This book is completely different from anything else I have ever read by Mr Klune. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started and in the beginning I absolutely hated one of the MCs. I think most people will. There are other less than likeable characters but he is the one who undergoes the most positive changes. <br />This one is book book about death, change, growth, self-awareness, love, acceptance and moving on. Fortunately these weighty issues are not handled with a heavy hand. Yes there are discussions but there are also actions and changes both big and small that lead the characters to a happier place. About the only negative thing I can say is I wish the epilogue was a complete second book. There was an awful lot shoved into just a few pages. Being published by a mainstream publishers it does not contain graphic sex so is acceptable for teens as well as adults. I want to thank Netgalley and Tor publishing for this ARC which I chose to give.

After reading and loving The House in the Cerulean Sea last year, I knew that I needed to read TJ Klune’s future work.

Whispering Door has a smaller and more intimate cast of characters, slower pacing, and is more character-driven. Yet they have a similar feel. Both books are magical and make you think about life. Because of the slower pacing, it took me longer to connect with the characters, but by the end, I was emotionally invested and really appreciated the story’s commentary on life and death.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I couldn’t imagine how Under the Whispering Door could possibly compete with the joy that I found in reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, but I’m happy to say it exceeded all my expectations. Klune’s ability to create heartfelt and endearing characters is on full display here; I dare you to read this novel and not fall in love with Wallace, Hugo, Mei, Nelson, and Apollo. At the heart of the story is Wallace’s journey as a character, and this is portrayed in a beautiful and relatable ways as we follow Wallace from life to after-life, and watch as he discovers how to truly live.

As for the setting of Charon’s Crossing, a teashop whose purveyor is a loveable ferryman for the dead? Let’s just say, as a devoted coffee drinker, this book made me reach for a soothing cup of tea; what higher praise can I offer? I longed to spend a luxurious day relaxing in Hugo’s teashop, and was saddened to leave it behind when I finished the book. But truly, it’s the characters who inhabit Charon’s Crossing that bring it to life, and this tale lives and dies on the strength of Klune’s characters.

Fans of Cerulean Sea will note many narrative and stylistic similarities. For instance, Klune, once again, shines as he revels in the ideocratic nature of bureaucratic structures, portraying absurdities in a near Douglas Adams-esque way. Similarly, humor, pathos and romance all pull at the reader’s emotions and drive the story onward. This is a wonderful journey of discovery, change, and fulfillment, and a rewarding read.

“In death, Wallace had never felt more alive.”

Gorgeous. Brilliant. Charming. I sobbed.

Wallace Price is a killer attorney. Until he dies. When he winds up in the ferryman Hugo’s hodgepodge tea shop, he has the chance to try to do some good. But can he change? With the help of feisty Reaper Mei, good boy ghost dog Apollo, and Nelson, Hugo’s ornery dead grandfather, he’ll find out. But when he can’t move forward and The Manager comes to force his hand, will it be too late?

An exploration of love, loss, death, and grief. What will you do with the time you have left? If you loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, you’ll love this. Except this book will wreck you.

4.75 Stars

Content warnings at end of review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor/Forge Books for an arc of this book.

Wallace is not a good person. All he cares about is the bottom line at his work as an attorney, and not at all about the people he steps on along the way. But when he dies suddenly and discovers there is a life after death, Wallace will learn things that he never understood during his actual life, and with the help of his new friends (a ferryman, a reaper, and a ghost) he will grow in ways that were never possible in his actual life.

Oh look, another TJ Klune book that made me laugh and cry in equal measure. What else is new?

This book was incredible! It took me a little while to get fully invested in it, but once I did I couldn't stop reading. I was bawling toward the end and can't imagine this having gone any other way than it did. I love Hugo and Mei so much! They are absolutely fantastic characters. I loved the found family elements in this book and the amazing character growth that Wallace went through! The writing was phenomenal!

Pub Date: Sept 21, 2021

Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Suicide
Moderate: Child death, Animal death, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Car accident

I received a complimentary copy of UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR by T.J. Klune from Tor Books for an honest review. I adored THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA so was overjoyed to get an advanced copy of this book!

Rating: 5 / 5
Publication Date: 9/21/2021

UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR follows Wallace, a man devoted to work and not much more. He’s not the most likeable guy to begin with, more about the bottom line than having a heart for the people he’s working with. Cut to Wallace’s funeral where he realizes the partners at his firm and his ex wife have shown up out of obligation… and no one else apart from a reaper there to take him to someone named Hugo.

Hugo lives in a small village where he runs a tea shop and also acts as the ferryman to usher dead souls to the afterlife, each in their own time. The tea shop is a refuge for the living and the dead. Hugo brings comfort to many, but his connection with Wallace is something more and Wallace is reluctant to move on form this life.

I have been putting off this review because I honestly don’t know what to say about this one. This has some very heavy subjects (trigger warnings for death, grief, suicide, depression) and it will break your heart more than once along the journey. Still, it does so in a beautiful and uplifting way as well. I thought Klune did a fantastic job of discussing grief and mourning.

