A story that put tears in my eyes! Lots of them!! This was one of those slow burner stories for me, but then BAM you are sucked straight into the lives, and deaths!, of these characters and your emotions are put through the wringer as this funny but touching story plays out in front of you.

The author wrote this book to try and understand grief, and his approach is nothing short of remarkable. When the main character dies, there are no tears shed for him, and he finds himself at a little tea shop, where Hugo fixes the world with cups of teas and is also the ferryman waiting to take you on to the other side.

As Wallace spends time amongst these people, and drinks more cups of tea than he ever thought possible, he begins to wake up to himself in the realisation that there was more to life but it took him dying to find that out.

This was such a beautiful story! The connection with drinking tea was so simple but it worked so well! It's grounding, it's normal and also allows reflection. Wallace evolves so much throughout this book that it's just wonderful to witness. A delight - but don't forget to have tissues by your side!!

Although this book had a slow start, it had the most beautiful ending. The character development throughout is some of the best I've ever read. I adore these characters, and the found family trope is done so beautifully here. Sometimes a family is a ferryman, a reaper, two ghost men and a ghost dog. The way Hugo and Mei help people through death to what comes next is both heartwrenching and heartwarming in equal measures.

This book is without any kind of doubt my absolute favorite book of the year. It made me cry in the office for all the good reasons and I just wish I could read it for the very first time again.

I really liked Under the Whispering Door. I don't think it needs a review because the hype around this book speaks for itself. It is well written and reads well, memorable, and the flow works really well. TJ Klune is a fantastic author and has a rare ability to craft novels. This one could have become a novelty but it was actually really sad and beautiful, even if it did give me an existential crisis.
My favourite thing about this novel was the subtle elements designed to bring this book down to earth, like the grieving mother. My only criticism was that the main character had a personality transformation a bit too quick.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book, The House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my favourite books ive read this year so i couldnt wait to read this. It did not disappoint, I loved the character of Wallace and the journey he goes on after he unexpectedly passes away,.

This is a sweet and quirky read that I enjoyed, but it takes a long time to get started. Maybe this is the fault of the description which tells almost to the end of the story, so I expected most of the book to be about the seven days that Wallace is given, and kept waiting for this to start (it's actually right near the end). I also struggled to believe in Wallace's complete and almost instant change of heart from ruining people's lives without a second thought to the nicest guy that ever lived (okay, second nicest). But Hugo is lovely, also Nelson, and the ghost dog Apollo was the star character of the book for me.

I really wanted to love this as much as I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea but unfortunately that wasn’t the case!
While I do think T J Klune’s books are heartwarming and have really good messages behind them, this one was just a bit dull and repetitive for me.
I think this could have been half the size it was and would make a really good novella, because for what happened in it, it didn’t need almost 400 pages in my opinion!
Ok so the relationship between Wallace and Hugo, whilst I did enjoy it, I felt like Hugo was a bit bland as a character. Wallace definitely had more depth to him and I would have liked to see his character growth to be a bit less instant and explored more.
To me I think it would have done better being more of a focus on the MC journey of self discovery without the heavy romance subplot.
The side characters were the highlight for me though and I would love to have more of them and their stories in their own books! Mei is the spunky sarcastic type of character I adore and I definitely needed more of her.
The ending was emotional for sure and I can see why this will definitely pull on a lot of peoples heart strings and be a favourite for sure!
It took me a while to decide on a rating as I was so conflicted but I finally settled on 3⭐️!

Brilliant start and truly fascinating idea. Despite his initial manner you really start to feel for our main protagonist. Would recommend to anyone.

where as cerulean sea was a cosy hug in a book, this book is that right kinda hug when you most need to know everything will be okay!
TJ Klune is slowly becoming one of my favourite authors.

