Name: Wren Hardwick's review of Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
Item: Under the Whispering Door
Rating: 5
Author: Wren Hardwick

T.J. Klune

Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy with TJ Klune's signature “quirk and charm” (Publishers Weekly) about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with 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. By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune's signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy.

Under the Whispering Door

They were Wallace and Hugo, dead and alive. A great chasm stretched between them. 

Bilge Ince

And since Human Resources had advised him he couldn’t ask his employees to avoid starting families (“You can’t tell them to just get a dog, Mr. Price!”) he’d had to deal with mothers and fathers needing the afternoon off to listen to their children vomit or screech songs about shapes and clouds or other nonsense.

No matter what condition the world was in, someone always needed to be sued.

Rose Donovan

In death, Wallace had never felt more alive. 

“It’s going to be hard. When you leave.”

“Because you’re my friend,” Hugo said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. No one had ever said that to Wallace before, and he was deviated by it. Here at the end, he’d found a friend.

“All that work, all that he’d done, the life he’d built. Had it mattered? What had been the point of anything?” 

Cassidy Nolan

with you.” Then, in a whisper, as if saying it any louder would break them completely, Hugo said, “I don’t want you to go.”

Six little words. Six words no one had ever said to Wallace Price before. They were fragile, and he took them in, holding them close.

Once the tea was finished, Wallace felt like he had only a moment before.

Because he’d had his third cup of tea. His gaze drifted to the Balti proverb hanging above the counter.

He belonged to them now just as much as they belonged to him.

He looked at all of them. “How does it go again?”

They knew what he meant. “The first time you share tea, you are a stranger,” Mei said.

“The second time you share tea,” Nelson said, “you are an honored guest.”

Hugo nodded. “And the third time you share tea, you become family. It’s a Balti quote. I took those words to heart because there’s something special about the sharing of tea. Grandad taught me that. He said that when you take tea with someone, it’s intimate and quiet. Profound. The different flavors mingle, the scent of it strong. It’s small, but when we drink, we drink together.”

“When I’m gone,” Wallace said, “please don’t forget me. I don’t have many people who’ll remember me, at least not in a good way. I want you to be one of them.” His fingernails began to break apart.

Hugo’s throat worked as he swallowed. “How could I ever forget you?”

Wallace thought it would be very easy. “You promise?”

The sunset was brilliant. He wished he’d taken more time to turn his face towards the sky.

In death, Wallace had never felt more alive.

“I know,” Hugo said. “But people can change when faced with eternity.”

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

He looked at Mei. “Can you do me a favor?”

“I need you to hug Hugo for me. Because I can’t, and I want to more than anything.”

“What would you do if Hugo was before you and there was nothing stopping you? Life or death or anything else. What would you do?”

Wallace closed his eyes. “Everything.”

Is there anything you would say to someone left behind if you could?

He said, “If things were different, if I were me, and you were you . . . do you think you’d ever see me as someone you could . . .”

He didn’t think Hugo was going to answer. He’d walk through the door without a word, leaving Wallace alone and feeling foolish.

He said, “Yes.” And then he went inside.

Wallace stared after him, burning like the sun.

And without looking away from Wallace, Hugo said, “I need you to do me a favor.”

She glanced between them curiously. “Okay. What?”

“Wow,” Mei said. “I’m so glad I ran out here for this.” She tapped her fingers against her palm. A little light burst before fading as quickly as it’d come. “Any specific reason?”

“Because I can’t do it,” Hugo said. “And I want to.”

He thought back to the proverb hanging in the tea shop. Hugo must have been thinking the same thing as he handed Wallace the cup and said, “It’s your second.”

Hugo reached for him again. It was happening more and more, as if he kept forgetting that he and Wallace couldn’t actually touch each other. He paused, one hand above Wallace’s. Wallace wondered what his skin would feel like. He thought it would be warm and soft. But he’d never find out. Instead, Hugo rested his hand between Wallace’s, tapping his pointer finger. Wallace’s own fingers twitched. Mere inches separated them.

“I’m not really here,” he whispered.

Three words, and Wallace wasn’t sure he’d ever heard anything more profound.

It was Mei who spoke first. “I’m going to hug the crap out of you.”

That stunned him, especially when he remembered what Mei had told him about physical affection. “Only you could make that sound like a threat.”

She set the knives on the closest table before tapping her fingers against her palm. There was a tiny pulse in the air around them, and then Mei was on him. He almost fell over as she wrapped her arms around his back, holding on tightly. He was stunned into inaction, but only for a moment. It was fragile, this, and Wallace couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged him. He pulled his arms up carefully, hands going to the small of Mei’s back.

“Squeeze harder,” she said into his neck. “I’m not going to break.”

His eyes burned. He didn’t know why. But he did as she asked. He squeezed as hard as he could.

