Very few times have I laughed out loud AND sobbed in the same book. Under the Whispering Door was that book for me! I also seldom find lines written by an author I feel are worth highlighting and remembering. There were several quotes from the author I highlighted in this novel!

I have not read any of T. J. Klune’s previously written books. After hearing so much about his last book, I wanted to check out all the hype. I was expecting a sweet but quirky, feel-good book. I was so wrong! This is such a well-written story about relationships, sacrifices, correcting past mistakes, saying goodbye, dealing with grief, and reinvention. It is truly a remarkable book that deserves to be read by the masses!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.

#NetGalley
#UndertheWhisperingDoor
#TJKlune

Thank you so much NetGalley and McMillan-Tor/Forge for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

In a word: Wow.

From the very first page, we know exactly who Wallace is: an asshole. Of course, he is about to get the redemption arc of his (after) life. After experiencing a heart attack, Wallace attends his own funeral only to find that almost no one shows up to mourn him. Just his law partners - who call him an asshole and then start discussing the previous evening's sporting events - and his bitter ex-wife. And one other person. Her name is Mei and she's a reaper. Her job his to transport Wallace to Hugo, a ferryman, who will help him cross over.

This book is such a moving meditation on death and what comes after. The grief we all feel when we lose someone but also the grief of those who die. How are you supposed to feel when you realize the life you thought you were living is not all it should have been. We get to go on that journey with Wallace as he grapples with his own death and what it would mean to cross over.

Much like TJ Klune's other work, The House in the Cerulean Sea, this book is filled with delicious humor and well-rounded characters. Even the side characters have moments to shine. While Wallace & Hugo are the center of the story, Mei, Nelson and the other cast of characters who we meet, are fully formed parts of the story. And even though this book touches on heavy subjects - including suicide, murder and death of a child - it does so with humor that had me laughing while also crying. A wonderful, heartfelt read.

This was a fantastic follow-up to my all-time favorite, the House in the Cerulean Sea. He brought charming characters together in a found family setting that was absolutely heartwarming. I fell in love with Wallace and Hugo as swiftly as I fell for Linus and Arthur, and I will definitely be recommending this book!

WOW.

What to say about such a profoundly beautiful read? "Under The Whispering Door" hit me in ways no book has ever done before. The story is touching, heartfelt, and the humor is perfectly woven in through the darkness of the theme. Klune continues to create characters rich in diversity and (pardon the ironic pun) blooming with life.

The story is hard. It's death. It's so raw and open that this book is one you may have to take time with. But, the payoff is an unforgettable journey to find hope amongst grief. Wallace's character is the hope for growth and change we all want to see in ourselves and others.

If you have a chance to read this, DO IT.

I wasn't sure what I thought about this one as I was making my way through, but now I can't stop thinking about it. The story was well done and imaginative enough to still seem plausible (well, not that far-fetched). I knew it was going to be a tear jerker, but it really got to me by the end. This was my first book by this author and I want to go back and read "The House in the Cerulean Sea". I felt his writing style was easy to read and the story kept my interest throughout.

This is my first time reading a T.J. Klune book and it certainly won't be my last! I loved this book, it was heartbreaking but in the best way. T.J. Klune writes a beautiful story about death, grief and acceptance. About not taking life for granted and showing kindness. It makes you want to live your life to the fullest. Highly recommend!!

DNF--
The text, the introduction, the story was boring, it did not catch my attention. It was very bland and very boring. I think I would recommend this to small kids only. The plot line is not advanced and no adult would enjoy this. It's an okay-ish story.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review this book after reading The House in the Cerulean Sea. In this book the main character Wallace is not a nice person. He puts his work ahead of everything else in his life. Then he dies. The story is about his ghost learns what it really means to live. Lots of heartful and humorous moments throughout the narrative. Touching and completely enjoyable. Would recommend to anyone.

A tearjerker but with a happy ending. Exactly what I have come to expect from this author. I expect a sequel to this.

TJ Klune has quickly become one of my favorite writers. While the subject matter is entirely different from The House in the Cerulean Sea, this book is also beautifully written. Under the Whispering Door is heartbreaking, soulful, and tender with well developed characters.

I enjoyed reading this book and would like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you so much Netgally and Tor Books for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
After reading and loving The House in the Cerulean Sea I was very eager to read this book.

It's a book all about death, however T.J.Klune still manages to make the book magical and heart-warming with a diverse set of characters. This book did remind me a little of The Midnight Library (Matt Haig) although that could simply be due to the subject matter.

I found this book to be charming and was intrigued by the concept introduced, however it takes a while to grip you and doesn't leave you with the warm fuzzy feeling that The House in the Cerulean Sea] managed to do straight away.

