TJ Klune is not for me. I read House in the Cerulean Sea and it was a big let down. This sometimes can happen to me when a book is hyped on bookstagram. Then came Under the Whispering Door and it sounded like Cerulean Sea was just a solitary miss, it wasn't.

Much like Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door felt basic. It felt like a story I had heard or read over and over. Some people may be distracted by the flowery or fantasy angle but I was not. In addition to that, I made it to 34% in and literally NOTHING had happened, it was literally the same exact explanation or question/answer of the "in between" world. I could not continue.

I'm undecided if I'm going to post my thoughts on my bookstagram account.

Under the Whispering Door Book Review
Rating: 4 / 5 starts

Memorable quotes:
-The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.
- Hugo was important. Not because he was a ferryman, but because he was Hugo.

Book Details:
-Fantasy
-LTBTQ+ and mental health rep
-author of House on the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries

Pacing / Atmosphere
The book started out a bit slow, in my opinion, and was just a bit of a slower paced book. However, that also helped create the atmosphere of the book, which I thought was well done. It had a similar vibe to Cerulean Sea while also being a bit more serious at times (due to the subject matter). Though it also throws in humor at times as well.

Mental Health Rep
I really appreciate the way grief is portrayed in this novel, because it focuses on the MC’s grief at the loss of his own life, which is different from many other books. It had a lot of messages about that and what makes life worth living.

Characters
The MC did annoy me quite a bit at the beginning, which did contribute to the slow start. However, that was also intentional, as a main plot point of the book is supposed to be his growth throughout the story. And I really enjoyed some of the other characters as well.

Overall
If you enjoyed Cerulean Sea, I think you will enjoy this book. There are certain differences that make this book a little less upbeat at times, but it maintains the atmosphere Cerulean Sea also had. And, like that novel, manages to mix humor, fantasy, and real world issues.

TW: grief / loss, health concerns (e.g. heart attack), death of child, suicide, mental health concerns

One of my most anticipated reads of the year. It delivers on expectations but doesn’t provide the same degree of warm fuzzies as The House in the Cerulean Sea.
For fans looking for that same experience, on the surface there are many elements similar to Cerulean Sea. It’s a comedic, endearing, mostly feel good story centered around a cozy setting, characters to love, and a quiet and tender queer romance. However, this novel reads very different; it’s more philosophical and character driven.

I’d describe this book as a meditation on life and death while the author calls it a comedy about grief. There’s quite a bit of humor and lessons to learn and not a lot of story. It provides more of a feeling of a deep conversation with friends. I’m hesitant to compare, but I kept thinking of the philosophical messages of Mitch Albom, The Alchemist, and The Midnight Library, if they were injected with lighthearted humor and endearing whimsy and charm.

I loved Klune’s brand of humor and symbolism… that Wallace’s life ends when his heart stops but one could argue his heart never worked. That he learns how to live in death. That souls run from death, from reality, and become husks/shells of themselves. A reminder that there are anchors connecting you to guidance needed to grow and move forward… it’s all a wonderful message in a delightful package. I also love that Klune’s romances are just there, subtle in the background, versus a driving story point. It makes them feel so tender and realistic.

I enjoyed Under the Whispering Door quite a bit though my heart is less attached to it than his prior book in this “series”.

We follow the story of Wallace Price, an arrogant, unlikeable lawyer who dies unexpectedly of a heart attack. Wallace, now a ghost, attends his funeral only to discover (to his shock only) that only his ex-wife and named partners in his law firm have attended…and they’re not so sad to see him go.

This is a story about coming to terms with death, living a full life while you can without taking it for granted, and the lasting impression/ legacy left once we depart this life and enter the next; how do we want those to remember us once we’ve gone?

This started out strong and had me laughing out loud in the beginning. I’ve only read one other book by Klune (The House in the Cerulean Sea), which I adored, and like that book, this one had Klune’s signature charm, humour and quirky character!.

However, as this progressed, I started to get bored. I understood what the message this book was offering early on so things started to feel a bit repetitive and cliché (yes, Wallace is discovering he wasn’t that great of a person [an asshole tbh], yes, he was to accept his fate and face his past, etc.). It wasn’t that I didn’t like the book, it was cute, charming and funny with a good message overall, but it was just too drawn out for my liking.

3.5 Stars

This is a story unlike any that I have read before.
It follows Wallace Price, a workaholic lawyer with a mean streak. Wallace Price only thinks of himself and only does things that benefit him. He is cynical and selfish....until he finds himself at his own funeral.
From there Wallace takes a journey to a tea shop in the middle of the forest where he get more than he bargained for.

This is a story of life, death, love, and growth. Truly a gorgeous tale of learning from your mistakes and that it is never too late to change. I laughed, cried, and fell in love with all the quirky characters.

