Under the Whispering Door
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- Create Date：2021-09-22 04:19:15
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：T.J. Klune
- ISBN：1250217342
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Summary
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral， Wallace suspects he really might be dead。
Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife， the reaper takes him to a small village。 On the outskirts， off the path through the woods， tucked between mountains， is a particular tea shop， run by a man named Hugo。 Hugo is the tea shop's owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over。
But Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived。 With Hugo's help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life。
When the Manager， a curious and powerful being， arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over， Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days。
Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with。
Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife， the reaper takes him to a small village。 On the outskirts， off the path through the woods， tucked between mountains， is a particular tea shop， run by a man named Hugo。 Hugo is the tea shop's owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over。
But Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived。 With Hugo's help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life。
When the Manager， a curious and powerful being， arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over， Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days。
Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with。
Reviews
PV
，
This story is （what I’m starting to consider） typical Klune fare - making me laugh and cry at the same time。 A fantasy story with a plot that is just rooted enough in reality to be very relatable， an array of great characters with quirks that’ll tug at your heartstrings， a running theme on redemption and wit that'll make you chuckle out loud。Usually， everything ends with death。 But I adore how Under the Whispering Door begins with it。 Ah， to be lonely AF and then find your family in the afterlif This story is （what I’m starting to consider） typical Klune fare - making me laugh and cry at the same time。 A fantasy story with a plot that is just rooted enough in reality to be very relatable， an array of great characters with quirks that’ll tug at your heartstrings， a running theme on redemption and wit that'll make you chuckle out loud。Usually， everything ends with death。 But I adore how Under the Whispering Door begins with it。 Ah， to be lonely AF and then find your family in the afterlife， people who truly want you there， back you up， see you for who you are， and not what life made you into。 *DAMMIT THOSE NINJAS CUTTING ONIONS*I love how characters’ sexuality is a dominant thread in TJ Klune’s stories， but in the most subtle of ways。 That might be oxymoronic， but if you’ve read Cerulean Sea， you’ll know what I mean。 Diversity too - over time it becomes obvious what race everyone is， but not through obvious turns of phrase （“she brushed her long blonde hair out of her blue eyes” *audible eyeroll* or “he adjusted his turban and looked out the window， before saying quietly。。”）。 In my personal opinion， this is an example of decent representation - it is made clear that everyone looks different， but there isn’t a need to make a production out of it unless it’s directly relevant to the story。 The empathy people exhibit in the story is through the roof - exactly the way I'd like it to be。 Even when something feels like a lost cause， people fight for it just because they believe everyone is allowed to make mistakes and deserves a chance at happiness。 I love how many second chances a lot of things get in the storyline。 “Under the Whispering Door” reiterated my absolute belief that hurt people hurt people。 If someone is a moron， there is almost always a reason。 That said， I’m not justifying bad behaviour， but just trying to redirect focus on how to break the cycle。 MILD SPOILERS ******Wallace's transformation from a dick to a decent person wasn't the smoothest， but I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that those in the afterlife didn't immediately judge him （outwardly anyway）， without ever giving him a chance to experiment with other versions of him that he could be。 The whole trying to fix shit from the past life bit （towards the end） felt bogus。 I mean， you did what you did， Wallace， you can't choose to go back and try to score brownie points。 We can’t fix shit that we broke in the past， we can only choose to do better in the future， that’s the reality we have to live in and so do you。 I also wasn’t completely sold on Hugo， he felt like a caricature and too good to be true。 Arthur （Parnassus） was way more real to me。 ********END OF SPOILERS The pace flags a little midway into the story。 Also， the fake omniscient and the inspector seemed like unnecessary characters - they served a specific purpose and there was no need for them to make multiple appearances。 The way it ends is going to polarize everyone - you'll either love it or think it's a cop out。 I'm not sure， there is middle ground。 And personally， while I usually dislike conclusions like these （trying really hard to be vague here lol）， I was rooting for this to happen and I'm SO GLAD it did！！ The only kinda serious bone I have to pick with is that， in some ways， the story feels similar to House in the Cerulean Sea and this gave me a feeling of deja vu。 Not complaining， I loved that book。 But I wouldn’t want to continue seeing patterns across Klune’s stories。 My recommendation is that you don’t go in all moony eyed about House In The Cerulean Sea。 I did， which is a little unfair to this book， and I had to adjust my expectations to be able to enjoy this one as a standalone read that doesn't have anything to do with Cerulean。 If House in the Cerulean Sea was a warm hug from a loved one， Under the Whispering Door is a pat on the head from a favourite teacher。P。S: In my hurry to "find out what happens"， I'm kinda concerned that I didn't catch ALL the easter eggs （I KNOW there were some， I caught a couple）。 Definitely doing a reread later this year， especially if I can find a really good audiobook for it。Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC， I appreciate it。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Jess Recopelacion
