Under the Whispering Door is whimsical, funny, and heartfelt with Scrooge-like main character who finds his humanity after death.

Wallace Price realizes he might actually be dead when a reaper shows up to his funeral and leads him to the teashop/home of ferryman Hugo who will help him cross to the other side when he's ready. It's a quiet story of kindness, found family, redemption, and love. I loved a lot about this. It made me laugh, made me want to cry, had lovable characters, and dealt compassionately with difficult topics like grief, early death, and suicide.

Structurally, I do think this book is too long and has some pacing issues which somewhat detracted from the reading experience. I like a slow burn, cozy, character driven book (which this very much is) but I still think this could have used a bit of trimming. If you're expecting something like House in the Cerulean Sea, you should know this book is very different in terms of world, themes, plot etc. What's similar is the humor, the whimsy, the found family. The audio narration is fantastic and really works for the cozy vibes of the book. I received an audio review copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

“That’s dumb
I want to kill you”

I LOVE MAE!! (The Reaper)

Mr Price/Wallace (the ghost) is a selfish A-hole in life & far more interesting in death. I enjoyed not liking him until I liked him. This is the story of the life he lived after death & how he chose to spend 7 days before he is scheduled to cross over.

We also get to know Hugo (the ferryman), Nelson (Hugo’s grandpa), Apollo (the dog), Cameron (the 1st husk) & the manager (the all powerful being). Great supporting characters also!

Most of the story takes place in the tea shop. I imagined the house on the book cover while reading.

I loved the ending.

LGBTQ+

I can’t wait to get my Illumicrate special edition!!

I loved the narration!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an advance copy, I LOVED it!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Before I begin, I the copy I received was an audiobook, which was so fantastically done. Highly recommend listening to it! But that might be part of why I felt some of the ways that I did with this one.

I had been eyeing this release since I saw how critically acclaimed THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA was by... well, everyone I know. I have not read it, but I would like to point to Kas's review on Goodreads talking about how the author appropriate the Sixties Scoop here in Canada. The author is American and sugarcoated the idea of Residential Schools here in Canada.

And I think there is some elements of wanting to do better as a writer and incorporating different dimensions of diversity in UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR but it felt too one-dimensional. It wasn't fleshed out because there was no nuance to how things are. One instance of this, was the conversation with Mei when she had a "we used our dishwasher as a drying rack" moment, which felt like it was ripped from the scene from Fresh Off the Boat rather than an actual thing that the author learned from talking to someone that identifies as "Asian." I, obviously, don't have living experience as someone of Asian descent so I don't want to speak too much more on this but there were other instances of these moments that really stuck out to me.

But the way that Klune integrates queerness into books is great. I wasn't a huge fan of the romance because it felt really quick and forced. I did, however, really like the way that it is just an okay thing for each of the characters to come out in their own ways. I very much appreciated that. Hugo and Wallace both have their baggage but are able to set it down together, which was a nice thing to see.

I thought that the whole tea shop idea was absolutely brilliant. The way that Hugo and Mei move between the ghost world and the human world was incredibly interesting and made for such a good read. I liked learning about the customers and the way they intereacted with Hugo. I liked seeing the compassion that Hugo had for everyone. He was such a good person and I am so glad that he was in this book.

Mei was the star of the show, honestly. I liked so much about her and the way she moved through this story. She really brought the personality of colour to the black and white of the book (well, I listened to it, but you know what I mean). I think Kirt Graves, who read the book, did a good job of alternating between the different voices and giving everyone something unique. But this was especially true of Mei and her deadpanned ways of describing things.

Wallace was fine. I think part of my issue with Wallace was that the pacing felt off some times in this book, so his development wasn't as strong as I would have actually liked. And it did feel pretty tied to his relationship with Hugo, or a conversation with Mei, or the way he interacted with Nelson rather than something he did on his own. I liked Wallace enough and the whole first chapter/scene in his office was hilarious to me.

TLDR: I would recommend that Klune invest in some sensitivity readers in the future. This could have been a good book about what it means to grieve, what it means to live, and how we come to these conclusions with the people who matter most. Instead, it was bogged down with elements that took away from the main matters at hand. Otherwise, this was a great fantasy novel that weaved in the contemporary world in a way with which everyone can resonate.

