Happy release day to TJ Klune for Under the Whispering Door!!

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

T.J. Klune could write a novel based on the phone book and I would read it, and every character would be nuanced and have a rich background and undergo a fabulous transformation and we would all cry at the end and live happily ever after.

I would see the ending coming a mile away and the story would feel a bit recycled and the sentiments would not be new, but damnit, I need to feel all warm and fuzzy sometimes! I like to laugh the laughs and I like to feel the feels and this book had both in spades!

Plus, I will certainly give Klune credit for handling grief and acceptance with grace and sensitivity. MASSIVE kudos to him for an appropriate content warning at the beginning (take note Matt Haig. It's not hard!).

PLOT
Man A is a cold, officious bureaucrat who has to make some sort of journey. Man A goes to a place he's never been before, indeed a place he never imagined existed. Man A meets Man B. Man B is kind and beautiful and odd and self-aware but beneath the surface, he has his own insecurities and fears. Man A becomes a MUCH better person for knowing Man B, and Man B acknowledges his insecurities and rejoices in finding Man B, as they are truly so much better together, completing each other really! They both come into their own and are truly beautiful beautiful people! Then, some bureaucratic bullshit threatens to upend their lives, and weirdly, even more bureaucratic bureaucracy saves the day. Man A and Man B live happily ever after.

If you guessed this is the plot of Under the Whispering Door, you are correct! If you guessed this is actually the plot of The House in the Cerulean Sea, you are also correct!!

Because this was a recycled story, I took off a half a star. Because I love TJ Klune so damn much, I refuse to take off more. I loved this book just as much as I loved THITCS. The details absent from my cold, indifferent plot synopsis are that this is a unique story about a tea shop as a way station between our world and the beyond, and a cute, quirky ferryman who helps you to cross. OK, why not? You do you, TJK!

CHARACTERS
Wallace Price
"You don't question the why? Why the hell not?"
I despised this man in the beginning, not only because I was supposed to, but because I did not identify with him in the slightest. And of course, he was an asshole.
Obviously, they were so overcome, unable to find the right words to say in order to sum up a life well-lived. Wallace didn't blame them for that. How did one even begin to encapsulate all that he was?
I think this was expertly done (if slathered on a bit thick), as his character development was spot on and he morphed into the character I admired for his introspection:
It was safety. It was reality. It was what he knew. It was all he knew, he realized with dismay. What did that say about him?
and identified with the most:
He didn't know when he'd become so desperate for contact.
(you don't know me, I won't get into why I identify so much with this)
I questioned how Wallace had not, at any point in his life up to his death, been surrounded by anyone... ANYONE who made him want to be a better person (but, I'm being cynical; obviously, he hadn't met the love of his life yet!). But I liked that Wallace made me ask those big questions: What does it take to wake us up to the ways in which we are living poorly? Does fate put us right where we need to be even if the timing is off? Is it rational to give a book a five star rating just because the character you hated the most in the beginning ends up being the one you love the most in the end?

Hugo
"For someone who's a ferryman, there's a lot you don't know."
"Isn't it great? I'd hate to know everything. There'd be no mystery left. What would be the point?"
I loved him as much as I was, of course, supposed to; as much as I loved Arthur Parnassus. He was, of course, a black Arthur Parnassus. I can't sugar-coat that. Hugo was this story's version of the character that we should all strive to be more like; selfless and always kind and understanding. He's so good, he makes everyone around him better.
"Why do you care so much?"
"Because I don't know how else to be."
I've got too many quotes to type concerning their conversations, as well (SOOOOO MANYYYYYY!!!). Wallace and Hugo were great together! Their love story was perfection. I won't *spoil* any of that sweetness.

Nelson
"Eh?... Can't hear you. Must be going deaf. Woe is me. As if my life wasn't hard enough already. No one should talk to me for the rest of the night so I can collect myself again."
Wallace's quest for humanity would not have been possible in part without Nelson.
"That's a strange way to look at things. I'm not helping you because I expect you [to] give me anything. Honestly, Wallace. When was the last time you ever did anything without expecting something in return?"
He was also an adorable comic-relief grandad that every story should have; you can't not love him. He's never too much of anything, and he pretty much always said exactly the right thing.