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3。8 🌟If you're into manga or anime， this book will give you a slice of life cozy yet somewhat dark feels while reading this book。 And it captures us with some quirky dialogues yet stay true to the emotions we felt。 Through this， we can somehow reflect on the life that we are having and can understand Wallace's actions as he is a sample of a human being who is not perfect and just rides on with life。Special thanks to NetGalley， T。J。 Klune and Tor Books for an advance eARC copy。 3。8 🌟If you're into manga or anime， this book will give you a slice of life cozy yet somewhat dark feels while reading this book。 And it captures us with some quirky dialogues yet stay true to the emotions we felt。 Through this， we can somehow reflect on the life that we are having and can understand Wallace's actions as he is a sample of a human being who is not perfect and just rides on with life。Special thanks to NetGalley， T。J。 Klune and Tor Books for an advance eARC copy。 。。。more
Sydnie
，
Having not read， T。J。 Klune's House on the Cerulean Sea yet， I can truly say that I am giving a completely unbiased review of his new novel Under the Whispering Door。 So many people told me going into this to expect the "same type of humor as with House on the Cerulean Sea"， but since I've not yet started that， my experience with Klune's humor was newly founded and did not disappoint。 What I love the most was the way Klune wrote about grief and death and learning how to live and appreciate life。 Having not read， T。J。 Klune's House on the Cerulean Sea yet， I can truly say that I am giving a completely unbiased review of his new novel Under the Whispering Door。 So many people told me going into this to expect the "same type of humor as with House on the Cerulean Sea"， but since I've not yet started that， my experience with Klune's humor was newly founded and did not disappoint。 What I love the most was the way Klune wrote about grief and death and learning how to live and appreciate life。 The character development was truly delightful and each of the characters brought a unique and loveable aspect to the story and， boy oh boy， was the writing phenomenal！ I loved the way the story was truly just a redemption song for who Wallace started out as， both in his life and his after life。 Under the Whispering Door was deep and insightful and had me thinking about my own life and the things and people I hold dear。 *Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Ashley Nunes
，
Wow the ending of this book hit me so hard。 I loved it from the very beginning and am so happy I took my time reading this。 God I loved Wallace and Hugo so much。 I loved EVERYONE so much。 I’ve never read a book where I was attached to every single character。 Yes I cried finishing it。 Please read and cry with me。
Ander
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My GOD did this book destroy me and put me back together in the best possible way。 I don't have words， just。。。 goddammit， Klune， you have no right being this good。 Might come back at a later time should I find the words， but for now feel free to picture me standing limply， mouth agape and tears streaming down my face as I stare at the last page of this book and thank the stars I exist in this world at the same time as TJ Klune。 My GOD did this book destroy me and put me back together in the best possible way。 I don't have words， just。。。 goddammit， Klune， you have no right being this good。 Might come back at a later time should I find the words， but for now feel free to picture me standing limply， mouth agape and tears streaming down my face as I stare at the last page of this book and thank the stars I exist in this world at the same time as TJ Klune。 。。。more
Aimee Dars
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Although he’s wealthy and successful， Wallace Price has few if any friends。 When he wants something， he uses the threats or fear to get it， and he certainly doesn’t help anyone without the promotion of reciprocity。 The sparse attendance at his funeral， his ex-wife in near celebration， is only expected。 One guest， Mai， though， is a surprise， someone Wallace has never met before。 Wallace is beginning to think something is not right。 How can he be at his own funeral？ Could he be dead？ Mai， a Reaper Although he’s wealthy and successful， Wallace Price has few if any friends。 When he wants something， he uses the threats or fear to get it， and he certainly doesn’t help anyone without the promotion of reciprocity。 The sparse attendance at his funeral， his ex-wife in near celebration， is only expected。 One guest， Mai， though， is a surprise， someone Wallace has never met before。 Wallace is beginning to think something is not right。 How can he be at his own funeral？ Could he be dead？ Mai， a Reaper， is there to help him understand that he Is In fact dead， and she’s taking him to Charon’s Crossing to meet the ferryman， Hugo。 That is Charon’s Crossing， the tea shop， where Hugo will help him prepare for the next step on his journey: crossing through the door。In the face of death， Wallace can admit that he was， in fact， quite a horrible human。。when he isn’t trying to understand the strange physics of being a ghost or railing against the unfairness of his situation。 Yet， with the help of Hugo， Mia， and the other residents of the tea shop， the ghosts Nelson， Hugo’s grandfather， and Apollo， his dog， he finally learns the kind of person he wants to be。 Unfortunately， his time at Charon’s Crossroads is only temporary。The book has a diverse， interesting cast of primary and secondary characters， with Wallace’s journey of self-discovery at the forefront， and while not all are easy to love， they all contribute to the narrative。 Desdemona， a self-described medium， wears anachronistic clothing， but there are modern conveniences like microwaves and caller ID。 It almost feels like the decades are compressed ultimately giving the book a timeless feel。At times， I thought the book tried to hard to be meaningful and profound through characters’ conversations; I thought it achieved that effect in more subtle moments。 It certainly affected me emotionally。 Several times， I had to stop reading because I was ugly crying so hard！ （Not a bad thing！） And the more so think of the underlying themes， the more I value the book and its message。 Highly recommended for readers who enjoy quirky stories about redemption and found family！Thanks to Forge and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amber Bolla
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Wallace is a very successful attorney， he is selfish and basically lives to work。 After a heart attack he dies and has barely anyone at his funeral。 Wallace realizes he must really be dead when a reaper comes to collect him。 He is taken to a read shop where they ferryman Hugo waits to help him cross over。 However Wallace is angry and not ready to go。 Hugo helps Wallace start to learn about the things he missed in life and reflect。 Wallace has a week to crossover and is determine to live the life Wallace is a very successful attorney， he is selfish and basically lives to work。 After a heart attack he dies and has barely anyone at his funeral。 Wallace realizes he must really be dead when a reaper comes to collect him。 He is taken to a read shop where they ferryman Hugo waits to help him cross over。 However Wallace is angry and not ready to go。 Hugo helps Wallace start to learn about the things he missed in life and reflect。 Wallace has a week to crossover and is determine to live the life he missed in during those days。This book is an emotional roller coaster。 This story deals with coming to terms with death and what it really means to be alive。 This charming will touch your heart and make you cry all at the same time！ A huge thank you to NetGalley for my ARC。 You can get this on September 21st。 。。。more
