This was adorable! I loved the characters and the pacing. I found this book to be HILARIOUS, which is something I didn't expect! I have not read Klune's other novels, but I will definitely be picking up some now! Absolutely adorable, lovable characters!

This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. It was deeply moving, and tugged at my heart so strongly. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, and in the best possible way.

I will say this wasn’t a light read, but it definitely is an important one. I think as a society we don’t talk about death enough, unless it’s related to a news story or used as a shock factor, and this book very much addresses how death is a part of life, and almost normalizes it. I also really liked the way that mental health was addressed, and even gave voice as to how it shouldn’t be addressed by others.

But more than anything I appreciated the focus on grief. How it’s different for everyone. I don’t want to give too much detail because I think the less you know going into this the better.

I cried multiple times. It was heavy and heartwarming all at the same time, and I feel like I’m still processing. I think this is a story that I will always carry with me.

CW: death, grief, suicide, child death, parental death, animal death

Im not sure TJ Klune could write anything that I wouldn't love! While this is different from other books I have read from this author, I loved it none the less. So fantastical and romantic while leaving you on the edge of your seat as to what is going to happen next!

This beautiful story of grief, self-growth, and acceptance is one of the best stories I have read in a long while. UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR made me cry, gasp, laugh, and reminiscence about what it is that makes us human. By the last chapter, I was struggling to not cry in the Potbelly that I was eating in at that moment. Pick up this marvelous read if you want to cleanse your emotional aura.

REVIEW: Under the whispering door

Rating: 4/5 invisible hooks in your chest

Format: ebook. I’d like to thank TJ Klune and Tor Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

To sum up:
Wallace, but turns out, that’s just the beginning of his story. After a reaper comes to collect him at his funeral, he is taken to the waystation, an old tea shop where a ferryman named Hugo tells him about what comes next. The more time Wallace spends at the tea shop, however, the less ready he is to take the step past the whispering door.


What I enjoyed:
Klune’s writing is fun, emotional, and very descriptive. I loved spending time in the cozy tea shop getting to know the different characters. Klune writes about death and loss with such a beautiful perspective, it’s not sugar-coated but it’s not without hope either, which I could appreciate. The world and the characters Klune creates are vivid and complex, and I found the character development and romance endearing.

What was meh:
I had some issues with the lack of plot/action for the first 60% or so. Wallace spends a lot of time adjusting to his new “life” after death and the reader can’t help but feel a little lost along with him. I kind of wanted some conflict or short-term goal to be introduced earlier in the story so that I could see where the story was going. Once some of those elements were introduced at about the 60% mark I became a lot more invested in the plot and what was going to happen next.

Overall, I thought this was a sweet read! I enjoyed the House in the Cerulean Sea a bit more but connected with what the author had to say in this one.

I loved this book. I would read TJ Klune's grocery lists if I could. Beautifully developed characters, captivating story, humor. What else could you want?

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune is the beautiful contemporary fantasy novel about death that I never knew I wanted. This heartbreaking book gently explores death and grief, and it very quietly overwhelmed me. Full of tears and laughter and warmth, this wasn’t a read-in-one-sitting kind of book, but a one-chapter-at-a-time, savoring-each-line kind of book.

I loved watching Wallace, with his seriousness and his workaholic attitude, slowly discover that life and death are about so much more than your work efficiency and material possessions. And it broke my heart to watch Wallace slowly, slowly learn to open up, to relax and to love Hugo, Mei, Apollo, and Nathan and then realize that he can’t stay. And while this book is definitely a heartwarming LGBTQ+ romance, it’s also a story about found family. Each of these wonderful characters feels so achingly real and human, and watching how they support and care not just for each other but for all those that visit the tea shop, both living and dead, is simply amazing.

Under the Whispering Door is gentle and unassuming and heartfelt and sad and hilarious and I would recommend this book for everyone, but especially for those that need a wholesome, feel good kind of story that’s uplifting. This was my first T.J. Klune book and it will definitely not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

TJ Klune never disappoints me! This story was not what I was expecting, but I absolutely fell in love with it. Klune has a way of writing characters that you want to know in real life. This story is heartwarming and powerful - I would definitely recommend it.

Readers who loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, will also adore T. J. Klune's new title, Under the Whispering Door.

It is imbued with the same quirky, gentle, good vibes we swooned for. Despite the fact the subject of this book is death, Klune manages to create a story as cozy as a perfect cup of tea.

I love handing Klune's books to readers who are just looking for "something good", and this new book will bring just as much joy to readers as The House in the Cerulean Sea.

I’ve realized this year that I do not enjoy magical realism as a whole. I actually think the vast majority of people will love this book, but because of the genre it’s not my cup of tea.

This book follows a not-so-savory lawyer who passes away, and then grapples with what it means to be dead and what parts of life are important through the characters he meets in the afterlife. His characterization is lovely, as are the characterizations of the other people in the tea shop. The (gay!!!) romantic relationship he develops is so wholesome to read about and a nice change of pace from such a standoffish characterl.

My largest problem with this book is that it was just ~not for me~ and that's okay! I would actually recommend this book to most people, especially if they like magical realism and books with introspective themes.

I've chosen not to rate or review this book online because I don't want to yuck anyone's yum and I genuinely think most people will enjoy it!

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚."

Wow, where to start? This book took me a while to get into as it’s maybe outside of my normal reading genres, and it’s a slow building story, but it was absolutely worth the wait and I fell completely in love with the characters. Wallace, Hugo, Nelson, Mei and of course Apollo will forever have a sweet spot in my heart. Also, this book made me cry… more than once, which I always take as a telltale sign of a well-written story.