Apollo
WHO'S A GOOD DOG?!

Mei
"Please let me be there when you say that to Hugo. I want to see the look on his face when you call him a hipster. I need it like air."
In my opinion, she was the only misstep of the whole book. I did not like her character. She was always trying to be funny but she was not. She's not original, she's not clever, she's not witty. She's obnoxious and showed on multiple occasions that she was not great at her job, but we're told by several people that she was, in fact, one of the best. She's also not deep. She was presented as an emotional core of this group, but I never felt much of anything when she spoke. And I'll be honest, when she spoke I felt like TJK was trying to MAKE me feel something.

The Manager
"I don't know how you put up with it. Love seems positively dreadful."
This was, in my opinion, the only sort of confused part of the book. The Manager was supposed to be boss-level bureaucratic, but then he was painted as kind of a child playing with an anthill, then he was painted as having humanity after all. When I had wrapped my head around him being strictly by-the-book, he admitted that he interfered with matters if they disrupted his "order" and it was unclear what order this was. He had laid out the rules to Hugo but he was going to basically break them for Wallace. Then he showed even he had bosses he had to answer to and then he went against them and broke the rules further! Or maybe not! Who knows what the rules are?! This was just a bit too confusing and also completely dependent upon what the plot needed at the time.

TO CONCLUDE
In the end, this was a story of selflessness.
"I see it now. It's not always about the things you've done, or the mistakes you've made. It's about the people, and what we're willing to do for one another. The sacrifices we make. They taught me that. Here, in this place."

It's about acceptance.
He still had regrets. He thought he always would. Nothing could be done about that now. He'd found within himself the man he'd thought he'd become before the heaviness of life descended upon him. He was free. The shackles of a mortal life had fallen away. There was nothing holding him here. Not anymore.

It's a fierce and mature love story.
"It's not about me... Or us. You've given me more than I could ever ask for. Hugo, can't you see? I am who I am because you showed me the way. You refused to give up on me. Which is how I know you'll help all those who come after me and need you as much as I did."

It's also about loneliness and the dangerous places our minds go.
"It's easy to let yourself spiral and fall."
"It is... But it's what you do to pull yourself out of it that matters most."

You might find it too sappy or you might have heard all these sentiments, in paraphrase, before: TJK is not for everyone. But if you are in the mood for a sweet love story, and especially if you enjoyed THITCS, I urge you to pick this one up. I'll be buying this one and placing its beautiful cover right next to my beautiful copy of THITCS. And when I've had a shit day because life sucks, I'll know who to turn to.

This book unraveled like a fable in that you knew where it was going and you knew there was going to be a few poignant moments where a lesson might be learned. But there's also a solid anchor in the form of grief, death, depression, anxiety, and mentions of suicide and terminal illness.

I think what I most appreciated about this book was Hugo's very human patience. He is open to being whatever other people need from him, being empathetic, and just being present. He had such a calming and solid presence in the story that really served to settle the "wilder" personalities of Nelson, Mei, and Wallace. I also liked that we saw more depth to him as he shares stories of his past, his depression, his anxiety, his loss, his failures. The characters were complex in a way that felt like a gift: each layer was unlocked because we earned it.

It was a little slow, though, and I think that's because Wallace (our POV character) didn't know what he wanted/needed and so time just... Passed. Fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea will definitely enjoy this one as well.

I had really high hopes for this book since The House on the Cerulean Sea was my favorite book of 2020 and I wasn't disappointed. I loved this book. It's a contemporary fantasy about a man who's dead but isn't quite ready to be sent off to his final resting place. He's at a waystation in the form of a tea house and it's there that he learns all the things that he should have learned while he was alive.
The queer romance at the heart of this story is lovely and touching. The side characters are wonderful.
This is exactly the kind of soft, warm story that we need right now!

I have read reviews about this book describing it as a hug in book format and a big gay blanket and I wholeheartedly agree!

I was worried having read (and loved) The House in the Cerulean Sea that I was going into this story with my expectations set too high but I was not disappointed!

Highly recommended.

UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR tells a fantastical tale about Wallace Price, a "strictly business" lawyer and his experience with death. After a heart attack removes him from the realm of the living, he's led to a strange house/tea shop by a sarcastic young woman whom no one but Wallace can see. The owner of the tea shop is Hugo, a handsome and kind man who's job is to help Wallace accept his death and move on to the next stage. Hugo's prankster grandfather and friendly dog, both ghosts, also live in the tea shop. Wallace has a lot to learn about life and death from his new housemates along with some frequent customers of the tea shop and various other ghosts and facilitators of death.

Adult fans of THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA will find much to enjoy in this equally whimsical, humorous, and heartfelt but slightly more grown-up story. It involves a fun cast of characters (including a lovable dog), a clever fantasy world, plenty of comedy, and musings on life's most profound questions.

This is my third attempt to enjoy a Klune novel. I powered through THE EXTRAORDINARIES and put down CERULEAN SEA halfway through the audiobook. While I whole-heartedly appreciate the consistent centering of queer characters and normalization of queerness, I think Klune and I are just not compatible. His comedy style is decidedly too far from my personal taste, and I find his plots and worlds too clichéd, tropey, and/or familiar to receive the desired impact. Layer that on top of some of the controversies surrounding his work, and I think this will be my last Klune.

I will say, this is the most I've enjoyed one of his books, as it's more original than CERULEAN SEA and more grounded than THE EXTRAORDINARIES. I'm sure fans of his previous work will love UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR, but it was not for me.

64% DNF.

TJ Klune does the Found Family thing well, but in the end, I missed the kids of The House in the Cerulean Sea and found I did not care a WHIT about this set of charming misfits.

Also, I did not see ANY connection between Alive!Dick Wallace and Dead!Wallace. They are seriously like two different people. Whatever. Make him more of a jerk for longer. That's a story I might want to read to the end.

Another lovely story from TJ Klune. This book was slower to start than the House on the Cerulean Sea, but it was worth the wait. If I had to compare it to others, I think it is best described as A Christmas Carol meets Dead Like Me. Heartwarming, charming, and ultimately a book that leaves you feeling filled, rather than drained and empty... and I say this even after I spent the last 20% of the book quietly sobbing. Definitely recommend this book and author, especially if you need the world to hurt a little less.

CW: death, grief

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I don’t think I’ve encountered a lot of content in which the protagonist dies at the beginning of the story, but the concept was recently explored in the popular television series The Good Place. It isn’t my intention to suggest that UTWD is similar to TGP— in fact, Wallace doesn’t find himself in “the good place”, but rather a way station before taking one last great leap into the unknown.

In life, Wallace was a bit of a Scrooge. Okay, “a bit” is sorely underselling the point, but needless to say, the reader doesn’t spend very much time with Wallace while he’s alive. Quite frankly, it’s probably for the best. Furthermore, Wallace isn’t the easiest person to get along with when he first arrives at Charon’s Crossing.

Wallace’s transformation into a Better Person is a gradual process, although it is somewhat sped up by the crossing over deadline. Wallace begins to appreciate all the things he took for granted during his life, including love. Wallace makes friends and he helps people without expecting anything in return.

I can’t say anything more without giving too much away, but needless to say, this is a treasure of a book. The secondary characters are all richly developed. I could write an entire essay about the portrayal of The Manager, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise for anyone, so I’m not even going to tell you what they look like. Every character worked so well with the others, even when taking an adversarial position. They could have provided a solid point-of-view, but the narrative unfolds solely from Wallace’s perspective. After all, this is HIS story.


I would absolutely recommend Under the Whispering Door. It is a wretched cliché, but this book made me laugh and it made me cry, and that isn’t the easiest feat to accomplish in a novel. This is a delightful homage to the eternal question of what happens to us after we die. This book is tender and atmospheric, and it doesn’t even answer the question of what happens after we die, but that’s perfectly fine with me because I enjoyed the journey so much. This was such a lovely book, and I can’t say enough good things about it.





I received a digital ARC of this book from Tor/NetGalley.

