T.J. Klune's Under the Whispering Door is a complex work of contemporary fantasy which tells the story of recently deceased lawyer Wallace Price who struggles to understand life beyond the death of his uninspired and disappointing life as one of the living. His reaper Mei escorts him to a curious tea shop manned by the ferryman Hugo and his ghostly grandfather Nelson and ghost service dog Apollo. This was a "waiting station" for those like him, where he would need to come to terms with his death and be ready to move on to whatever came next. This was easier said than done, especially with his growing attraction to Hugo and grudging fondness for Mei, Nelson and Apollo.

The subject matter of Klune's most recent work is weighty and potent, and the author tries to infuse levity and whimsy in its treatment, even as he navigates difficult questions about life, death, living, the purpose of life, and so on. The moments of humour in the story do not detract from the gravity of its subject but serves to highlight the same. While grief and coming to terms with grief is one of the underlying themes of the novel, regret and repentance are key to the action of the story. To the age old moral dilemma, what is the point of being good or bad in life in the face of the inevitability of death, Under the Whispering Door offers the simple yet reassuring response: "Because it's YOUR life ... It is what you make of it."

Klune's prose is, as always, beautiful, immaculate, and impactful. I found the first half of the novel a little slow and laborious to work through, though I suspect it was due to the nature of the story the author is writing. In that regard, I found the pace and levels of complexity of writing mirroring the state of its protagonist's mind. As a work of contemporary fantasy, Under the Whispering Door straddles an odd and precarious line between realism and fantasy. Sometimes this works in its favour, sometimes it does not. I found the latter to be the case in Klune's depiction of characters other than the protagonist. Characters like Mei, Nelson and to some extent even Hugo, seem almost like exaggerated caricatures in action, with side characters like Desdemona, Norah and Alan seeming even more so that way. Curiously enough, it was in their individual interactions with Wallace, especially in moments of vulnerability or confidence, that these characters appeared more real, complex and relatable.

A few inconsistencies notwithstanding, Klune still succeeded in bringing to life a heartwarming story of love and redemption with a cast of memorable characters. Apollo the ghost dog was easily my favourite with Mei the knife-happy reaper coming a close second.

This book turned out to be one of my favorites and I'm not surprised, TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors and never fails to amaze me. I have no words to describe how beautifully written this book was, TJ managed to write it about death in the lightest, most respectful way possible.
I recommend it with my eyes closed.

There is something about how TJ Klune writes that draws you in and makes you feel and adore characters and found families which seem to be more so apparent in the last two books written.
I absolutely adore TJ Klune’s writing, more so in this book and The House on the Cerulean Sea, these books are written from the absolute depths of his heart and this comes across on the pages.
TJ Klune has written this so so well even though it is other end spectrum to that amazing house, to which I am certain that at points this book did make reference to it briefly.

I fell in love with TJ Klune’s writing and I hope to get my hands on much of his back list of books as a result of reading the latest two.
I would highly recommend this authors work and I myself pay no attention to the cancel culture that seems to keep rolling around, each to their own choices. I can’t recommend what I have read from this author enough.

Huge huge thanks and I can’t wait to see what sort of book comes next creeping over the horizon.

What an emotional and beautiful read. It really made me reflect about death and my own mortality and there was quite a few parts that made me chuckle. I haven't read anything by this author before but that'll definitely change starting now. Highly recommend this book!

I am not usually a fan of what you would call heartwarming stories, but something about the way Klune tells them is just enchanting. The characters are imperfect and precious. The romance is sweet and realistic. This is a lovely story much in the same vein as Klune's other works.

So TJ Klune is on my favorite authors list for sure now. I have read so many of his books this year and have enjoyed all of them. They are so unique and I love them. I need to figure out what I haven't read and read them lol.

This book was so fascinating about reapers, ferrymen, grumpy grandpas, the perfect tea, and a sweet love story.