One week ago, I reviewed Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. The full review of the book itself is below in the previous blog entry. What I want to talk about, shout in joy about, and generally fangirl about is how the right narrator can elevate an already great book.

Kirk Graves is a narrator that I first encountered last year. The voices are distinct for each character. I found Hugo's voice to be comforting as the character is. Wallace's voice undergoes an evolution as does his character. Nelson is my guy. Who could not love a man who takes nothing seriously even death. Each voice, each situation, each emotion are rendered in wonderful detail. I described Under the Whispering Door as outrageously good. With Kirk Graves's narration, the book becomes outrageously excellent. I have added it to my best books ( both the audio and the e-book versions) of 2021 list.

First review of Under the Whispering Door:
Under the Whispering Door is outrageously good. It is excellent and rich and wonderful. In a year that seems to be headed down the drain, TJ Klune's book is a much-needed dose of love. Holy crap this book is good.

Wallace is a bastard. He is a lawyer who only sees the bottom line of his partnership and not the people around him. He is divorced because he chose to work over his wife. He blames others for any mistakes because it cannot possibly be his fault. And then Wallace is dead.

Death is not quite what Wallace thought it would be. Honestly he probably never thought about it. He finds himself in the care of Mei, a Reaper. She takes him to meet Hugo, the ferryman who lives under the whispering door. So begins a journey that explores grief, life, and why we live. I cannot do this book justice because I do not possess the vocabulary necessary. All the characters in this book are well written.

I have added it to my best books of 2021 list.

TJ Klune never ceases to amaze me with his storytelling. He always crafts these beautiful stories filled with wonderful characters that always has my heart bursting at the seams by the time I finish, and Under the Whispering Door is no exception. One thing that I do want to address is that this story has nothing to do with House in the Cerulean Sea even though they have similarly styled covers.

Also, please be mindful that this book deals with different causes of death and the associated grief, so please check out the TWs: suicide, heart attack, terminal illness, death of a child, death of a parent, murder, knife violence & stabbing, car accident, animal death, PTSD

Wallace Price was a successful attorney that did whatever it took to stay at the top…even if it meant treating the staff as disposable and constantly making those around him utterly miserable. So when Wallace dies, it’s no surprise that his funeral is barely attended and not one person sheds a tear; not even his ex-wife.

Things get worse when a reaper shows up to collect Wallace. Wallace refuses to be dead. He has important matters at the firm that must be attended to, and he has no desire to meet some ferryman named Hugo or to be dead. What a waste.

The kind and beautiful cinnamon roll that is Hugo takes on the challenge of helping Wallace to come to terms with his death so that Wallace can move on as most souls do. During this time, Wallace’s ice heart begins to thaw as he truly begins to understand the meaning of life while surrounded by Hugo, Mei (the reaper), Nelson (Hugo’s ghost grandfather), and Apollo (Hugo’s ghost dog).

This story is a slow burn story. And the reason being is that Wallace doesn’t magically flip a switch and go from a pompous grinch to a gentle soul with a kind heart. He constantly fights EVERYONE because he truly does not want to accept the truth that he died without appreciating anything in life. Watching him claw and scratch his way from denial to acceptance felt so genuine though. It also made for some hilarious moments since Nelson has to straighten Wallace out on more than one occasion.

The characters. I LOVED the cast of characters so much (even Wallace). Hugo is so kind and compassionate and struggles with PTSD after the death of his parents. Mei is a lovable ball of energy who is also a fantastic reaper who doesn’t take lip service from anyone. Nelson can be a bit rough around the edges but he loves his grandson above all else and needs to know that Hugo will always be looked after. Apollo is such a good doggo, and he goes wherever Hugo goes. This whole cast has my heart.

This story really dives into the ugliness and despair of death but also the beauty and hope of a life well lived. It also shows that even if you weren’t your best self, that doesn’t mean that you’re irredeemable.

Thank you to Tor/Forge & Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5
Such a powerful book! After Wallace Price dies, he goes to an in-between place in the form of a quirky tea shop. Here with the help of a reaper named Mei, a ferryman named Hugo, and Hugo’s grandfather Nelson, Wallace reflects back on his life in an effort to move forward.

