I absolutely adored The House in the Cerulean Sea, so Under the Whispering Door was one of my anticipated reads of the year. It did not disappoint. This book was everything I needed in my life. I'm also a big fan of the show, The Good Place, and this book is basically the love child of The Good Place and A Man Named Ove.

In Under the Whispering Door, we follow Wallace Price. Wallace Price is not a particularly good person. In fact, the book opens up on a scene where he firing a very nice woman that has been having a rough time in her personal life and certainly didn't think she was being called into Wallace's office to be fired. Then Wallace dies, alone in his office. The next thing Wallace knows, he is at a funeral... his own funeral. There aren't many people at the funeral, but one of them just happens to be a reaper.

The reaper takes him to a teashop. The teashop is not like any regular teashop though. In this teashop lives a man named Hugo. Hugo is the owner of the teashop and in his spare time, he also is the ferryman to souls who need to crossover. Wallace struggles with the fact that he is actually dead and that he didn't really live while he was alive. Hugo and the other inhabitants of the teashop help Wallace realize what he missed out on in life.

This book deals with grief and what it means to live. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and I devoured every word. All the characters were perfect and this book is my favorite of the year and I doubt another will be able to take its spot. <3

This is such a lovely heart warming story and paired with "Altruism" by Matthieu Ricard made me question a lot of how I act towards others. I loved Hugo, Mei and especially Granddad and Apollo. Honestly I don't think I've read such a bittersweet story.

5 stars, a lovely story about dealing with the pain of losing someone and moving on

Wallace Price is an ass and when he dies of a heart attack, the only people who attend his funeral are his bitter ex-wife to mock him, his three business partners out of obligation, and the woman who will reap his soul, Mei. Mei takes him to a tea shop owned by Hugo, a ferryman to the afterlife. All spirits must make peace with their lives before they move on to what comes next and Hugo is Wallace's ferryman.

This was a lovely read all around. Klune really excels at the blending of mundane and supernatural elements into something unique while also populating his world with lovable characters. As you might guess from the set up, Price starts off as something of a Scrooge figure but he quickly loses his more negative qualities and the story quickly pivots to Hugo and Wallace trying to figure out how to manage their attraction to each other with both being sad that they couldn't have had the chance to meet and become lovers while Wallace was alive. Hugo, as a ferryman, can only talk to spirits, not touch them so there there is less of a will they/won't they than a "is it even possible?" approach to their romantic yearning as Hugo nurses Wallace's emotional wounds. Sandwiched between all this emotional hurt comfort are thoughtful meditations on grief and dealing with loss.

Some may see the obvious conflict as a downside but I found that Klune kept in enough twists to keep the novel fresh the whole way through. The ending half is definitely stronger than the opening section, which does get a bit bogged down in set up though there are a few good chuckles here and there.

It's not quite as good as The House in the Cerulean Sea but it's still a wonderful book. Quiet and a little more despairing at times, but with the same sincere heart that makes Klune such a comforting writer to read. It's a perfect cozy, feel-good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for me to review.

Wallace wasn’t ready to die. Nonetheless, he did. When a reaper came to lead him to the ferryman, he was resistant, convinced they could work some miracle and give him back his life. It was the ferryman’s (Hugo) job to help Wallace cross over when he was ready. What transpires is a beautiful story about life, love, regrets and expectations.
I had high hopes about this book, since House In The Cerulean Sea was probably my favorite book of the year last year. Under The Whispering Door did not disappoint. What could have been a maudlin tale about a man not ready to die becomes a beautifully told tale about coming to grips with the inevitable and the journey it takes to get there. TJ Klune’s writing is a breath of fresh air. The creativity in his stories is astounding and I find myself wondering in amazement how he comes up with such imaginative and compelling stories. Not to mention his representation of LGBTQ communities. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