I don't know what happens when people die, if they disappear, if their spirit just floats above their body and they have to go to a tea shop to find their way. But 4 year ago when I held my Dad as he took his last breath then just stared at him because he looked so different, so empty all of a sudden and cold. I stared up at the ceiling smiling at it in case he was floating or hovering. I walked the halls of the hospital smiling and telling happy stories of him. I am such a nerd but I didn't want my loving Daddy who never thought he did enough but always went above and beyond to think his pregnant baby daughter was upset. Even though I was in my 30s I was always the baby. He told me once that when he had a heart scare and we had to call an ambulance, that I was smiling and telling him everything was ok and I helped him to stay calm. He didn't know how I was hyperventilating and having an inner panic attack. My gift to him on his sudden last day was to let him rest easy.

Stories like this give me hope that we get to see our loved ones again and even if we may not have gotten to do what we wanted or got bogged down by life and didn't get to live a life that we should have maybe we get another chance in the afterlife. We might get to be who we want without all the societal norms and impacts and opinions. We can just be.

Also, thank you for saving all of those that live with fear and die by their own hands. Rewriting their narrative of where they go for their surviving loved ones. Fear is debilitating.

Thank you torbooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Any time author T.J. Klune releases a book, I am eager to read it. All of Klune's books have running themes about found family and acceptance. Under The Whispering Door, Klune's latest offering, explores similar topics. Like his other adult novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea, the main character questions valuing work above relationships. Of course, in this novel, it's too late for Wallace. He's already dead. Although this book is about death (and begins with a trigger warning about suicide), the story is full of whimsy, with wonderful characters, and a powerful message about what life should be all about. I loved it.

What I liked:

Themes:

I can't help but think the pandemic influenced the author's message. At a time when we all are re-evaluating what's important to us, the book illustrates how people, driven to achieve material success, lose sight of what is truly meaningful in life: kindness, forgiveness, and connecting with others. Wallace may have been a wealthy lawyer in life, but (as his sparsely attended funeral indicates), no one will miss him in death.

Characters:

Wallace is an extremely unlikable person at the beginning of the book. He is outraged that few people go to his funeral, where his ex-wife goes on and on about what a terrible husband he was! When he is taken to Hugo's tea shop (a way station between earth and the beyond), he is predictably angry and rude to everyone. But I loved that he changed. By seeing how Hugo and Mei show unwavering patience and compassion for everyone who's journey brings them to the tea shop, Wallace starts to understand and forgive himself for his selfishness.

Hugo and Mei are humans, but they work to help recently deceased people transition to the Door (where people will go to the next step in their journey). They know that people who have died are in denial, are angry and will lash out. So they don't take it personally. But Mei is not all sugar and sunshine with living people. She can be rude, especially when she sees others being deceitful or cruel. But her righteous anger is done with lots of humor, so the reader can't help but love her!

Two other characters that I adored were Nelson, Hugo's grandfather, and Apollo, Hugo's dog. Both are ghosts, but refuse to go through the door because they want to stay and support Hugo. This was really so beautiful, and made me think about relatives of mine who have died. How comforting to think that they might stick around to watch over me. Both Nelson and Apollo offer up lots of comic relief as well.

Trigger Warning for Suicide:

The most serious moments in the book have to do with a character who has died by suicide. If you are not triggered by that topic, I think you will find that thread in the story to be moving. The character in question killed himself after his boyfriend dies from an illness. He just can't handle the pain. He also has to dig out of his self-loathing, and find a way to heal in order for him to move on. His pain made me cry, but his healing gave me hope.

I choose this book because I (like pretty much everyone) was totally enthralled with The House in The Cerulean Sea and it's happy whimsical story. If you're coming to this story for that same reason, please know it is a story totally different than that. The story is pretty deep and existencial. it really left me thinking about death and 'the afterlife'. It was a pretty interesting concept.

For the most of the book, I really had trouble connecting with the characters. I get morally grey, but many if them were either unlikeable or bland. I did start to connect more and care towards the middle of the books though.

While I did eventually find the book to be interesting and charming, it took SO LONG to get into the story (again, didn't really like the characters equals I did not really care about the story).
BUT once I got into it, there was a dark and intriguing story, some laugh out loud funny moments, love and interesting stories all thing place in a small town tea shop--as a girl with a dead childhood dog named Apollo and a belief in the absolute magic of tea, those part of the story felt special and moving to me.

While I didn't LOVE the book, I liked the story, the ferryman Hugo is amazing, and the ending did make me shed a tear. Overall, a worthwhile read for me!!