Wallace wasn’t a lovable man during life. He focused only on work and never developed many meaningful relationships. In death he is given another chance. He can actually live life even though he is dead. Wallace’s transformation isn’t just personal; he develops many relationships and changes the lives of everyone around him. Under The Whispering Door makes you really think about your life and how it would be viewed if you died now. Once again, just like with House in the Cerulean Sea Klune creates unforgettable characters that tug on your heartstrings and make you want to be a better person.

This book was a little slow for me. Since it primarily takes place in one location, I felt it to be a bit repetitive. However, I loved the character development and message of the story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for granting me access to a free copy of Under The Whispering door in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this is such a powerful and beautiful read! This book doesn't shy from death in any form and it is deeply discussed as we venture through this story. I couldn't be more happy about being able to have the ability to read and review this book. Klune is an incredible writer and he managed to make this a light read in some ways despite the heavy topic. He did a wonderful job with this book and I yet again have become attached to the characters that they created. This is an incredible book that I think would be great for anyone and especially those dealing with loss in the later stages. I feel like this book can make you cry, but also comforts you with a warm blanket in the same breath. It's beautiful and deserves nothing less than five stars.

“What will you do with the time you have left”

Why do I want to hug all of TJ Klune’s books? Why am I like this? In all honesty, Under The Whispering Door was sweet and kind and I’m an emotional wreck.

I cried more than 10 times listening. Some were tears of joy, some were tears of sadness, even tears of rage. Regardless of the kind, that was the most cathartic cry session in quite some time. The reader, Kirt Graves, had such a good voice for this book. Knocked it out of the park. I especially enjoyed the parts of the seances happening.

Klune provides a slew of trigger warnings, and I highly suggest you check them out before deciding if this book is for you. Some, but not all, include: death, suicide, cancer. There’s a bit of the story focusing around a young daughter that died from cancer and we hear of her story and her mothers. That unexpectedly hit me very hard and took me a few days to recover. The deaths of the people we meet are very detailed and deeply embedded in the story, and I do think if it’s a small trigger for you, it will be heightened.

Even with the most serious of topics, Klune still had me cackling to break it up. The, “Holy Shit! I’m like Jesus?!” line had my daughter asking (as always) what I was laughing at. After this cackle, 17 minutes later, I was heaving from uncontrollably crying because Apollo is the best dog in the world. It took me a solid 15 minutes to regain composure.

I will say since we do meet a lot of people on their journeys, some kind of got confusing. Two people in particular I didn’t know which was which, and then I realized one was already gone. When did that happen?! I ended up rewinding a few chapters to make a bit of sense.

Overall, love. I thought the topic of death and grief was tackled so well and respectfully, that I can’t help but love TJ Klune more than I already do!! Thank you so much Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy. Under the Whispering Door is out 9/21 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️/5

4.5 stars, rounded down
This is another instance of a book I would never have thought to attempt. But several GR friends gave this book strong recommendations. And they were spot on!
Wallace Price hasn’t really lived life. He’s an unlikeable workaholic. But like all of us eventually will, he dies. A reaper takes him to a waystation, if you will. It’s a tea shop run by Hugo, the ferryman who helps souls cross over.
Wallace needs to come to some realization before he goes through the next door. No one is pushing him and no one can help him. Over time, he does start to realize how much of life he missed out on. The book encompasses “all the feels”. It’s heartwarming, quirky, dealing with life and death, loss, grief, acceptance, forgiveness of one’s self. I was shocked to find how invested I became in Wallace and how things would play out for him. I laughed, I cried (never a good hint when listening while driving).
The tea shop is home to a variety of lovely characters, but my favorites were Nelson and Apollo. For all of us who long to be joined by our dogs in death, Apollo fulfills our dreams.
While I really liked this, at times it veered off into the stupid, as when Wallace attempts to learn to change his outfit. That’s the sole reason this doesn’t warrant a full five stars.
Kirt Graves was the narrator and I thought he did a fabulous job.
My thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.

Wallace Price has died, but it is only the beginning...

With great found family, death, and loneliness all told through the whimsical narrative of T.J. Klune - if you loved House in the Cerulean Sea you'll find its match here.