TJ Klune has a knack of writing characters that feel real and that you cannot help but love. He is talented in storytelling and creating tales that are so unique.

TJ Klune can do no wrong! This book was fun, heartwarming, thoughtful, and makes a subject that is typically morbid and depressing into a beautiful tale.

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

How do you succinctly compile your thoughts about a story this special? It’s impossible.

I am genuinely in so much pain right now; I can’t remember the last time that a book touched my very soul like how Under the Whispering Door did. I already know that this is going to be my go-to recommendation - I have absolutely no critiques. It completely broke me in half, shattering my heart into tiny pieces, and then repaired it…but that crack is always going to be there. I think that I will be thinking about this book for the rest of my life. The only thing I can say is prepare yourself going in. Under the Whispering Door is sweet, cozy, and whimsical, but it talks about extremely heavy topics. It’s all about death (and life thereafter), loss of a loved one, grief management, and self-discovery and analysis.

While this is a story centered around death, it is primarily focused on life - it’s interwoven through the very veins of this work. We follow Wallace - a ghost, who, frankly, was a terrible person in his life. And through his death, he truly starts living again - perhaps for the first time. And it’s because he’s finally in an environment where he can just *be.* that’s a testament to the incredible cast that surrounds him at the Tea House. Hugo is the glue that holds this troupe together, but this story would be nothing without Mei, Nelson, and Apollo. Each of them are complex and completely fleshed out. You can’t help but be drawn to them. Nelson is BY FAR my favorite character. Not only does he get to have the best one-liners, but he serves as that source of levity.

Even through my (plentiful) tears, I couldn’t stop laughing. Klune’s signature charm and wit is present through this entire story and it’s just captivating. I could and will read ANYTHING that he writes just so I can lose myself in his worlds all over again.


Under the Whispering Door is a masterpiece, plain and simple. It deserves all of the praise that it will no-question receive and I can’t wait to share this journey with everyone else. There isn’t a star rating that’s worthy. Just read this.

What an honestly lovely book. I was so late to the party to read The House in the Cerulean Sea, and when I saw this title I knew I had to read it. I've been high level obsessed with reapers since Dead like Me (if you know you know) so there's another check in the to read list.

I think what I love about Klune is his humour and... how soft? his writing is. I'm not sure soft is quiet the right word, but everything he writes is just an honest delight to read. I think what I loved most about this book is that I legitimately grew with the characters - I admittedly spend the first few chapters wondering if he would be able to pull it off, but oh he did. This is an absolute gem of a book, and this one broke me a little. I'll save most of my reviews till it's been published, because this one deserves a read through to the end, without anyone telling this. I will say this one gave me a bit of a book hangover, and the warmth and charm of the characters, wonderful writing, and an epilogue that honestly moved me. I can't wait to buy this.

I love the idea that no matter when we can always find hope, and become better - maybe a message we all need right now.

ARC received through NetGalley.

I so sadly had to unfortunately give up on this book 60% of the way through. I loved House in the Cerulean Sea and had such high expectations for this one and yet it just fell short it so many ways. The whimsical feeling of Cerulean Sea that I loved comes across childish and overbearing and eye rolling in this one. The first chapter started out strong and I was interested in the office storyline, but it feels like from chapter 2 until the 60% mark nothing even happens! There are a lot of conversations about the meaning of death and afterlife and it just really drags and I feel bored even writing this review so….I don’t think I’ll be picking this one back up.

Welp... this was another fantastic book by TJ Klune! I was a little nervous starting this one, as I knew this book would be exploring death and what happens after, and it's no secret that I tend to shy away from sad books because I AM TOO EMOTIONAL hahah

That being said, this was a beautiful story that explored life, love, death and grief. And even exploring all of these heavy topics, it still managed to have just the right amount of humor that kept me smiling, even during the tougher parts. There wasn't one character I didn't like (except, I will admit I strongly despised Wallace in the beginning, but I believe you are meant to) - Hugo, Wallace, Nelson, Mei, and even Apollo - all were just so wonderful and added so much to the story. While there were some parts of this story that were hard to listen/read, in the end, I was left feeling so hopeful, which to me, is a sign of a great story.

Rating: 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and Tor Books for an early copy of this book - all opinions are my own!

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital arc!
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will be purchasing a physical copy upon release. The story was sweet, though I think the pacing could have been a little better. Also, I honestly didn’t like Wallace as a character until about halfway through the story. The secondary characters were fantastic and of course if you add in a dog, I’m absolutely sold. The setting, in my head, was beautiful and makes me wish I had a tea garden in my backyard. If you don’t go into this one comparing it to The House in the Cerulean Sea, I definitely think you’ll enjoy it!

T.J Klune can do not wrong. I was actually worried about reading this after loving the House on the Cerulean Sea because I loved it so much. This follow up was beautiful, tragic, heartfelt, and absolutely magical. I could not be more grateful for this ARC.

