Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really liked this book. Klune is able to write this story of grief, friendship and growth in a way that is both light-hearted and serious. There are moments where I was laughing, and then there were others where tears started to form.

The main characters are well-developed, though I would have appreciated a little more development of a couple secondary characters. I thought that the pacing of the story was also very smooth until the last conflict. When I arrived at the last conflict, I understand why it occurred the way that it did, but one part of it made it seem like it was wrapped up nicely in order to have a specific ending.

Overall, I think that this book was a good read while the world is still grappling with so much pain. It's reflective, for sure, but there is also a thread of hope that runs through it for the reader to hold on to, even past the final page.

Content warnings: suicide, death of a parent(s), death of a child

"Everything" is a very accurate description for what this book is, but I'll elaborate.
Wallace Price is a hideous man and it seems impossible at first to think that we are going to grow fond of this character as the story progresses. But, as good storytellers do, Klune was able to make us remember that, behind that hard shell there was once a person.
I said this book is everything because you can literally feel everything along the pages. There are funny bits mixed with very emotional moments so that you're laughing and then suddenly you're crying.
It also brings very important topics to the table regarding mental health and sexuality and it made me wish more people wrote about all this in such an honest way. I felt represented in many aspects and I just wanted to hug the author in gratitude.
In short, go buy this book. You won't regret it.

Thanks Tor/Macmillan for the ARC!

This is a new release from an American author known for his books that feature LGBTQIA characters. His last book was "The House in the Cerulean Sea". In this new novel we meet Wallace who has recently died. He was not a very nice man and lived only for his work as a lawyer. At his sparsely attended funeral he is met by a reaper who takes him to a very special tea shop on the outskirts of a small village. There he meets Hugo , who runs the tea shop and assists the dead in crossing over to the other side. Wallace, however, is not ready to cross over and Hugo allows him to take the time he needs while he hangs around the tea shop as a ghost. This is a delightful novel with both humour and romance. It reminded me of a combination of books by Mitch Album, Matt Haig and Fredrick Backman. I loved it.

I loved House on the Cerulean Sea because of how soft it was, but this book was so soft at the detriment of the plot. I feel like we're missing a whole chunk character growth where the MC goes from a bastard to a patient saint who always knows what to say in a one-page montage of time. This is a hard book to read at times because it deals with death; definitely don't read it right after losing someone. Since the mythology of what happens after death isn't from a specific existing mythology, it reads as wishful thinking at times. I definitely cried at parts.

I was very excited to read T.J.Klune's Under the Whispering Door after hearing about its premise and the promise that was from The House from Cerulean Sea. The plot of the novel follows a grumpy man, Wallace, who has recently passed on after being cruel to his co-worker and firing her for not contributing to his company. Suddenly, he has a heart attack and passes away. Unaware that he has died, Wallace is in denial of his death and remains bitter early on until he meets Mei, a psychic who takes him to meet Hugh, the Ferryman. As the plot unfolds, we see that Wallace is slowly developing a relationship with the people that surround him at Charron's Crossing.

Although I loved the premise of the novel, as I lost my mom to cancer, and have always been curious about the afterlife (I have addictively watched shows such as Ghost Whisperer), I felt that at moments that the focus too much on relationship development rather than shifts in the drama within the novel itself. Admittedly, I skimmed over the last 100 pages and would have liked the novel to be a bit shorter.

Other than that, I loved the overall novel because of how the author explores grief in a very unique way! :)

Thank you @Netgalley and Tor Books for providing me with a digital arc of this novel!

'Under the Whispering Door’ is a comedic fantasy novel about death, grief, found family, and the importance of living life to the fullest. With a mixture of laugh out loud and heartwarming moments, its an enjoyable read – but also a superficial one that struggles to reach the depths it strives for. This is a good, gentle read after a long day, but not one likely to linger.

Wallace Price has dedicated his entire life to his company – and even then, he’s not the sort of boss you’d buy a Christmas card for. He’s outraged to find only four attendees at his own funeral – one of them his ex-wife who spends most of the ceremony talking about what an asshole he was, and one of them the Reaper ready to escort him to the afterlife. However, rather than taking him straight to the Beyond, the Reaper instead takes Wallace to a very peculiar tea shop. There, a ferryman named Hugo serves tea and cake to all who need it – including lonely souls coming to terms with things they missed in life. With Hugo’s help, Wallace starts to adjust to his death – and makes some startling realisations about his life. However, the tea shop is only a stop on the journey, not a final destination – and as deadline day nears, Wallace starts to realise he isn’t ready to move on.