LianaReads blog
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This is probably one of the most heartbreaking book I’ve read。 Totally unexpected， but so great in all the good things that matters in the end。 I haven’t read the first book by the author and I know how hyped and well acclaimed it’s that one because every other person will recommend it。 But， to be honest， I don’t think I’ve missed much and we might read this story as a stand-alone。 The writing was exquisite and the characters are so amazing pictured that I felt like actually seeing all the words This is probably one of the most heartbreaking book I’ve read。 Totally unexpected， but so great in all the good things that matters in the end。 I haven’t read the first book by the author and I know how hyped and well acclaimed it’s that one because every other person will recommend it。 But， to be honest， I don’t think I’ve missed much and we might read this story as a stand-alone。 The writing was exquisite and the characters are so amazing pictured that I felt like actually seeing all the words on a screen， like in a movie。 I was sad with them; I cried a bit at some chapters， but I also cheered them out on every occasion。 What a beautiful story。Arc review 。 Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy 。。。more
Alyssa
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Very sweet and heartwarming。 T。J。 Klune just has a knack for writing those relationships that seem to matter。 You fall for every character as they are all so layered and flawed and beautiful。 Do not compare this to The House in the Cerulean Sea as it is a very different story。 Love them both separately。 Enjoy the warmth of the family love and the beauty in life being constantly changing and flawed， much as humans are。
Candace S。
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The premise: What if a modern-day Scrooge had to learn how to be a good person *after* he died in an other-worldly tea shop with the help of the quirky group of people （+ a ghost dog！） whose job it is to shepherd him into the afterlife， including the handsome ferryman that he realizes he’s maybe a little bit in love with？ My reaction: It’s well established that I adore a book with strong found family and second chances themes and this book was a wonderful combination of both， so I， of course， lo The premise: What if a modern-day Scrooge had to learn how to be a good person *after* he died in an other-worldly tea shop with the help of the quirky group of people （+ a ghost dog！） whose job it is to shepherd him into the afterlife， including the handsome ferryman that he realizes he’s maybe a little bit in love with？ My reaction: It’s well established that I adore a book with strong found family and second chances themes and this book was a wonderful combination of both， so I， of course， loved it。 Through the Whispering Door is a magical exploration about death， grief， and what it means for a life to be well lived。 As such， it will not be for all readers at all times， which the author states outright in a note at the beginning of this book。 As this is a book about life after death， it includes references to deaths of all types and of all ages and some of the story lines were just plain hard。 Despite the serious subject matter this book also includes lots of love， joy， and humor—some of the scenes are truly laugh out loud funny—and I fell in love with the wonderful inhabitants of Charon’s Tea Shop。 This is a book about second chances and learning to really live and I was cheering on each of the characters to be able to live their best lives—even after death。 Thank you to NetGalley， MacMillan Audio， and author TJ Klune for the advanced copy of the audiobook to review。 。。。more
Annie
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Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for a review。 This book is incredible。 It’s dark and beautiful， cozy and emotional。 It deals with death and what comes after， so I knew it was going to be dark。 But what I didn’t expect was falling head over heels for these characters and their story。 It’s found family and learning how special life is。 Making the most of each day and making everything count as best you can。 It’s heartbreaking， hilarious， b Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for a review。 This book is incredible。 It’s dark and beautiful， cozy and emotional。 It deals with death and what comes after， so I knew it was going to be dark。 But what I didn’t expect was falling head over heels for these characters and their story。 It’s found family and learning how special life is。 Making the most of each day and making everything count as best you can。 It’s heartbreaking， hilarious， but will break you。 The tea shop gave me all the cozy feels I’ll ever need。 I know this book is going to stick with me for a while。 。。。more
ella
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dnf。 this one just isn’t doing it for me（arc provided by netgallery and Tor。 all thoughts and opinions are my own）
Ashlee Bree
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Under the Whispering Door seemed to have a lot going for it out of the gate。 Quirky， offbeat characters。 Good LGBTQ+ representation。 A found family trope。 Ghostly humor。 Paranormal phenomena。 Existential musings about grief， regret， loss， love， and second chances。 Not to mention a unique interpretation of the afterlife where recently departed spirits congregated at a tea shop called Charon's Cross， a waystation of sorts， where they would receive help from a Reaper （Mei） and a Ferryman （Hugo） so Under the Whispering Door seemed to have a lot going for it out of the gate。 Quirky， offbeat characters。 Good LGBTQ+ representation。 A found family trope。 Ghostly humor。 Paranormal phenomena。 Existential musings about grief， regret， loss， love， and second chances。 Not to mention a unique interpretation of the afterlife where recently departed spirits congregated at a tea shop called Charon's Cross， a waystation of sorts， where they would receive help from a Reaper （Mei） and a Ferryman （Hugo） so they could make peace with their lives， finding ways to learn from the mistakes they'd made as well as grow before crossing over into whatever came - or comes - next。 