Here we have another TJ Klune book that will live in my heart forever. Not even remotely related to House in the Cerulean Sea, and yet it touched my heart nonetheless. Where House in the Cerulean Sea was like a big, warm hug in a book, this one was more like a reminder of how you shouldn't waste your life. Or your afterlife as the case is with this book. These characters made me chuckle, gasp, wonder, and dream. This author just became an autobuy for me!

TJ Klune has done it again. Under the Whispering Door is a lovely story about the afterlife. Wallace Price has died. At his sparsely attended funeral, he is told this by a reaper and he is sent to a tea shop run by Hugo. Wallace is just a temporary visitor until he chooses to go through the door upstairs.
I loved the exploration of grief and the afterlife. As usual, Klune creates a beautiful world and writes the most beautiful, real, flawed characters.

This is a fascinating blend of whimsy, character growth, grief, found family, and hope that makes me want to find a cosy tea shop in the woods and just never leave.

I liked this, but not as much as Klune's previous efforts. I appreciated the same sweet, slow love story that takes place but for me, this didn't move as quickly as I would have liked, and some of the characters fell flat. I'll continue to read all of Klune's new books, but this one wasn't my absolute favorite.

Another amazing book from Klune!

Although I didn’t enjoy as much as The House in the Cerulean Sea, this was a great story on a topic that can sometimes be challenging to write right. These tough topics are addressed in a way that only Klune can. Well done by him!

For Wallace Price, it took his death for him to value life and other people. Before dying, he was not interested in doing anything for anyone unless he benefitted from it. He was heartless and a complete jerk. This emotional and beautifully written story is his journey. I cried, I laughed, and I didn't want the story to end. All the characters have so much depth and the setting is like nothing I have ever experienced.

"It's not always about what we can or can't have, but the work we put into it."

This book was a little slow to start, but when it gets you it *gets you*. TJ Klune writes about unhappy people learning how to be kind and gentle better than any I’ve read. I’ll hold this book in my heart.

TJ Klune is the master of sweet, heart-wrenching, chosen family/love stories.
So many reviews mention A Man Called Ove, and the Good Place, so you get the gist. Besides Hugo and Mei, the ferryman, and Reaper, respectively, the tea shop's regulars include Nancy, a mother dealing with her child's death, Desdemona, the wretched paranormal hunter, Cameron and Allen who have a major problem with dying, and Nelson and Apollo the dog who are the funniest ghosts ever.

Such a lovely book. Get ready for feelings.

4.2/5 stars

For fans of
The Book Thief
They Both Die in the End
the Buck Schatz series
Gus Was a Friendly Ghost
redemption stories
tea and scones
Mr. Ollivander's wand shop

Loved this so much. TJ Kline can do no wrong. A wonderful story about grief and life. It’s brought me to tears and it made me laugh. Just wonderful.

T.J. Klune’s Under the Whispering Door shows a whimsical multistoried multicolored building on the cover, visually suggesting it’s a sequel to the beloved The House on the Cerulean Sea, which won such acclaim. The latter book celebrated tolerance and difference as it taught a pencil-pusher to embrace a group of magical orphans and their varied powers. This book is not related to the other, but it shares the character arc and some of the appeal.
Wallace Price opens the book as a boss to rival Mr. Scrooge — he’s introduced firing a woman whose life is crumbling and only has her job to live for. By the end of chapter one, he’s died of a heart attack. Continuing to echo A Christmas Carol, the soul journey that follows is his real adventure. He’s picked up at his funeral, not by an ancient spirit, but by a young Asian woman on her first job. Mei, a Reaper, leads him to a teashop that also functions as a waystation to the beyond. It holds a whispering door, through which Wallace may pass when he is ready. In the meantime, he spends time with gentle, insightful Hugo, the shop owner. There’s also the ghost of Hugo’s loving dog (with interactions reminiscent of Disney or Pixar) and Hugo’s grandfather Nelson. Both dog and grandfather are ghosts so bound by love for Hugo that they refuse to pass on. The author did his sensitivity research on the many multicultural characters, like Hugo’s Black family, and they appear both charming and delightfully proud of their backgrounds.
In this vein, Wallace surprises Hugo when he comments that not only was his wife sleeping with the hot gardener but “I probably would have done the same if I thought he was interested” (137). After this comment and his matching well with a strong mint tea that reminds him of his mother’s baking, Hugo notes that Wallace “contain[s] multitudes” (137). These moments of subverted expectations indeed surprise readers while also giving the character some depth.
In a twenty-first century post-organized-religion way, the book insists that God is imagined by humans. Instead, there’s the Manager, who has nearly infinite power over the afterlife, but chooses order over mercy. Hugo calls him “A guardian of the doors…A little god. One of the oldest beings in existence. Take your pick” (183). This of course serves to throw traditional theology into the background by replacing it with a new bureaucratic character.
As with Scrooge and the hero of Cerulean Sea, Wallace’s adventures with this madcap crew teach him to stick up for them and thus learn some compassion. Hugo and Wallace form an attachment, though it’s doomed because Wallace will soon be passing on. The author uses this and their inability to touch to give the story some poignancy and also model handicap accommodation.
There are hilarious moments when the characters trade insults, or Wallace tries imagining himself into changing clothes. In fact, as he finds himself in a bikini, ballet slippers, soccer cleats, and so on, the book emphasizes how much he’s uncertain in his own skin. The book balances the sweet, the kind, the funny, and the introspective to bring readers a book that helped the author through his own loss and may help readers do the same. Fun and thoughtful, with some of Cerulean’s charm.