At the start of the book, Wallace is a horrible person. He only cares about his company’s profit margin – not its employees. He has no real friends, an ex-wife he certainly isn’t on speaking terms with, and so little to do that he spends his entire life at work. However, the longer he spends with Hugo and his ragtag band at the tea shop – Mei, the newly qualified Reaper, Nelson, the ghost who refuses to cross over and leave his grandson, and Apollo, the adorable ghost dog – the more regrets Wallace starts to have. His distaste at their inability to bring him back to life turns to grudging respect, and finally to true friendship – and it turns out Wallace Price has a heart after all. The change is sweet, but it also happens surprisingly quickly, not feeling entirely authentic. Its hard to match the caricaturic villain Wallace is at the start of the book with the reasonably nice guy he’s become by the middle.The message that everyone can change for the better is lovely, but there isn’t quite enough nuance to carry it off.

Mei, Hugo, and Nelson, on the other hand, are all great characters. Mei is a spitfire, full of energy and determination and unwilling to take insolence from anyone – especially not the dead. Hugo is a calm, soothing presence with a lot if wisdom – but he’s also a bit blind to what’s in front of him, and as the story unfolds it’s clear that he’s almost as lonely as Wallace is. Nelson has a wicked sense of humour, but also an uncanny knowledge of human nature and a deep love for his family. Their little family is incredible, and together with Apollo its easy to see why Wallace wouldn’t want to leave.

The romance is choreographed from relatively early on and more subtly written than a lot of the rest of the book. I would argue that this isn’t really the sort of book that needs a romantic subplot, but its a sweet relationship and its always lovely reading about gay couples getting a happy ending.

Stories with an underlying message are difficult to write without coming across as preachy, and while ‘Under the Whispering Door’ just about manages to avoid this, the sacrifice is a book that feels a bit twee. Its a little too syrupy sweet and optimistic. There are darker passages – this is a story about death, and there are several subplots about grief including the death of a child and suicide – but some of their impact is lost because of the overarching sunshine-and-rainbows feel. Its a difficult balance, and some will probably love the optimism, but personally I was looking for a bit more depth and acknowledgement of just what a black pit grief can be.

One area TJ Klune is particularly strong at is humour – I regularly found myself laughing out loud while reading this. Admittedly, some of the jokes are a bit crass, but its hard not to laugh anyway. If you’re a fan of sitcoms, this would definitely be a book for you.

Overall, ‘Under the Whispering Door’ is a solid and fun read, but it doesn't quite have the depth to take it to the next level. Fans of sitcoms, happy stories, found family, and books with messages will likely enjoy it. Recommended as a light read after a difficult week.

This was such a beautiful novel. I haven't read 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' so I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this or what the author's style was like but I had heard amazing things and was not disappointed. It was a slow starter for me, it took me a long while to get past the first few chapters but once I got further in, it was almost impossible to stop.

Wallace was a lawyer in life, and he was an extremely unlikeable person- hard, cold, selfish, and unempathetic to an extreme degree. After he dies, he is escorted to a teahouse by his reaper Mei and there he meets the ferryman-Hugo, whose job it is to help him cross to the other side. The tea shop (that actually opens and serves the public during the day) is a sort of waystation and Wallace is to remain there until he feels it is time to move on and during that time connects with the people both dead and alive who have made their home there.

The central cast of characters was small and completely delightful. I loved every single one of them and as soon as I finished the book, wished I could have spent more time with them. Mei is a delight and I laughed so much at some of her antics. Nelson is also hilarious and I never quite knew what to expect next from him. Hugo is a sweetheart and whilst I found him a little boring at the beginning, I was so so fond of him by the end of this book. Wallace; as I mentioned previously, was a horrible person in life and so after he dies, he goes on a journey of sorts to become a better person (although it's not overly intentional). Usually, I don't connect well to these sorts of redemption arcs as I find them heavy handy but I adored this one, it felt so natural and was beautifully done. When this book opened I had no good feelings about Wallace at all and by the end was rooting for him 100%. The found family aspect of this is glorious and I am so here for it.

