I was thrilled - thrilled, I tell ya - when I learned I was receiving an ARC of this book. Then I was scared. How could it possibly be as wonderful as The House in the Cerulean Sea?

Well, I don’t know HOW, but I know it IS. What a beautiful, entertaining, touching, and unusual book. The imagery, the people, the setting… all of it.. is a reading and visualization treasure.

This thoughtful version of how people look back at their lives, how they cross over, and the importance of seeing and listening to others, is presented so well. Also a beautiful illustration of love is love.

Five stars, obviously.

This was such a thoughtful and poignant story. Though it initially took me a little time to wrap my head around a completely reimagined afterlife. TJ Klune wrote such a beautiful world in which the living and the recently dead co-exist in a time between, in German there's a word for this "zwischen" translating to the time between two things.

In this space and time between Wallace arrives at a wayward station on his way to a new life after death. As ghost Inside the walls of this magical tea shop Wallace discovers the meaning of a life well lived.

I really enjoyed this book, TJ Klune has a way with words, he paints panoramic pictures of worlds that seem impossibly alive and filled with vibrant color. His characters jump off the page, and some how even a book filled with discussions of death and grief the book breathed vibrancy and comfort.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I had a really hard getting into it and connecting with the characters. I definitely want to try to pick it up another time but I dont think I’m in the right headspace for it right now. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free copy.

Got to read the NetGalley ARC. This is my honest review:

Overall, I am glad I got to read this early. It wasn't what I went in expecting. It's a kind of worldbuilding I dislike. Until about 70%, it felt overly complicated, and only the characters kept me reading. But once the plot thickens, it improved despite my personal dislike, and I used up several tissues in the last two chapters.

Thank you Netgally for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed it. Its a fairytale about death. But I didn't think it was sad or depressing.
Highly recommend reading it.

TJ Klune does it again! I adored this book just as much as The House in the Cerulean Sea. I fell in love with the characters right away. Klune adds an incredible amount of character development into his writing which makes it easy to become attached to each of their unique stories & personalities. Not to the mention the diversity and representation within this book is phenomenal yet again.

This book is centered around Wallace Price’s journey from life into death. It feels as though you’re placed directly in the story and get to learn & grow along with Wallace. You feel his heartbreak, anger, sadness, and every emotion in between. This story also has an incredible amount of love which warms your heart from the very beginning. I can’t say enough good things about this book. If you enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea, you will LOVE this book.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of @tjklunebooks’ new book since I saw it announced because of how much I adored The House in the Cerulean Sea. A few months ago, I witnessed an exchange on Twitter where someone asked if Under the Whispering Door was just about grief or if it had actual spirits, to which Klune replied:

“The entire book is about ghosts. The lead character is a ghost. There are so many ghosts.”

Which is certainly accurate. Wallace Price, the main character, is dead. When a Reaper comes to collect him at his funeral, he has barely accepted that and is determined, like the lawyer he is, to find some loophole. But when she brings him to a small tea shop tucked away in a village in the woods, and he meets Hugo, the proprietor and ferryman whose job it is to help him cross over, he decides he is not ready to abandon his life, and tries to learn about what he missed before he allows Hugo to show him the way to the other side.

But this book is so much more than a “ghost story.” It’s also a deep and profound look at grief, death, and moving on.

If you were a fan of THITCS like me, UTWD is both similar and very, very different. It has Klune’s signature humor and heartwarming passages (and jokes about corporate drones!), but UTWD is a much darker book, and filled with gut-wrenching moments that left me genuinely sobbing (though there were many parts that inspired happy tears too!) As I’ve talked about on here before, ever since my Dad passed away I’ve been drawn to reading books about grief, and this was one of the best - some of the lines felt like the resonated right down to my bones. It was also a difficult book for me to read because it unflinchingly addresses the inevitability of death, which is something that terrifies me. But Klune deals with the topic in a way that both manages the gravity of it and casts it in a way that makes death seem almost beautiful.

UTWD reminded me a lot of A Man Called Ove (one of my favorites), and much like when I read that, I have dozens of quotes written down that made me laugh or ache. Also similar to Ove is the cast of lovable characters you feel like you know in real life.

UTWD ended in a away that I found completely unexpected and perfect. Ultimately it shares a lot of the same themes as THITCS - regarding found family and belonging - with a touch of examining one’s own mortality. The combination is utterly charming and unforgettable. I can’t recommend this book enough.

TJ Klune is an inventive and delightful writer and I was hooked at the first page. Klune’s writing draws you in and charms you with its warmth and humor. I loved the characters so much and wanted to hug each one of them. But… BUT… There were long passages that felt indulgent. The world Klune created operates under its own philosophy and there was lot of time spent explaining (or not explaining!) what was going on. I found myself getting a little bored as the plot stalled. If it were the editor, I would have trimmed down some of the more esoteric sections. I could be an outlier on this so I’ll be curious to see what others think. It will be released September 21.