NOW I HATE saying that. It's horrible being a new author who writes a great hit book one to then be faced with a sophomore publication. House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my favorite books of the year, and while I truly loved Under the Whispering Door, it didn't hit me the same way. BUT STILL I loved it and highly recommend it.

I have an issue with some of the side character's falling flat, or feeling like their resolutions hit too quickly. I won't point to any specifics but with Allan his story wrapped up so fast I wanted to deal with that story line more. Then I was worried about the handling of Desdemona - but by the end of the book I think the author brought her a little justice. These characters ended up being black and white, good or bad and I wanted to see a little of both in them. But the main focus of the story was on a great character group with a loving found family.

I'm very picky with my endings, and this one wasn't right for me. I think many people will love it, and I am not going to spoil why I didn't love it, but it just wasn't what I wanted.

Past all of that, the story was whimsical, fun, and enjoyable to read. I laughed and I cried and I am so glad I read it. I feel like I can better understand grief.

I want to give a small warning. The author gives a great trigger warning at the beginning and please take that seriously. One thing not mentioned is there is a death of a dog on page. It is peaceful and loving, but very realistic. It was also VERY quick and not important to the story, but I know many people who struggle with this and I don't want you to be blindsided.

Final note, the narrator did a wonderful job with this story and I would recommend listening to it.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book was a lot. It was hard to read, there was a lot of crying, but it was also so, so beautiful. I loved the characters, I loved the premise, I just loved everything about this book, even though I cried for pretty much the whole last quarter of the book.

Advanced Reader’s Copies (I ended up with an egalley and the audiobook) that were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook is from Macmillan Audio and the egalley is from Macmillan- Tor/Forge.

Content Warning: Talk of suicide and murder.

So back in 2020, after reading Klune's THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, I kept talking about how it was as close to perfect as I've ever come across in a novel. It was easily my favorite book of the year (and I read over 100 books that year). Now here I am a year later, having just finished UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR and I'm struck by similar emotions. Once again Klune has written a near perfect novel, and I doubt that anything will be able to top this as my favorite book of 2021.

This is a book about a man who is kind of an ass that dies, and what happens when he meets his reaper and then his ferryman. Knowing the emotions Klune put me through the last time, I was prepared (I thought), but I wasn't. I found myself genuinely laughing out loud through most of the book (mainly thanks to Nelson). My heart thawed a bit as Wallace found his humanity and I can only hope to be so lucky as to encounter my own Mai and Hugo when my time comes. And Apollo.... oh Apollo. As an animal lover who has had to say goodbye to my own furry companions, I of course loved that Klune included a ghost dog.

Once I hit about 70% of the way through mark, I got emotional. I sobbed listening to Hugo talk about living-Apollo and how they got ghost-Apollo. And the end, the end will stick with me for a long time. I'm still all weepy as I type out this review just thinking about it.

I am so grateful for Klune's writing talent, so that readers have these stories and these characters. I wish Hugo's tea room was a real place because I would happily spend an afternoon there... and I wonder why tea he'd bring to me.

UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR is easily a novel that I will read again (and my rereads are few and far between), and it will be added alongside THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA as novels that I will try to get into as many hands as possible. I am convinced that the world would be a better place, the more people that read these books and take the lessons on kindness, humanity, friendship, and love to heart.

Kirt Graves does a solid job with the audiobook narration too. I was unsure how I felt about his performance at the start, but he grew on me and once the story got to the tea house, everything fell into place with Graves' narrative style.

Wish there was an option to give 10 stars rating! Then this book would have gotten all of those stars from me!!

What strikes me most of author T.J.Klune’s writing is the simplify of how he narrates the complex topics. It’s mind blowing! I am a forever tjklune fan! This heartwarming book had everything you would want in a great book, quirkiness, warmth, self realization, love, fantasy and much more!

Wallace, a middle aged man after his death is tread of going to after life is taken to the tea shop which is a Charon’s Crossing for the dead before going to afterlife. Hugo is the owner of the tea shop for the locals and ferryman to the troubled souls. The love story between Wallace who is dead and Hugo who is still alive was so heart wrenching.

