Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
The summary of this book captures the nuts and bolts of this book. Wallace, a workaholic dies and is taken by the reaper and is allowed a week to cross over. But oh what a week! Wallace, first selfishly focus inward as to what he has lost to death but slowly comes about to see what he has lost in life by focusing on all the wrong things. Throughout this week he slows down, forms relationships, listens to others and becomes to value what is truly important. The story is entertaining, very funny and incredibly moving. HIghly recommend.
A thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

4.5 stars rounded down.

After reading and absolutely loving The House in the Cerulean Sea earlier this year, I knew I wanted to read this as soon as I possibly could.

And it did not disappoint!!!

I will say, if you’re looking for the same lighthearted read as The House in the Cerulean Sea, be warned….Under the Whispering Door is a bit heavier.

Despite the heaviness, TJ Klune writes magic.

He has the wonderful ability to take a very tough subject (this time, being death) and inject humor and whimsy to carry hope. The underlying message of making the most of the time we have was carried through the whole story.

And don’t get me started on his cast of characters. They are everything you’d wish them to be - quirky, unique and insanely huggable (Nelson being my personal favorite).

I loved it and think it’s the perfect read for the Fall season!

*ALSO - I would give anything to go to Hugo’s tea shop and see what kind of tea he would make me. I feel like it would be lemon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Don’t be fooled by that magnificently colorful cover that reminds you of his previous novel - this is no House in the Cerulean Sea.

It’s about a Wallace, a curmudgeon of a man who dies and is being led to the door to cross over, but this fussy ungrateful man isn’t ready to go. Out of kindness he is given one more week by the man who is to help him cross, and in seven days Wallace learns to live an entire lifetime.

Whispering Door is a book about life, love, compassion, and grief. It’s a captivating tale full of warmth written with a tender heart and an insightful hand that somehow is able to teach us to appreciate even the smallest of things around us every day. It’s a brilliantly writen story that will warm the heart of even the hardest person yet can be appreciated by every age group. T.J. Klune has proven once again that he is a force to be reckoned with in this beautiful book, and you don’t want to miss it.

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.

𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭!

Only TJKlune can write something so unique. A beautiful story about love, loss, death, compassion, second chances and faith. It touched me and moved me completely, I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for this gifted copy.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺, 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘓𝘎𝘉𝘛𝘘 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Adore TJ Klune's writing but I very much feel like I need to be in a particular mood for it. This one had super similar vibes to House on the Cerulean Sea which was a 5-star read for me, but some aspects let me down. I didn't quite love the concept as much nor the characters. I also felt like this one droned on a bit and felt kind of repetitive.

A fantastic addition to the body of work of TJ Klune. I loved meeting these new characters, and also seeing hints for other books Klune has written. I will definitely be recommending this to fans of House in the Cerulean Sea.

This was my third book by Klune and I have to say I am a complete fan. He has a way of sweeping you up into his stories and touching your heart in all the right ways. Wallace is a hard core attorney that doesn’t have time for anything or anyone until the day he dies. When a reaper comes to collect him from his own funeral, Wallace can not believe that he is actually dead. As is his way of life, he will fight it until the end. As Wallace comes to grips with his situation, he finds that maybe his life wasn’t spent in the best of ways. This is a story about life, death, love, loss, and redemption. It is emotional, funny, touching, and a bit of a tear jerker. I loved every bit of this book. Thank you so much NetGalley for the eARC. 5 stars.

Under the Whispering Door is a poignant, thought-provokingly brilliant interpretation of the afterlife that is guaranteed to thaw even the most frigid of hearts.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most about this novel was T. J. Klune's interpretation of a modern-day Charon. Fans of Greek Mythology have come to associate Charon with the river Styx however in this retelling, Charon's Crossing is depicted as a tea house that is home to a benevolent trickster of a grandfather, a benign reaper, and a pet specter. The icing on the proverbial cake was the ingenious rendition of Charon, as Hugo Freeman, a gay person of color.

I relished that the author doesn't delve into the metaphysics of death but instead centers around understanding death and its inevitability. One of the most profound moments for me was when the main character realizes that his time is up and he laments all the things he wished he did. It's a reminder to grab life by the horns and live it to the fullest.

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

This novel puts forth the philosophical viewpoint that death is not the end but merely a new beginning. The author did not try to exert religious ideals but instead focused on spirituality and having faith in the unknown.