I didn’t download this one in time so purchased it from Waterstones. So glad I did as this book is incredibly enlightening. Similar to the styles of Mitch Albom’s ‘Five People You Meet in Heaven’ and Matt Haig’s ‘Midnight Library’. Life affirming and beautifully written.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect of this; my introduction to fantasy and to the writing of TJ Klune. And even now that I’ve finished it, I’m still trying to figure out my thoughts. The prose is beautiful — atmospheric, witty and a joy to read. The setting — a halfway house between this life and the next — is a notion I’m always drawn to. And the characters are quirky and for the most part finely drawn. In fact, I have to confess that, overall, it’s really rather good.

I’m left, though, with an irritating feeling of dissatisfaction.

The premise is an attention grabber: Selfish, egotistical lawyer Wallace dies suddenly of a heart attack and finds himself in limbo, with a limited time to reflect on his life lived and prepare for moving on. Limbo is the Charon’s Crossing tea room, run by “ferryman” Hugo. The eponymous whispering door is the one Wallace must eventually pass through once he’s reconciled to his life … and to his death.

It took me a while to buy into the story, but Klune’s prose is nothing if not evocative, and he soon had me in the palm of his hand. I was there, in this old-fashioned tea room, with the most delightful cast of unconventional but wholesome characters, and I couldn’t wait to see how Wallace’s journey would end.

It all felt very Alice in Wonderland, with its own particular versions of the Mad Hatter, White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat. A kind of fairytale for grownups, if you will, with equal doses of heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Wallace’s reckoning and subsequent transformation from nasty to nice was convincing and treated with a massive dollop of humor, which made it all the more enjoyable.

But …

Where the book fell down and what I failed to connect with was the romance between Wallace and Hugo. It should have been a wonderful thing, but I just didn’t feel it. I wanted goosebumps and happy tears, but got low key and understated. I wanted the story to finish on a bang, but got a whimper. And therein lies the source of my (albeit mild) discontent.

Wallace is not a very nice man, he is egotistical and selfish, so when he suddenly dies of a heart attack it is no surprise to anyone that his funeral is poorly attended. Under the Whispering Door is the tale of what happens next for Wallace. It’s a heartwarming read filled with wholesome characters - a speciality of TJ Klune’s writing.
This book will undoubtedly be a favourite of the year for many readers. Hugo is the selfless owner of the tea shop where Wallace is taken by Mei - a fiercely loving character who guides the recently dead on their journey of acceptance and then there is Nelson, oh Nelson, words cannot describe the love I have for Hugo’s grandfather.
A slow burner, perhaps too slow for me at times but a wholesome plot with loveable diverse characters.

This is my first TJ Klune novel but, having heard such fantastic things about The House in the Cerulean Sea, I was very excited to dive into this one!
The premise for this novel in general wasn't particularly original in my opinion - it reminded me strongly of two books I've read recently (Afterlove and The Midnight Library). However it was the characters that made it for me - the quirky side characters of Mei, Nelson and, of course, the ghost dog Apollo were really enjoyable and interesting to read about. The main characters Wallace and Hugo less so.
I think where this story fell flat for me was the romance element. For me, the romance felt very forced and I couldn't get on board with it. I couldn't quite figure out where the chemistry was and what it was about each other that made the other fall in love - it left me wondering why so many books put such emphasis on romantic relationships when there are much more interesting themes that could be developed instead.
Saying that, I did cry at this book - though I think that was more because of my own experiences with death and grief rather than the book itself. This one is definitely a tearjerker.
I also found the book too long - it felt quite slow and a little repetitive and I was constantly wondering where it was all going to go.
Overall, I would recommend this book but it didn't blow my socks off.

After reading and loving The House in the Cerulean Sea I knew I had to get my hands on Under the Whispering Door. This novel did not disappoint! Although this deals with what could be a very difficult subject for some (death) it is told with TJ Klune's warmth and empathetic voice which made this novel un-putdownable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

This was my first Klune book but I suspect it will not by my last. It was funny, reflective and heartwarming.

The first 50 pages I wasn't so sure about this book. Wallace wasn't exactly the most likeable character and I certainly didn't feel like having to follow that piece of blah the whole book. But that changed when he accepted that he was dead. From an asshole of a character he turned to someone who could reflect on himself. Someone who started letting down his guard and started caring for those around him. Someone who regretting not doing that any sooner.