Narrator Kirt Graves did utmost justice to this book! His voice had the right pitch and emotion to bring the characters to life! I did not want this book to end and when it did, I was almost ready o start over!

A big thanks to @torbooks and @netgalley for providing me early advance copy and ALC! If you have not already, go ahead and pre-order this beautifully written gem to have it in your hands on September 21, 2021

This is only my second TJ Klune book but I think it's safe to say that I will adore absolutely anything and everything he writes. This book broke me in ways I wasn't imagining and then softly picked the pieces back up. I know the author wrote this book from his own experience with grief and the raw emotion really shows throughout this entire story.

Content warnings: Death, grief, Suicide, Death of a loved one, Divorce, Anxiety & panic disorder, Depression, Animal death (in past and off page)

This book, while pitched as a love story and most definitely contains one, is much more of a story about coping with grief. Following Wallace through his grief and character arc was somehow simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting. I mourned for him but was also awed by the amazing growth he goes through.

Because while Wallace is not an easy character to root for at first, TJ Klune somehow wrote a redemption arc for the ages. And by the end I was completely enamored with his character.

Every character in here was fantastically developed that I fell a little in love with all of them. This book is full of soft, wonderful character that will leaving reaching for your loved ones.

I'm honestly just blown away by how the author wove such a magical and sweet story from a topic so heavy. But don't be mistaken by this whimsical cover - have your tissues handy!

Audio: Kirt Graves narrates this much like many of TJ Klune other books and he is absolutely fantastic. He really brings each character to life and I felt like I could picture each character in my head. If you are an audiobook listener, I highly, highly recommend this one!

4.5 stars.
There were a lot of important thoughts and ideas in this story. However, it didn't have that all-consuming story feeling that pulls you in until the end.
Really worth the read though.

I received an advance audiobook of Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune in exchange for an honest review provided by NetGalley & Macmillan Audio 5⭐️

The audiobook is just amazing. The narrator is incredible and keeps you engaged the entire time. You really feel like you are right there in the story.

Let me just start by saying that I had high expectations for this book. I’m a huge fan of Klune. House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my favorite books.

Exceptions met? Absolutely!
The premise is interesting, it has A Christmas Carol vibe. Workaholic William Price; a man that thinks he has everything and is well respected, liked. After William’s sudden heart attack and rude awakening of everyones true feeling in his life, we follow him on his journey of personal growth and realization of what life is really about. The supporting characters are eccentric, funny, and lovable. I really do adore Klune’s writing, he paints such a vivid picture with his words.

Definitely recommend!!

“… in a tea shop so far from everything he’d know, he felt a great wave of sadness for all that he’d had, and all that he’d lost.”

Oh my, Under the Whispering Door is just heart-wrenching and happy making all in one big rainbow of a book!

Because the primary theme is death, it sounds a bit weird to say that this touched me in a happy place but it did and all while giving me a snotty weep a time or two. The characters are so gorgeously developed but especially that of Wallace, who is cold, structured and unemotional. Watching his journey was a thing of beauty; he makes such astounding discoveries about himself, life, love and living – all while learning what it means to be part of something bigger than himself – primarily friendship and family.

As with Klune’s previous work, there is whimsy and enchantment throughout and the world created is magical but not without hardship and lessons. This is probably the shortest review I’ve ever written but I think it’s something a reader/listener needs to experience for themselves. Just know that, for me, Under the Whispering Door will be right next the The House on the Cerulean Sea as one of my favorite books of all time.

I listened to part of Under the Whispering Door and narrator, Kirt Graves does a spectacular job bringing the characters to life. He’s an absolute delight to listen to!

My thanks to @MacMillan.Audio for the #Gifted ALC and to @TorBooks for the DRC.

I'm a huge TJ Klune fan and have also review this book in print format.

It's a great tale of learning about what matters in life and a beautiful interpretation of what might come after.

I love the major character growth we get to witness, more so in Wallace but also in Cameron and the rest of the cast.

Kirt Graves is an excellent narrator and brought each person to life. 10/10 would recommend.

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!

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! The narrator for the audiobook version had the right inflections and tones to keep with individual characters and their conflicting emotions. I actually liked listening to the audio version better than reading it myself!