It was unique, deep, and a beautiful second-chance story. I loved the tie-in with all the beautiful teas. I think Hugo and I as fellow tea lovers would be very good friends!! And last but not least I really think this would make an amazing play! I hope one day it makes it to Broadway and I’d definitely go see it ☺️

"𝘼 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙤."

4.5 stars rounded up - simply because it took me longer than I like to get into the story.

Thanks so much to TJ Klune and #NetGalley for gifting me this beautiful story to read. 💕

I was approved for an ARC on NetGalley and waited so long to read it that the book already debuted. And I kind of hate myself for waiting.

This book was beautiful and sad and perfect. It’s like a therapy session wrapped between two covers. I laughed, I cried, and I resonated with each character. Such a good book.

I was so excited to read this book after absolutely LOVING the House in the Cerulean Sea. T.J. Klune has such a special way of writing characters that you fall completely in love with. He has this ability to address larger sometimes more sensitive topics in a more lighthearted and beautiful way. Under the Whispering Door was no different. I loved each of the characters for their special quirks and personalities. While the first half of the book was a little slow and slightly receptive, I still loved the main messages that were being discussed and introduced. The ending was so beautiful and heartwarming. I would absolutely recommend this book to others, with the note that there are some heavy subjects, including but not limited to, death, murder, and suicide. Looking forward to reading more novels by Klune in the future.

I hugged this book multiple times and cried and laughed. This book is fantastic and I will be purchasing to reread over and over again.

Under the Whispering Door will make you howl with laughter and sob until you can't read the words on the page. It's a poignant look at death, grief, and what might come after. Although I don't believe in an 'after', I still found it to be a comforting and thought-provoking read, as well as being possibly the most wholesome book I've ever read. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who loves found families, magical realism, and a good dose of emotion.

The reason I knocked the book down to a 4* rather than a 5* is because the ending was a little too happily ever after for my cold grinch heart, but I'd take that as a reflection of me rather than the book.

TJ Klune truly has a gift. I first read The House in the Cerulean Sea at the beginning of the year and it ended up I being an all time favorite of mine. Once again, I find one of his books and favorite. I would say Under the Whispering Door has more dark elements in it than House but it’s beautiful none the less. It’s a story about grief, and love and loss and finding your true self. Wallace, Hugo and the entire gang will stick with me for a very long time.

TJ Klune always makes me think about something differently. I don't like to think about death, none of us do. We all have varying ideas of what that process looks like. Klune has built a world from the very first page that seems improbable, unbelievable but the deeper you get into this book the more at home it becomes. The very exploration of what if death is not the end and the transition at the heart of this book takes us from a protagonist that when introduced, you can't fathom he will be someone to root for.

A simply beautiful book of transition, facing our fears, and becoming the best self even after death.

Klune has done it again as the master of charm, wit, kindness, and heart breaking humanity.

Wallace Price is an awful person and now a sudden heart attack has led him to the afterlife - or rather a way station before the afterlife that takes the shape of a tea shop in the middle of the woods. The pieced together family that lives there (both and alive and dead) act as guides to help the newly dead cross over. As Wallace slowly comes to terms with his new reality, he finds himself changing and truly living now that he is dead. He finds a family in these people and a hope for a future he never had before.

Klune KILLS me with his writing. He is so unique and so mind boggling creative and has the perfect grasp on how to make you cry and cry and cry as you read his heartwarming stories. Cerulean Sea got me and now this one has too. UGH BRAVO!!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the review copy!

Oh dear. I hate to be the party pooper but that just wasn’t my cup of tea.
I can see it would be perfectly suitable to be made into the type of movie I would never watch.

I had hoped it would be a quirky but profound story about someone coming to terms with their life and death, peppered with a few heart-breaking observations
Instead there is a too cute tea-shop stuffed to bursting with clichés and platitudes.

It started reasonably well with the portrayal of the horrible Wallace Price doing his worst, getting his come-uppance and then the ‘comedy’ funeral with Mei the, chipper but sensitive, Reaper dragging him off to his future existence while Wallace’s infuriated ex-wife tells the whole world just how awful he has been.

Except, that is a large part of the problem – we are told Wallace is an awful human being but we aren’t shown much convincing evidence.
True he is harsh and unfeeling to a pretty irritating employee but on his arrival at the tea shop he is upset and confused - not a totally unexpected reaction considering the circumstances.
During his sojourn at tea-shop he, and therefore we, spend a lot of time thinking about his childhood and the first years of his marriage when he really did care.
There is little development of why that deteriorated and how. It is simply assumed we will accept that constant work and fine suits are proof enough that Wallace was a terrible person.

In general, there is rather too much telling. The dialogue both inner and outer goes on and on, explaining every sentiment, rehashing feelings already expressed with little nuance or subtlety. The reader isn’t allowed any space for their own thoughts as every single emotional response is splurged out on to the page.

At about 60% in there was a splash of darkness, a redeeming stain of reality and the appearance of The Manager. However, that was soon smoothed over with more trite platitudes.

And then the ending… Well, it perfectly fits the tone of the book so unsurprisingly I didn’t like it and, of course, it was dragged out for far too long.

I knew I had to request this as soon as I saw the author! Loved Cerulean Sea, and Klune's next book Under the Whispering Door does NOT disappoint. I was a bit apprehensive to read this since I generally don't enjoy books that deal closely with death, but Klune handles such a raw and depressing topic with his typical love and tenderness, and care. I cried many times while reading this-- both happy and sad tears-- and feel all the better for it. A truly amazing book from a truly amazing writer.