Unfortunately， I found these things only worked on the surface。 I was bored for much of the book， unmoved， and felt that the commentary surrounding life and death was not only preachy and cliché but hackneyed。 I realize I'm in the minority here but this one fell flat for me。The story followed Wallace Price， an ornery and narcissistic attorney turned ghost， who had to come to grips with his death。 Since his demise was quick， unexpected， he had a hard time accepting it at first。 He was angry。 He was in disbelief。 His untimely death was unfair， yes， but at least he didn't have to process that alone。 As he grew closer to Hugo， Mei， Nelson， and Apollo during his time in the tea shop， he was able to start to recognize all that he lost out on in life by keeping himself walled off from other people。 He could learn to make more selfless choices， form connections， and reconcile to make the most of the time he had left， which he did。I admit that I enjoyed the overall concept。 It had wonderful potential。 I think where it all fell apart for me was in the development of it， because not only did the plot feel drawn out to an infuriating degree （nothing much happened） but the humor ran stale and the philosophical answers to big questions were repetitive。 They offered up nothing new。 They didn't prompt any kind of prolonged reflection， which was disappointing。The characters were one-note， too。 So was much of the dialogue。 Wallace went from petulant and selfish to considerate in a blink， Hugo had little personality besides being patient， self-sacrificing， or helpful; the big reveals were forgettable， and the romance fell out of thin air。 Like， FLASH！ And it was there。 It had no development， no slow-build progression at all， and I admit I scratched my head a few times because I don't understand how it got to be there。 Let alone when it arrived in the first place。It's not that I hated the book or anything。 I just wanted to be ushered along--to be courted more than I was， is all。 There wasn't enough nuance。 I think the story would have benefited from either a faster-paced plot or more dynamic peeled-back characters。 Other people are sure to take away a lot of warmth and sweetness from these pages， in fact， I hope they do， but this one just couldn't manage to steep me like a cup of honey tea。 2。5 starsMy earnest thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC。 BOOK BLOG 。。。more
Madison Doerr
，
TW: Death， suicide， child lost， griefThis follows a middle age unforgiving grumpy lawyer who dies。 In this version of an afterlife a reaper （a human who can see the dead） collects the deceased ghost and brings them to the ferryman （another human who can see the dead） who will speak to the ghost and prepare them for what is to come。 This is where the story takes place， at the ferryman's tea shop。 We follow the lawyer， Wallace， on his journey to discovering his humanity， This is a very character d TW: Death， suicide， child lost， griefThis follows a middle age unforgiving grumpy lawyer who dies。 In this version of an afterlife a reaper （a human who can see the dead） collects the deceased ghost and brings them to the ferryman （another human who can see the dead） who will speak to the ghost and prepare them for what is to come。 This is where the story takes place， at the ferryman's tea shop。 We follow the lawyer， Wallace， on his journey to discovering his humanity， This is a very character driven book， there isn't a lot of action and most of the story takes place within the tea shop。 I personally prefer a more plot driven book， but with that being said I still really enjoyed the story。 The writing was similar to the authors previous works， it makes you think about life， what is important， and that it is never too late to change your life。 However， this is not a feel good， happy， sweet book that will make you laugh。 It will make you think about the meaning of life and death， and what comes next。 It is heavy and hard hitting， make sure you know what you are getting into before starting the book。 I found that with it being character driven it was a bit long， there were things that I felt could have been take out or scenes that could have been shortened。 It might have made things feel less dragged out and made a bigger hit。 。。。more
Jordan ~ booknook。sisters
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I think this is my new favourite book by TJ Klune。 A story of a ghost and a ferryman falling in love？ How could I not love it。 Shortly after Wallace passes away suddenly， Mei the reaper shows up to take him to meet Hugo the ferryman whose job it is to help people cross over。 Wallace Price is incredibly unlikeable in the beginning and I didn’t have much sympathy for him。 However as the story goes on and he grows， he becomes such a better person！Hugo is perfection and I love everything about him。 I think this is my new favourite book by TJ Klune。 A story of a ghost and a ferryman falling in love？ How could I not love it。 Shortly after Wallace passes away suddenly， Mei the reaper shows up to take him to meet Hugo the ferryman whose job it is to help people cross over。 Wallace Price is incredibly unlikeable in the beginning and I didn’t have much sympathy for him。 However as the story goes on and he grows， he becomes such a better person！Hugo is perfection and I love everything about him。 We can’t forget Mei， Nelson and of course Apollo！Wonderful characters， a great plot， humour and tons of emotion - there is so much to love about this story and I don’t want to spoil a thing。 I definitely recommend picking it up。 Thank you to MacMillan-Tor/Forge & NetGalley for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jamie （jamies_shelves）
，
Thank you Tor for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest reviewTrigger Warnings: Suicide， murder， depression， dealing with death， death of a loved one， loss of a child。 I mean， this is a book about death， so trigger warning for almost anything that would come with that。Wow。 TJ Klune became one of my favorite authors last year， and this book further shows why he has that title。PlotThis book has a unique premise。 I have seen shows and movies that deal with death and moving on， but this f Thank you Tor for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest reviewTrigger Warnings: Suicide， murder， depression， dealing with death， death of a loved one， loss of a child。 I mean， this is a book about death， so trigger warning for almost anything that would come with that。Wow。 TJ Klune became one of my favorite authors last year， and this book further shows why he has that title。PlotThis book has a unique premise。 I have seen shows and movies that deal with death and moving on， but this felt so differnt。This wasn't about Wallace making amends with the people in his life， or seeing where people are without him。 