My copy of Under the Whispering Door, by TJ Klune, was kindly provided by NetGalley, and I shall thank them by being honest in my review.
Please read content warnings before reading this book. It deals heavily with the themes of death and various types of death and that may be unsettling to some readers.
So I'm going to be honest, I loved The House in The Cerulean Sea. It is one of my favorite books this year. But this book, this book just might have it beat.
The premise is simple. Wallace dies suddenly and can hardly believe it except he's at his own funeral. And there just so happens to be a reaper, Mei, there to collect him. Mei takes him to see Hugo, the ferryman, who just so happens to have the doorway to the afterlife in his tea shop.
Wallace is not particularly keen on this idea, as he would really prefer to be alive, thanks so much.
The book details Wallace's journey through the five stages of grief as he experiences them from the other side of things. It's interesting to see it from that perspective. You never think of the ones we lost as having to grieve the lives and loved ones they left behind.
We also meet a colorful cast of characters. From Hugo's grandfather, Nelson, to Desdemona, a unique townsperson who, among other things, thinks she can turn Hugo's head. For so many of them being dead, they feel so alive.
Klune created such a wonderful place in this little tea shop. It makes me want to visit. From charming locals to a helpful reaper and enchanting ghosts, it also has scones! But in all seriousness, the world the author created is very rich for being so self-contained.
Now to the nitty-gritty. I laughed. I cried.
Like seriously, I was still crying as I sat down to write this review, it gave me all the feels.
To actually be serious, I lost my father a few years back, and I'd like to think he had someone like Mei or Hugo helping him to reach the other side. It was a nice thought to have and the description of those crossing through the doorway gave me an interesting sense of peace as well.
It also made me cry.
Please, bring tissues.
If I had to, I would say this book got 5 stars. Can I give a book 6 stars? No? 5 it is? Okay. Well. New favorite book! Does that help?

Wallace is a real jerk. There aren’t many things or people he likes, least of all himself. And it takes dying for him to realize how much being such a jerk has cost him. No friends, an ex-wife who hates him, and nothing really to show for all his hard work building a premier law firm. His life, if that’s what you want to call it, has been cut short, and now he’s stuck in some awful tea shop in the middle of nowhere learning to be a ghost until he’s ready to “cross”, whatever that means…

But there’s something more to Wallace than meets the eye. He just needs a little time. Luckily, his death squad (Hugo, Mei, Nelson, and Apollo) have the time and patience needed for the job of helping him see all that he missed out on in life and what still he has to offer in death. All their hard work will pay off in the end, but it’s a bumpy ride along the way.

Klune is a master. He’s a master at constructing brightly lit imaginary worlds with complex characters, tons of emotions, and love in all the right places. This book is so special because he wrote it. I don’t know that anyone else could have done justice to the topic of death, dying, afterlife, life choices, and love than Klune. The little family and love story he creates in this book rivals that of House in the Cerulean Sea in my opinion, but I’d venture to say this one has the power to connect with people on a different level. It captures what it means to be human in the most basic ways, which speaks to my little social worker heart. We are faulty. We are messy. We are multifaceted. We are complicated and simple at the same time. And in grief we discover things about ourselves and others that we never really knew.

This book was beautiful. It was about life and grief. However, I recently lost my dad and was completely wrecked by this story. I do not believe my review is going to do the book itself justice. This author just has beautiful writing that connects the reader to the story and the characters.

Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

It’s going to be difficult to put into words all the emotions this book made me feel. This book somehow flips all of our unknowns, fears, and questions about death on their heads, while still handling the subject with grace, reverence, and room for finding the bright spots in such seemingly dark spaces. I loved the idea that there are always going to be some “unknowns,” and that’s ok. Yes, this book deals with a lot of different aspects of death, but there is something to be said about an author that is able to find ways to make you laugh out loud while reading a book about it. This book made me laugh, cry both happy and sad tears at the same time, and brought a sort of healing that I think can only be indicative of the level of masterful writing TJ Klune has to be able to do so while navigating such a difficult subject that has touched everyone’s lives in different ways. This was a beautiful book about grief, love, friendship, and learning that it’s never too late to become the kind of person you really want to be. Wallace’s journey was a wonderful one, and I loved meeting all of the new people in his life (afterlife?) right along with him.

Also, I’d drink tea with Hugo ANY. DAY. ANY. TIME. ❤️

This book hits shelves on September 23rd, so make sure you preorder/grab a copy for yourself as soon as you can! This one is a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

~Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Under the Whispering Door in exchange for an honest review. ~

**“It’s never enough, is it? Time. We always think we have so much of it, but when it really counts, we don’t have enough at all.”**

I went in expecting this to be heavier than the Cerulean Sea. While I wasn't a sobbing mess, like the Green Creek Series, I teared up at least 3 times. The epilogue did, however, have me downright CRYING. I read that portion at the... best/worst time I could? With a specific scene relating to the anniversary of a death in my own family.