The romance element of this was subtle and slow-moving for the majority of the novel but was incredibly sweet and I loved it so much. I think that all of the elements of this story were woven so wonderfully and seamlessly together and it just works incredibly well.

This book feels more speculative than plot-heavy and reminded me a lot of Becky Chambers' books although they are entirely different genres, they left me with the same soft, questioning ache after completion.

Overall I absolutely adored this book and will definitely be picking up more by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! If you liked 'Cerulean', I think you'll like this one as well.

[Pluses]
- The overall coziness of the story, despite dealing with some difficult topics.
- The characters. I loved every single one of them.
- The concept.

[Minuses]
- The main relationship seemed to sort of come out of nowhere.
- Slight lack of world building.

[Potential Triggers]
- This book explores grief and death.
- A Panic Attack

Don’t let the cover fool you into thinking this another warm hug like The House in the Cerulean Sea. This book is about the journey into the afterlife. I love all the characters and how warming it was. I love seeing Wallace’s journey as he thinks about his life and what he accomplished.

This is the 112th book I’ve read this year, and it absolutely is my favourite book of 2021 so far, and I don’t see that changing before the end of the year. This was perfect. There was honestly nothing about it that I didn’t like, or would change.

I read House In The Cerulean Sea for the first time in August (I was a bit late to the game on that one), and adored it, which is why I wanted to pick up Under The Whispering Door. My goodness, can TJ Klune write the found family trope. I fell in love with every character in this book. Mei especially won me over; I literally laughed out loud every single time she suddenly had knives in her hands. Wallace’s interactions with Nelson, especially at night when it was just the two of them (and Apollo, of course), totally warmed my heart & the connection with Wallace and Hugo was truly wonderful and swoon-worthy right from the moment they met.

I will say that I thought the description of the book was a bit spoiler-y, some things mentioned in it don’t happen until pretty late in the book. However, that also kept me quite intrigued so I don’t actually think it was a bad thing.

I loved the mentions of photographs, including “an island in the middle of a sea, a strange home set on its cliffs.” It was a small nod to The House In The Cerulean Sea, but I think a lot of people who will read this will have read that, so it was just a cute little ‘Easter egg’ to read.

This book honestly just had everything for me. The writing was incredible - honestly, even if I didn’t love the story (which I did), I would love this book just for how beautifully it was written. But the story was strong, the characters were well developed, I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and truly had the most incredible reading experience.

Thank you to Macmillian-Tor/Forge & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

This book was super slow…and by slow I mean slowwwwwww. Wished it would have gone faster and maybe I would have not “DNF’d” (did not finish it). Because this seemed like it had great potential at being a great book. Especially since I heard such great things about “the house in cerulean sea”; that was written by this author. I guess that is all I have to say, wished that I was able to finish it through. :/

Wow, this book. I strongly believe that TJ Klune listens and learns from the feedback presented by readers. This book, while feeling extremely personal, also felt like a breath of fresh air. Death is such a mysterious subject, even though it comes for us all. For Wallace Price, death isn’t just an ending, it is also a beginning. The characters he meets along the way challenge him and also support him and believe in him. Even though the subject matter of the book can be heavy and daunting, the characters are both funny and delightful. I want a dog like Apollo, a hug from Mei, a grandpa like Nelson, and a friend like Hugo.

“It’s okay to not know”. If I highlighted every sentence that meant something to me in the book, the entire book would be highlighted. I think the best part of this book is that even though death and what comes after is mysterious and we don’t know the answer, Klune walks the line between exploring what comes next and leaving it up to the great unknown, including common beliefs, like the existence of a God without expressing any authority on the subject. Klune mentioned how personal this book was when he was writing it, and you can feel it within the pages. It is a beautiful, hopeful book that you want to hold close and hug as hard as Mei would hug you if she had the chance.

By far one of my most anticipated books of the year! I absolutely loved The house in the Cerulean Sea and TJ Klune's latest book is full of all the same trademark wit, quirky queer characters, tear jerker moments, found family and oh so much heart!!

In this story we get to know the very unlikeable Wallace (think Ebenezer Scrooge), a lawyer who dies suddenly of a heart attack. But Wallace's death is only the beginning of his journey and in death he ends up learning how to truly live!!

