Thanks to Tor Books for this ARC of Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune!

After finished The House in the Cerulean Sea, I could not wait to read Klune’s newest novel, and it did not disappoint. While the former is so often described as being wrapped in a warm hug, Under the Whispering Door is less warm and fuzzy and more philosophical and heartbreaking. I do NOT cry easily when I read a book, but this one got me. Even when a part is ripped your heart out, these amazing characters will spit out a line that will make you laugh (between sobs).

This book is not necessarily happy, but there are amazing moments and connections within it. It makes you feel a rollercoaster of emotions, as it should based on its plot line. Although this story is vastly different from The House in the Cerulean Sea, it is equally worthy of praise. I was worried it wouldn’t be able to live up to its predecessor, but I think it did for very different reasons.

A heartwarming and humorous story of a man who learns how to live life right but only after he dies. TJ Klune's 'Under the Whispering Door' is a much welcomed follow up to his earlier book 'The House in the Cerulean Sea'. Exploring themes of death, love, and the supernatural, the book begins with the demise of Wallace Price, who can largely be described as a Scrooge-like character. It follows his journey of personal growth as he realises that life can be so much more than the mundane routine of work life if only you let yourself love those around you. With help from Mei, Nelson, Apollo and Hugo, Wallace finds himself and helps those around him find peace and happiness.

This book will make you cry from laughter and weep (but in a good way, hopefully). It is emotional, charming, and witty - everything I have come to expect from this author. If you have not already, please read 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' - you will cry but your heart will be full.

The main character dies. Just FYI. It’s not a spoiler. It happens right at the beginning of the book. Wallace Price is a jerk and then he dies. And no one cares. Seriously, no one. Thus, the book begins at the end. As Wallace learns how to be dead, he learns a lot about how he should have lived. In that regard, this book isn’t necessarily unique, as there are other novels out there that encourage us to avoid following in the main character’s footsteps by examining our lives now and making the necessary changes. However, there’s where the similarities end.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. It’s not your typical “love everyone in case you die tomorrow” book. Wallace wishes he would have been kinder to his loved ones, more generous to his employees, more respectful to those he may have mistreated. But at no time does Klune force his characters to show any apology for their boundaries. Wallace didn’t have the best relationship with his parents. Klune never once suggests that Wallace should have overlooked their emotional mistreatment in the name of mending fences. In fact, as he begins to form new friendships after death, Wallace continues to learn about how boundaries are necessary in healthy relationships.

Klune also has an impressive way of honoring diversity without tokenism. His characters come from different backgrounds, races, sexual orientations and cultures. He beautifully honors the uniqueness of his characters without relying on old stereotypes.

To say I liked the book is a definite understatement. This book broke my heart, opened my mind, made me laugh, and gave me hope. Characters this beautiful can only come from an equally beautiful soul. This book is absolutely gorgeous.

This one should be on shelves September 21, 2021. Do yourself a huge favor and grab a copy.

Thanks to TJ Klune, Tor Books and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

How many stars can I give? T.J Klune has done it again with the wonderful book. House on the Cerulean Sea was my favorite book last year and I was not sure that anything will top it. I read this book in a day and loved every minute.

Wallace has died of a heart attack. With only his partners and ex-wife at the funeral, Wallace cannot understand why there are not more people in attendance and why they are not sadder. Hugo is shocked when the only person he does not recognize turns out to be the reaper who is waiting to collect him. She brings him to a strange tea shop where Hugo is waiting with the promise of helping him cross over when he is ready. Wallace's journey in this book will tear at your heart and slowly put it back together as Wallace finds himself.

Although this book deals with death, this fantasy will make you smile until the last page. I loved the Characters, the story and the journey. I am so grateful to Netgalley and Tor books for my advanced copy of this book. It was wonderful and did not disappoint.

