I think you truly need to be in a mood to read this book to fully appreciate it, which clearly I wasn't. I still enjoyed reading it, it has some very laugh out loud moments despite the themes of death,loss and grief being the prominent part of the story.

At the heart of it, this book is truly about what's important in one's life and most often than not we don't figure the important stuff out until its too late. I think the author nailed it with that theme. All of the characters are very wholesome and their relationship are absolutely adorable. The main character, Wallace goes through a tremendous character development throughout the book and I loved seeing how his outlook on life and death changed.

However, a huge part of the plot also feels very stagnant. I really enjoyed the first 20% or so but the pacing felt a bit off after that. We are basically at one place all the time, following the same routine etc. Etc. And having the same conversations again and again. Like I said, a huge part of this story revolves around death, loss and acceptance of death, so I can understand the need for constant conversations to come to terms with it but it also made the story kinda boring at times. Stuff definitely starts happening around 75% and the story ended with lots of hope and love, so there's that.

Overall, I truly liked the themes and the characters and will definitely read more from this author.

Price was dead, to begin with...

TJ Klune casts light and wisdom on the mysteries of life and death in this engaging new novel.

Wallace Price would not be anyone's idea of a sympathetic boss. Seen early on in Under the Whispering Door firing an unfortunate employee whose life problems are affecting her work, he is driven, unempathetic and demanding. So it's hardly surprising when, after his sudden death, only a handout of people attend Wallace's funeral. Wallace himself IS surprised by that: but more at having actually, you know, died. Basically he's having trouble accepting this whole "deceased" thing and so a Reaper has to be despatched to escort him to - well, we'll come to that.

Yes, there are overtones of everybody's favourite spooky Dickens novel here. Like Scrooge, Wallace wasn't always a work-obsessed misanthropist: like Scrooge he knew love, but it turned sour on him. But there are also differences. Wallace isn't quite the caricature that Scrooge is. And while Scrooge was offered visions of what may come - including the prospect of going to the grave unmourned and unsung - and time to amend his life, no such luxury is accorded Wallace. His time's up, and he's out.

The biggest difference, though, lies I think, in the dynamics of what happens after Wallace's death. In many respects, his life only begins then. Accompanied by reaper Mei (pronounced "May") whose first gig this is, Wallace is led to a teashop, run by Hugo, also inhabited - haunted? - by Hugo's dead grandfather Nelson and dead dog Apollo. The teashop - Charon's Crossing - isn't some weird borderland thing, it's an actual, genuine teashop serving a range of infusions to the customers as well as home made scones and other baked goods.

(I need to stop here to smile for a moment over what are clearly difference between the associations of "teashop" in the US and the UK. From the reaction Klune puts into Wallace's head, Over There it has clear overtones of aching hipsterdom, while this side of the Atlantic one thinks of crumbs, chintz and copper ornaments, also probably steamed up windows and rain).

Actually Charon's Crossing DOES have some weird borderline characteristics. It hosts The Door through which Wallace and his fellow deceased will eventually travel (to where? we never learn). It also holds those who need to spend time reconciling themselves with the fact of death, or with the way they spent their lives. And it provides a locus for all kinds of half-and-half entities to mingle with the living - such as those who rejected the idea of death entirely and lost themselves under the winnowing forces of the mundane world.

Yes, there is some spooky stuff here, but it doesn't dominate and, honestly, it was a breath fo fresh air to read a novel with such a definite, unambiguous fantasy setting but which doesn't all turn on some threat to the nature of reality, or an evil plot by beings from Beyond to conquer the universe. Instead, we get tea and chat and honest, often painful, character development. I know that won't perhaps be everybody's cup of tea (pun intended) but it is done so very well here and really grabbed my attention and sympathy. At Charon's Crossing, the focus is on being, not doing. And - to let a bit of a spoiler slip - the being is especially focused on Wallace (who, is, of course, dead) and Hugo (very much alive), with a thread of romance between these very different men. And of course some definite obstacles in the way.

Quite how Klune orchestrates and explores this theme, I won't say any more about - first because it would be spoilery and secondly, because it would only clumsily sum up what's set out much better in the book, and why do that? But it does involve human loss, a vengeful ghost, a podcasting medium and a besmitten public health inspector, creating a darkly comic plot that surrounds the central romantic one, so there is a lot here to hold the attention.

What you need to do then, is, to put the kettle on; warm the teapot; cut yourself a slice of cake; settle down, and read Under the Whispering Door. You won't regret it...

