Very similar to Klune’s previous work, and I found myself getting bored. I personally wouldn’t recommend this one.

I really enjoyed this book! It reminds me of TJ Klune's previous work "The House on the Cerulean Sea" in the sense that it has storybook vibes. The themes are buried within the work and instead are very apparent in a way that feels nostalgic and whimsical. I'm not a huge fan of the Scrooge plotline but I actually liked Klune's interpretation of this trope through a magic system related to death linked to a home and a spiritual guide. What stuck with me the most to me was the character relationships which isn't a surprise at all coming from Klune. He has a way of writing some of the most wholesome character relationships that inevitably bring a smile to the reader's face.

Who ever thought a book about death would be one of the most heartwarming stories I've read in a very long time? I laughed and cried throughout this whole book. I could picture the characters so vividly in my mind and I fell in love with each and every one of them. I would give anything to go to Charon's Crossing and have a cup of tea with Hugo.

I'm keeping this short because I don't even know how to fully put in words everything wonderful about this book. It is about death and portrays a lot of real feelings and emotions surrounding death, so make sure you're prepared for some heavy parts when you pick this one up. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Thank you @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

T.J. Klune is such a good storyteller. I would have never expected a story dealing with death and the afterlife to be a heartwarming read. I loved the characters and the little bits of humor, especially between Nelson and Wallace. It was so detailed but didn’t feel overwhelming were I felt like skimming. A memorable read that had some good lessons and advice.

Thank you @netgalley and @torbooks for the gifted copy.

TJ Klune does it again! He makes me laugh, tugs at my heartstrings and delivers quirky but lovable characters I'm so sad to let go. After The House in the Cerulean Sea, I went into this with high hopes and the author more than delivered. His books are like a big, cozy hug and I can't wait for his next one.

this was just okay! it was too similar to his previous novel. i’m interested in seeing what the author writes next.

A beautiful novel examining the human experience of mortality, death, and the lessons we learn along the way. It was also a narrative on friendship, self acceptance, self discovery, and second chances.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps not quite as endearing as Klune's "House on the Cerulean Sea", but charming all the same. The concept of death and moving on is dealt with in a very sweet way, using a cafe as a waystation for souls who are preparing to move on. Warm and thoughtful - reading this book feels like getting a big hug from an old friend.

I really, really wanted to love this one. However, I was bored throughout the first 200 pages and had to constantly reread sentences over and over. Maybe it was the timing, maybe it just wasn’t for me.

Under the Whispering Door is a heart filled take on death, love, and found family. It was only my second TJ Klune novel and was not quite as sweet as The House on the Cerulean Sea. However, it was an enjoyable read that has stuck with me.

This could almost be considered a Scrooge retelling. It is absolutely the tale of a miser who is given a second chance to care about people. Although, it is really the other characters who connected me to the novel. Hugo is sweet and lovable, but his father has so much more character. My favorite is Mei, an outcast that found a new family.

This is a queer love story. It is a story of found family. It is a quirky lovable mess that will leave you will all sort of feels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Wallace has worked very hard throughout his life, and would probably say that he felt fulfilled, if he had ever stopped to think about it. But then he dies suddenly, and finds himself at a tea shop, with a ferryman ready to usher his spirit on whenever he is ready. However, his time at this waypoint after his death challenges everything he thought he knew about life and purpose.

My controversial opinion is that I liked this even better than The House in the Cerulean Sea. The two have a lot of similarities, and I can understand some of the criticism of Klune’s writing. But I just felt so much for these characters, and that is a talent in and of itself. There is a lot of discussion of grief, compassion, and mental health. Wallace is not initially a likable character, but his regrets and his development are really powerful to experience. I loved the found family aspect, as well. There are some trite and clichéd messages, but they are delivered in a unique way.

It made me laugh, it made me cry, and if you are ready for an emotional journey, then I highly recommend this book!

“If we worry about the little things all the time, we run the risk of missing the bigger things.”