Under the Whispering Door was an enjoyable read with vivid and complex characters and inspires an incredible amount of existential dread within me (in the best way possible, of course).
We follow Wallace as he navigates his life after death and what it means to truly live, which is pretty much as if ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Beetlejuice’ had a baby. One of my favourite parts of this novel was Wallace's character development. The novel centers around his emotional journey, newly deceased, unable to simply be ‘Wallace the lawyer’ anymore. We can see just how his character evolves, with the help of the other characters, Hugo, Mei, Nelson and my favourite character, Apollo.
While Wallace’s journey is the central conflict, each character in this story follows their own journey which is why I believe these characters to be so vivid. Klune’s writing of these characters is phenomenal.
The plot is where this book lacks. Wallace’s journey through death is the central storyline, but I felt that I was saying “I get it, now let's move on,” only for Wallace to continue saying the same stuff for the next 2 chapters. At times, the book felt directionless and certain chapters just felt like fillers. While the world and characters are intriguing, I would have loved it if the book had more plot because, aside from pure intrigue, there wasn’t a lot going on.
Overall, I find that Under the Whispering Door is an interesting study of what it means to be alive, even after you’re dead. While the plot lacked, the characters emotional journey made up for it, as well as the carefully crafted world Klune writes. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a more ‘obscure’ read, all while maintaining a deeper message below the surface

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

This book was like someone hugging me after a loss and saying “I know how you feel”, but they really truly did know how I felt in that time of such profound grief.

This book is such a beautiful processing of grief that is raw and loving and so, so sweet.

I ugly cried through so much of it, but it was so cathartic. Klune manages to ask the questions we all have, while providing the most lovely, warm, and hopeful answers.

Tw: death, death of a parent, suicide, murder, death of a child, cancer

This is one I could not finish. After getting 1/3 of the way through, I as bored and didn't care about the characters. I tried to keep going but there was no hook, no excitement, no suspense to keep reading.

Just as fantastic and perfectly written as Cerulean Sea! If you loved TJ Klune's other books, you will not be disappointed here! 5 stars!

Under the Whispering Door is about a grumpy lawyer who dies suddenly and his time at a tea shop that serves as the way station between death and whatever comes next.

I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, so I was very excited to read this one. While Under the Whispering Door has Klune’s quirky humor, it is a much darker story than The House in the Cerulean Sea. The writing feels similar and the characters are loveable, but this is ultimately a story about death and grief. It also demonstrates the beauty of life and how death makes life meaningful. It tugged at my heartstrings in many ways. The story lagged in some spots where there were many pages of dialogue but otherwise it kept me interested. Definitely check the content warnings before reading this.

*Thank you to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

“An ending. Leading to a new beginning.”

If someone had told me a week ago that I would fall in love with a book whose primary focus is death, I probably would’ve smiled and nodded politely while secretly wondering why this person was so weird. It’s not a subject a lot of people want to think about, much less read close to 400 pages focused on. TJ Klune’s wonderful gem of a book may just change your feelings on it!

40-year-old lawyer Wallace Price is a … well, replace the ‘e’ in his last name with a ‘k’, and that about sums him up. He’s aloof and cold, more concerned about the bottom line than his employees, has no friends, a failed marriage and no real conscience. When he suddenly drops dead of a heart attack one day, his is the only heart that’s broken.

Enter his reaper, a deliciously sarcastic young woman named Mei, and the wonderfully good-hearted ferryman she assists, Hugo. These two very-much-alive humans are assigned to help him, and others, adjust to being dead and cross over to what lies beyond. They do this from a quirky home in the forest, Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats, where they are as equally adept at serving customers muffins, scones and tea, as they are at helping the dead. Also living there … wait, scratch that … existing there, are the absolutely delightful ghosts of Hugo’s hilarious and sprightly grandfather, Nelson, and Hugo’s lovable, lick-happy dog, Apollo.

At its heart, this is as much a book about death as it is about appreciating life and learning to live. As the opening quote suggests, an ending is merely the beginning of something new, and that’s the journey the reader goes on with Wallace … from someone who was dead inside long before his body followed suit, to someone who sees and relishes the life, love and meaning his new “family” offers him.