The main character, Wallace Price, was a modern-day Scrooge, married to his job and oblivious to everyone else but himself. Watching Wallace's redemption, and his ability to find humanity in death sends a deep message of it never really being too late to change, to be a better person.

T.J. Klune is truly a gifted storyteller! His ability to talk about one thing, while meaning something else is sublime. Any writer that can describe the ritual of tea drinking while imparting valuable life lessons is nothing short of spectacular.

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

#MoraloftheStory- "Make the most of the time you’re given."

Thank you to the author, Tor Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc. My review is available on my blog from 21-09-2021 here:

dnf @ 28%

it’s not you, book, it’s me.

this story seems whimsical and charming and would normally be right up my alley, but my grandmother is sick right now and i can’t read this without wanting to cry.

A pretty powerful look at death and ultimately life. I enjoyed the writing style and found myself so invested in Wallace’s journey and those who helped him along the way. A solid read and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor Books for gifting me a digital copy of this wonderful book by TJ Klune - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Wallace Price is not the most likable person and the fact that only a handful of people came to his funeral attests to that. Wallace knows because he was there - along with a stranger, Mei, who tells Wallace that she is his reaper. Mei takes him to a small village and to a cozy tea shop, operated by Hugo, a ferryman. Hugo is there to help Wallace adjust to being dead and guide his transition to what lies beyond.

I didn't read The House in the Cerulean Sea but it is now a must-read on my TBR because I loved this book! While it deals with death, it also has humor, hope, faith along with a bucketful of life lessons that are good reminders to all of us. I love quirky characters and the tea shop was full of them. This book will make you laugh, cry and feel all the emotions in between!

Sorry! Becauses of the illustrated cover I thought this was middle grade. I primarily review mg and ya books and won't be able to review this one.

Sorry! Becauses of the illustrated cover I thought this was middle grade. I primarily review mg and ya books and won't be able to review this one.

Oh, are my eyes going to be puffy tomorrow, the tears! I don't even know how to put into words what I'm feeling right now. I loved it.

Yes, my eyes are still puffy this morning! And no, I still don't know how to put into words my feelings about this book that I love so much. I full on cried, at times sobbing, from 74% on, it hurt so good.

Under the Whispering Door is such a unique story. Wallace's journey was so sweet and hopeful, and unlike anything I've ever read. It deals with death and grief in such a way that you can only hope when it's your time to go there'll be a Hugo and a Mei, a Nelson and an Apollo, to lead you on your way. Found families are truly the best, and Wallace was so very lucky to have found this one.

Death isn't a final ending, Wallace. It is an ending, sure, but only to prepare you for a new beginning.

Poignant and endearing, and at times laugh out loud funny, Under the Whispering Door captivated me from start to finish.

Under the whispering door is the story of Walalce Price and his experince as a ghost. Throughout the book we learn more about each of the characters and the underlying tone of the book is fairplay positive and optimistic, seeing as it is a book about death.
To me this book felt like a lesson in not taking life and the people around you for granted.
TJ Klune manages to write the most welldefined characters with so much diversity without any of it feels unnatural. This is the second book I’ve read from him and I definetly Think I’ve gotten a new comfort writer. If you want a good, diverse cast og a great morale to lift you up through the everyday life, TJ Klunes books are just the thing!

I think I'm breaking up with TJ Klune for good. This is my second book with him and I feel much the same about this one as I did the first. There's just a very strong disconnect with me and this author's writing. While everyone else seems to absolutely adore Klune's books, they just don't work for me. I am always confused with the marketing of the book because I feel like I'm picking up a middle grade book but the content is very adult. Maybe I just can't get that squared away in my brain, but it certainly sets the tone for disconnect for me. I know almost everyone else seems to love Klune and his books, but I don't think he's an author for me. I gave him a valient try!

“The first time you share tea,
You are a stranger.
The second time you share tea,
You are a honored guest.
And the third time you share tea,
You become family.”

The diversity in this book was so refreshing, and i was loving the greek references like “Charon’s Crossing” it made me laugh. A Lot in this book made me laugh, Mei was very comical with her anger and knife obsession, all the characters were easy to love, and it's been a while since i have read anything that didn't have a villain in it. Also i don't know if am the only one that thinks this way, but it was easy for me to picture Nelson as Morgan Freeman, it also helped that Nelson was Nelson Freeman. If there is a God i have always said it would be Morgan Freeman. It was a very addictive, mystical and very touching read, and i read this one at a time i thought i was going to lose my own mam, who went into ICU with a Brain Aneurysm, and got told the chances were very low for her to pull through. Luckily she is now getting so much better, but i think this book helped, it certainly gets you thinking about life after death.