This story had much the same idea as Caitlin Doughty's books, showcasing that death doesn't always have to be this terrible thing we don't acknowledge, that grief is normal and we should take the time to feel it. However, this story discussed grief in many different ways; grief for yourself, for lost opportunities, for loved ones, for strangers. This is such a whimsical story that had me smiling and laughing many times, but in the end, this was an insightful read about living your best life, but also learning how to cope with the many losses that come with it.

The writing style of this story was more of a middle ground between Cerulean Sea and Green Creek, and I really enjoyed the combination. There's something so fantastically delicious about Klune's writing, where it's easy to blast through, but every sentence and phrase feels so purposeful.

I fell in love with these quirky characters, plus there was an animal sidekick, and I'm a sucker for those. The romance was a slow burn, with a barrier separating the two, causing a great deal of tension that I slurped up. This redemption arc was wonderfully done.

Once again, I think a good descriptor of this story is a middle grade for adults. On the surface, this book isn't very deep, but there's so much more beneath the story. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy to annotate every wonderful line and scene of which I took note.

Side-note: please consider looking at content warnings. There is also a list at the beginning of the book that may help, as well.

I loved this book! Under the Whispering Door is about Wallace, an awful person who dies and finds himself in an afterlife limbo set up as a tea shop. Even though this book deals with some very heavy and difficult topics, Klune manages to use humor, wit, and whimsy to lighten the mood and create a beautiful story. Klune also manages to stuff this book full of life lessons and reflections in a way that doesn't overpower the story.
Besides just an amazingly written story, the characters are also so well developed, unique, and interesting. I found myself connecting with each of them despite how different they all were.
Overall, this is such a unique and interesting story that I would highly recommend to all.

”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.”

wallace price has died. the life he lived might have been fine, but it wasn’t full. he now finds himself at a way station, a place in between life and whats beyond it. it is here he meets a reaper named mei, a couple other ghosts (nelson and apollo), and a ferryman named hugo that is there to help him be ready to cross. while there he learns how to live a better life—even though he’s already died.

books that grapple with death and mortality are some of my favorites. i’ve always expressed how much comfort i find in books where characters grieve. under the whispering door is different than most of these. here, we have a character who mourns the life they could have had. where they start a new life after their death. where they find humanity too late, and grieve what could have been. and characters that mourn while he’s still there, but not alive. characters who breathe that life into him, even though they have to say goodbye.

tj klune has proven time and time again that he has the most magnificent way of building characters that you will fall in love with before they break your heart. to be part of the growth that wallace goes through is so special. we watch wallace learn to open his heart and build a family around himself. each character gives a piece of themself to wallace, and you feel it as deeply as he does.

klune has also shown how extraordinary he is at writing about love. romantic love, yes, but also platonic and familial. this is no exception. the relationship between every character is so visceral. so profound. you know that these characters belong together and to each other. it’s a beautiful feeling we get to be part of.

overall, this book makes you believe: in love, in hope that we can change. believe that it’s not too late to be the better version of yourself. believe in something out there. believe that those who are gone are somewhere better. and they wait for you. whenever you’re ready.

needless to say that this is a contender for a top fave of the year, and is easily a new favorite klune book. thank you @netgalley, @torbooks, and @tjklunebooks for this gift. under the whispering door comes out september 21, 2021.

cw: death (including death by suicide, child death, unexpected death, and death of pets), grief, panic attacks.

Have you ever thought about what happens after you die? Yeah, me too. And honestly, who hasn't? It's simply part of being human to imagine and wonder and maybe have a tiny little panic attack at the idea that nobody knows and we'll just have to die and find out for ourselves.

Under the Whisper Door is the story of Wallace Price, a nasty selfish lawyer whose life revolves around work and whose pride stems from being able to be better than those around him. That is until, at the young age of 40, he kicks the bucket. Luckily for him he doesn't go straight to heaven or hell nor does his consciousness wander the universe detached from his body. Instead he goes to a tea shop where a "ferryman" (and his grandfather) (and his dog) awaits him.