This book is very different from THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, but the same charming writing comes through. I love the way the author manages to mix in humor (albeit sometimes dark humor) to bring lightness into some of the hardest moments. I found the mix here to really be perfect!

This is a book to go into in the right frame of mind. Definitely be aware of the themes of death and sadness that run throughout the book, but it is very much worth the read and I highly recommend it!

UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR is out on 9/21/2021!

Wallace is an ambitious lawyer who cannot accept that he has died as a middle ages man. With the help of Mei (his reaper) and Hugo (his ferryman), Wallace learns acceptance, friendship, love and that dying doesn't mean you stop living.

This was the coziest book I have read all year. The entire time I was reading I felt like I was wrapped up in a warm hug. This is a book I will probably pick up every fall season with a hot cup of tea and a snuggly blanket.

It has diverse characters, romance, found family and whimsical fantasy. The story is slower but so beautifully written that it reminded me of Invisible Life of Addie Larue, just timeless.

If dying and transitioning to the afterlife isn't exactly like this I may stay a ghost just to haunt TJ Klune forever for putting this idea in my head.

Ahhh! He did it again! Every bit as good as his first book! Found family and love! Obviously a bit of a heavy topic at times as it's about death but still a beautiful read!

OH. MY. GOD.
Book of the year!! I'm calling it now.

I cannot even begin to describe all the ways this book touched me,
TJ Klune writes a story about death, grief and finding your way again that made me laugh out loud and cry my eyes out.
The sense of humor and the gentle way Klune writes about such a difficult and sensitive subject is not something to take lightly, this man is incredible. This story is incredible.
The story is painful, yet difficult. It's full of growth and acceptable, with bits of anger and regret.
The relationships built within this quirky tea shop, a stopping point onto the next journey in a person's life, is something I will not forget for a very very very long time.

I did cry the entire last 20 of this book - and it was worth EVERY. Single. Tear.
I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this. I want to treasure these pages forever.


Thank you SO SO much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Reading this book changed my life.

PRE-ORDER IT NOW!

Under the Whispering door is a sweet story about the meaning of life, acceptance of death and moving on. Just like with the House on the Cerulean Sea, you can find Klune’s irresistible humour and a light narration style. In the beginning, it felt like the book lacked originality as it seemed that the author tried to use all the same elements that made his previous book so popular: same character development idea; predictable romantic line; no defined antagonist, but rather bureaucratic and disconnected higher management; and multiple subplots with minor characters. And to be completely honest, the first part of the book was slow and a bit tedious to read. However, the pace picked up and the last part was significantly better. What really redeemed this book, in my opinion, was secondary subplots. The story of a grieving mother was so touching (maybe because I am a mother) and I actually had to stop reading because I started bawling my eyes out.

I really adored the House in the Cerulean Sea, so it’s possible that my expectations were a bit unrealistic. I still enjoyed this book, which is a good book, but I personally found it pale in comparison to its predecessor.

If you are drawn to this book because you liked "The House in the Cerulean Sea" then step right up, you'll probably enjoy this one too. "Under the Whispering Door" has that same gentle, cozy vibe, with finding out what one wants from life (or, death in this case,) and lots of queer people. This is one of those books that feels like it was specifically written to be a comforting read in trying times.

I had a few qualms, though. Mainly, I thought that the way the protagonist, Wallace, was introduced presented him as such an over the top awful person that it was hard to buy his character arch. He was cartoonishly bad. Also, there was a distinct lack of female characters.

Overall, this was a solid comfort read, and I'm glad I read it.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: This was incredibly well done, I really enjoyed every minute of it. This is a sweet story about life, death, friendship, and love that has a lot of humor in it as well.

Wallace isn’t a very nice guy; he is a lawyer who lives for his job and is incredibly demanding of those around him...and then he is dead. He finds himself being shepherded to a Reaper, the teashop-owningHugo. Suddenly, everything Wallace thinks he knows about life is changing.

The writing and story are fairly simple but there is enough mystery to pull the reader easily through the story. I loved the quirky characters in here and loved all the discussion about what it means to live your life well. There is humor in here too, as well as a number of heartwarming scenes too. This is a story that will make you laugh out loud, then have you in tears on the next page.

So far I have absolutely loved every T.J. Klune book I have read. I have read “The House in the Cerulean Sea” and the first book in the Tales of Verania series. The last couple books I have read by Klune (The House and this one) have been so comforting and entertaining, he is just such an amazing writer!

My Summary (5/5): Overall I adored this book. It's just so quirky, heart-warming, comforting, humorous, and thoughtful. I love the way this book made me feel so happy and enjoyed all the introspection about life, death, and a life well lived. I will continue to immediately pick up any Klune book I see released!

So so so good. I honestly don't know what else to say.

The description had me hooked as I read it and the book didn't let me go through all of its pages. I didn't want to put it down, work just kept getting in the way!