I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea - it was the perfect blend of whimsy, emotion, deep topics and good times

Unfortunately, I think it set the bar too high as Under the Whispering Door fell a bit flat for me

It’s partly a case of it’s not you, it’s me - because there were aspects of this book that I don’t personally enjoy but many really do. I'm not a huge fan of bottle episodes on TV, which largely involve staying in one place and as such, as much as I liked the homey vibes of Charon's Cross, spending so much time there felt a bit stifling

But some of it I found disappointing - from unbelievable character development, cliché dialogue and a meandering plot. I feel like this book was far longer than it needed to be and a lot of it felt a bit repetitive, with side stories not really adding anything to the main plot

Don’t get me wrong, the cosy vibes were there, and TJ Klune writes corporate monotony SO well, I would read a whole book about it

But this one just felt a little bit less nuanced than The House in the Cerulean Sea and I just didn’t gel with the characters in the same way

All in all, this one was disappointing for my personal tastes, but it was by no means a bad book - TJ Klune set the bar so high with The House in the Cerulean Sea and this one just sort of felt like a rushed sidekick

I’ll definitely still add TJ Klune’s future books to my tbr, as I love the emphasis he puts on found family and he does discuss a lot of important and underrepresented themes, unfortunately, this one just didn’t do it for me

Under the Whispering Door is a story that - believe it or not - made me want to become friends with a grim reaper.

40-year-old corporate drone Wallace was a successful lawyer, who lived to work but didn’t work to live. He’s successful but lonely, and is only concerned about working hard and becoming more successful, even if it is at the expense of those around him. His employees would never describe him as friendly and his partners would never say he was compassionate. One moment Wallace was firing an employee, and the next moment, he was watching his own funeral. When a grim reaper arrives to take him to his next journey, Wallace expresses his anger and disappointment at being dead - not because his friends might be devastated but because he has work to do, clients to see, and a hearing to attend.

The reaper takes Wallace to meet his antithesis in Hugo, who is kind, compassionate and the handsome owner of a tea shop. He is revealed to be a ferryman, assigned to help Wallace accept his death and cross over to the other side. He isn’t disconcerted by Wallace’s behavior, and instead, Hugo is determined to help Wallace truly understand the meaning of life after death. What ensues next is a tale brimming with brutally honest side characters, a queer romance I will remmeber for days, the power of being vulnerable and peace that can be felt when you surround yourself with companionship that you can have in your life, if only you let them in.

I loved: how thought-provoking the story was. It’s a homage to loss, life, grief and death & everything that comes after. It had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a highly-original story about the power of life, how death can change you and how it isn’t necessarily the ending. I loved it and would certainly recommend it!

Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Netgalley and author TJ Klune for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. It will be published September 21, 2021.

I loved TJ Klune's House in the Cerulean Sea so much that I was actually nervous to start this for fear that I wouldn't like it and would be crushed. I shouldn't have feared! This book had me both laughing out loud and crying. Klune is such a wonderful storyteller that you can't help but get swept up in his beautiful words and quirky characters. I had experienced a death of someone close to me that was very raw at the time I received this review copy, which was another reason I was hesitant to start it. I have to say that I found this story to be cathartic for me despite the subject matter being death and grief. I can't imagine anyone but TJ Klune not only making this kind of story work, but encasing it in the same kind of sweet magic as Cerulean. I'll just be over here patiently waiting for his next book.

Thanks to @torbooks for approving my request to read a advance copy of Under the whispering door. I highly recommend reading this if you love stories with characters who have strong personalities. I believe Klune is gifted in creating characters that leave a lasting impression on the reader.
Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Under the Whispering Door is a wide ranging character driven creative fantasy by TJ Klune. Due out 21st Sept 2021 from Macmillan on their Tor Forge imprint, it's 390 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an odd and interesting book. The plot is entirely character driven and set almost completely in one single place - an odd interworld teashop between life and the afterlife. Characters come and go as they move on to whatever comes next. The characters are both living, dead, in between, and otherworldly/demigod/angel-ish, and they vary in age from very young to very old and of several genders and ethnicities. There was so much crammed into the book that some of it fell inevitably by the wayside. In addition to being a fantasy, philosophical examination of death and what comes after, it's also about using the time we have wisely, found family, loyalty, love, consent, oh, and a queer/bi love story as well. The drama, starcrossed lovers, and longing would have been more suited to a YA/NA novel, but the subject matter and some of the scenes are too heavy to comfortably fit into that genre.