'Under the Whispering Door' follows our main character Wallace, a cutthroat and uncompassionate lawyer, who one day unexpectedly and VERY suddenly drops dead. What follows, is Wallace's journey into his acceptance of death and growing to become a better person in the face of moving to the hereafter - all done with the help of a friendly reaper and a patient ferryman.

Now I absolutely LOVED TJ Klune's last book 'The House in the Cerulean Sea', which was VERY different to this one...but also VERY similar. So I really did go into this with such high hopes, sadly I was a little disappointed! I didn't dislike it by any means but I think there was something missing for me personally.

However I will say the characters in this story were wonderful - TJ Klune has such a skill at bringing all characters, no matter how big a part they play in a story, to life. The absolute stand out being the character of Nelson, who honestly I could have read an entire book about quite happily! I will admit I did find it hard to warm to the character of Wallace, I think I did in the end? But honestly he really was quite horrid.

I enjoyed the humour throughout the book - although sometimes I felt it was a little wacky for wacky sake which I am not always a big fan of! But then on some occasions I couldn't stop laughing so it was a bit hit and miss. The element of found family throughout the book was really what I enjoyed the most, its such a wholesome and warming trope and I really do think Klune does it so well...however, on the other side of things, I did felt the romance elements of the story were really quite forced - but it didn't deter from my enjoinment of the book.

I think the story overall had a very lovely message, more so upon reading the authors note at the end where he reflects upon his own lose and coming to terms with it.

Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to others as it's one I think many could enjoy, I gave it a 3.5 overall as maybe not his strongest book and they are elements, in particular the ending, that honestly just did not do it for me.

Thanks to the publishers and @netgallery for the advance copy ebook - took me a while and actually buying the book to read it but I got there in the end!

I love how Klune writes such endearing characters. The majority of this book takes place in a tea shop and with another writer, that could become boring. But with Klune's writing, the whole story was heart-warming, bittersweet and funny.

While the writing of TJ Klune is always a special treat, the story of this one didn't grip me the way I thought it would. I'm not certain why, but perhaps it's because I found Wallace uninteresting and mean. I loved Hugo. And the concept had potential. But this just didn't hit home.

This was not my favorite of Klune’s. I found the beginning to be incredibly slow and I thought about DNFing multiple times but I’ve loved Klune so much in the past I held out hope that it would get better. And it did. I clocked it at 37% when it finally grabbed my interest and the rest of it was wonderful and the kind of funny, heartwarming and poignant characters and plot I was hoping for.

this was my first tj klune book and i am *obsessed* with it.

i cannot wait to read everything they put out in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.

I absolutely LOVED The House in the Cerulean Sea, so I held this book up to his previous book. If you do that, you will be disappointed. They are very different, which is okay, but not what I expected at all. I still really enjoyed it, and am glad I took the time to read it. I’m still a huge fan of T.J. Kline and will whatever he comes out with next!

This was a rough book. I wasn't expecting it, somehow, to be so much about death and missed opportunities in life. Wept multiple times. However, it's also gentle and delightful. Klune either writes slightly obnoxious characters or narratives that rip my soul out, this is a soul ripper but in a good way.

Don’t wait too long to read this book like I did. This is one of those books that needs to be read as soon as possible, because it’s that amazing. Like his last book, The House On The Cerulean Sea, this book is a TJ Klune masterpiece.
Prepare to feel all the feels. I laughed and cried, loved and lost with the characters in this story. There is no way to read this book and not fall in love with the characters. They are a diverse group of unique and amazing souls who love with their whole heart. There is no way to pick a favorite character, they are all equally wonderful.
The premise of the story is that there is more to life, and it’s time to start living it. But it’s also about how death is not really the end. Hard topics are touched on like suicide and religion, but done so tastefully. And, underneath it all is a love story.
Everyone should read this book. I loved this book. I’m going to push this book an everyone I talk to from this point on.

Gorgeous meditation on life and death. It is slower than Cerulean Se and much more character driven. TJ Klune is such a great writer of soulful characters.