When he opened his eyes, he found Hugo watching him, a strange expression on his face. They looked at each other for a long time.

“It could be worse,” Nelson said, eyeing him up and down in a way that Wallace was sure was illegal in at least fifteen states. “Though, I will say congratulations on your business downstairs. Size doesn’t matter of course, but it doesn’t seem like you have to worry about that.”

“Thank you,” Wallace said distractedly as Apollo tried to squeeze through his legs, tongue lolling, a goofy expression of joy on his face. Then, “Wait, what?”

And so, under the field of stars, Wallace stood before Hugo, their hands extended toward each other. Inches separated their palms, and though it still felt like an endless gulf between them, Wallace was sure, for a moment, he felt 

 It wasn’t quite the heat of Hugo’s skin, though it felt close. He mirrored Hugo, raising his hand up and down, up and down in the approximation of a handshake. The cable between them flashed brightly.

And maybe it was because the stars were bright and stretched on forever across the sky. Or maybe it was because he’d never had a conversation like he’d just had with Hugo: honest, open. Real, all the bluster and noise of a manufactured life falling away. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because he was finding the truth within himself. Whatever the reason, he didn’t try to stop himself when he said, “I wish I’d met someone like you before.”

Hugo was quiet for a long moment. Then, “Before?”

He shrugged, refusing to meet Hugo’s gaze. “Before I died. Things might have been different. We could have been friends.” It felt like a great secret, something quiet and devastating.

Wren Hardwick

this was really good! i loved the reflections on life and death, and the afterlife and everything between that. i loved the premise of a little tea shop helping people cross that line. 

HOWEVER...i read the house in the cerulean sea a couple years ago, and while i dont know which one came first, i feel like these two are very similar andplay with the same dynamics...they have the grumpy mc who has to leave their usual environment and ends up living with a wise man and a loveable child, and there is always a cute pet as well. i could not stop comparing these two books while reading, and it became so annoyingly obvious...

the other thing is that i think authors should be brave enough to let their mcs die! i think that would have worked really well in this book, and also create a little difference from the other book (another happy ending). 

Stas

this was really good! i loved the reflections on life and death, and the afterlife and everything between that. i loved the premise of a little tea shop helping people cross that line. 

HOWEVER...i read the house in the cerulean sea a couple years ago, and while i dont know which one came first, i feel like these two are very similar andplay with the same dynamics...they have the grumpy mc who has to leave their usual environment and ends up living with a wise man and a loveable child, and there is always a cute pet as well. i could not stop comparing these two books while reading, and it became so annoyingly obvious...

the other thing is that i think authors should be brave enough to let their mcs die! i think that would have worked really well in this book, and also create a little difference from the other book (another happy ending). 

this book was a revelation. wow. just wow. i loved the story itself and the dynamics between characters: they were so funny sometimes!!

i think this book highlighted the stigma people have around suicides and how people think other should grieve. we’re always told we can take our time to feel sad and grieve our loss, but as soon as everything doesn’t come into place afterwards, we are left alone or rushed into getting past it (which usually creates more damage than anything). everyone has his own ways of dealing with things, but we have to be given the right opportunities and treatment.

in response to some idiotic reviews on this app:

i’m not someone who experienced grief, not yet. but i would never ever judge ones way of dealing with grief, what they think it is and how they want to deal with it. it’s the whole point of the fucking story. sure, some words or phrases may sound a bit clichè, but i enjoyed this book nevertheless.

i also absolutely did not think romantic love was at the centre of this book. it’s about being seen and listened to. it’s about experiencing angriness and still having someone who’s there to just offer comfort. it’s about sitting in silence when the other is uncomfortable/tired/sad. it’s about being there during their panic attacks. it’s about understanding how the other likes to deal with difficult situations. it’s about learning what the other prefers and loves the most: their favorite tea, their routine, how they like certain things. but above all it’s just about being empathic and brave enough to listen without judgement.

i don’t think you have to necessarily feel love for others in order to do such things. not romantic, at least; as said before, you just have to feel empathy (it’s clear some of ya’ll don’t even know what it means). I hate when people just minimize books to romantic love and how it’s clichè. love doesn’t, and cannot, open every door. we are the ones that open the door, if we decide to do so.

mirta <3

this book was a revelation. wow. just wow. i loved the story itself and the dynamics between characters: they were so funny sometimes!!

i think this book highlighted the stigma people have around suicides and how people think other should grieve. we’re always told we can take our time to feel sad and grieve our loss, but as soon as everything doesn’t come into place afterwards, we are left alone or rushed into getting past it (which usually creates more damage than anything). everyone has his own ways of dealing with things, but we have to be given the right opportunities and treatment.