I love T.J. Klune and his writing style and the premise for his books. The House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my top books of the year so I was so excited for this one. I knew it would be different but was prepared. This story has a very unique and interesting premise. It has his great writing style. It has memorable characters and I loved the arc of the main character, Wallace. However, this one wasn't one of my favorites. I don't know if I just picked it up at the wrong time or what but I found myself struggling to get through it. With so many great things about the book and my love of Klune, I'm so sad this wasn't another 5 star read for me. It is getting great reviews so I might try picking it up again in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Happy pub day to this magical, heartwarming book with major #Goodplace and #achristmascarol vibes minus the Christmas
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Wallace was a miserable man, with no friends an ex wife but he was a shrewd businessman who callously fired a good employee and took away her daughter’s scholarship hours before he died.
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He died alone, in his office on a Sunday. Next thing he knows he’s at his funeral where no one has a nice thing to say about him. When Mei, a reaper, comes to collect him from his funeral he realizes he might actually be dead. When he meets Hugo a ferryman who will help him cross over he realizes the he actually is dead.
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With a charming cast of characters this book helped Wallace realize “It took him dying to find his humanity.”
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Klune writes in a way that you just want to take a highlighter to your book and mark half of the impactful quotes.
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This book is out today!
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Thank you @netgalley and @torbooks for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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This is hands-down one of my favorite stories of the year. I laughed, sobbed, and smiled my way through Wallace’s journey post-death, where a colorful cast of characters including Hugo, Mei, Norman, and Apollo show him the beauty of living through friendship, love, and of course, hot tea and fresh scones.

This book is a little slow and is very much character focused, but Klune did a wonderful job making each character so real and lovable, faults and all. I adored not only the sweet love story between Wallace and Hugo, but I also loved watching Wallace develop true friendships, as well. This story tackled grief and regret in powerful ways, while also capturing the truth that it’s never too late to change for the better and that love — romantic, friendship, and familial — can be transformative.

If you loved Cerulean Sea, you’re sure to love this one too. But if you love books that tackle the hard questions about life and what it means to truly live (like Addie LaRue or Matt Haig’s books) with quirky, lovable characters (think Ove or other Fredrik Backman characters), then this might just your cup of tea ☕️

This was my first Klune book even though The House in the Cerulean Sea has taken up real estate on my bookshelf for almost a year. I don't know why I haven't had the desire to read such a wildly popular book. I think the hype has something to do with it. Anyone else like that? I'm also rarely looking for a "warm hug" from my reads. Maybe I'm just heartless. When I saw that he had a new book coming out, I knew it would be the perfect starting point for me. Thank you to @torbooks for an advanced digital copy for review.

I understand the hype for Klune's writing style. It's casual with warm undertones that have you feeling like you're reading in front of a fireplace on a cold, winter day. It reads very quickly, and if I had been determined to do so, this would have been a "read in one sitting" type of book for me. Klune is also exceptionally talented at crafting an array of characters that you'll latch onto quickly. Both of these things paired together made for a really enjoyable reading experience. But if I'm being honest, this book has just made me realize that contemporary fantasy just isn't for me.

The first 3/4 of the book is mostly character-driven with only a hint of a plot. And then the last quarter of the book is when everything gets tied up nicely with a convenient little bow. I dare say this book was almost too formulaic. When I initially finished reading, I immediately rated it five stars before writing my review. My five star rating does still stand, however, it took me a day or so to realize certain aspects didn't vibe for me in this read. Mostly, I wish the ending had gone differently. Or maybe I could have done without the epilogue. One or the other. But both were too much for me. Again, maybe I am heartless? Don't come for me, Klune fans!

This book is going to tick A LOT of boxes for people, and in a way, it did that for me. I personally need more fantasy, less reality, and much more of the dark and gritty. If I ever need a lighthearted read, I will reach for Klune without a second thought. I'm looking forward to checking out his queer werewolf series, as I think that is much more my speed.

I highly recommend this book for fans of: light fantasy, romance, found family trope, "feel good" reads, and quirky characters.