**I was absolutely thrilled to get this as an ARC and would read anything by TJ Klune, at this rate!! **

Yes, he thought maybe he mattered after all, a lesson in the unexpected. Wasn’t that the point? Wasn’t that the great answer to the mystery of life? To make the most of what you have while you have it, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. In death, Wallace had never felt more alive.

This beautiful, heartfelt book made me feel all the emotions and it was such a pleasure to read it. After reading and falling in love with The House in the Cerulean Sea, I had to read this book. And while a completely different atmosphere from the other book, I love this book just as much. This book deals with heavy topics that readers should take into consideration; such as depression, suicide, death and loss and different forms of grief. It can be a lot understandably for some to read. I know this book was inspired by the loss of someone close to the author, and in a way this must have some form of a cathartic expression of grief.

The plot starts with Wallace Price, a not so nice man, who was a self absorbed lawyer focused only on his job and living without showing many emotions. After dying suddenly from a heart attack at work, he finds himself at his own funeral, where he’s met by a delightful reaper, Mei, who brings him to a tea shop to meet Hugo who owns the place but is also a ferryman, a person who helps people cross over. In addition to Hugo and Mei, Hugo’s deceased grandfather Nelson, and dog, Apollo live there as well.

Wallace is lost at first at the sudden change that comes with dying and goes through different stages of grief as he tries to make sense of what his life is now. Through the book he grows tremendously, and it’s such a delight to see. He learns quite simply, how to be a better person. To not be selfish and think of others. And it’s often bittersweet to see him look back at his life realizing all the time he wasted not truly living. It really makes one ponder how much are we making of the life we have. And that doesn’t mean necessarily expensive or flashy things. But more so personal relationships with others and are we genuinely feeling fulfilled. Wallace learns a lot from Hugo, Mei, and Nelson on what it is to exist when you are no longer alive.

Hugo, sweet, patient Hugo. He truly cares for other and is so incredibly empathetic. As part of his job as the ferryman, he can’t really stray to far from the tea shop because people will constantly be needing him, and despite not being able to see more of the world as he’d like to, he still focuses on what he has and remained a kind person. Despite Wallace being rude to him when he first came, Hugo never shows a sign of him taking anything personally and continues to show kindness, as he slowly breaks Wallace’s walls down. The two of them grow closer and close and it’s painful and sweet all at once, because of the gap of life and death between them.

This book has become close to my heart very quickly, and I hope others enjoy it the same way I did.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions stated here are my own.

i am crying and can’t form a coherent review but just know that this book feels like a warm hug and will make you feel everything all at once

cw: death, grief, loss of a child, cancer, suicide

I felt all the feelings while reading this lovely, quirky story that managed to handle some very tough subjects like death and grief. In life, Wallace is a not very nice attorney who dies of a heart attack and is escorted by his reaper, Mei, to a teashop that is a waystation for the dead. There were so many comic moments that I laughed out loud more than once. For me, it was the cast of characters that truly made this story shine.

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

Is there anything more cozy than a teashop? In T.J. Klune's recent novel Under the Whispering Door, a quirky teashop also serves as the location between life and death where people go before they "cross over." At the shop, people are guided into accepting their demise before moving on with their afterlife. It is a feel-good title that also covers serious topics such as grief and suicide. I found this to be an easy and comforting read despite the heavy topics in its content. Like Klune's previous writing, Under the Whispering Door offers representation to gay, bi, nonbinary, and other LGBTQ+ characters. I would recommend this book to patrons, but found myself occasionally zoning out and feeling impatient with the plot around half way into the book. Therefore, I only gave it a three star rating for my personal enjoyment. It was certainly cozy, profound, and quirky, but I just didn't fall in love with it or feel especially engaged. 3.5 stars/5.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and appreciated the humor the author brought to the topic. It's a unique telling of a story we've heard countless times. There were times that I loved this book. And then there were times I found myself rolling my eyes at the continuous and repetitive cliches and platitudes. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the story and the character development was fantastic. The repetitive nature of the moral lesson to be learned by the main character eventually became too much for me and I wished it had got to the point more quickly. The writing was excellent, the plot development and conclusion were well planned and it is getting great reviews. I will be reading more by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

With TJ Klune’s creative worldbuilding, strong character writing, and trademark humor, Under the Whispering Door should have been a knockout of a book. Instead, what could have been a profound meditation on grief and mortality was burdened with heavy handed and often cliché choices which ultimately undermined the better aspects of the novel.