After thoroughly enjoying thirty-some-odd books and short stories from this author - it’s impossible not to pick up his books with incredibly high expectations but TJ blows me away every single time. This was one of my most highly anticipated releases for the year and it exceeded everything I was hoping for from this book! It’s a slow, subtle sort of story. If TJ’s other books are fire in the way their joy and sorrow burn, then Under the Whispering Door felt more like lava in the way the softness of the story is told. It doesn’t make it any less important! (or impactful or meaningful or enjoyable). Just different. Don’t get me wrong! It still felt like a TJ book; all that classic Klune quirkiness and vulnerability was still present in every character and each of their interactions but it was a pleasure to experience a different side of his story telling. I absolutely adored Wallace’s story and I can’t wait until it’s out in the world for everyone to experience! There’s something magic in the love and loss and healing on these pages and I can’t wait to see the impact it will have on readers. In short? He’s done it again. 5⭐️.

Wallace is not a great guy, a workaholic who does not tolerate mistakes or frailties in himself or others.When he dies suddenly of a heart attack, Mei, a reaper, comes to gather him and take him to Charon's Cafe Tea House, where Hugo is there to help Wallace accept his death and move through the final door into what comes next. Also there is Nelson, Hugo's ghost granddad, and a ghost dog. Soon Wallace is making personal connections, becoming a better (dead) person, realizing the way he closed himself off in life. This was a heartwarming read, with a great cast of secondary characters and a sweet love story.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

This is an Adult paranormal fantasy romance novel, with very hard hitting subject matter!

In this, we are following our main character Wallace, who dies and is transported to a tea shop where he meets a cast of characters. In this tea shop, it is the mid way point between life and death and has to make the decision to cross over.

The Pros:
- The characters in this book. They are so likeable and the story is very driven by the characters.
- Great representation in this book.
- TJ Klune has such beautiful writing.
- This book deals with some very very heavy topics, and Klune has a way of incorporating funny moments while tackling very difficult issues, which makes it easier to get through.
- Heartbreaking, but the pay off is so worth it at the end!

The Cons:
-This book is not going to be for everyone, so please if you get bothered by certain topics, read the trigger warnings, because a couple of chapters were extremely difficult to read.

Overall:

If you are looking for a hard hitting book, but also something that will make you laugh and characters that you will fall in love with and think about for years to come then please pick this up.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor books for providing me this arc!

So I ugly-cried through the last 20% of the book. Don't get me wrong--it has a lovely, satisfying, happy ending. It's the GOOD kind of ugly-crying, the kind where your feels for the characters swamp over you and decide to leak out your eyes for an hour straight as you read. TJ Klune just writes the kind of books that do that to me. This is a book about death and dying, yes, but it's also a book about life. It took me a little longer to get through the book because of that--I have a lot of death and dying feelings wrapped up in my own family right now--but I'm so very glad I stayed with it.

"But that's the beauty of it, don't you think? Life is messy and terrible and wonderful, all at the same time."
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Thank you to TJ Klune, MacMillan-Tor/Forge Publishers, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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What I liked: TJ Klune is turning into an auto-buy author for me, omg. Each character's voice in this novel was so uniquely written and distinct, and each had his/her/their own quirks. I even loved the uniqueness the The Manager, which was something I did NOT expect at all. This book was a great mix of funny, heartbreaking, tense, and calm, all at the same time. Great for fans of Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea (y'all already know it's my go-to rec) and for those interested in the possibility of "the other side."
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What I didn't like: Some of the dialogue felt repetitive and, maybe more often than not, became really cheesy, but I think that's part of the charm. Clichés are clichés for a reason, imo.
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Final thoughts: This is a comedic, sweet, and uplifting book, definitely worth the read! It feels more contemporary than some of Klune's other work, which makes it all the more relatable. Keep an eye out for this book, coming out this September!
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Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

T.J. Klune's Under the Whispering Door is an emotionally-moving, heartfelt book that centers on themes of kindness, loss, grief, self-discovery, and found family --- one of the many dynamics that Klune, to no surprise at all, is exceptionally good at.

It took me awhile to warm up to the characters, but Klune, who is a gifted storyteller and craftsman, wrote them in ways that will have you invested in their stories as the plot progresses. Coupled with that, the book did not fail to twist and tug emotions from scenes that capture hope, sentimentality, and acceptance through the exploration of loss, grief, and death --- such central themes of the book will resonate to readers and leave them in a soul-crushing manner, but along with it comes a renewed sense of epiphany --- that nothing ever loved is lost.