Klune wrote a book that’s insightful and deep, without being heavy, one that made me laugh and smile over and over, and - for someone who doesn’t cry easily - made me blubber like a damn fool! I fell in love with all these characters and dreaded the book ending because I didn’t want to leave my adopted home with them in the woods.

Not a lot actually happens outside the house, but the goings-on in the house were so entertaining I would’ve gladly pulled up a chair and hung out with them for as long as possible. My only complaint, which knocked it down a ½ star (but not really since I’m rounding up), is that I would’ve preferred a slightly different way of handling the ending, but not so much that I felt disappointed. Overall, a heartwarming and wonderful story!

★★★★ ½ (rounded up to 5)❤️

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Netgalley and author TJ Klune for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. It will be published September 21, 2021.

This book was such a melancholy story of a man who man who dies and refuses to cross over. As always with TJ Klune’s stories, the characters were so unique and had such depth to them.

The description for this one was a little misleading I thought. The key part where Wallace is given 7 days to stay doesn’t happen until 75% into the book. Before that, you do get a lot of anecdotal interludes but they don’t all seem to be a cohesive plot.

Overall I liked the characters but didn’t enjoy the plot. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC copy.

T.J. Klune you've done it again. Every single book that you write makes me feel so many things. This one is no exception.

If you've read "The Extraordinaries" or "The House in the Cerulean Sea," you know that T.J. Klune has the profound ability to get you attached to characters. His stories will make you want to laugh, hope, and -in this case- cry.

"Under the Whispering Door" is unlike his other works in a sense that it is less about an adorable romance and more about the grief of death (although there is still a cute romance). With that being said, it is just as incredible and gripping as everything else he has written and I could not stop reading.

I knew from the moment that I started reading this book that it would break my heart, and it would be worth every second of heart-ache. I was right.

Wallace Price is an incredibly mean and miserable person- until he dies. He dies, and he meets Hugo, a ferryman that is supposed to guide Wallace into whatever comes after death.

As Wallace spends more time with Hugo and other guests at the tea shop he starts to change. He becomes less miserable and more hopeful. However, he must still grapple with the fact that he is dead. He has to deal with the grief of his lost life, one that he did not live to his fullest, all the while dealing with his budding relationship with Hugo.

Seeing how Wallace gains his humanity after he died may have been one of the most heartbreaking yet beautiful things that I have ever had the privilege of reading.

Hugo's own story in how he became a ferryman and watching his struggle to deal with being surrounded by death is just as gripping as Wallace's story. I feel for Hugo's character and I can resonate with the humanity in him. It almost feels that I share his burdens as I learn more about his daily struggles and demons.

As predicted, I found myself hoping and empathizing for all of the characters in the book. Not just the main ones, but the side characters as well. Klune has a remarkable ability to develop characters in a way where you truly get attached to them and want to see their happy ending.

As to whether or not they get that happy ending, well you'll just have to read the book to find out. I promise that it will be worth it.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for review. I am beyond honored.

Under the Whispering Door focuses on our main protagonist Wallace Price. An attorney who is all work and no play. One day he finds himself suddenly dead at his office and attending his own funeral. He is met by a Reaper, Mei, and taken to a strange tea shop where he meets a Ferryman named Hugo who is suppose to help Wallace come to terms with his death and assist him with passing on to the great unknown. Through TJ Klune's masterful storytelling we follow Wallace as he embarks on his experiences in his afterlife refusing to pass through the door and reflecting on his mortal life.

TJ Klune as done it again! With his trademark whimsical charm and comical wit the author took me on such a wonderful, and emotional ride. During the first 25-35% of the book I was worried. For me there was a lot of repetition of description and dialog that put me off while I was reading it. However, after that passed, the story developed more depth an elicited such as strong emotional response from me. I developed such as strong connection to all the characters in this book that I loved them all so dearly. This I believe this was impart to how masterful TJ Klune writes his stories. He developed the story so well that for me, an empath, I knew and felt every character's feelings to my core. From the 59% point on I can't tell you how many times my eyes watered and I cried. Tears of empathy, tears of beauty, tears of sorrow. I cried all the way to the last sentence. As I reflect on the book after reading I see the purpose for why those repetitive descriptions were used, TJ Klune does a great job using the stages of grief and showing that not all people go through these stages the same way or in the same order. Upon completing this novel TJ Klune has become my favorite author of all time.