If you've read The House in the Cerulean Sea, the ferryman Hugo is to Wallace what Arthur was to Linus - a calm, mature, encouraging presence in the (after)life of someone who realizes he hasn't been that great of a person and tries to change for the better. Under the Whispering Door is also paranormal and whimsical, wise and sweet, with a smattering of lovely and less lovely characters who help drive the story forward. However, it has a glaring downside which is repetitiveness.

Whereas the dialogue at the beginning of the book is interesting, insightful and full of ideas that make you stop and think about your own mortality and goodness, all of it is rephrased and repeated again and again and again AND AGAIN throughout the novel. There's lots of "I couldn't possibly imagine what you're going through" and "I'll be here for you when you need me", and I mean LOTS of it. So much so that by the end of the book, you stop perceiving it as somebody being a supportive friend and instead see it as a bunch of annoying platitudes.

The repetitiveness then has an adverse effect on the story itself, i.e. there isn't much going on. The characters are mostly just talking and being nice to each other, strolling around a tea garden and playing with a Ouija board. My biggest problem with the story though is the use of the deus ex machina trope which I can't stand, especially in fantasy where the author can make anything their heart desires happen. I'm guessing, and I may be wrong here, that all of this was caused by the fact that TJ Klune pumps out multiple books a year and the editors did a subpar job due to deadlines?

What somewhat saves the book (from getting fewer stars) are its characters. The representation is much better this time around. Two of the characters are Black, one is Asian, there is an older gentleman, a bunch of gay people and women, and nobody succumbs to the stereotypes of their specific group. I hope TJ Klune continues writing diverse casts of characters and pushes them even further because, although their personal stories were interesting, there was a lot more he could have done with each of them instead of making them have the same conversation over 400 pages. When not repeatedly telling each other that "it's okay to make mistakes", their banter was quite amusing.

In short, if you're a fan of cheesy, cute stuff, or Hallmark romcoms, or your two favourite genres are paranormal fantasy and self-help nonfiction, or you're a certified TJ Klune stan, then Under the Whispering Door might be the stuff for you.

Under the Whispering Door comes out on September 21st. Huge thank you to NetGalley, TJ Klune and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advanced reader copy.

TJ Klune's new book, Under the Whispering Door, is very different from his last one (The House in the Cerulean Sea)

"Wallace is not a very nice person. And now Wallace is dead. He doesn't understand or believe it's really happened. Mei, a Reaper, takes him to Charon's Tea Shoppe, where he meets Hugo, the Ferryman who will help him make the crossing. Hugo is angry and wants to go back to his life. But that's not an option. His new friend, Nelson, helps him figure out the tricks to being dead. Along the way Wallace learns a lot about himself and what it means to be alive."

There are some fun characters here. Nelson is a hoot. Mei is the one I like the best - figuring out her new job along the way. Wallace is one you despise at the beginning, but grows on you as the story moves along. And The Manager - that's an interesting visual.

Death, death and death. This book is so different. This is not a happy book filled with rainbows and sunshine and puppies (there is a ghost dog, Apollo) This book is about the inevitability of death and dealing with grief.

A bit of a surprise ending - part of it. You might guess the rest. Some interesting imagery from Klune.

Although I am very grateful to have received an advanced copy of this book, I will not be reading and reviewing after listening to the opinions of Indigenous readers about TJ Klune and their use of residential schools as inspiration for their first book.
I provide this as feedback, because it reflects the opinions of myself and many other reviewers, especially in light of the thousands of children who have recently been discovered at cites of former residential schools.

This book took me by surprise. Under the Whispering Door is strangely warm, whimsical and humorous for a book that is about finding life after death. The book deals with the afterlife, getting ready to go through "that door" when the time comes but it doesn't get bleak.

Wallace, a very unlovable person, totally his doing, dies of a heart attack and finds himself in his funeral. From there, he is taken to a way station by a reaper, Mei, and introduced to the ferryman, Hugo, who is going to help Wallace process his life spent on Earth, to regroup and accept the inevitable. But during his time in the way station, which happens to be a tea shop, Wallace changes. He does things for people without expecting anything in return, he actually wants to help. He finds a family in Hugo, Mei, Nelson and Apollo the dog and he doesn't want to leave. But is that up to him?

The found family aspect was my favorite thing in this book. There is a romance plotline too but it is secondary to Wallace's journey. The pacing was a bit off. It dragged in the middle but maybe it was necessary for Wallace's character development.