Wallace isn't even allowed to go back to the people or places from his past life。 This is about him moving on and finding peace past what he knew。I loved getting to watch Wallace grow and find himself in death。 And I never once felt like I was reading something I had already seen。CharactersWallace is our main character and he starts off as a total asshole。 I mean， chapter one had me ASTOUNDED at the douchery of this man。 It honestly made me feel like most people would not miss him when he died， which I knew he would。 I changed my opinion about him pretty quickly though。 He definitely redeemed himself and became someone I was rooting for。 I wished he could've made this change earlier， but I'm glad he did now， because he ended up being a pretty amazing guy。Hugo is the tea shop owner， and ferryman who is in charge of helping dead people accept their fate， and move on。 This man was a walking ball of sunshine and always so kind。 Even when Wallace was an ass， he understood where he was coming from， and never held it against him。 Hugo has such a strong desire to help others， and it was beautiful to read。 He is such a selfless man， and I'm happy I got to know him as a character。Mei is the reaper who brings Wallace to Hugo， and she also works at his tea shop。 Mei was such a fun character to read about！ She was a spitfire， who was not afraid to speak her mind and let someone know when she was not impressed。 But she was also such a caring， loyal， kind person。 I loved the little backstory we got on her， and it made me really feel for her character。Nelson is Hugo's grandpa。 He is dead as well， but has yet to move on， choosing instead to stay with Hugo。 Nelson decides to take Wallace under his wing and help him learn to ghost。 It was so amusing watching their time together， but they built a bond that was so wonderful to see。 Nelson was a funny presence， but one with a lot of heart。Apollo was Hugo's dog， who decided to stay with Hugo even in the afterlife。 Is that me crying？ Why yes it is！ I love this dog okay！！Some other noteworthy characters we see are Nancy and Cameron。 They were not in it as much， but their journey was heart wrenching。 RomanceI am a sucker for romance， and Klune does it so well！ He did not disappoint in this book。One thing I really liked about the romance in this book， was the strong foundation of friendship and trust。 They can't be together。 This is a just a stop on the journey and the river only flows one way。 But that doesn't stop them from caring for each other and building a bond。OverallI absolutely adored this story！ It isn't my favorite Klune book， but it was still easily 5 stars， and I would definitely read it again！ 。。。more
Laura （crofteereader）
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This book unraveled like a fable in that you knew where it was going and you knew there was going to be a few poignant moments where a lesson might be learned。 But there's also a solid anchor in the form of grief， death， depression， anxiety， and mentions of suicide and terminal illness。I think what I most appreciated about this book was Hugo's very human patience。 He is open to being whatever other people need from him， being empathetic， and just being present。 He had such a calming and solid pr This book unraveled like a fable in that you knew where it was going and you knew there was going to be a few poignant moments where a lesson might be learned。 But there's also a solid anchor in the form of grief， death， depression， anxiety， and mentions of suicide and terminal illness。I think what I most appreciated about this book was Hugo's very human patience。 He is open to being whatever other people need from him， being empathetic， and just being present。 He had such a calming and solid presence in the story that really served to settle the "wilder" personalities of Nelson， Mei， and Wallace。 I also liked that we saw more depth to him as he shares stories of his past， his depression， his anxiety， his loss， his failures。 The characters were complex in a way that felt like a gift: each layer was unlocked because we earned it。It was a little slow， though， and I think that's because Wallace （our POV character） didn't know what he wanted/needed and so time just。。。 Passed。 Fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea will definitely enjoy this one as well。{Thank you Tor Books for the DRC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own} 。。。more
Ashley James
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Happy release day to TJ Klune for Under the Whispering Door！！ Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！！！T。J。 Klune could write a novel based on the phone book and I would read it， and every character would be nuanced and have a rich background and undergo a fabulous transformation and we would all cry at the end and live happily ever after。I would see the ending coming a mile away and the story would feel a bit recycled and the sentiments would n Happy release day to TJ Klune for Under the Whispering Door！！ Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！！！T。J。 Klune could write a novel based on the phone book and I would read it， and every character would be nuanced and have a rich background and undergo a fabulous transformation and we would all cry at the end and live happily ever after。I would see the ending coming a mile away and the story would feel a bit recycled and the sentiments would not be new， but damnit， I need to feel all warm and fuzzy sometimes！ I like to laugh the laughs and I like to feel the feels and this book had both in spades！Plus， I will certainly give Klune credit for handling grief and acceptance with grace and sensitivity。 MASSIVE kudos to him for an appropriate content warning at the beginning （take note Matt Haig。 It's not hard！）。 PLOTMan A is a cold， officious bureaucrat who has to make some sort of journey。 Man A goes to a place he's never been before， indeed a place he never imagined existed。 Man A meets Man B。 Man B is kind and beautiful and odd and self-aware but beneath the surface， he has his own insecurities and fears。 Man A becomes a MUCH better person for knowing Man B， and Man B acknowledges his insecurities and rejoices in finding Man B， as they are truly so much better together， completing each other really！ They both come into their own and are truly beautiful beautiful people！ Then， some bureaucratic bullshit threatens to upend their lives， and weirdly， even more bureaucratic bureaucracy saves the day。 Man A and Man B live happily ever after。If you guessed this is the plot of Under the Whispering Door， you are correct！ If you guessed this is actually the plot of The House in the Cerulean Sea， you are also correct！！Because this was a recycled story， I took off a half a star。 Because I love TJ Klune so damn much， I refuse to take off more。 I loved this book just as much as I loved THITCS。 