DNF at 33%

Now before you come at me with clutched pearls, I think that I am very much not the reader for this book. It's beautiful and has a lot of philosophizing on life, death, and grief -- I think it will be perfect, profound, and incredibly moving for many readers, especially those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. However, I really struggled to connect with it at this time in my life. I can easily see myself coming back to Under the Whispering Door later on in life and absolutely adoring it. I can see it being the kind of book I come back to again and again. Now is just not that time.

I felt so privileged to read an ARC of @tjklunebooks new novel. After totally falling in love with his House in the Cerulean Sea earlier this year I was all over this one like a rash.
His writing is so unique, his stories ooze rainbows of character.

Under the Whispering Door is a magical book tackling heartbreaking issues. I'm not one to usually run into the arms of a story that deals with death but this was so engrossing that I just got carried along with the story. I love the authors style of writing, this book is witty, charming yet heart wrenching and totally enveloping. The characters are so beautifully crafted, I can picture them so clearly they could have been dancing on the pages Infront of my eyes.

I urge you to Join Wallace Price on his unique, powerful, emotional journey to find, save and discover himself.... With much help on the way

3.5 stars! I’d been putting off reading this because I recently experienced a big loss and knew this book would really hit me hard. It did, but it was also very whimsical and warm-hearted, despite the heavy subject matter. I liked the characters a lot, though at times the plot did seem a bit muddled and slow. Not quite the same charm as Cerulean Sea but still enjoyable!

I absolutely adored Under the Whispering Door! This book follows Wallace after he dies as his Reaper Mei shows up, leading him to Hugo’s tea shop, where he learns about both life and death. I definitely got some A Christmas Carol vibes, like it felt very Ghost of Christmas Future, except Wallace’s second chance comes in death rather than life. Honestly, I laughed and I cried, and it was just wonderful! Mei is so spritely and feisty, Nelson so supportive and funny, and Hugo so patient, selfless, and loving. And the growth Wallace goes through is just incredible. These characters were all so perfect and are made even more perfect with each interaction they have together, as they strive to better each other and help one another. This novel is so full of whimsy and wonder, and it is so meaningful. It takes on so many heavy issues surrounding death and loss, while also being funny and heartwarming. It’s just such a wonderful story about finding yourself and finding a family. This book left me with a happy heart and is one that will definitely stick with me for a long time!

When I saw that there was an upcoming new book by TJ Klune, I was ecstatic. This book did not disappoint. Watching Wallace and Hugo's relationship evolve throughout the story was beautiful. The story that Klune told gives hope for anyone looking for love. Life has really become so much more than it ever was while Wallace was alive.

I felt a full spectrum of emotions reading this book and went through the 5 phases of grief more than once.

I read this as a netgalley advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In T.J. Klune's "Under the Whispering Door" Wallace dies and learns the path that takes him to what lies beyond the door. It is Wallace's death that helps him learn how to live with empathy and heart. As a live man, Wallace had no empathy and his heart while once in love, had no trace of love for another person.

Here's what I learned, our life is about growing and development. We walk our own paths and journeys in life. While on our way in life our paths converge and overlap with the paths of others. Sometimes we converge for a long time, others not as long. Some path overlapping we never even realize happens and others change our lives whether positively or for growth. I love that in Wallace, we can see ourselves. We can see that we have short-falls and imperfections. I love that Wallace is given the chance to learn to recognize his imperfections as well as try to develop himself. And, at the end of the day, we learn the importance of relationships and how we treat those who's paths meet up with ours.

The question I ask myself is would I read this book again? The answer is, I will order this book as soon as it is published later this month and yes, I will read it again.

What a unique and heartwarming story!

Wallace Price is a selfish and insensitive lawyer. In the opening chapter, Wallace passes away and visits his funeral as a ghost. A reaper collects him from his funeral and brings him to a tea shop to meet with the owner of the shop, Hugo. The story unfolds as Wallace learns what it means to live, love, and be loved.

There are heavy topics to this story, including death, grief, murder, and suicide, but TJ Klune did an excellent job balancing these heavy subjects with this quirky humor.

All of the main characters were well written, and I connected and loved all of them.

I can't wait to read what Klune writes next!

Pick up Under the Whispering Door if you’re looking for an entertaining and heartwarming story.

Going into this read, I had high hopes because of how much I absolutely devoured and adored the ‘warm hug’ of the House in the Cerulean Sea. While this book feels like it’s grief-stricken older brother, I need to point out that it is very different. This book ripped me apart and put me back together in the best way. It will have you reevaluating your life and discovering pockets of yourself you didn’t know you had lost.

Wallace finds himself rather unpleasantly and unexpectedly dead. He has things to do and important meetings to attend and frankly he does not have time for this.

He certainly does not have time to be hanging out in a tea shop with a collection of very strange and not always alive staff.

This book is warm and funny and real. It feels as comforting as a cup of tea on a rainy day. The characters are people I want to know even if only to mock them. I cried so hard and it felt so good.

There is not a thing I would change about this book and I truly recommend it to all.