But most of all I was just so taken by the ferryman Hugo and the setting. Hugo is just such a precious cinnamon roll who deserves all the good things. Who will always do the right thing. Who will feel guilty for things that aren't really his fault. And I can only imagine the amount of exasperation he has to deal with with his reaper who has anger management troubles, his ghost grandfather who likes to play jokes and then Wallace who ends up being even worse that his granddad.

And then the tea shop. The place where Hugo does his ferryman business. I love tea and seeing him be so busy with his tea plants and leaves and tastes that fit whoever comes into his shop, was so heartfelt. And it is such a wholesome place. I want to visit it. Just preferably while I'm alive, thanks.

Under the Whispering Door was just as heartwarming and endearing as I expected it to be. How TJ Klune takes a topic like death and turned into life lessons and something almost beautifully poetic, is incredible.

I love the relationships throughout and the understanding everyone shows to each other. It is a little like...we are all in this together because everyone dies.

Whilst I realise how morbid that sounds, you need to pick up a copy in order to read and understand what I mean!

This book is classed as Fantasy, and has in fact been nominated in the Fantasy category of the Goodreads Choice Awards just this week.

But it feels like a very specific, very different sort of fantasy. Despite the difficult and emotional subject matter, this feels almost cosy. It’s quite unlike anything I’ve read for a while.

I think the cosy feeling comes down to the book’s setting, Charon’s Crossing tea rooms. Its location feels remote, set apart from the real world, in more ways than one, and I can just imagine enjoying a peaceful few hours there with a hot drink an pastry. I've been doing a lot of bedtime guided meditations to help me sleep recently and Charon's Crossing felt very much like the type of place that you would be whisked away to in one of those to wind down.

The main character, Wallace, is quite despicable to begin with. He's work obsessed with no time for people or connections. This soon changes once he's died from a heart attack on the floor of his office and is collected by Mei. Acting as his reaper, she whisks him off to see Hugo, the ferryman, who will guide him to the next stage.

The whole cast is wonderful; Wallace, Nelson, Mei and even Apollo. The other bring about a change in Wallace as he comes to realise what he's missed out on.

The interpretation in this book of what happens when you die is really interesting. Everyone has their role, Mei the reaper, Hugo the ferryman, even the mysterious Manager. Its something different, which is nice to see. There were a few moments where it felt like the "rules" that had been built up in the book were bent or new ones invented for the sake of the plot, but I was invested in the story and it didn't really bother me.

There are some absolutely heart breaking moments in the book, I found Nancy's story particularly sad. But there is also a lot of humour. A scene where an internet "psychic" visits the tea rooms and Nelson and Wallace mess with her really made me chuckle!

I'd really like this book to do well. It is a difficult subject matter and I note that the author found it hard to write as it made him face some personal grief. It is a hopeful, bittersweet book though. Matt Haig has been very successful recently in writing books which explore dealing with emotions and I think this would really be a good read for fans of his.

This was a charming and cozy read. I knew going into it that a lot of other readers had gotten quite emotional over it, and given the topic it’s easy to see why. There are many sad moments, but there are a lot of joyous moments as well. It begins with Wallace Price in the middle of firing a woman from his law firm for a small mistake she committed, and it’s generally quite an unpleasant introduction to a character, showing how little he cares for anything other than the success of his business. Which is why I didn’t particularly feel bad for him when the very next chapter finds him standing over his own body trying to comprehend how he might have died. I did feel quite sorry for him when he attends his own funeral, featuring a total of four people with nothing very good to say about him, but then a reaper called Mei shows up to guide him to his next step and the way he treats her made me dislike him all over again. TJ Klune has this wonderful way of imbuing his sentences with a certain type of humour, as if the narrator were nudging the reader and rolling their eyes at their protagonist, but in a benevolent way, and this was the perfect tone with which to start Wallace’s story, because I knew he would grow as a character and that I’d need to like him enough to root for him, but the narrator also had to acknowledge the bad place he starts in.