Another heartwarming and heartbreaking novel from TJ Klune. This story gave me A Christmas Carol vibes- a curmudgeon who needs an eye opening experience to cause them to change.
I enjoyed this one, but ultimately I felt like the story was a little too familiar to ones I have already read.

After a bit of a slow start, this turned out to be the loveliest of lovely reads. It's an emotional read, one that's sad and heartbreaking, but it's also full of hope and discovery. But it's not gloomy at all because it's filled with so much heart. It will have you crying and laughing within the same paragraph, which I swear is trademark TJ Klune. Yes, it's sad--as of 74% you'll need a box of tissues right until the very end--and it left me a complete and utter wreck, but in a good way. The best of ways. One that left me with a sense of hope and peace.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 and highly recommended.

Reading Under the Whispering Door is a bit like making the perfect cup of tea: it requires some patience at the beginning and the pleasure of consuming it is something to be savored, not gulped down. If you've read TJ Klune before, particularly The House in the Cerulean Sea, you have an idea of what to expect from his unique blend of writing: humor, lots of heart, some sadness and pain, hope, found family, queer love, and characters who will stay with you long after you finish the last page. This book deals with heavy topics but it never gets to be too much and, no matter what the characters go through, they have each other. This is a story about second chances, change, honesty, and love.

It's also an emotional journey as Wallace, recently deceased, begins to take a hard look at himself, his choices, and his life, and decides what to do in his post-death existence. Thankfully he has the best group looking out for him, from brash new Reaper Mei to the sweetest Ferryman and tea shop owner, Hugo. Mei had me laughing out loud and Hugo gave me all the soft feels. There's also a couple ghosts hanging out at Charon's Crossing and they're both a delight! This is a slow burn book that quietly but surely claimed my heart. And it pairs perfectly with a mug of tea so what more could I want?

Ah, Under the Whispering Door. Where do I even start?

What about THIS WAS SO FLUFFIN' GOOD AND IT MADE ME CRY AND LAUGH AND FEEL WARM INSIDE AND THEN CRY SOME MORE AND SOMEONE GET ME A CUP OF PEPPERMINT TEA ASAP.

I have learned that when I'm falling back into my lil' hole of feeling absolutely nothing, all I gotta do is pick up a TJ Klune book. His way of telling a story brings you a certain kind of comfort. Which sounds weird since, yaknow, Under the Whispering Door deals with grief and death. However, he just somehow writes this in the most sweet, humorous way, all while still making my poor heart hurt like hell. HOW DOES HE DO IT?

All in all, if you're a fan of The House in the Cerulean Sea and you think nothing can best it - strap in, you're in for one wild ride.

Firstly I would like to thank Netgalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Books for the opportunity to receive a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. It is also my first T. J Klune book that I read and for sure not the last one.
I enjoyed the book more because on my mind while I was reading it, I had scenes from the movie "Ghost" with Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwin & Vicent Schiavelli.
I could see commence and differences, but the enjoyment of the book was good.
I love how whimsical T. J. Klune's writing is. And how he writes his characters. The character growth is remarkable.
At its heart, this is as much a book about death as it is about appreciating life and learning to live.
Through the book's plot, Wallace, our main character, transforms from dead inside long before his body follows suit. To someone who sees and relishes the life, love, and meaning his new “family” offers him. His transformation is an extraordinary one.
"Under the Whispering Door" deals with a difficult subject, as is death and grief, but with Klunes writing and humor, you can see a glimpse of light in the dark.
This book opened my horizons to read more books from the same author.

I just want to say a huge thank you to TJ Klune for being the extraordinary writer that he is. This book played on my emotions in so many ways, throughout the entire book. When I tell you that I laughed out loud, like belly-laughed multiple times in this book, I mean I really did. It was so funny but so sad and heartbreaking. I didn’t want this book to end. It was absolutely beautiful. You know those books that really make you think, the ones that you know you’ll just be in bed and randomly think about? This was one of those. It’s going to stay with me for a very long time.
It’s hard to go into much detail without giving spoilers away. This is probably one of my favorite books of all time and I really mean that. It’s just everything you could ask for. It makes you wonder and think what actually comes next? What comes after life? And when you do pass, you don’t get another chance to look back and change the way things were. So it’s important to live and be that person you’d want to look back on and be proud of. This book has a publication date of September 21st, 2021. If you enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea, I think you’ll love this one!!

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is one of the better reads to come out of 2021. Wow. This was such a great read.

Under the Whispering Door is the second title I have read by TJ Klune and I have enjoyed them both. A well written, easy to read book, with a touch of mythology and philosophy to give the character's interpersonal relationships some depth. Dealing with death on any level can be a touchy subject and the author came through brilliantly. There is plenty of gentle humor as well as diversity throughout!