I recently read TJ Klune’s previous book, The House in the Cerulean Sea and adored it. Under The Whispering Door was just as wonderful.

It is an emotional and powerful read all about grief and how the pain of losing someone never goes away. For such a moving subject, the author manages to bring humour and some heart warming moments into this beautifully crafted story.

I pretty much fell in love with the main characters. The amount of times they brought tears to my eyes, whether it was due to joy or sorrow was a frequent occurrence! All the wholesome, comforting feelings this story will give you. A strong 5 star read.

TJ Klune is quickly becoming a favourite author of mine, with characters who are so relatable and lovely and worlds that are so comforting.

While the plot is not too intense or focused on, the point of the work, much like House in the Cerulean Sea, is the characters and the journeys they go on. The relationships are truly beautiful and i felt so connected to everyone.

i loved this book- truly the best kind of comfort book! Thank you to everyone at netgalley for allowing me to read it!

I'm stuck in a tricky situation. I received this ARC one day after release, and I haven't had much time since to read all of it until the day it was supposed to get archived (today). I've started it, but haven't been able to finish it yet.

Putting that aside though, I'm a big fan of TJ's storytelling, and I'll make sure to write a full review once I'm done with the book. (Not sure if I can edit past reviews, though. But it'll be on my Goodreads.)

I gave this book five very full, very well deserved stars.

When I picked up The House in the Cerulean Sea last year I didn’t believe the people who told me it was the best thing they had read or that I would love it and in all honesty, while I didn’t love it, I enjoyed it - the messages it brought me, the warm hug I felt at the end was very welcome but it was just the taster for me, enough to bring me in from the cold.

Under the Whispering Door was less a hug and more a cuddle, it kept me in warmth all the way through as if I was ensconced in a fluffy blanket and thick bed socks, supporting me all the way through because this book brings a lot of feeling and raw emotion and I needed that support. I loved it and as soon as I finished it I wanted to start again from the beginning. This book has hit my re-read shelf and I’ll be recommending and gifting it to as many people as I can.

I won’t spend too much time talking about the narrative of Under the Whispering Door but I will say it is fantastical without seeming like a fantasy and it carries delicate and heavy subject matter without breaking a sweat - although I would advise some more sensitive readers to seek out trigger warnings, as you can read in the synopsis, this book centres around death and holds some dark content.

But on the other hand, this book holds a lot of love and compassion too, through Klune’s writing style and the characters he has created and their ‘found family’ I felt a deep connection to Hugo, Wallace and Mei along with basically everyone else. Grief is a hard subject to write about - it hits everyone differently and you can never know what to expect. I have listened to Klune in several author chats now and can say that he writes what he knows and he does it very well. I’d like to think that this book will help people when they need it, I know it has helped me and I have since lent my copy to my mum who loved it too.

I’ll be keeping my eyes out for Klune’s next book in this little contingent, even though it’ll be a heartbreaker probably, I know my heart is safe.

It has been a long time since I had to put a book down because I was laughing too hard, but this one did it. Klune gives us the most precious characters, a heartfelt yet hilarious story and explores some of the hardest topics in a sensitive yet entertaining way.

I’m honestly not sure how to write this review without gushing. I’ll try and get it out the way: everyone should read this book. Yes, it’s about death, and the pain of it. But it’s about family, love, how joy and redemption can come at the most unexpected of times.

Wallace was a delight to grow with. He’s such an ass and a jerk at the beginning in the most hilarious way you can’t help but love him. I love character growth when there is never any introspection where the character needs to comment on said growth, and that’s what happens here. He turns into such a delight and there’s no defining moment, it just happens.

Hugo is a precious cinnamon roll that needs to be protected at all costs. Which is a sentence I never thought I’d write, but there’s no other way I can articulate my thoughts. The depth to him – being an empathetic to a fault given the job that he does – yet he’s got the purest heart just makes him wonderful.

Nelson and Mei added the balance of emotions needed to stop this story going too much in one direction or another, but they were fantastic characters in their own right as well.

Everything about the writing worked for me. It’s touching and emotional, then perfectly balanced by something unexpected (word choice deliberate – those who’ve read it know what I mean) that you can’t help but cry with laughter. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a book make me laugh in that way.

But it’s not all light and humorous. The story covers some important themes, especially surrounding grief and how it affects people differently. This could be a trigger warning, as there were some deep moments (although never handled in a heavy manner).