The details absent from my cold， indifferent plot synopsis are that this is a unique story about a tea shop as a way station between our world and the beyond， and a cute， quirky ferryman who helps you to cross。 OK， why not？ You do you， TJK！ CHARACTERSWallace Price"You don't question the why？ Why the hell not？"I despised this man in the beginning， not only because I was supposed to， but because I did not identify with him in the slightest。 And of course， he was an asshole。Obviously， they were so overcome， unable to find the right words to say in order to sum up a life well-lived。 Wallace didn't blame them for that。 How did one even begin to encapsulate all that he was？I think this was expertly done （if slathered on a bit thick）， as his character development was spot on and he morphed into the character I admired for his introspection:It was safety。 It was reality。 It was what he knew。 It was all he knew， he realized with dismay。 What did that say about him？and identified with the most:He didn't know when he'd become so desperate for contact。（you don't know me， I won't get into why I identify so much with this）I questioned how Wallace had not， at any point in his life up to his death， been surrounded by anyone。。。 ANYONE who made him want to be a better person （but， I'm being cynical; obviously， he hadn't met the love of his life yet！）。 But I liked that Wallace made me ask those big questions: What does it take to wake us up to the ways in which we are living poorly？ Does fate put us right where we need to be even if the timing is off？ Is it rational to give a book a five star rating just because the character you hated the most in the beginning ends up being the one you love the most in the end？Hugo"For someone who's a ferryman， there's a lot you don't know。""Isn't it great？ I'd hate to know everything。 There'd be no mystery left。 What would be the point？"I loved him as much as I was， of course， supposed to; as much as I loved Arthur Parnassus。 He was， of course， a black Arthur Parnassus。 I can't sugar-coat that。 Hugo was this story's version of the character that we should all strive to be more like; selfless and always kind and understanding。 He's so good， he makes everyone around him better。"Why do you care so much？""Because I don't know how else to be。"I've got too many quotes to type concerning their conversations， as well （SOOOOO MANYYYYYY！！！）。 Wallace and Hugo were great together！ Their love story was perfection。 I won't *spoil* any of that sweetness。Nelson"Eh？。。。 Can't hear you。 Must be going deaf。 Woe is me。 As if my life wasn't hard enough already。 No one should talk to me for the rest of the night so I can collect myself again。"Wallace's quest for humanity would not have been possible in part without Nelson。"That's a strange way to look at things。 I'm not helping you because I expect you [to] give me anything。 Honestly， Wallace。 When was the last time you ever did anything without expecting something in return？"He was also an adorable comic-relief grandad that every story should have; you can't not love him。 He's never too much of anything， and he pretty much always said exactly the right thing。ApolloWHO'S A GOOD DOG？！Mei"Please let me be there when you say that to Hugo。 I want to see the look on his face when you call him a hipster。 I need it like air。"In my opinion， she was the only misstep of the whole book。 I did not like her character。 She was always trying to be funny but she was not。 She's not original， she's not clever， she's not witty。 She's obnoxious and showed on multiple occasions that she was not great at her job， but we're told by several people that she was， in fact， one of the best。 She's also not deep。 She was presented as an emotional core of this group， but I never felt much of anything when she spoke。 And I'll be honest， when she spoke I felt like TJK was trying to MAKE me feel something。The Manager"I don't know how you put up with it。 Love seems positively dreadful。"This was， in my opinion， the only sort of confused part of the book。 The Manager was supposed to be boss-level bureaucratic， but then he was painted as kind of a child playing with an anthill， then he was painted as having humanity after all。 When I had wrapped my head around him being strictly by-the-book， he admitted that he interfered with matters if they disrupted his "order" and it was unclear what order this was。 He had laid out the rules to Hugo but he was going to basically break them for Wallace。 Then he showed even he had bosses he had to answer to and then he went against them and broke the rules further！ Or maybe not！ Who knows what the rules are？！ This was just a bit too confusing and also completely dependent upon what the plot needed at the time。 TO CONCLUDEIn the end， this was a story of selflessness。"I see it now。 It's not always about the things you've done， or the mistakes you've made。 It's about the people， and what we're willing to do for one another。 The sacrifices we make。 They taught me that。 Here， in this place。"It's about acceptance。He still had regrets。 He thought he always would。 Nothing could be done about that now。 He'd found within himself the man he'd thought he'd become before the heaviness of life descended upon him。 He was free。 The shackles of a mortal life had fallen away。 There was nothing holding him here。 Not anymore。It's a fierce and mature love story。"It's not about me。。。 Or us。 You've given me more than I could ever ask for。 Hugo， can't you see？ I am who I am because you showed me the way。 You refused to give up on me。 Which is how I know you'll help all those who come after me and need you as much as I did。"It's also about loneliness and the dangerous places our minds go。"It's easy to let yourself spiral and fall。""It is。。。 But it's what you do to pull yourself out of it that matters most。"You might find it too sappy or you might have heard all these sentiments， in paraphrase， before: TJK is not for everyone。 But if you are in the mood for a sweet love story， and especially if you enjoyed THITCS， I urge you to pick this one up。 I'll be buying this one and placing its beautiful cover right next to my beautiful copy of THITCS。 And when I've had a shit day because life sucks， I'll know who to turn to。 。。。more
Lori Lieberman
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I had really high hopes for this book since The House on the Cerulean Sea was my favorite book of 2020 and I wasn't disappointed。 I loved this book。 It's a contemporary fantasy about a man who's dead but isn't quite ready to be sent off to his final resting place。 He's at a waystation in the form of a tea house and it's there that he learns all the things that he should have learned while he was alive。The queer romance at the heart of this story is lovely and touching。 The side characters are wo I had really high hopes for this book since The House on the Cerulean Sea was my favorite book of 2020 and I wasn't disappointed。 I loved this book。 It's a contemporary fantasy about a man who's dead but isn't quite ready to be sent off to his final resting place。 He's at a waystation in the form of a tea house and it's there that he learns all the things that he should have learned while he was alive。The queer romance at the heart of this story is lovely and touching。 The side characters are wonderful。This is exactly the kind of soft， warm story that we need right now！ 。。。more