Trigger Warnings: Death caused by different forms are discussed in this book ranging from spontaneous medical conditions to homicide/suicide. Discussion of what comes physically and spiritually are discussed. Please take caution when reading especially if you've recently lost someone as this will likely surface some emotions for you. Those who have very strong religious spiritual beliefs of the afterlife may conflict with this story.

If you have liked this author's previous works I believe you will enjoy reading Under the Whispering Door. Especially the Easter Eggs in this novel *wink wink*.

Walter Price could be described as a hard as nails attorney, stringent and cold. Well…literally. He’s dead.

And so this story begins at Walter’s end. In attendance at his own funeral, struggling with the realization that he is no longer alive in the physical sense.
In order to bring things into clearer view, his reaper escorts him to the tea house; a place where explanations will be made and he will have time to come to terms with his death.

There is more to this story than a lesson in living life while we are still here. On a deeper level it is a comforting tale about the unknown. T.J. Klune has crafted a story that encompasses love on every level. The here and now. The otherworldly.

We can only hope that somewhere in another dimension, after this life, we meet a Hugo, a Nelson, an Apollo and a Mei. That our spirit lives on. That we stay long enough at the in between to have at least two cups of tea. 😉

With much thanks and sincere appreciation to @tjklune @netgalley @torbooks for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

If my way to differentiate 4- from 5-star books is how late I stay up past my bedtime, UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR absolutely gets a 5-star rating. It was a little of a slow start for me– I was skeptical after THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA (lots of people loved it! it didn't hit the right notes for me), but as soon as Mei showed up, I knew I was in for something special.
The supporting cast of characters are so interesting, and the care given to fleshing out their back stories is a strong point in favor of this novel. Many readers have focused on the romance aspect of this story, but I think the contemplations of grief and what it means to be alive (or dead!) is what cinched this book for me. Wallace changes throughout the book in mostly believable ways (some shifts are a little pat, but still enjoyable!), and it felt like catharsis to cry at the heart-wrenching moments, and laugh at the snark and pranks sprinkled throughout.
The imagery of the Manager, and of the "Husks" was fascinating–an edge of darkness/creepiness that I think is perfect for the turn of seasons happening right around this books' pub date.
If you're already hooked on Klune's writiner from THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, I think this is an easy sell! Otherwise, I'll be recommending this to friends who like ghost stories, the kinds that expand our perception of hauntings and ask us to really think about if we're living our lives the most we can.

If you have read The House in the Cerulean Sea, it should not come as a surprise that TJ Klune has managed to weave yet another beautiful story with words. As a reader, there are several elements that I look at before recommending a book to everyone. In simpler terms, <em>Under The Whispering Door </em>is an uncoventional warm tale of two people who are as different as life and death and how they find themselves in each other.

This book deals with death, grief, mental health, violence and several other topics in such a beautiful and lucid manner. As I read the book, taking breaks from what I was doing to complete it, I realized that it needed zero efforts. The author has done such a fantastic job at the story that it does not feel like reading but watching a cozy movie under the blankets.

Let's talk about specifics:
Theme: When a book discusses grief and death, it makes me uncomfortable for a simple reason that I read to relax myself and unwind at the end of the day. So when I began reading this one, I was skeptical but decided to give it the benefit of doubt because I loved Klune's previous book. While I read, relief struck me like a giant wave - I realized I would have missed out on a wonderful book if I hadn't taken the leap of faith. From the first page to the middle, I was absorbed and mesmerized by the beats of the story. Grief and death are so real within the book - I could feel it. Having lost a pet very recently, the presence of Apollo, made my heart break and bounce at the same time. Klune has mixed everything you love (dogs, coffee shops, diverse characters, quaint plot points) and added it to everything you absolutely dread (being forgotten, death, grieving). By the time the book ended, I knew there was a lot more to life than productivity and hustle culture.