It’s also been a while since a book has left me with tears in my eyes over the ending. I was terrified it was going to be sad, and it was in a beautiful bittersweet way that matched perfectly with the tone of the book. It was a satisfying ending.

Read this book. That’s my grand finish. If you’re looking for something you can’t put down; a book to make you laugh; a book to make you cry… Under the Whispering Door is the one. I’m not sure this review needs anything more: 5*s and a solid recommendation from me.

What an absolutely beautiful book from the very first page to the very last.

Despite the hard topics, I think it was so wonderfully handled. I laughed, I cried (a lot!) and I didn’t want to put it down.

Wallace’s character development was just spot on and all the other main characters were just so loveable. I would very much like to go work at the tea shop and be friends with Hugo and Mei!

I am already looking forward to a reread and I’d love to give the audiobook a go.

What a wonderful heartwarming read..

This book made me laugh and cry more times than I could count. It was incredibly wholesome and I cannot wait to purchase my own copy of this!

This book is mostly about grief, love and a book about moving on after death. It’s a lovely little read.

At the start of the book, I really did not like Wallace at all ( you aren’t meant too) but you do slowly warm up to him, especially because his funeral was attended by only 5 people.. (I cried)

Klunes way of writing is incredible, and makes you feel all sorts of emotions while still thoroughly enjoying the book.

Would highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to netgalley/publisher/author for an advanced copy of this book.

This book is just as beautifully written as The House in the Cerulean Sea, and has such an interesting plot. The characters felt so real and expanded, I especially liked Hugo’s character! I think the author does a really good job of making all of the characters so memorable, and it makes the story so much more heartfelt. I loved the inclusion of familial and platonic love as well as romance, and i LOVE me some good yearning! overall this was a stunning story that i would recommend to anyone !!

This book is so beautiful, I didn’t think TJ Klune could make me love a book as much as he made me love The House in the Cerulean Sea, but he blew me away again and proved how little I know . This is an emotional rollercoaster , it will make you cry and think about life and the things and people you loved and have loved, it will break your heart but it will be put back together again. The worldbuilding and writing as always are just incredible, I could walk around this world even now it’s so well done. Ultimately this book is full of life, full of heart and you will leave this book (albeit with tears) feeling that bit more hope and definitely thinking so much.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

After reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, which immediately became one of my favourite books of all time, I was equal parts excited and terrified for this book. Would it live up to the expectations I had built in my head? Would I love the characters as much? Would the hard issues be written about in a way that I could relate to?

In one word: yes

This book was beautiful. It made me cry several times, which was cathartic in a way that I can't explain. It made me think about the people I've loved in my life, and lost; about the people I love now, and most of all, how amazing and precious life can be. The most wonderful part about this book for me was that it managed all of these things without being saccharine or cheesy. It was just perfectly written and executed.

This book was deeply personal to the author, and it reads that way, but not in a self-indulgent way; in a warm, comforting, 'you're not alone' way. Thank you TJ for this extraordinary book, and for sharing it with us.

I had already thoroughly enjoyed tj klunes the house in the cerulean sea, so had high hopes for this book. I loved it! Lots of enjoyable and quirky characters. I have ordered a signed special edition for my collection

Wallace is a modern day Scrooge. A lawyer who only cares about himself and his work. When he suddenly dies of a heart attack he finds himself in a tea shop with Mei and Hugo - experts at not only brewing tea but also helping the dead accept their life is over bad move on to the next stage. For Wallace, his death is only the beginning….

I loved The House in Cerulean Sea so I couldn’t wait to start reading the next author from T.J Klune. I don’t know if it’s due to the reading slump I have been going through but unfortunately Under A Whispering Door was a bit of a disappointment. I struggled to get into the story and become attached to Wallace and his journey in the afterlife. It lacked the humour of the author’s first book. Yet the basic plot and themes of the book were so similar to The House in the Cerulean sea that the writing felt formulaic.

I did finally get into the book towards the end. I enjoyed Nelson’s character the best, full of mischief and wisdom. There were poignant and heartwarming moments before for me, it didn’t live up to my expectations, lacking the life affirming originality I was hoping for.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I loved this book. It had me crying and laughing and feeling so warm.

It was a really slow start (which is why it isn’t 5 stars!) and took me until at least 60% through the book to feel properly engaged

It’s a very character driven book (hence the slow pace) and that’s not generally my jam, but these characters were so well done!