Wallace Price isn’t the nicest guy and he doesn’t care. There’s no time. After all, he’s a founding named partner at his law firm and that comes with long hours and a heavy work load. But when Wallace ends up meeting a Reaper at his own funeral, suddenly he’s faced with a situation he can’t argue himself out of. He may have been busy in life, but none of that matters now that he’s dead. When the Reaper takes him to meet his assigned ferryman Hugo, everything Wallace thought about his life and the world is about to get turned on it’s head. Hugo’s there to help him move on, but it’s a long road to acceptance and even in death one never knows what will happen along the way.

Under the Whispering Door starts strong. Not many books open by killing off their main character and then having him show up at his own funeral (even if no one else can see him). What unfolds is a story about processing grief, finding acceptance about the things you can’t change, and working on the things you can.

The first half the book frequently gets bogged down by characters essentially monologuing at each other. Klune seems to be using the novel as a way to process his own grief which gets in the way of progressing the story along. Readers who are dealing with recent bereavement, and are unfamiliar with the loss of those close to them, will likely find the book more helpful and comforting than those who are more familiar with the many ways that process works in reality. Grief is messy and difficult. It’s not a straight path and it’s different every time. Klune makes some gestures at recognizing that, but still trots out trite platitudes and continually falls back on the unhelpful and inaccurate stages of grief model that pop culture so adores. He also often falls into the trap of having one character explain the other character’s situation and emotions to them. This makes the first half of the books sometimes trying to get through despite light hearted scenes sprinkled throughout.

Once the book gets to the halfway mark, it picks up and the plot gets rolling. Even then, this is not a fast paced novel. It’s the story of one man learning to accept his death and learn from the mistakes he made in life. The progress of the plot is really the progress of Wallace on that journey. However, Klune makes a wildly fatal mistake at almost the very end of the novel that undermines everything he’d done up to that point. Normally I do not get into spoilers, especially major ones about the end of a novel. However, I cannot in good conscience not talk about the fundamental flaw in this book.

At the very end of Under the Whispering Door, Klune makes a profoundly unwise choice that fundamentally alters the entire plot and breaks the worldbuilding of this book. Throughout the book, particularly noticeable in the second half, there is flirting and unresolved sexual tension between Hugo and Wallace. This culminates in Wallace asking Hugo if he would have been interested if they’d met while Wallace was alive. Both characters recognize the reality of the situation and that they can never actually be together without this being discussed on the page. It’s a fundamental truth of the worldbuilding that has been gone over multiple times that once someone is dead they cannot come back to life and they must eventually move on.

Once Wallace is given an ultimatum to move on from this world, he comes to the realization that he is no longer part of the world and he needs to leave it for the living. In the text he professes a feeling of contentment and acceptance with his death that until this point has eluded him. It is a moving, sad situation where this character you have spent the entire novel following has to leave behind what could have been the love of his life because he found it too late. It’s upsetting, but getting to that point was the entire focus of Wallace’s story arc and the point of the entire novel.

At the very last minute, beyond the eleventh hour, Klune decides to deus ex machina Wallace back to life! While this obviously serves the function of a happily ever after ending (until one of them dies again) for the main pairing of the book, it fundamentally screws over everything that the rest of the novel is about. To take a book that has devoted a couple of hundred pages to often high handed monologues about the stages of grief and accepting death as an unalterable reality, and undead (or realive?) the main character who is supposed to have learned these lessons makes the book pointless.

I was willing to forgive the pages and pages of endless sometimes trite dialogue that could have come from any intro psychology course at your local college. I was willing to deal with the overly cliché ghost séance scene where Wallace moves a Ouija board planchette and writes on a chalk board like every bad ghost fiction work to ever exist. I was willing to overlook the plot not starting until literally halfway through the novel. There was great character building! Interesting world building! A UST filled main pairing! I don’t even like unhappy endings in romance novels, but this was not a romance novel. This novel for 98% of the length of the work is about grief and mourning and accepting death. You cannot at the very last minute decide to end with a romance novel cliché for a HEA ending and not destroy everything you just spent 200 plus pages creating. It was an utterly disastrous way to end and I will not even get into the epilogue where the rest of the ghost residents who have served as Hugo’s support system move on because now Hugo has a boyfriend so why would he need anything else.