In addition to all the other stuff going on, there's a lot of slapstick involved which felt oddly tacked on; people getting stuck in inappropriate clothing and "psychics" being chased around by poltergeist(ish) flying inanimate objects. The subject matter in general is very heavy and quite dark and it felt like the author was trying very hard to lighten the mood. The love story and denouement were satisfying but also felt a bit contrived. The language is R rated and there are frank discussions of death including suicide, murder, and death of a child. There is some light consensual sexual content.

The audiobook version has a run time of 14 hours and 55 minutes and is expertly narrated by Kirt Graves. He manages characters of both sexes and a range of ages and manages to keep them distinct from one another and easy to understand. The sound and production quality are high throughout.

It's an interesting and valiant attempt, but in my opinion doesn't quite fulfill its early promise. The author is undeniably gifted and adept, but I never felt like it quite lived up to the attempt. Three and a half stars, rounded up (the writing is strong).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is an endearing, quirky story about death and what we do with our time on earth and connections we make. When we first meet Wallace, we see him as an ornery, unlikable, successful lawyer. Early on, he dies unexpectedly, taking him on a new journey with his reaper, Mei; and ferryman, Hugo, whose job is to help the dead cross over. He ends up at Charon’s Crossing, a tea shop that also serves as a way station for the recently deceased. Trapped in the teahouse but not yet ready to cross through (the whispering door), Wallace begins to form relationships with Hugo, Mei, Nelson (Hugo’s deceased grandfather), and Apollo (Allen’s deceased dog). Wallace begins to realize all that he has lost by living in such a cantankerous, closed off way, putting success above relationships and begins making the most of the time he has left. I really enjoyed the story of Wallace’s growth and the earnestness and humor of those in the tea shop. The book reminded me a little of The Midnight Library and the early 00’s show, Dead Like Me, in terms of the subject matter (reapers guiding the recently deceased to their next destination) and tone (earnest and quirky). I listened to the audiobook, which was well-narrated by Kirt Graves, who has a pleasing voice. Though he did use similar voices for Hugo and Nelson, which was a little confusing at times, but is clear if you’re paying attention to who is saying what dialogue.

Thank you Tor Books / Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing this e-book and audiobook ARC.

Although Under the Whispering Door did not catch my soul like The House by the Cerulean Sea, it is an equally emotional journey. Fitted with lighthearted moments, the overarching feeling the book evoked was the possibility of hope in the midst of sadness. I recommend not reading about Klune’s purpose fir writing tge book or other people’s reviews, which give too much away. Simply enjoy the story and THEN research the backstory. Cathartic!

3/5 - I don't know what it was about this book but it was almost a DNF for me. I think it largely started with how Wallace was introduced. I had very little sympathy for this absolute POS of a man and really just didn't care about hearing his story of getting a second chance. I ended up stopping at about 40% and skipping to 80% just to see if I could at least get something out of it and I have to say the ending helped a lot. I went back through the rest after I finished but it still didn't do much for me. It wasn't /bad/ necessarily, just not my jam.

Thank you TJ Klune for this absolute gift of a book. I loved it. It is without a doubt one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. Honestly, I don’t feel like I have words to adequately convey how much I loved it.

Under The Whispering Door is a beautiful commentary on life and death. Before I began reading I was worried the heavy topic would weigh me down. But, nope, Klune’s masterful storytelling filled me with hope. The book has lovable characters, a magical tea shop, and humorous moments that keep the story from feeling too heavy.

When you first meet Wallace you will despise him. He’s an awful, workaholic attorney who treads on everyone in his path. Yet Klune does a fantastic job with Wallace’s character trajectory. It will take Wallace’s death from a heart attack for him to ultimately learn what a successful life looks like.

This book is brilliant. I highly recommend it. Thank you so much to @torbooks @macmillanusa @forgereads @netgalley for the advanced eARC. I loved this book so much that I will be purchasing my own copy and know I will revisit it again and again.

Under The Whispering Door is out TOMORROW!!!! This is a must read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CW: death, depression, suicide, murder

Wallace Price is not a nice person, so when he shows up to his own funeral to see that there are only five mourners, he shouldn't really be surprised. He is surprised, though, of course -- to find himself deceased, and to find himself guided by a Reaper to a tea shop in the middle of nowhere. There he meets Hugo, a ferryman whose job it is to guide souls to the afterlife. But before Wallace is ready to cross over, he wants a second chance at living a better life.

