read. Use your best judgment and remember, we read for the love of it. Just because you're excited for this book does not mean you should put yourself through mental distress to read it.

I absolutely fell in love with this book within the first few chapters. It’s a heartwarming story about a grumpy ghost who refuses to cross over and the friends he meets along the way. The whimsy and fantastical elements reminded me a lot of The House in the Cerulean Sea which I loved as well.

This story focuses on life, death, grief, love, and everything in-between. I really enjoyed the character development that Wallace (our MC) went through throughout the story, when we first meet him he is a very dislikeable person but as the story progresses he becomes a loveable character who is nothing like the man we first encounter. The side characters were all amazing in their own ways and added so much humor and love to the story. The romance was delightful and I was brought to tears numerous times towards the end of the book. I really wish Charon’s Crossing was a real place, I would love to be able to visit and drink tea with everyone.

This is a great book to read if you are looking for a wholesome, humorous, heartwarming story with a full range of emotions and new beginnings.

As I sit to begin this review, I'm honestly at a loss for words. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year by one of my favorite authors. So, needless to say my expectations were high, and this book exceeded all of them. Nothing I say here could do it justice or truly convey how moving the experience of reading it was for me. It was an incredibly cathartic read that brought on lots of tears, which I'll expound on more in a bit.

In a lot of ways, this book reminded me of The House in the Cerulean Sea. It tackled many of the same themes, especially regarding found family and the importance of human connection. The two main characters were also similar in some ways and experienced much the same trajectory of growth along their journey. They both started as individuals who were largely isolated and a bit stodgy and consumed by their routines/work. This changed over the course of their journeys as they opened up and developed true connections with others. So, if you liked the themes and general character progression in The House in the Cerulean Sea, you will likely enjoy them in this book, as well.

Despite the similarities between the two books, Under the Whispering Door struck a much more serious, and somewhat darker, tone. There was much less whimsy in this book, and the content was quite a bit heavier. This wasn't surprising given the book was entirely about death and grief. However, it tackled those topics with the typical Klune wit, charm, and humor that is so much fun to read. Emotionally, the book was a bit of a roller-coaster with times I laughed out loud and others I bawled my eyes out. Klune tapped into something special here, and his way of writing about loss, grief, and the existential dread of death feels profound. He also did a fantastic job of providing good anxiety representation, including how important service animals can be to helping cope with the disorder.

The story and plot are relatively simple, and the synopsis gave most of it away. There was some interesting world-building, and Klune came up with a creative and interesting version of the Afterlife. The draw here, though, was definitely the relationships and interactions between the characters, along with the existential musings and personal growth those interactions fostered. The characters were all well-conceptualized, and their humanity leapt off the page. They all felt real with recognizable strengths and weaknesses that contributed to the authenticity of the narrative. Musings about existential concepts can tend to get a bit abstract, but this book felt grounded while tackling these topics largely because the characters provided a rich playground in which to explore them. The romance was a fairly large, and enjoyable, element of this book, as well. Klune executed the slow-burn romance beautifully here, and I loved watching their relationship grow over time into something wonderful.

Even though the story was largely character rather than plot driven, there were still some plot/story developments that were important and beautifully executed. One that stood out the most to me was the Husk subplot. It was an excellent metaphor for how people can become isolated and lose themselves due to fear and anger. It also highlighted, very literally, how impactful human connection can be in helping people find their way out of such a difficult place. I also really enjoyed the ending of the story and how it illustrated the importance of changing a system if it is not working for all the people it is supposed to be helping.

On a more personal note, I felt like this book really got me. The main character and I have a lot in common, and death has been something on the forefront of my mind after my battle with cancer. The last two years have been somewhat of a struggle in that I almost feel like the person I was before the surgeries died during them, but I'm not yet sure exactly who I have turned into. This book captured that feeling of in-betweeness incredibly well, as well as the ways in which I have changed my priorities due to my experiences. It also pointed out the struggle of making sense of it all and how all-consuming thoughts of death can be after coming close to experiencing it yourself. My experience reading this book has been incredibly cathartic, and I can't help but believe it has been beneficial in ways I haven't even discovered yet.

Overall, this book is beautiful, but haunting, and a roller-coaster of emotions all wrapped in a heart-warming love story about the importance of taking the time to connect with each other. I recommend it to everyone without reservation, but please do keep in mind that readers sensitive to death, suicide, or grief may have a difficult time with this one. I cannot think of one negative thing to say about this book or my experience reading it. So, I gladly give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Okay, so I got this arc from @netgalley and just finished it yesterday and it was freaking adorable. It was such a feel good read with such profound emotions. It’s just a gorgeously wholesome book.

I loved every single character from the bottom of my heart. The fact that I fell in love with a book that mainly focuses on death is seriously something unbelievable but it’s just that fascinating.