Characters: Klune's characters are not fictional. That's it. That's my petition. The characters in this book were so real that I refuse to believe that Wallace, Mei, Hugo, Nelson and Apollo don't exist. I do not wish to live in a world without them.

The book starts with Wallace being a complete asshole and then dying. It makes you think 'HA! JUSTICE' before you start feeling sorry for him. No one said a kind word about Wallace at his funeral and that turns his life (after death) around. Watching him grow into a caring person is like those videos of slime that are just so satisfying. And Hugo Freeman is a cupcake. He shouldn't be running the coffee shop, but instead should be put up for display cus he's too darn sweet. Nelson and Apollo are my favourite duo that had me in splits throughout. Mei is FIERCE and I absolutely love her for all the knife-waving she does.

Plot: The plot was unique because what can you expect when the main character dies three pages in? The answer is A LOT. There were so many issues touched upon, subtly yet beautifully. Everything was so well strung together. I just can't say more. You need to read this book and consider it a journey. There's no big twist, no crazy plot points, it's just plain love and hopefully a hot cup of coffee. If you pulled out pure love and turned it into a book, Under The Whispering Door is what you would get.

If you love diverse characters, unique plot points and lovable characters - this is the book for you!

I am so thankful to Netgalley and Tor Books for giving me this opportunity. This is one of the best books of the year for me.

With a whimsical tea-room backdrop worthy of a Ghibli film, a lovable cast of characters, and Klune’s uncanny ability to spin a tale that is both hilarious and emotionally devastating, Under the Whispering Door is a welcome successor to The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Wallace Price is a modern Ebenezer Scrooge: a corporate-drone lawyer with no friends, a few business partners, a bitter ex-wife, and no life beyond his work and expensive suits. And then, he dies. He witnesses his own sparsely attended funeral, before being whisked away to the idyllic Charon’s Crossing Tearoom: the final stop before whatever comes next.

Wallace’s character development is the driving force of the novel. In death, he is finally forced to reflect on his behaviour. But, unlike Scrooge, the change isn’t motivated by fear of a hellish afterlife (this isn’t that sort of novel!) but by a genuine desire to be a better person. This is a book about learning to be kind, both to yourself and those around you.

On his introspective journey, he’s helped along by a vivid cast of characters:
· Mei, a Grim Reaper with a fondness for threatening violence, shrewd one-liners and baking muffins.
· Nelson, an elderly ghost with a penchant for practical jokes, asking the hard questions, and hitting people with his cane.
· Apollo, a ghost-dog (what more can I say?).

Finally, we have Wallace’s love interest, Hugo. To outsiders, Hugo is a friendly tea-shop owner. But to those in the know, he’s a ferryman, whose job is to help ghosts cross over to the other side.

What I love most about Klune’s work is the humour, and there were plenty of lines in Under the Whispering Door that had me grinning to myself. There are some cringe-based jokes that I had to speed through (I get such bad second-hand embarrassment!) but it’s more than made up for by the other scenes. For instance, I had no idea I needed a comedy based around a ghost messing with fraudulent psychics until now. If you like the BBC sitcom, Ghosts, there’s a good chance you will also enjoy this novel.

Unfortunately, there are a few places where I feel that the novel falls a little short. As this is a spoiler-free review, I’ll keep it vague. As mentioned, Wallace’s character development is one of the major driving forces of the plot, but I felt as if the switch from ‘mean businessman,’ to ‘empathetic ghost’ was a little quick. It was largely explained as Wallace not understanding the impact of his actions on others, but given that he is middle-aged, I found this a little strange. This had a knock-on effect in regards to how I viewed the romance. I also found that certain sections of dialogue were a little repetitive. This is a novel about death and grief – complex, messy topics which in most areas were handled well. However, there were instances where the characters seemed to be expressing previously expressed ideas, simply rephrased.