The main setting of the story is Charon’s Crossing tea house, on the edge of a town far away from the city, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the literal embodiment of a ray of sunshine, and when he’s not making tea for his customers, who he knows by name, he is helping the dead come to terms with their situation and helping them until they’re ready to pass on to the next phase. He is gentle but firm, full of humour but very capable of serious conversations, and extremely kind despite carrying his own grief. I, like Wallace, fell a little bit in love with Hugo, and for me the best part of Under the Whispering Door was watching the relationship develop between Hugo and Wallace; Hugo showing Wallace that there’s more to life than financial success and a career, and Wallace showing Hugo that he’s not alone in this hard job of his. I loved them.

I also loved the other residents of Charon’s Crossing: Mei the Reaper, a firecracker who loves to bake and listen to heavy metal, Hugo’s grandfather Nelson, who has remained in his ghost form without passing on for many years to stay by his grandson, and Hugo’s dog Apollo, also a ghost who has remained at the teashop. Nelson is incredibly funny, and I also enjoyed watching as he and Wallace become friends and he passes on his wisdom. The most intriguing character, though, was the Manager, the god-like character that oversees the reaping of souls and the one who appoints people like Mei and Hugo to do the job. I liked all the scenes he was in, and I liked the way such an ominous creature was referred to as ‘the Manager’, showing that even in death, you can have a tough boss.

Though a lot of the time the tone of this book was light-hearted, there were some heavy themes, and every character was dealing with loss of one kind or another, and grief is hard, especially when all of us will at some point have to come to terms with the death of those we love and, eventually, ourselves. I won’t say this book takes away fear of death, but reading it did give me some comfort about the mysteries of life and the loss of those I love, if only for a little while. Reading it felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket, with the perfect cup of tea, so if that’s what you need, Under the Whispering Door is there for you. I will also say that it reminded me a lot of The Good Place and, in some ways, the podcast Welcome to Nightvale, so make of that what you will!

Under the Whispering Door is the beautifully told story of Wallace Price, who wakes up one day at his own funeral. When a reaper comes to take him to meet the Ferryman, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. When Wallace meets Hugo he begins to reflect on the life he has lived and he realizes he may not have lived the life he had hoped for. Wallace decides he is not ready to give up on his life, but when the Manager arrives and gives Wallace a deadline of seven days to cross over, Wallace must use the time to learn about all the things he missed in life.

T J Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea is a book I’ve always wanted to read but haven’t had the chance to pick up. Going into Under the Whispering Door I had no idea what to expect. This book captivated me right from the very beginning with its intriguing premise and gorgeous writing style.

Under the Whispering Door has quite a slow-moving plot, but where it really excels is the well-crafted characters. Wallace was a fascinating protagonist who goes through so much growth in the book. You really fall in love with the characters as the story develops and I completely fell in love with Hugo, Mei, and the other residents of Charon’s Crossing. I’m never a big fan of romance in books but I thought it was so well done in this book and I was completely rooting for the characters to get together.

Books with happy, hopeful messages aren’t my typical kind of read but I completely fell under the spell of Under the Whispering Door. It spent a large part of the second half of the book holding back tears and cried a lot towards the end. This was such a brilliant read and I cannot wait to read more from T J Klune.

So I just finished the audiobook for Under the whispering door and I LOVED it. I'm actually surprised at how much I enjoyed it as I don't usually like anything with amain team of death. However, there's something about this book and audiobook that made me fall in love with it.

I know for a fact it's the audiobook that made me love it more than I would've if I had read it because I'm not one for deep subjects in my books 😅😅 But I loved this one, it's very quotable and has some great humour which I appreciated.

Loved all of the characters and especially Wallace's development. I don't have much to say tbh as I'm out of practice when it comes to reviews 😅🤣🤣

Just know that I really enjoyed this one and while I've seen some mixed reviews, I can say that I enjoyed this almost as much as The House in the Cerulean Sea. I love how T J Klune just builds a found family of such different characters and how he writes their relationships.