Excellent on audio this book is sure to pull at your heart and make you cheer for a most unlikely of heroes. I love how utterly original Klune's stories are and he has officially become an auto-buy author. This book did not disappoint for me and can we all just admire the beautiful cover for a moment?? Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

CW: Death, grief, suicide, death of a child/animal/parent, murder, ghost-dog (character but my soft cinnamon heart can’t deal), panic attacks.

Actual rating: ~4.5~

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m just sitting here sobbing, because it’s just so beautiful. TJ knows how to create characters that bury themselves in your heart. Under The Whispering Door is an exploration of life after death and the different paths in which humans experience both life and death. Obviously strong content warnings for death and dealing with grief. There is also dealing with suicide. I’m struggling to articulate all my thoughts because I’m a ball of emotion instead. It was a rollercoaster of laughing so hard I cried, to actually bawling my eyes out.

As with House in the Cerulean Sea I fell in love with these characters and I know Apollo and Nelson are going to be with my heart for a long time. (The dog and the grandpa!) Wallace is a dickhead and I appreciate the Scrooge-ness and moral standing behind it. I still loved seeing them all grow and deal with grief in their own unique ways. Some areas of the characters did feel stereotypical and I’m still unsure how I feel about Mei’s character (i love her but) some comments surrounding her character made me raise an eyebrow or two; definitely want to see some OwnVoices reviews regarding this.

The plot was condensed in the fact we meander through getting to fall in love with the characters and the climax of the book taking part at 75% of the way through. I love narratives like this but I understand this writing style isn’t for everyone. The cottage core vibes, LGBT and anxiety rep were beautiful and the description of panic attacks hit very close to home. AND TEA! I fucking love tea and seeing the descriptions of tea and the connections gave me Tea Dragon Society vibes and ooft.

Overall, I loved this, my only hesitation in giving it 5 stars is Mei’s character.

I loved the setting, the vibes and I adore these characters.

I knew within the first 2-3 chapters that this book was going to be a 5 star read, as well as one of my all time favorites. The kind of book I recommend to most readers in my life. The fact that I "inhaled" it in the span of 24 hours speaks for itself. It was one of those bittersweet reading love affairs, when you get swept up in the moment but you also do not want it to end. You'll need two things for the complete enjoyment of this book: uninterrupted reading time and if you are anything like me, a box of kleenex (tissues). Full disclosure, I own but haven't yet read T.J. Klune's breakthrough book The House in the Cerulean Sea but now I understand what all the fuss was about. (and it means I'll be saving that book for a "special occasion").

The main protagonist of this book is Wallace Price, a very unlikable, workaholic lawyer suddenly dies of a heart attack. His highly organized, rigid existence is thrown for a loop not just by death but also by the appearance of a Reaper called Mei who disclosed that in order to cross to the "Other side" she will have to take him to a ferryman called Hugo. And that's where Wallace's story truly begins...at the end.

I saw this book described as "A Man Called Ove" meets "The Good Place" and I couldn't agree more. If you love offbeat characters Fredrik Backman brings to life, you will love this book. If you appreciate good storytelling, you will love this book. If you like your books to masterfully combine drama, humor, quirkiness, unforgettable characters and thoughtful explorations of "heavy" topics such as death, loss and grief; you will love this book. And if you are drawn to a touch of fantasy, carefully constructed imaginings of the afterlife combined with such a tender love story that will steal your heart, you will love this book. Wallace, Mei, Hugo, Nelson & Apollo will stay with you long after you have closed the pages of this book.

I am incredibly grateful to NetGalley & the publishers Macmillan-Tor/Forge for bringing this book into my life and giving me an early access copy in exchange for my honest review. This book will definitely find itself on the Goodreads Choice Award lists at the end of this year.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

Wallace is told he has one week to cross over to the afterlife, so now he decides he must try living an entire lifetime in just seven days. He meets Hugo, the owner of a tea shop, Charon's Crossing, who promises to help him cross over. This is an uplifting and, at times, heartbreaking story about a life spent barely living at the office and a death spent building a home.

This is a standalone LGBTQIA+ paranormal fantasy novel. I have not any other novels by this author.

Check out Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune and be sure to get this standalone wherever you buy books!