Shelly Wilson
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Another lovely story from TJ Klune。 This book was slower to start than the House on the Cerulean Sea， but it was worth the wait。 If I had to compare it to others， I think it is best described as A Christmas Carol meets Dead Like Me。 Heartwarming， charming， and ultimately a book that leaves you feeling filled， rather than drained and empty。。。 and I say this even after I spent the last 20% of the book quietly sobbing。 Definitely recommend this book and author， especially if you need the world to h Another lovely story from TJ Klune。 This book was slower to start than the House on the Cerulean Sea， but it was worth the wait。 If I had to compare it to others， I think it is best described as A Christmas Carol meets Dead Like Me。 Heartwarming， charming， and ultimately a book that leaves you feeling filled， rather than drained and empty。。。 and I say this even after I spent the last 20% of the book quietly sobbing。 Definitely recommend this book and author， especially if you need the world to hurt a little less。CW: death， griefI received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more
fatemeh97
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“Death isn’t a final ending， Wallace。 It is an ending， sure， but only to prepare you for a new beginning。”Under the Whispering Door is a story that - believe it or not - made me want to become friends with a grim reaper。 40-year-old corporate drone Wallace was a successful lawyer， who lived to work but didn’t work to live。 He’s successful but lonely， and is only concerned about working hard and becoming more successful， even if it is at the expense of those around him。 His employees would never “Death isn’t a final ending， Wallace。 It is an ending， sure， but only to prepare you for a new beginning。”Under the Whispering Door is a story that - believe it or not - made me want to become friends with a grim reaper。 40-year-old corporate drone Wallace was a successful lawyer， who lived to work but didn’t work to live。 He’s successful but lonely， and is only concerned about working hard and becoming more successful， even if it is at the expense of those around him。 His employees would never describe him as friendly and his partners would never say he was compassionate。 One moment Wallace was firing an employee， and the next moment， he was watching his own funeral。 When a grim reaper arrives to take him to his next journey， Wallace expresses his anger and disappointment at being dead - not because his friends might be devastated but because he has work to do， clients to see， and a hearing to attend。 The reaper takes Wallace to meet his antithesis in Hugo， who is kind， compassionate and the handsome owner of a tea shop。 He is revealed to be a ferryman， assigned to help Wallace accept his death and cross over to the other side。 He isn’t disconcerted by Wallace’s behavior， and instead， Hugo is determined to help Wallace truly understand the meaning of life after death。 What ensues next is a tale brimming with brutally honest side characters， a queer romance I will remmeber for days， the power of being vulnerable and peace that can be felt when you surround yourself with companionship that you can have in your life， if only you let them in。I loved: how thought-provoking the story was。 It’s a homage to loss， life， grief and death & everything that comes after。 It had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments which I thoroughly enjoyed。 It’s a highly-original story about the power of life， how death can change you and how it isn’t necessarily the ending。 I loved it and would certainly recommend it！Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge， Netgalley and author TJ Klune for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 It will be published September 21， 2021。 。。。more
Alexa
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😭😭😭😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️
Gwen
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I choose this book because I （like pretty much everyone） was totally enthralled with The House in The Cerulean Sea。 If you're coming to this story for that same reason， please know it is a story totally different than that。 The story is pretty deep and existencial。 it really left me thinking about death and 'the afterlife'。 It was a pretty interesting concept。 For the first half of the book， I really had trouble connecting with the characters。 I get morally grey， but many if them were either unl I choose this book because I （like pretty much everyone） was totally enthralled with The House in The Cerulean Sea。 If you're coming to this story for that same reason， please know it is a story totally different than that。 The story is pretty deep and existencial。 it really left me thinking about death and 'the afterlife'。 It was a pretty interesting concept。 For the first half of the book， I really had trouble connecting with the characters。 I get morally grey， but many if them were either unlikeable or bland。 I did start to connect more and care towards the middle of the books though。 While I did eventually find the book to be interesting and charming， it took SO LONG to get into the story （again， didn't really like the characters equals I did not really care about the story）。 BUT once I got into it， there was a dark and intriguing story， some laugh out loud funny moments， love and interesting stories all thing place in a small town tea shop。 I liked it， but didn't love it I do have a feeling that may evolve as I sit with this story， it's to be seen how much more I have to unpack here！**I was absolutely thrilled to get this as an ARC and would read anything by TJ Klune， at this rate！！ ** 。。。more
Suzy
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TJ Klune is definitely a writer that is making his name known。 I really enjoyed "The House in the Cerulean Sea" and this one didn't disappoint either。 We find Wallace who has died and is a ghost and trying to figure out if he wants to cross over yet。 I really enjoy Klune's quirky characters。 I liked that there were trigger warnings stated at the beginning。 And this book does deal with a lot of death and grief， but it is also funny and hopeful。Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC！ TJ Klune is definitely a writer that is making his name known。 I really enjoyed "The House in the Cerulean Sea" and this one didn't disappoint either。 We find Wallace who has died and is a ghost and trying to figure out if he wants to cross over yet。 I really enjoy Klune's quirky characters。 I liked that there were trigger warnings stated at the beginning。 And this book does deal with a lot of death and grief， but it is also funny and hopeful。Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC！ 。。。more