I don’t want to give the impression that I didn’t like the novel: these ‘flaws’ (if you can even call them that!) definitely didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment while reading. It is still a beautiful piece of storytelling, one that made me laugh and cry in equal measure.

T.J. Klune’s new novel, Under the Whispering Door, hit me right in the feels. This funny, beautiful, profound, slightly soppy story is just what I expect from the writer who gave us The House in the Cerulean Sea. It’s a sign of Klune’s brilliance that this book is so full of warm fuzzies considering that it’s about death and what comes after.

When we first meet him, protagonist Wallace Price is an asshole. He’s a workaholic lawyer who lives a life so efficient that it’s devoid of any hint of happiness. His sudden death from a heart attack doesn’t change anything. The hilarious roasting at his funeral doesn’t help his mood much either. Then a young woman who says she’s a reaper whisks him away to a ramshackle tea shop in the middle of nowhere and a man who calls himself a ferryman. Mei (the reaper) and Hugo (the ferryman) declare that they’re here to help Wallace transition from his new ghostly state to whatever lies in the afterlife. Wallace is having none of it.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s stages of grief are a frequent theme in Under the Whispering Door. Wallace bounces back and forth between denial, anger, and some brief moments of depression eventually give way to acceptance as Wallace sheds his identity as a Scrooge-like lawyer to become an actually alright kind of guy. More than that, Wallace appears to have found his soulmate in Hugo. Too bad Wallace is dead. This not-so-little fact provides a whopping dose of pathos. The two of them are so delightful together that I started hoping that they would find a way to be together, for real. The stages of grief come back with a fury when that little dilemma suddenly gets a deadline when Hugo and Mei’s boss shows up.

Under the Whispering Tree is as close to a perfect book as I’ve ever seen. There are action scenes and hilarious moments of ghostly shenanigans to leaven the long discussions Hugo and Wallace have about life, happiness, regret, their jobs, the afterlife, mistakes, and so much more. Readers with a more traditional view of the afterlife might not enjoy this book as much as readers who are more flexible about what might happen after death. Religion is conspicuously absent from this book and I loved that Klune offers such a wide-open possibility for what happens after we shuffle off our mortal coils. And I especially love that the possibility might include a cup of tea that always tastes like home.

T.J. Klune set the standards for excellence pretty high with The House in the Cerulean Sea. Under the Whispering Door does not let you down.

Centered around a tea shop that doubles as a waystation for souls transitioning between life and death, tackles life, death, and how we cope with either. While no Klune book can ever be said to lack a concept- the man never misses- this is definitely one of his most premise saturated books to date. And I loved it.

Enter Wallace Price, the bitter asshole lawyer who just had a heart attack but really needs a change of heart, and Hugo, the angelic tea shop owner who works as a pseudo-therapist for souls at the waystation. Cue hilarity, a shit ton of feelings, and a quirky ensemble made up of a heavy metal devotee reaper, a stubborn grandfather who refuses to pass on, and a therapy dog who failed out of therapy dog school.

There's so much to say but I can't. Literally. ARCs be like that.

Like I said before, Klune never misses, so don't miss out. Grab yourself a copy and maybe you can cry on an airplane into a Hershey's wrapper just like me. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an early e-book copy of "Under the Whispering Door" in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this beautiful book! However, don't let the cutesy cartoon cover mislead you. This story does have some of the same wholesome elements that I loved in "The House in Cerulean Sea," but it is also a heart breaking story about death, grief and acceptance. The story is about what happens after someone passes away. It questions what type of person the main character (Wallace) was while he was alive and what kind of person he desires to be now in death. I love the found family aspect in this book. The characters are well developed and loveable. This book is whimsical, heart breaking and touching. It will have you smiling and fighting back tears. The only reason this book is not a 5 star read for me, is because it did take me a few chapers to really get invested in the story. I recommend this book to most readers interested in a story about what may come next after we die.

4.5*