The setting mainly is the house not much happens outside of that but who cares 😅
I loved how the Klune has tackled a subject as morbid as death and depicted it with such grace and magnificence.

A sweet story about life, death, friendship, and love that has a lot of humor in it as well. Under the Whispering Door manages to deliver a thought-provoking story about the complexity of grief and death in a way that made me laugh as much as I cried. Once again TJ Klune created a story that had me hooked from the very first page. The characters felt so real and I loved reading both their banter and their deep conversations. I would love to be able to sit down and have a cup of tea with Hugo. Highly recommend!

Under The Whispering Door by T.J. Klune - 5🌟⁣
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*Spoiler Free Review* If anybody saw a girl crying for the entirety of a 2 hour flight from France to Dublin, that would in fact be me, courtesy of this book.⁣
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I fell deeply in love with Klune’s writing, and characters. This story is one interwoven with sadness and loss, it is a beautifully written embodiment of grief and ideas of what may happen when we die, with no mention of religion or heaven. It was extremely sad but ultimately hopeful.⁣
The plot was slow paced and character driven, but continually made you want to read and discover more.⁣
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All his characters are written beautifully and developed to the fullest, really making the entire book amazing. Even the protagonist who begins as a horrible, career-driven man becomes a likeable and well rounded character. ⁣
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*Content Warnings*⁣
“This story explores life and love as well as loss and grief. There are discussions of death in different forms--quiet unexpected, and death by suicide. Please read with care.” ⁣
* Animal death⁣
* Anxiety⁣
* Cancer (terminal)⁣
* Child death⁣
* Death of parent (past, mentioned)⁣
* Depression⁣
* Heart attack⁣
* Murder⁣
* Outing (mentioned)⁣
* Self-harm

Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.

T.J. Klune has such a beautiful and heartwarming writing style. I have to say right off the bat that if you enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea, than I think you'll enjoy Under the Whispering Door as well. This book however is significantly heavier, with in depth discussions on death, grief, and the afterlife. My heart ached along with these characters and I loved experiencing their growth throughout Wallace's stay at the teashop.

Like Klune's previous writings there is great POC and LGBTQ representation which I really appreciated. The banter in this book is quirky and funny without being too over the top cheesy. I liked the glimpses of humanity that you get with each character, no matter how stubborn or exaggerated their 'crankiness' was.

By the end of this book I was a sobbing puddle. I can't emphasize enough how much I loved this one. From the very beginning, with the villainous introduction to Wallace and later seeing how he was redeemed by the love he found at Charon's Crossing, I knew this book was special. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time!

When I saw Under The Whispering Door from TJ Klune I immediately wanted to read it. Honestly, his books are either a super winner (The House In The Cerulean Sea & WolfSong) or just O.K. (The Extraordonaries) for me. I was really hoping this one would blow me away but sadly it did not. I know I am probably going to be the unpopular opinion on this book.

Wallace Price is a total jerk and then he dies. The four people at his funeral have nothing nice to say about him while the Reaper is there to take him to the ferryman, Hugo, to help Wallace transition to the next place. Mei, the Reaper, takes him to a tea shop run by Hugo and inhabited by the ghost of Hugos grandpa, Nelson, and emotional support dog, Apollo. At Charon Crossing Tea and Treats Wallace gets a chance to change from the selfish, heartless bastard he was into a kind, caring, being.

What I liked: The main character of Wallace. TJ Klune writes wonderful characters- from Wallace’s changing perosnality to Hugo struggling being a ferryman, his panic attacks to the prejudice Mei encountered for her abilities. I felt each characters had it’s own personality and I rooted for them.

This book was just so slow. I feel like I knew that Wallace was going to turn himself around so the glacial pace that it moved kept me wanting to skip ahead. When Wallace is given seven days to crossover, we are about 75% into the book and I felt like FINALLY! There were some aspects that just felt clunky (the hook) and parts that were there for comedy that I thought didn’t fit with the overall book- when Wallace is trying to change his clothes, for example.

Under The Whispering Door had death in all forms- illness, suicide, murder, natural causes- they are all beautifully portrayed and the overall message of death as a beginning, not an ending was poignant. Overall, I you like whimsical characters with an inspiring message with a slow moving plot, check this one out.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Tor/ Forge for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was unable to read this book, as it wouldn’t let me fully download it. However, I’ve heard great things about it and the author from his other works- So I can only imagine how good it actually is if I were able to read it.

3.5
I like it. It was funny. It was interesting. But there was just something that I wasn't necessarily interested in. I think I was looking for something 'deeper' but it just wasn't there. I like it and I would love to reread it at some point now that I know more of what to expect.

Under the Whispering Door is a meditation on death and a reflection on life, as we follow Wallace (basically a soulless asshole) into the afterlife with a colorful cast of characters.