Dan
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My second T。J。 Klune book。 He is shaping out to be one of favorite authors。 This book is soooo good and the way it addresses death and loss。 I adored it。 A must！
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Under the Whispering Door is a wide ranging character driven creative fantasy by TJ Klune。 Due out 21st Sept 2021 from Macmillan on their Tor Forge imprint， it's 390 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。This is an odd and inter Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Under the Whispering Door is a wide ranging character driven creative fantasy by TJ Klune。 Due out 21st Sept 2021 from Macmillan on their Tor Forge imprint， it's 390 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。This is an odd and interesting book。 The plot is entirely character driven and set almost completely in one single place - an odd interworld teashop between life and the afterlife。 Characters come and go as they move on to whatever comes next。 The characters are both living， dead， in between， and otherworldly/demigod/angel-ish， and they vary in age from very young to very old and of several genders and ethnicities。 There was so much crammed into the book that some of it fell inevitably by the wayside。 In addition to being a fantasy， philosophical examination of death and what comes after， it's also about using the time we have wisely， found family， loyalty， love， consent， oh， and a queer/bi love story as well。 The drama， starcrossed lovers， and longing would have been more suited to a YA/NA novel， but the subject matter and some of the scenes are too heavy to comfortably fit into that genre。In addition to all the other stuff going on， there's a lot of slapstick involved which felt oddly tacked on; people getting stuck in inappropriate clothing and "psychics" being chased around by poltergeist（ish） flying inanimate objects。 The subject matter in general is very heavy and quite dark and it felt like the author was trying very hard to lighten the mood。 The love story and denouement were satisfying but also felt a bit contrived。 The language is R rated and there are frank discussions of death including suicide， murder， and death of a child。 There is some light consensual sexual content。The audiobook version has a run time of 14 hours and 55 minutes and is expertly narrated by Kirt Graves。 He manages characters of both sexes and a range of ages and manages to keep them distinct from one another and easy to understand。 The sound and production quality are high throughout。 It's an interesting and valiant attempt， but in my opinion doesn't quite fulfill its early promise。 The author is undeniably gifted and adept， but I never felt like it quite lived up to the attempt。 Three and a half stars， rounded up （the writing is strong）。 Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Mara
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Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is an endearing， quirky story about death and what we do with our time on earth and connections we make。 When we first meet Wallace， we see him as an ornery， unlikable， successful lawyer。 Early on， he dies unexpectedly， taking him on a new journey with his reaper， Mei; and ferryman， Hugo， whose job is to help the dead cross over。 He ends up at Charon’s Crossing， a tea shop that also serves as a way station for the recently deceased。 Trapped in the teahouse b Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is an endearing， quirky story about death and what we do with our time on earth and connections we make。 When we first meet Wallace， we see him as an ornery， unlikable， successful lawyer。 Early on， he dies unexpectedly， taking him on a new journey with his reaper， Mei; and ferryman， Hugo， whose job is to help the dead cross over。 He ends up at Charon’s Crossing， a tea shop that also serves as a way station for the recently deceased。 Trapped in the teahouse but not yet ready to cross through （the whispering door）， Wallace begins to form relationships with Hugo， Mei， Nelson （Hugo’s deceased grandfather）， and Apollo （Allen’s deceased dog）。 Wallace begins to realize all that he has lost by living in such a cantankerous， closed off way， putting success above relationships and begins making the most of the time he has left。 I really enjoyed the story of Wallace’s growth and the earnestness and humor of those in the tea shop。 The book reminded me a little of The Midnight Library and the early 00’s show， Dead Like Me， in terms of the subject matter （reapers guiding the recently deceased to their next destination） and tone （earnest and quirky）。 I listened to the audiobook， which was well-narrated by Kirt Graves， who has a pleasing voice。 Though he did use similar voices for Hugo and Nelson， which was a little confusing at times， but is clear if you’re paying attention to who is saying what dialogue。 Thank you Tor Books / Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing this e-book and audiobook ARC。 。。。more
Cris
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This book…so much to say about this book that is released tomorrow （September 21，2021）。 If you are grieving from the loss of a friend， family or pet， try this book but note this is not what you will normally be told to read to help。 I love the characters， loved the storyline， loved how the story unwinds， I really don’t know anything negative to say…Wallace is an asshole lawyer， who suddenly dies。 He goes to a weigh stop on his way to end stop that is a tea shop to the living。 Everyone has bills This book…so much to say about this book that is released tomorrow （September 21，2021）。 If you are grieving from the loss of a friend， family or pet， try this book but note this is not what you will normally be told to read to help。 I love the characters， loved the storyline， loved how the story unwinds， I really don’t know anything negative to say…Wallace is an asshole lawyer， who suddenly dies。 He goes to a weigh stop on his way to end stop that is a tea shop to the living。 Everyone has bills to pay。 There Wallace meets the gang and lessons are learned， good and bad。 If you read this book， please let me know what you think！I want to thank NetGalley， TJ Klune and MacMillian Audio for the opportunity to read and review this great book！ 。。。more
Michaela （Journey into Books）
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