Under the Whispering Door gets a hesitant 4 stars from me. I like Klune's prose. Their writing feels effortless without being over the top. The story is quirky and generally quite moving. That being said I cannot shake the feeling that the reader was expected to find this story profound. It felt like Klune was trying to give a message in the book but he is not subtle about his efforts. While some of the conversations between Hugo and Wallace and Nelson read like therapy sessions, some sound almost preachy.

Soft, soft, soft, this is a lovely story about death, and how sometimes you only learn how to live after you die.

Wallace is not a nice person, he is exacting, demanding, particular, and largely unmourned when he dies of a heart attack at work. His reaper, Mei, takes him to Hugo, a ferryman who runs a tea shop and also happens to help spirits cross over into whatever is next.

This is a story about love, about family, the ones we are born in and the ones we make, about how to be a good person, and about how our choices in the past don’t have to define us in the future. The story is as a careful with us, the readers, as Hugo and Wallace are careful with each other, slowly sinking into something that feels like home, even though we’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s bakery ovens, the lick of a ghost dog’s tongue, ten year old tea plants, a grandfather who can’t quite leave his grandson behind, a clock that doesn’t quite keep time, a broken woman looking for her child, and more. So much more.

Last year, The House in the Cerulean Sea was a delight to read so I was really looking forward to this book and I was not disappointed. It is quirky in a different way and the tone is a little darker (several of the main characters are dead) but a great book. Excellent characters and the right amount of sweetness and humor make this a fun read.

Wallace is not a nice person. He is a lawyer who basically lives for his job and terrifies those who work for him. Wallace is working one weekend and has a heart attack and dies. Suddenly, he is met at his own funeral by Mei, a Reaper. She brings him to a tea shop in the country to meet the ferryman, Hugo. Hugo's job is to help ferry the dead to "the door" that will let them continue on their journey. The interactions between Wallace, Hugo, Mei, and the other inhabitants of the tea shop will change all of their lives.

I am trying to think of more adjectives for this book but cozy comes to mind. Comfort food reading. Quirky and sweet and highly recommended.

*ARC provided by Netgalley* This book took my breath away. It made me feel so so many different emotions when reading it. TJ Klune continues to amaze with this book. The writing style Klune uses is one I like a lot.
This book made me really take a moment to pause and think. It makes you really think about life and death and what it means to live your life to the fullest. The storytelling was done masterfully. The relationships between all of the characters and the bonds are so beautiful and amazingly written. I fell in love with all of the characters. The setting of the book made me want to wrap up in a blanket and sit down with a nice cup of tea as I read about Hugo and Wallace and the tea shop in the woods. Compared to other TJ Klune books I’ve read, this one just felt a lot more personal. Because it makes you think about yourself. The plot didn’t have a particularly fast or slow pace. It was in the middle and room, it's time on the parts that needed to be expanded upon and didn’t dwell on the not as necessary parts.
Overall I have this book a five out of five stars because it just took my breath away. I can’t wait for you guys to get this book in your hands and to be able to read it.

TW: death, panic attacks, and suicide

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Tor Books for giving me this eARC to review! I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to review it! And thank you to T.J Klune for writing another one of my favorite books!

It’s kind of hard to explain how much I enjoyed this book. I was kind of nervous picking it up because I myself am not comfortable with death. I fear the unknown and loss of if. While the main theme in this book is death, it still keeps a light and hopeful voice throughout the story while still being blunt about it. Death is discussed in a serious yet light hearted way that didn’t feel like I was being dragged down or saddened by it. I thought the author did a good job about being sensitive to death and how it could impact those reading the book.

I enjoyed the writing of this book very much. It was as easy and humorous to read as The House In The Cerulean Sea and just as engaging. I found myself falling in love with every character and even relating to the main character, Wallace. T.J Klune is extremely talented at creating characters who are very realistic and who the reader can see themself in. I also loved the plot. I have a feeling that readers may think that the plot itself was stagnant and didn’t go anywhere, but I think it went exactly where it needed to go!

I definitely recommend this book to those who loved The House In The Cerulean Sea, or anybody who wants to read T.J Klune for the first time. This will be an author whos books I’ll always pick up!

Excellent book. It was one of my favorite books from this year. TJ Klune has a way of building relationship with his characters that is warm and charming.