This book is whimsical and thoughtful, but unfortunately fell flat for me. It was drawn out, repetitive, and had the over-explain-y YA vibes that I despise. The reflections on life were all quite surface level; the romance made no sense and came out of nowhere.

And the ending?! Dear lord I'd say it ruins the book but I was only skimming by then anyway, but I felt like it defeated the entire purpose.

For feel-good-reflections-on-a-life-well-lived, I'd recommend a bowl of popcorn and the Pixar movie "Soul."

TJ Klune did it again! Never did I think about life after death this way. Under the Whispering Door is a delightful story that will make you want to live your life to the fullest.

I was moved by the characters in this story. I admired Wallace for being thoughtful, Hugo for being selfless, Nelson for being contented, Mei for being enthusiastic, and even Apollo for bringing joy to all of them. I was teary-eyed for most parts of this book.

I know nothing about life after death, I mean, who does? But a part of me hopes that there really is a place called Charon’s Crossing, a tea shop where they’d bring you after death, full of people waiting to help and love you unconditionally until you’re finally ready to cross the door and leave the life you lived, for the last time, without worries and regrets.

This is my first read from TJ Klune and I won't stop here. I am so in love with his story telling, I devour reading this, hoping it will never end. This book has a hard subject, death, but the author's writing style and humour helps to lighten it up.

This book makes me thinking about the after life. After I am dead, would i be able to still see and watch my loved ones for awhile? What's happening to me after I see cross that 🚪 and see the light?

Wallace Price, a successful lawyer yet with no social life and friends, found himself dead at his own poorly attended funeral. He is then collected by the reaper, Mei, who brings him to Charon's Crossing Tea and Treats to meet Hugo, the ferryman who will help him transitioning from life to death.

Despite the subject of this book is about death, this book helps me to look into my recent life, how I'm living my own life.
It's so beautiful it made me cry.

Wow this book was not what I was expecting after The House on The Cerulean Sea. I definately enjoyed certain aspects of it and did find it still warm and comforting but felt it took a long time to really get anywhere. I was 70% before I felt any real lessons were learned and anything of significance happened.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest oppinion

Every once in a while I am reading a book and I know someone close to me will love it. If it's an ARC, I know I will be ordering a copy just for that person. Under the Whispering Door is one of those books. Yes, I am preordering a copy for my husband and my daughter. I know they will both love it.

They will love the characters. The sarcasm and the underlying affection will appeal to them. Fits them to a T actually. They will love the dog. We love the dogs around here. Apollo proves that a dog's love is forever. They may or may not love Hugo, standoffish in ways but also so caring and giving. He gives up his life to serve others. I think they will get to love Wallace, too. He wasn't always the greatest person. Death makes him really become who he is.

I also know my family will love the quirkiness of the tea shop and the people who inhabit it. There has to be something magical about a tea shop in the middle of no real place that gets people to come to it in droves and keeps it hopping all day every day.

They will love this take on death and what is beyond. It never gets into too much detail but it stays away from the overly preachy and spiritual. Death is all science fiction. No one knows. And I'm glad the author doesn't try to give definitive answers.

Lastly, I think they will love the romance and relationships built in this book. Nelson and Hugo. Mei and Hugo. Mei and Nelson. Wallace and Mei. Wallace and Hugo. Hugo and Apollo. So many people caring so much for so many other people.

I have to admit that this book did not go in the direction I thought it would when I began reading it. I had completely forgotten what I had read about it when I requested it and I often don't go back and reread the descriptions before I start. I'm glad I didn't. Firstly, the description doesn't do it justice. It is a tiny glimpse into a pretty late part of the book. Also, I like being surprised. The ending didn't shock me too much but it was satisfying and it left the door open to see these people again. Overall, I highly recommend.

Waffling a lot about my rating on this one, it still might change. Some parts of this are 4 star and some are 2 star, so I guess settling on 3 is good. I liked this book, but didn't love it like I did The House in the Cerulean Sea, which was one of my top reads last year.

What I liked:
This is such a heartfelt, humorous story about an angry man named Wallace who has died and is now in a waystation disguised as a tea shop, in the company of Hugo, his ferryman, and Mei, his reaper. Also there are ghosts Nelson (Hugo's grandfather) and Apollo (Hugo's dog).
The book gave me lots of warm feelings about what it means to be human and how even the most hardened hearts can be changed and people can grow.