Another great book from TJ Klune, I can't wait for what comes out next!

Once again Klune has stolen my heart. Under The Whispering Door is perfect for fans of The House In The Cerulean Sea. Jam packed with quirky humor and heartfelt moments, this book knows how to tug at the reader’s heartstrings in all the right ways. I loved the character journey we see Wallace go through. He changes from an arrogant, selfish man to a caring and compassionate one. If you’re looking for a feel good book that touches on scary topics in a positive light, look no further.

I finished this book yesterday, and I'm still at a loss for how I feel about it.

On the one hand, I went into this expecting something like The House in the Cerulean Sea, and this...was not that book. Don't be filled by the same cheerful cover style, this book is a whole lot heavier than Cerulean Sea was, and (at least for me) much more emotional. While it's written in the same beautiful and quirky prose, it's a heck of a lot darker at times.

On the other hand, I loved this so much! It was so bittersweet, and I loved how character-driven it was. Like Cerulean Sea, the side characters captured my heart, and Nelson and Mei are probably some of my new favorites. Like V.E. Schwab said about Cerulean Sea, T.J. Klune's work is like "being wrapped in a big gay blanket." I wanted to stay in the world with Wallace and Hugo forever.

Since it is character-driven, I found parts of the plot a bit slow, but my general love for all the characters kept me from being bored. I also anticipate this being quite the tear-jerker for some - if I teared up (something that doesn't happen often), others will definitely be shedding a tear or two.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea better, but this book helped to fill the hole in my heart that it had left.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Tor, and all opinions are my own!

I LOVED The House in the Cerulean Sea so much, so I was super happy to get approved for this ARC and luckily -- it did not disappoint! Please keep in mind this book is all about death, so it is not as lighthearted as The House in the Cerulean Sea, but it is just as lovable and endearing.

Wallace Price is not a nice man. He works. Too much. And he doesn't care. About anyone. One day he wakes up one day... and he's at his own funeral. There's a women there, a reaper, who's come to take him to "the ferryman" who will help hom cross over to the other side. Intrigued yet?

During this transition, we meet quirky & lovable characters Hugo (Ferryman and Tea Shop owner), Mei (Brand New Reaper) and Nelson (Hugo's mischievous Grandfather) that help Wallace deal with his death and life choices, and learn about love, empathy and everything in between. This story was so cute, funny and heartbreaking in all the right ways, and it definitely gave me all the feels.

This book is available to purchase September 21st! I definitely recommend it. I have my B&N copy pre-ordered already! Thank you Netgalley and Tor Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

🚪Book Review 🚪
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Thank you @torbooks and @netgalley for the advanced readers copy of one of my most anticipated books of the year! I loved the house in the cerulean sea, but this one might have been better 😱
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Summary: When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop's owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo's help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune's signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts: this story was just so beautiful. It was a little bit of a slow start but wow what a gorgeous deep story. It made me cry and smile and laugh. It was beautifully written as per usual by @tjklunebooks and completely unique. What a wonderful world and I just can’t wait to read more by Klune. Just as lovely and charming as The House in The Cerulean Sea. This book will be available for purchase September 21st I would recommend running to your nearest bookstore then to read it. Beautiful story about second chances and new beginnings ❤️
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This was my most highly anticipated book of 2021. Seriously. After adoring and falling in love with The House in the Cerulean Sea last year, I became an instant fan of TJ Klune.

Now, that being said, if you think this is going to be like Cerulean, you might want to rethink that thought. It still has it's enduring, charming, and life altering wisdom, but it also has a bit darker of a theme with a lot of talk about death and the afterlife. I felt a little bit sad while reading it instead of uplifted like Cerulean.

Overall, still a must read, but it won't be my favorite of the year.

This book was absolutely brilliant. I laughed and I cried, I sobbed and I grinned, I love it so much. Like all of TJ Klune's work that I've read I really like the bond between the family, the love they share not just as individuals but as a whole. We get a story full of wholesome banter, characters and an enchantingly adorable setting. Wallace and Hugo deserve the world itself and the ending was just beautiful however much painful it was and however much it made me cry, it was still perfect. Even though the start was a little hard for me to get through after like the thirty percent mark the book seemed rush by me. Not only was it fast paced but also beautifully written. All in all I am obsessed and I will go back to my sobbing because the book ended and I really want more and also wanna be part of their family pweasd 👉👈

This is the first book that I have read by T.J. Klune, but it will certainly not be the last. Klune has this inherent ability to create such rich visualizations that make you feel like you are present in the action. This book follows Wallace Price, a truly heinous and selfish individual that wakes up at his own funeral. Through the course of the novel, Wallace must reckon with what it means to live, after his death. The subjects of death and grief are handled so delicately and wonderfully in this book, and I found myself crying at many points while reading.

I have read many reviews referring to this book as a warm hug and I can't think of any other way to better describe it. I am definitely going to read The House on the Cerulean Sea next.