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TAGS: fiction, LGBTQIA, paranormal, fantasy, death, dying, grief, loss, afterlife, cancer, suicide, suicidal thoughts, childhood death, adolescent death, depression, mental health

MY RATING: 4/5 stars

MY RATING SYSTEM:
1 star = I don't recommend the book
2 stars = I would not read the book again
3 stars = I enjoyed the book
4 stars = I liked the book and would recommend to others
5 stars = Everyone should read the book; I would read the book again & again

*Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, & TJ Klune for providing a free eARC in exchange for my honest review #UndertheWhisperingDoor #NetGalley @NetGalley #Macmillan #MacmillanTorForge @ForgeReads #TJKlune @tjklune @tjklunebooks

If you're expecting a sequel-like book to The House in the Cerulean Sea, reader beware because that is not what you'll get.

Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Under the Whispering Door in exchange for my honest review.

Wallace Price is dead and no one really cares. In fact the only attendants at his funeral are his ex-wife, a couple partners from his law firm and one unknown women who turns out to be Mei, his Reaper. Mei has come to take Wallace to Hugo, his ferryman, who will help him navigate the beginning of his afterlife and helps Wallace to find peace to crossover. Hugo owns a tea shop where he knowns the perfect tea for anyone who enters, living or dead. Wallace isn't the only spirit at Hugo's tea shop as Hugo's deceased grandfather, Nelson, and long gone dog, Apollo. Through help from Hugo, Mei, Nelson, and Apollo, Wallace comes to term with the life he left and the legacy he could leave behind even if he's dead.

I knew going into this book that it would be quite a bit different from The House in the Cerulean Sea skimming other reviews. Even knowing that it took me until Chapter 11, a little over 45% into the book, to really get invested in the story. Once I hit the reading with Desdemona, the story really took off and I finished it in no time. Under the Whispering Door has a similar heartfelt feeling as Klune's other works but it deals with the heavy subject matter including death, suicide, death of a parent/child, and grief. Although I cared about what happened with the characters by the end, it took a lot longer to get invested in the story than I would like. I know I'm not alone with that feeling.

I enjoy his whimsy that he instills in a story even with one dealing with heavier subject matter as in this book. My rating is 3.5 stars (out of 5) more so because it took so long for me to get invested with the characters and the story. Parts of it, such as the romance, also felt very predictable and I wish it wasn't so. I'd like to see a continuation of this story with what happens at the end. There is definitely stories Klune could make within this universe if he chooses, at least in my opinion.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, McMillan- Tor/ Forge publishing, and of course TJ Klune for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

I was in the middle of Klune's other novel when I got the approval for this one, so I immediately dived into this one and was not disappointed by any means. Klune has such a way with words, this book was absolutely beautiful despite- and maybe a little because of- what it deals with: death.

This book had me crying more than once, it hit home in some big ways for me, and I honestly loved this book from beginning to end. I cannot wait to read anything else that Klune publishes and can't wait to own this book and read it again and again.

Sadly, this one missed the mark for me. I had such high hopes after the first chapter. I loved the tea shop setting and Klune’s trademark quirky characters, right down to their names. And that’s it. Those three things. I wanted The Midnight Library meets The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Instead I got a story that passed slowly and tediously. Best paired with a sheet of homemade candy canes. XO, Tara

I love stories about reapers and the afterlife, so I knew I needed this book! I always find it so interesting the different variations cultures, religions, and imaginations have regarding what happens when someone passes. TJ Klune’s creative version did not disappoint. When Wallace dies, the reaper, Mei, a feisty, fun young woman new to the art soul collecting, leads him to the ferryman, Hugo. Hugo, an attractive and compassionate tea enthusiast, runs the tea shop and helps souls move to the next stage of afterlife through a mysterious attic door in the shop.

TJ Klune provides so much depth and connection to his characters and in such a gentle, subtle way. I loved seeing Wallace slowly open up from a closed off, work-obsessed businessman to a caring and selfless man through various trials and self-reflection. His and Hugo’s romance is slow building and brings all the feels. So many different elements, big and little, gave me smiles throughout the novel: the tea shop is called Charon’s Crossing (which I just thought was perfect:), Hugo’s grandfather is a hilarious prankster, there is a ghost dog who loves his owner too much to pass on, a quirky deity and so much more that held my interest while journeying thought this whimsical tale. This story has fantastical creatures, heart-warming moments, thought-provoking questions, lovable characters and valuable lessons that will stay with me.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian-Tor/Forge for a copy in exchange for an honest review.