Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan-tor for letting me read and review this book. TJ Klune is a great author, their writing style and characters are stunning. I like their world-building, I feel like I am transported to Klune's world with Wallace and Hugo.

The story is about a reaper collecting Wallace Price at his funeral. The reaper takes Price to a small village and he meets a tea shop owner named Hugo. Hugo helps Wallace learn about everything he missed in his life. This is a heartwarming and emotional story of grief and hope.

After how much I absolutely loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, I was sold on reading anything released by T.J. Klune, so I was very excited when I heard about Under the Whispering Door, and thought the concept sounded really interesting too.

It was still a good story, and much like Cerulean Sea, it had a coziness to it, and it was uplifting and heartwarming, and I am finding that I absolutely enjoy cozy fantasy stories, and I want more of these simpler tales. Sure, I love a good epic fantasy where a band of misfits have to band together to save the world. It’s classic. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a more low-stakes tale.

Following Wallace and Hugo and everyone else at Charon’s Crossing made for a lovely reading experience. And the whole story solidified my belief that I want to keep reading these books by T.J. Klune. I mean, come on, how interesting is it to have a story where the protagonist truly learns to live after dying. It’s also fascinating to have a cozy story with such a focus on death, and how death can make you see what’s important with life.

But I wasn’t as wholly lost and captivated by this one compared to the previous one. It wasn’t as magically heartwarming, and it took me a bit longer to get through everything. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. It’s nice to have some tales that take you a little longer to get through.

Honestly, I probably should do a Cerulean Sea and Whispering Door re-read. I feel like reading some more cozy fantasy books sounds pretty darn good right now. So…if you have any cozy fantasy recommendations, let me know!

Sooo good! One of my faves to read! Definitely would recommend picking this one up if you see it in the store

I’ve tried so hard to like TJ Klune and I just… can’t. It’s unfortunate, since I have heard nothing but good things about these books. This one in particular reminds me of the movie Soul. However, I just can’t get into it.

Beautiful plot, amazing world building. I love TJ Klune’s storytelling for the fact that I feel inside the story, and it’s never any scenario I feel I could’ve conjured myself.
Also, some of the most loveable, imperfect characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The character growth is phenomenal and makes me feel all the feelings. I am forever a Klune fan after this emotional, beautiful fantasy novel.

Another phenomenal story by TJ Klune! I adored every single thing about this book. The characters were so special and I did not want this book to end. If you're a fan of THE GOOD PLACE or THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY this one is for you.

TJ Klune writes wholesome, sweet stories that are sure to appeal to readers of multiple genres. It is a bit too wholesome and surface level for me, but I could appreciate the easy writing style and characters. If you are looking for a mildly romantic story and discussions for grief, this may be for you

As always, TJ Klune does a fantastic job setting the scenery for the story. Although the subject was tough for me to read at the time, this is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of grief and life after death. Be aware of the content warnings, but the underlying message is brilliant.

I was a huge fan of the house on the Cerulean sea by T.J. Klune and was expecting something similar, this was in some ways but it is definitely a story all to it’s own, one that I still enjoyed.

TJ Klune once again did not disappoint bringing his signature writing style - distinctive characters with voices that bounce off the page - to life. Covering an in-depth conversation on life and death, opening my eyes to the conversation in a different way through his magnificent way with words.

Full of heart and you feel as though you’re meeting with people in your own life, the characters feel that real.

One that has stayed with me since reading and one I enjoy recommending to customers. Thank you for the reading copy in exchange for an honest review!

TJ Klune is a mastermind. Every book he writes is beautifully written, full of complex, important themes and messages. I loved this story of the afterlife and the in between; makes one really think about their own lives and whether or not they are truly living the best life they could be. Wallace, Hugo & Mei are all wonderful characters that I grew to love very quickly, even Wallace!

This was super sweet and just as heartwarming as The House in the Cerulean Sea. I love the A Christmas Carol vibes, and Wallace's character arc throughout the story. TJ Klune is truly a gem in the book world, and even with mile high expectations, this book blew past them!

The story quickly introduces you to Wallace Price - a man that is immediately established as insensitive, distant, and described as cold and calculating. His first action in the story is firing a woman after finding her crying thus taking away her daughter's scholarship in the process. He did so without remorse or an ounce of caring similar to how Ebenezer is first introduced as a cold uncaring man. Then Wallace's life completely changes. It ends. This introduction sets up the man and his death creates a catalyst that pulls you into the story. The story takes place in Wallace's afterlife, caught between life and peace. He's a ghost - neither present in reality nor gone from it. The characters are Klune's typical style of quirky, charming, and funny. It's a relatively small cast of characters which gives you a chance to truly get to know each of them. Each of these characters influences Wallace and brings out his humanity, inspiring him to be better and appreciate life even in his afterlife. There's Hugo the Ferryman, Mei the Reaper, Apollo the amazing ghost dog, and Nelson a fellow ghost. His bond with each of them draws out a piece of his humanity with friendship, love, family, and selflessness. The plot tackles heavy themes such as death, selfishness, humanity, anxiety, and grief in a way that is heartfelt, genuine, and easy to read. "Grief is a catalyst" is a poignant quote that encompasses the essence of the story. It was grief that turned Hugo into a ferryman. It's grief that transforms Wallace by the end in a way that is beautifully written and will hit home for a lot of people. The writing feels as if it comes from a personal place and you can feel the compassion that went into creating this story about life, death, and everything in between.

TJ KLUNE!!!! I feel like everything is writing is magic these days...and not in the sense of magic...but that they are magically amazing! A teacher friend of mine said I HAD to read Under the Whispering Door and she was right in all the praise she gave. Definitely looking for future books by TJ.

This one was very sweet and wholesome, I enjoyed it. It was uplifting and really just an all around cozy read. I really liked the unique premise as well and I normally do not read fantasy very much.

I love TJ Klune's writing, humor, and the inclusion of the best grumpy curmudgeon characters ever. If the story ends here, I'm content. If the story continues, I'm beyond excited!

This review is so late, but I did not want to waste to opportunity to say what a beautiful, gorgeous, funny, sad, important book this is. I was able to listen to the audio version (excellent) and found myself unable to wait for my next commute, so I switched back and forth to the ebook.

The characters are diverse and amazing - I loved them all even when I couldn't stand some of them. The book's ruminations on life and how it might continue are so poignantly done. Just - bravo all around.

Wonderful book. In my top 5 of all time. I love this author. I will revisit this book yearly for a reread. Added to my bookshelf of 5 star reads.

TJ Klune was one of my favorite authors for a while, and when he got signed with TOR I was excited for him. But as my reading tastes have changed, I’ve come to realize that I am not the right reader for Klune’s books. He has interesting ideas and does interesting things with grief stories, but I can’t move past several -isms that sneak into his work and are baked in as preconceived absolutes. Fully a case of me not being the right audience for his books any longer.

Another incredible story by an outstanding author. He writes such lovable characters. I loved everything about this. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review.