This is, by far, one of my favorite reads for this year; but just a heads up to anyone who picks up this book as your next read: you'll probably need chapter breaks in-between, or maybe watch a feel-good, romcom movie once you're done, to emotionally recover from the rollercoaster experience of reading this masterpiece.

Kudos to Klune for another exceptional, five-star work under his name! All thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for sending me a digital copy of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy from Netgalley and the publishers for this book, and my heart is still dancing, thank you, a thousand times.
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I don't even want to call this a review, because it was so much more, it was an experience. And one I lost myself to completely. I pre-ordered this book a few months back but was giddy when I was accepted for the ARC. I've already pre-ordered this one too, Gotta add it to my Klune collection
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When Wallace dies, he meets a whole new world he couldn't have even pictured may exist. He is sent to a waystation (the cutest little tea shop) where he will be ushered into the afterlife, fully accepting his demise.
While here, he meets Hugo, Mei, Nelson and Apollo (a little doggo)!!!!.
Wallace comes to realize pretty early on that he was not a nice person while alive, but will the people he now have in his after-life be able to reach his heart?
I absolutely loved every bit of this book, all the characters had their own little unique way of dealing with death and the afterlife. Nelson was funny as hell, and I especially like his friendship with Wallace.
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Guys, my eyes sprung a continuous leak around chapter 18. Everything before then was just to open your mind to the unknown and ease you into being a faucet for the remainder of the book. Klune shows us all the pieces of life, even in death and how everything we are is affected. And not just by the dead but those they leave behind. It is a bruising and emotional read. Magical, quirky, funny and completely addictive. This book shook me, made my little ghost crack a bit.
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No one should miss out on this. I'm recommending it to everyone, their mom, and doggos. It blew me away, absolutely brilliant 👏.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you Netgally for letting me read this book! This book took me on such a journey! I felt like I really got to know the characters from Wallace to Mei and Hugo and Nelson and even Apollo! Just so many ups and some downs I cried and laughed while reading this book! So amazingly written! I will be recommending this book to everyone. Cannot wait to read more by TJ Klune such an amazing author!

Under the Whispering Door is a book about learning to live even when you have died. A book about learning to love others and putting their needs before your own. Wallace did all these things once he had passed. He was not a very nice person when he was alive. Your stereotypical lawyer one could say. But death changed all of that for him. It took him dying before finding out what his purpose in life was. It took death for him to find his true love. This is not your typical book. But it works, and I appreciate the author reminding us that we all have so much to be thankful for and so much capability to help others that are having trouble realizing that fact.

Thank you to net galley and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Any self imposed ideas I held about limbo in the afterlife pale in comparison to what Klune has envisioned in Under the Whispering Door. The whimsical tea house, serving as a stop along travels, holds within it's walls a cast of unlikely characters that warmed my heart. Hugo, Mei, Nelson, Wallace, and Apollo felt like the kind of family you wanted to spend hours with; learning their stories, loving their humane flaws and sipping carefully brewed tea underneath the star encrusted skies. Unlike other books that I have read that trace themes of death, it resisted old, eye roll inducing cliches in favor of messages collective strength, the depths of personality and surrendering to the unknown. It was an amazing book and one I will not hesitate to purchase for the days I will long to read it again.

I am very grateful to the publishers, author, and Netgalley for allowing me to review this gifted copy. Under the Whispering Door is set to be released on September 21, 2021.

Under the Whispering Door is a story about man, Wallace Price, who does and then must pass over. This involves a tea shop, a reaper, several ghosts, and a recoding of his life. It is also a story about it grief and how to live with it, move past it, and to begin again. This book deals heavily with death and grief. The idea of the five stages of grief are discussed heavily in the book.

Spoiler alerts!
At first, the main character is so unlikable that it is hard to root for him or emphasize with him. But death (and the relationships me makes at the tea shop) change him for the better. While I didn’t care for Wallace’s character, I was compelled to keep reading and things got better.

Overall, an interesting story which also may be helpful for someone who is currently going through the stages of grief themselves.

This book was good but unfortunately I just didn't seem to connect with the writing style. The book has really great character development, you get to know the characters so well and they feel very real.; Nelson made me laugh out loud many times and I think T.J. did a great job in this area! I also though that it had great LGBTQ and mental health representation which I definitely enjoyed. It does a good job of showing vulnerability and not taking your time with loved ones for granted.

However, I found the pace of the story to be slow and the writing around the romance was very cliche and a bit cheesy. The writing style spells everything out for you instead of letting it come naturally; there is no subtlety at all. I like to interpret a book in my own way, based on my own thoughts and experiences and I found that there was no room for that in this book.

If you liked the House in the Cerulean Sea, I think you will really like this book as well because although the book's plot is very different, the writing style is identical and I feel that the strengths in the books were very similar. Also, I would personally classify this book as a YA novel not an adult; so it you are a fan of character driven YA, I think you will enjoy this.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.