What didn't work so well:
As I said in one of my updates, some of the humorous sections, such as Wallace learning how to change his clothes, are more farcical, kind of physical comedy written more for an eventual viewer of a movie than for the reader. Some parts with the medium and such just felt silly, which would have been fine if that is what the book was about but it's not really. It's more of a contemplative story in the end.
This book doesn't mesh with my belief system about death, and that's fine. It's fantasy. I could have overlooked it if it would have been fresh and original but the Whispering Door and going through it feels like a mashing together of parts of things that people already believe and didn't wow or touch me like it should have. I never really "got" the Manager or what he was supposed to be. I thought the conclusion with Wallace was wholly unsurprising and would have liked it much better if it had gone a way I wasn't expecting rather than taking the easy way out.

My complaints don't mean that the book was a bad read or that you should avoid it, it was just disappointing because I was expecting SO much more after Cerulean Sea. I listened to this as an audiobook and narrator Kirt Graves does an amazing job with the various voices and distinguishing the characters. He provides whimsy when it is needed and somberness when it turns that way.

All in all, it's a good book, just not as great as I was hoping for.

All the feels but mostly saved for the end!🤔😪

I could not hold back the tears at this book's climax and conclusion, but it took an awfully long time to get to the really gripping good stuff. I am not usually a reader who focuses on the metaphysical and this book does, in spades, and moves quite slowly until the last 25-30 percent.. The book blurb and attractive cover grabbed my interest as I had never read any of the author's earlier work. I don't think it's an easy read but, in the end, it's imaginative, emotional, thought-provoking, inspirational and eminently worthwhile. I mean, don't we all wonder about what happens after we die?

The characters, especially the residents of the tea shop, really grew on me, both dead and lingering and those still alive, and I loved the arc of transformation that newly-deceased Wallace undergoes. He starts almost as an unsmiling, unsympathetic Marley or Scrooge type and, only after death comes to grips with all of his errors and all that he's missed. Wallace truly morphs into a hero as he realizes the possibilities of the impact he can make in a final seven days before passing to that great, mysterious beyond.

Although this book is listed LGBTQ the key relationship between Wallace and Hugo is overwhelmingly and profoundly deep and loving in a spiritual way. After all, the living and the dead are not really set up for a physical connection. It's heart to heart, soul to soul stuff with a heavy emphasis on helping and relying on one another no matter orientation (or species!).

Thanks to Tor/Macmillan and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

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"Death is only the beginning"
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you TJ Klune for sharing your gift with the world. Klune's writing is beautiful. His characters are so deep and incredible. There are just no other books out there like this one and Cerulean Sea. These books are quirky, strange, picturesque, yet beautiful and special works of art with a lesson for everyone.
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In this story, Wallace has to die to fully realize what it means to live. Wallace, a nasty, mean lawyer has a sudden heart attack and is in denial that he is actually dead. However, Wallace finds peace and even friendship in his afterlife. Love, loss, family, and friendship are the key themes in this one.
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Thank you @netgalley for this ARC! Y'all will be doing yourselves a favor to pick this up later this month.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is a beautifully written story about life, death, acceptance and love. It touches on questions as to what happens when we die as well as free choice. There are so many levels to this book, but all are remarkably touching and deeply rooted into human nature.

Wallace Price is a big time ruthless lawyer. We meet him as he is preparing to fire one of his employees who has given everything to his company. The next thing Wallace knows is that he is attending his funeral and being met by a reeper. Wallace is stunned to see how little people are affected by his passing and begins his journey through the afterlife.

Wallace meets a host of characters that seem different from him, people he would have never interacted with in his living life. Wallace goes through many experiences in this afterlife allowing him to reflect on the life he once led.

Under the Whispering Door is a book that I could not put down. It is a fast, easy read with so many likeable characters. There are parts that will make you laugh, parts that will bring tears to your eyes and others that will make you smile. Prepare for all the emotions while reading TJ Klune’s, Under the Whispering Door available September 21, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wallace Price is a true asshole. He treats everyone like crap, employees and all others alike. And then he dies. And realizes he's not as liked as he thought he was, going to his funeral helps with that. But then, he is brought by Mei, a reaper, to a very weird tea shop that doesn't look like it should stand and is told that not only he is dead but he must stay here or move forward. Wallace does not like that, even when nice and kind Hugo tries to explain it. He throws a couple tantrums before finally accepting that these people are here to help him.

Well that was a shit summary, I'm sorry. Anyway, this book was pretty good. It was actually the first book I've read by TJ Klune and overall, I really liked it. The relationships between the characters were pretty well portrayed and paced and Wallace's character development was truly incredible.
I also liked the world and atmosphere TJ Klune created and I even cried a little bit at the end. I, however, could not rate this 5 stars for several reasons.
First of all, I'll invite you to read Dawn's review and comment on the Chinese representation.
Also, it just took me too much time to get into the story and I was really not having a good time at first because of how unlikable Wallace first was. I really had to make myself read for a while before I started enjoying myself.
Anyway, I'm still a little torn about this one, but overall it was a pretty compelling book and I will read more books by TJ Klune.