Under the Whispering Door lovingly explores themes of death and grief and loss while also managing to be whimsical and fantastical and quirky. It's joyful and wholesome and heartfelt, with a gentle love story and characters that are so tenderly human. It's cozy and warm and good. If you liked The House in the Cerulean Sea, you're going to like Whispering Door too. T.J. Klune is a special writer, and he creates such special, radiant stories.

I imagine that there will be those who call this book trite and overly-sentimental, a formulaic story told in a dressed-up way. Those people aren't technically wrong. But sometimes you just need a chocolate chip cookie, melty and warm and exploding with sweetness. Under the Whispering Door is the equivalent of that cookie, and I savored every bite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for my digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TJ Klune has done it again! I fell in love with Klune's writing after reading The House in the Cerulean Sea (if you've not read it do yourself a favor and RUN not walk to the store and get it!). When I heard he had a new book out I knew I had to get my hands on it. and WOW another masterpiece! So many triggers so be sure to check those out before reading - death, suicide, terminal illness, car accident and more. Klune is. a genius and knows how to truly bring out emotions in his reader! Another 5 star read!

Heartwarming… This word has become a commonplace in commercial fiction reviews, but never have I felt this description has been more accurate than in talking about Under the Whispering Door. If you loved The House at the Cerulean Sea and are worried it isn’t going to live up to your high expectations, rest assured T.J.Klune’s trademark writing style is as beautiful as ever. If this is your first book by this amazing author, welcome to his world of quirky characters, original storylines, tender moments, drama and optimism.

This time T.J.Klune tackles the topic that rarely gets discussed, although it is the only certainty in our lives- we are all born and we all die, and sooner or later we all have to face this inevitaility and come to terms with it. The protagonist of the book Wallace Price may have a bit of a problem accepting the fact that he died of a heart attack in his office at the ripe age of forty. His funeral is a sad, but eye-opening affair with only four colleagues and a bitter ex-wife in attendance.
Then, a Reaper appears and takes him to a waystation between Life and Death, a quaint tea-shop run by the Ferryman Hugo, the Reaper Mei, Hugo’s dead grandfather and Hugo’s dog. The purpose is to make sure Wallace has enough time (and courage) to get ready to move on to the next stage, and he is the only one who decides when he is. This is a beautiful story of second chances in the most hopeless situation, and Wallace does get his chance to change from a heartless corporate lawyer who doesn’t take no for an answer into a much better person.
The story doesn't come across as over-serious or solemn. Not that there aren’t any poignant or even heart-breaking moments- T.J.Klune doesn’t shy away from more difficult aspects- violent death, death of a child from a terminal disease, death by suicide…Yet, there is also kindness and humour and lots of tea…The tea chosen by Hugo is unique for every person who comes to the Charon’s Crossing Tea shop, a great reminder that like everybody’s life and what we make of it is different, everyone’s death is different too.

The supporting characters are absolutely wonderful. Hugo, the Ferryman, is the embodiment of empathy and love. He carries the weight of his mistakes on his shoulders, because in a way he is the last frontier of humanity in this setting. His mistakes are all about finding a delicate balance of showing you love and care, and letting the other person exercise their free will, trusting them to do what is the best. The Reaper Mei, the one with the best hugs in the world, knows too well what it’s like not to be accepted because you’re different. Nelson, apart from being deliciously mischievious, throws light on the issue of being there for the person when and until they need you and then letting go when they truly get on their feet. All of the characters in the book help each other to correct their mistakes, to heal, to become stronger, to find love and peace of mind.

This is a love story, although romance is of a slow-burn kind- where there is life, there is love, and this is T.J.Klune’s unique point of view on afterlife. The romance gradually, slowly develops, and it’s impossible not to wish well to this adorable couple.

The Manager and the ending have surprised me… I thought I knew where the story was going and then there was a twist (should have expected given what we were told about Wallace’s character) and things have taken a new, hopeful turn.

I loved this beautiful and unpredictable book ….If you are looking for something heartfelt, original, philosophical at times, humorous at other times, Under the Whispering Door is a book for you.