Under the Whispering Door will leave you hopeful about humanity and death. It is a sweet story about love, grief, acceptance and the generosity of kindness. I am really happy that I read it.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The previous books by Klune caused me to devour them quickly. UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR was an altogether different experience. I found myself taking my time to take in each emotion while reading. It's like I was at Charon's Crossing myself sipping on a tea and not wanting it to end. Klune explores death in a way that gives readers a chance to reflect upon their past and feel hopeful for what could be in the future. Pull up a chair, have a cup of tea, and enjoy Klune's latest book.

I had to think about this review for a really long time before actually sitting down to write it. I think that TJ Klune is a masterful author, and their prior genius novel was one of my favorites last year. Under the Whispering Door was at least as good as that one, if not slightly better. It made me laugh AND cry, which is unusual for me. And best of all, it made me think. A lot. Its themes of love, loss, life and death are timeless. The characters had me engrossed in the narrative, and I had absolutely no clue how it was all going to end (though the ending was extremely satisfying for me). Buy this. Read this. Thank me (well, the author) later.

I liked Under the Whispering Door fairly well. It didn't catch at me quite the same way that House in the Cerulean Sea did, but whether that's because of the characters (which were still fun, but not as chaotically weird) or just the subject matter, I'm not sure. Either way, Klune has carried on with his delightfully unusual way of employing imagery and other literary elements, making this book feel very cohesive with his other book.

This book was delightful. Sure, it deals with a heavy topic: death and the afterlife is nothing to sniff at, especially as someone who is grieving the death of a loved one in the past year. But I think it's important to discuss death, even though we're afraid of it. I really loved the care and gentleness given to the ghostly characters, even with our not-so-nice protagonist. I came to love each one of the characters and I nearly cried at the end.

Wallace Price is a miserable, grumpy old rich man with no friends at all. He dies suddenly and unexpected, only four people show up to his funeral. He meets Mai, a reaper, who takes him to the ferryman, Hugo. This was the first book I've listened to/read by TJ Klune. This book made me think. I didn't much like Wallace at first but as the book went on a soft spot developed. I liked the getting to know you between Wallace and Hugo. I plan to listen to more of TJ Klune's books. I love finding new good author's.

thanks for sending me an e-copy of under the whispering door.

last year in july i got to listen to the audiobook of the house in the cerulean sea, which was my first book by tj klune. the author's ability to create whimsical stories with humorous tone for the adults is undoubtedly commendable. and just like in the house in the cerulean sea, the similar tone of voice is present in under the whispering door. however this book deals with the heaviness that follows different kinds of deaths and the mourning or grieving period afterward. highly recommended.

Amazing book! I would highly recommend this book to my customers and patrons. I would recommend other books by the same author as well.

TJ Klune writes the most heartwarming novels. It's like a classic cozy mystery, but for millennials and Gen Z. His main character is always someone relatable, and the LGBTQIA+ representation is always excellent. I was so sad to finish this novel because it was SO good.

I was JUMPING when I got the chance to read T.J. Klune's newest fiction Under The Whispering Door. I absolutely loved the creativity and sensitivity of The House in the Cerulean Sea and couldn't wait to read what was next.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Wallace Price was not a nice man. I say was, because he's dead now. Or, at least, he thinks he is. He attended his own funeral, so... Instead of immediately exploring an afterlife, he's taken to a tea shop where Hugo, the ferryman, is waiting to help him cross over. The thing is - Wallace doesn't WANT to cross over. So he bides his time in the teashop as a ghost, figuring out exactly what is going on and what he's meant to do.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As with Cerulean Sea, the characters and the situation are quirky, to say the least. You will laugh for sure, but be prepared to ponder as well. In addition to being a lovely and engaging read on its own, queer voices and people of color are featured in the novel, adding to its diversity. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I completely enjoyed this book and recommend it. Cerulean Sea still holds top spot in my heart, but Whispering Door is a worthy addition to his novels for adults - or, you know, anyone.