Wallace Price is an uptight, corporate attorney who works all the time and has no relationships in his life. Then one day he dies unexpectedly. Then the journey of death begins--this is where it got interesting for me. I love the idea of interpreting what happens after death. He makes his way to a small tea shop and has time before he "crosses over" to the other side. Here, he makes real friends and real relationships--of which he was without in life. He starts to discover what life is really about. Death is also viewed and discussed and perhaps a bit better understood.

I absolutely love the humor that Klune intersperses in his novels. I genuinely chuckled throughout the book! I enjoyed the beginning the most, but then it really slowed down. It felt like not much happened in such a long remainder of the book. It all took place mostly in one location, perhaps that was part of the slowness. It was a study of life and relationships. All in all, it was entertaining and well handled.

Thank you to Net Galley, Tor Books, and TJ Klune for the electronic advanced copy for me to read and review.

I’d like to start out that I requested this arc after falling in love with House in the Cerulean Sea and I’m very grateful to be one of the few who received an ARC. That being said, it did not measure up to the extent of HITCS for me, but it did not take away from TJ Klune’s ablility to create a whimsical tale. I felt like I was being wrapped in a warm blanket the entire time I was reading. The character growth for our main character was astounding, and I really enjoyed watching the story unfold as the author tackles death and grief in a humorous and cozy way. Additionally, the subtle undertones of the romance did not overshadow the overall themes of the story. However, as heartfelt as it was, it may be heavy for some people. Regardless, it was an enjoyable read.

Like all TJ Klune books, this is an absolute masterpiece! The characters are captivating, and you will love getting to know them. This book definitely isn’t as warm and fuzzy as The House in the Cerulean Sea; grief is a major theme in Under the Whispering Door. Nevertheless, a story that will stick with you for years to come.

This was another hit from T.J. Klune. I’ve just finished this book last night and I was wrecked by the end of it! I don’t know what it is about his books, but they literally gut me by the end! I was full of all the emotions one could possibly go through, sadness, tears, happiness, laughter -- everything!

Wallace Price is a successful, but very arrogant attorney who only lives for his job. When he finds he is a ghost at his own funeral, being collected by a reaper, he starts to realize that he may actually be dead. He is taken on a journey to a funny-looking tea house where he meets the ferryman, Hugo. In this tea house, Wallace is guided through the meaning of life, acceptance of death, and moving on to the beyond.

Y’all, all I can say is that I’m an utter wreck after reading this one! Another wonderfully written This one started out slower for me, but once I really got into the meat and bones of the story I was breezing through it. Klune did a wonderful job of knitting humor and sorrow throughout this book. I was laughing at the jokes and I’m not going to lie, but I cried at multiple parts. I also loved the way in which Klune was able to write such quirky, loveable, flawed characters all while weaving queerness into it. As with HITCS, T.J. created a family bond with characters that are so different but just work so well together. I loved Hugo, Mei, Nelson, and Apollo -- they shaped Wallace so much and I just love them for who they were. This is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve read -- and the way in which Klune covered grief and loss in all of its different forms, I was captivated by it.

I just can’t fully put into words how much I loved this book! I’m so grateful to Netgalley, Tor Books for the ARC as well as all of our leaders with #mysterybookclub! Under the Whispering Door comes out today, so please go and buy it now!

This was my first book by TJ Klune and it was such an incredible adventure. His characters kept me so engaged and were so full of whimsy and personality that you can’t help but fall a little bit for each of them in one way or another. I love that Kline’s writing transports you to another world, allowing you to travel alongside his characters, find yourself lost in his story-telling and learn a valuable lesson by the end of your time with him. I truly cannot wait to read his other work!

Wow. I am lost for words. That was marvellous. The writing, the story, the humour, the grief, all the things. I laughed out loud and I sobbed so hard.

Getting myself a physical copy ASAP. So good.
Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eArc. I’m so grateful.