There was one part where I felt the author had written quite insensitively about mental health, but from the context I don’t think it was meant in this way, the wording was just a little iffy!

Nelson and Hugo and Wallace and Mei are just so adorable and I’d really recommend this

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for my gifted e-ARC!

Review coming to Instagram (@rosies.book.shelf) soon :)

I had heard so much about this book and the book that was released just before this one. But I was slightly put off as the covers looked liked they were aimed at middlegrade readers. But these are I fact adult books.

So, they say to never judge a book by it's cover (which I am sometimes guilty of). But I requested this on Netgalley to see what all the fuss was about. And I am so glad I did as this book was a 5 star read for me.

I just loved it. I loved the story. I loved the characters. And I didn't want the book to end.

This starts with a horrible lawyer called Wallace. He is nasty to people and very self-centred. But then one day he dies. That's when mai a reaper comes to collect him and take him to Hugo, the ferryman to help him cross to the other side.

Hugo and Mai live in the middle of nowhere and run a little tea shop. They also have Nelson staying with them. Nelson is dead and Hugo's grandad. And also Apollo, Hugo's dead dog.

This was such a heartfelt book. I loved all the characters and their friendships. I really loved this description of the whispering door and wondered what was behind it.

This is a book that will stay with me.
5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book is about death, grief, and the power of empathy and kindness to make our lives better, even after we're gone. Wallace starts off as a wholly unlikeable character, and as a reader you grow with him through the narrative until its end. Anyone who has suffered loss will probably find this a difficult, if cathartic read. But death comes to us all, and I for one would like to think that someone like Hugo might guide me through it.

This book will take your heart and simultaneously break it and warm it.
There's something very special about the author's ability to take deeply unhappy protagonists, to give them opportunities to grow and to find love.
This book deals with death, grief and the way that death is not necessarily the end we think it is. It is beautifully and compassionately written but it may be upsetting for some, especially as it is does deal with the subject of suicide.

This is my first outing with TJ Klune, and after hearing SO much buzz about The House in the Cerulean Sea I jumped at the chance to read an early copy of his new novel.

His writing is everything people say it is; it is cosy, it is whimsical, it is easy to fall into and be absorbed by.

In this one we follow the recently deceased Wallace Price and his coming to terms with his own passing. The characters are at utter delight, especially each of the side-characters, and I will admit to sobbing more than once; this author really knows how to tug at the heart-strings!

That being said, I do also have some issues with this one; predominantly with the pacing. It wasn't at all 'even' to read; in places this is the slowest of slow, and in others things are rushed and crammed in. Overall it felt a little drawn out in terms of plot, but just right in terms of character development. The time we spent with them is what makes me love them so much, I just wish the plot had lived up to expectations too.

3.5 heart-warming stars.

I don’t know if there is a way to describe the utter beauty and calm of this book. It has you laughing and crying with joy one moment, and contemplating the complexities of grief in the next. I shed tears for almost every character, I giggled, I loved every moment. There is something profoundly calming about the whole book despite it coving topics such as grief, death, murder and suicide (to which the author has included a trigger warning for in the authors note).

The worldbuilding is just gorgeous, I could imagine every inch of Hugo’s Tea shop to me it was a haze of well worn pastel painted furniture that seems to fit no mater the season. It also elegantly sidesteps the questions of the afterlife, allowing for both religious and non-religious beliefs to co-exist and discusses all these possibilities in a respectful and peaceful manor. It sets no definitive leaving the reader to keep there questions open or their beliefs as to what is after. Instead it gives a beautiful rest stop in which to explore the meaning of both life and death. To think about what grief means to people and what life means to people. The whole thing is just packed with emotion that it radiates out and you can’t help but feel it all too.

Wallace the main character is just amazing, he has a very obvious character arc but it works perfectly. He is a dick, completely and utterly and therefore as a reader you don’t feel so awful witnessing his death in the first few pages of the book. TJ Klune masterfully makes you despise Wallace and yet twists it so you fall in love with Wallace in such a short space of time. The other characters are just such cinnamon rolls, they are witty and wistful and just so much fun to read about as they help Wallace on his journey. There are real moments of sadness and reflection brought on by some of the interactions, where others had me sniggering with laughter.

While the plot is the redemption tale we have probably encountered before TJ Klune’s writing, characterization and worldbuilding make this just a magical read. It is one of those warm blanket of a reads where you feel safe and secure and can loose yourself in the thoughts it provokes and the quiet calm it instils. Its just a beautiful book.