Amazing. Klune has shot to the list as one of my favorite authors. I will read anything and everything by them. Thank you for the opportunity to read yet another wonderful book. I've already bought this as gifts for others!

This story pulled me in and wouldn't let go until the final sentence! I was entranced by the storyline and loved the characters...well, most of the characters. I laughed, I cried, I shouted, I gasped. I absolutely loved it!

3.5 stars

Surprisingly funny, whimsical and charming, <I>Under the Whispering Door</I> was a fun and lighthearted read which struggled with uneven pacing and a cliché and repetitive plot and dialogue.

While satisfying in the end, Wallace’s character development did feel a bit rushed—which is odd, seeing as how the overall story felt a bit drawn out. However, his attitude change did feel like it happened a bit too suddenly, rather than with more buildup.

While still enjoyable overall, the humor and banter did start feeling repetitive and reductive after awhile, with similar jokes being recycled throughout the novel, or being too slapstick-esque to feel like they fit with the flow of the story. If the author has stuck with the cheeky, witty dialogue rather than adding in physical comedy, the humor would have been perfect.

The plot was also quite predictable and cliché—mostly because the explorations on death and coming to terms with it, along with the redemption arc have all been done before, with not much additional well-laid-out reflection offered in this book. The ending, while endearing, was quite trite as well. However, the lighthearted nature of the novel paired with the injection of humor made these repetitive, predictable aspects not negatively affect my overall enjoyment too much.

The frequent jabs at religion weren’t my cup of tea, which is fine since I know the author was developing their own afterlife system as part of the world building. However, I felt like that new system wasn’t developed or explained enough to make the shutdowns of other religious beliefs feel like a relevant part of the explanation of this book’s own system.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love TJ Klune. He has a talent for writing about serious topics with warmth and humor. Under the Whispering Door looks at death and the afterlife. Unfortunately, something about this novel failed to connect for me. I found the main character unrelatable and found it hard to understand what role the child character was supposed to serve.

What an absolutely beautiful book. I know this one has gotten a ton of hype, but honestly, it is for good reason.

The writing is just wonderful. The prose is absolutely beautiful without being too complicated. The characters are sweet, interesting, believable, and relatable. The storyline is painful and real and thoughtful and intriguing. I love that it takes such a difficult topic - death - and examines it in such a unique and accessible way.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how gently and wonderful this book treats LGBT love and relationships. There are so few books that do this and representation is so important - I think the author TJ Kline is doing us all an important service but writing these lovely books. But seriously, be prepared to cry - you've been warned.

"It's never enough, is it? Time. We always think we have so much of it, but when it really counts, we don't have enough at all."

Despite largely being about death, the main emotion I was left with after finishing this book is hope. Klune somehow managed to weave the topics of grief and what comes after life with an ultimately uplifting and loving story. Each character brings something unique to the story and makes you love them in their own way; I would love to read a book about each of their stories if I could.

This book can absolutely be heavy at times, and deals with some really hard topics, but it is so full of love and life at the same time.

Thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Under the Whispering Door was an amazing beautifully written book, This title is full of meaning and wonder of life and death the lighthearted nature of this comforting book certainly brought a tear to my eye. I cannot wait for T J Klune's final book in this heartwarming 'trilogy'

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wallace is a lawyer. And really nothing else. He works, he comes home, eats a TV dinner, then works again until he goes to bed and wakes up to repeat. That all stops when he wakes one day, dead. Worse than that he died while wearing sweatpants and flip flops, and how does he change out of those? Taken by a Reaper, he meets Hugo, a ferryman to the afterlife, and must figure how how to live better dad than he did alive.

TJ Klune does it again, creating a world where man’s basic goodness is shown and celebrated. Where relationships are formed, molded, and celebrated. I definitely recommend this book!

Under the Whispering Door is the first book I've read by T.J. Klune. I like the author's writing style. It's humorous, and the dialogues have the same pacing as a comedy TV show. With that said, I felt like the author extended most of the scenes in the book, which can feel exhausting to read at times.
It took me a long time to finish this book. I started reading it last August. I found the book bland. Not much happened in the book since I think it's a character-driven book. I couldn't care and connect with the characters. I felt like the romance between Wallace and Hugo was forced since they are together for most of the book. The ending was rushed and convenient. It's also not as profound as I thought it would be. In the end, I think this book is just not for me.

I’m so conflicted about this review!

I’ve read 2 books by TJ Klune thus far and have loved them both! House in the Cerulean Sea was my favorite read of 2020 and The Extraordinaries was a 5 star read in 2021.

So it stands to reason that Under the Whispering Door would be my next 5 star read from this author. And I wanted to love it! I really did!

I though the storyline was very creative. Two things that Klune does expertly, IMO, writes great characters who are relatable and unforgettable and fills his books with so much emotion that it literally spills off the pages and into the readers heart!

This book had both those things, unforgettable, beautiful characters and tons of emotion. However I just didn’t fall under the spell in this one. I really liked it, but fell short of loving it. I don’t know why. Sometimes, it’s just a feeling that’s there or isn’t.

Still a solid 4 stars and definitely a book I would recommend. But it won’t hit my favorites of 2022 list.

This author is always an absolute delight to read.

Under the Whispering Door is made up of delightful characters, an imaginative world, and a plot that held my attention until the very end.

I find it harder and harder to write reviews for Klune because I feel like I'm just repeating myself because he's always that good if not better.

I wanted to love this book just as much as I did TJ's "House in the Cerulean Sea", but while it was good, approaching very good, it never quite got into 5-star awesomeness contention for me.

I enjoyed how Wallace started out as a completely awful excuse for a human being, then grew by leaps and bounds, after his death made him confront truths about what a life well-lived should actually entail.

Then Hugo was introduced as a ferryman, tasked to help newly-dead souls adjust and cross over. He was a very nice guy, but I found him to be a bit... generic? I don't know, his character never just really grabbed me in the same way that many of TJ's others immediately have. So... meh.

Upon being introduced to the Cameron character, a soul who had completely lost the tether to his humanity, unable to cross over into the afterlife, I quickly and correctly guessed almost exactly how the book would end. What Hugo's ultimate role in The Big Picture of Life & Death would be.

My favorite parts of the book were the proxy hugs by Mei between Wallace and Hugo, as neither MC was able to physically touch the other, and the scenes with "The Manager", Hugo's boss, who was both scary and adorable in equal measure. I thought that depicting him as a young boy was a good move, instead of portraying him as some scary, unapproachable figure.

The story did have a lot of humor, but unlike soooooo many of TJ's previous books, I wouldn't say that there were any truly hilarious parts, which I live for when reading this author.

Overall though, while I liked the book, sometimes a lot, I never really fall in love with it. Whatever quality that "House in the Cerulean Sea" had that made it magical, in this story, that was just... missing. 🤔

If any other author had written it, I think I would've liked the same story better, but since it was TJ, I kind of expect a little extra oomph in the feels department.

As one friend said, "When there was something happening, I loved the story. But, sadly, 75% was talking about life and death. I don't need that when I pick up a romantic fantasy."

So I'd rate it at around 4 *good-but-not-awesome* stars.

I absolutely LOVE this book. It is so much fun and heart-felt and I am mad at myself for waiting so long to read and review it. I actually took the day off work so I could sit and enjoy the last half. Wallace is lovable and what he learns about himself are lessons we should all learn while we are alive. If you like The Man Called Ove, you will also like this!

TJ Klune brings forth another whimsical, paranormal love story for adults and I am totally here for it. This particular 'cozy' style of fantasy and romance is a welcome reprieve from all of the huge world-building series on the market right now.
While I didn't think it was quite as endearing as "House in the Cerulean Sea" (which was pretty much pitch perfect, IMHO) it was still as wonderful escape.
Thank you so much for the ARC!

I love the magic of TJ Klune. What a great story about living life after death and finding family. This book and these characters have stuck in my heart and I have missed them since I finished the book. I love this book’s imagery and fantastical ideas. I will read it again and I have recommended it.

This book was an amazing book about grief , death and so many things. It's no surprise because it's TJ Klune

Under the Whispering Door is a joy of a book. This one starts out slow but things start to pick about midway. It has characters as loveable as Klune's previous book, house in the cerulean sea. The main focus of this story was on love: love of family, love of friends, and love of a dog. For fans of Klune's previous book, this one packs just as much of an emotional punch as that one and will leave you thinking about it for long after you've finished.

I thought this book had a lot of potential to be great. Unfortunately, I didn't think it reached the height it could have. Klune is a great author and I've enjoyed his other books. I thought it had the capability to be great with the premise and the likable characters. In my opinion, it just never arrived as a book.

First off, props to the publisher for another awesome cover for one of Klune’s books. Does it subtly imply that it’s a sequel to the massively successful “House on the Cerulean Sea” with its similarities? Yes. Is it in fact that? No. However, as it’s still a neat cover in its own right, I’ll give it a pass. The fact that there are so few good standalone adult fantasy novels also supports that pass. Let’s dive in!

Young and successful, Wallace never dreamed the end could be so close. But when a reaper shows up for him, he realizes it must be so. Angry and confused, he meets Hugo, a magical being who helps ferry souls to the beyond. Soon Wallace begins to discover that the life he had thought was fulfilling had been an empty thing, bereft of all that makes life well-lived in the end. With only a few precious days remaining to him, Hugo and Wallace set out to give Wallace that last chance at discovering a true life and his true self.

There was a lot to like about this book, but it also wasn’t the high I had been expecting after enjoying Klune’s previous book so much. To begin with what did work, however, Klune’s flair for comedic moments was on point. In particular, the beginning of the story and the flames thrown towards corporate drones were hilarious and apt. As the book progressed, there were several other laugh-out-loud moments. However, as the story continued, even these sometimes began to feel a bit repetitive.

The characters were also quirky and compelling. This is largely a story of Wallace’s transformation from said corporate drone into an emotionally-realized individual, so nailing his character was key to the book working. And for the most part, this works. His interplay with Hugo is well done, and the two characters and their relationship is heartwarming.

However, as I went along, I kept wanting more. The characters were ok, but really just ok. The romance was sweet, but lacked the true heart that I was looking for. And most disappointingly, the message of the book, that of living one’s best life, felt at times trite and repetitive. There were a few times even when the moralizing fell completely flat, with Klune trotting out platitudes that have been overused many times before. Given the general set-up of the book, I knew what I was getting into. But I had hope that Klune would shine a new light on the topic. Or at least offer up some unique ways of looking at a common topic. Alas, not so.

Overall, the book was by no means bad. It just wasn’t what I had hoped to find. It’s perfectly acceptable in what it sets out to do, but knowing Klune’s previous work, I can’t help thinking he could have done better. There were parts of this book that almost felt phoned in, and the story started to drag towards the middling, struggling to keep up its pacing and momentum. Fans of Klune’s work will be pleased to see his trademark humor and strong characters, but he’s also had stronger outings in the past.

Rating 7: A bit disappointing, relying too heavily on tried and true platitudes instead of carving its own space.

This was a moving and funny read. As with The House in the Cerulean Sea, Klune does such a great job of worldbuilding and character development that I could see the plot unfolding in my head like a film. Would recommend for fans of The Good Place--a heartfelt and entertaining journey about what it means to live a good life.