in response to some idiotic reviews on this app:

i’m not someone who experienced grief, not yet. but i would never ever judge ones way of dealing with grief, what they think it is and how they want to deal with it. it’s the whole point of the fucking story. sure, some words or phrases may sound a bit clichè, but i enjoyed this book nevertheless.

i also absolutely did not think romantic love was at the centre of this book. it’s about being seen and listened to. it’s about experiencing angriness and still having someone who’s there to just offer comfort. it’s about sitting in silence when the other is uncomfortable/tired/sad. it’s about being there during their panic attacks. it’s about understanding how the other likes to deal with difficult situations. it’s about learning what the other prefers and loves the most: their favorite tea, their routine, how they like certain things. but above all it’s just about being empathic and brave enough to listen without judgement.

i don’t think you have to necessarily feel love for others in order to do such things. not romantic, at least; as said before, you just have to feel empathy (it’s clear some of ya’ll don’t even know what it means). I hate when people just minimize books to romantic love and how it’s clichè. love doesn’t, and cannot, open every door. we are the ones that open the door, if we decide to do so.

From TJ Klune, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, comes Under the Whispering Door, a new contemporary fantasy about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with. 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. By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune's signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

"As political philosophy derives its sanction from ethics, and ethics from the truth of religion, it is only by returning to the eternal source of truth that we can hope for any social organization which will not, to its ultimate destruction, ignore some essential aspect of reality... If you will not have God (and He is a jealous God) you should pay your respects to ¿

Paige LeBook

"As political philosophy derives its sanction from ethics, and ethics from the truth of religion, it is only by returning to the eternal source of truth that we can hope for any social organization which will not, to its ultimate destruction, ignore some essential aspect of reality... If you will not have God (and He is a jealous God) you should pay your respects to ¿gay reaper ghosts?."

The first time you share tea, you are a stranger.

The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.

Disclaimer: Maybe, a great book for those who came up as a queer and needs a reflective story who didn’t experience the grief. For others, especially those who experienced the grief deeply, not so much.

Wallace Price is a law firm owner, an a**hole from bottom up who had no empaty what so ever! Though it’s ok because these people are exist. But then, I did understood his uptight nature but I didn’t understand the why part during my reading. Moreover I also didn’t understand why and how he has changed from the bottom up to become this cuddly, caring person. Is this love? If so what a cliche!

If only goodbyes are that thorough and easy, dear author. But in reality, they’re not and many of us are living with a missing part in our heart for the rest of our lives. Therefore this felt very superficial and far from touching ones’ grieving. Therefore I was disturbed during the whole story line but in acceptance at a level, knowing that this could very well be a typical way of making a heartwarming, wholesome fiction. But by the end of it I annoyed and came to a conclusion that this author has no idea what grief is and what it can be. So I’m unfortunately very disappointed although I understand the whole motive which is nothing but cliches. Yes love opens every door, yes love is nothing but mighty, but whose love is powerful enough to create a door to an exception to resurrect!

The first time you share tea, you are a stranger.

The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.

Disclaimer: Maybe, a great book for those who came up as a queer and needs a reflective story who didn’t experience the grief. For others, especially those who experienced the grief deeply, not so much.

Wallace Price is a law firm owner, an a**hole from bottom up who had no empaty what so ever! Though it’s ok because these people are exist. But then, I did understood his uptight nature but I didn’t understand the why part during my reading. Moreover I also didn’t understand why and how he has changed from the bottom up to become this cuddly, caring person. Is this love? If so what a cliche!

If only goodbyes are that thorough and easy, dear author. But in reality, they’re not and many of us are living with a missing part in our heart for the rest of our lives. Therefore this felt very superficial and far from touching ones’ grieving. Therefore I was disturbed during the whole story line but in acceptance at a level, knowing that this could very well be a typical way of making a heartwarming, wholesome fiction. But by the end of it I annoyed and came to a conclusion that this author has no idea what grief is and what it can be. So I’m unfortunately very disappointed although I understand the whole motive which is nothing but cliches. Yes love opens every door, yes love is nothing but mighty, but whose love is powerful enough to create a door to an exception to resurrect!

this is my child, oh my god, i think i found my child. where do i begin?

i started this book with low expectation, a cozy, heartwarming book just like the cerulean sea. and i mean it has its heartwarming moments but this book is clearly more than that. this was such a rollercoaster, i swear, one moment i'm laughing, then the next i'm bawling my eyes out. i became so invested in this book and its characters. i laughed with them, and cry with them. saying goodbye to this book hurts. 

another is this book is such an eye-opener to me. one of the quotes that i really love is

'we don't always see what's right in front of us, much less appreciate it. it's not until we look back that we find what we should have known all along.'

'we live and we breathe. we die and we still feel like breathing. it's not always the big deaths either. there are little deaths, because that's what grief is.'

i learned and reflect a lot about myself reading this book. it made me realize death can come to anyone without them knowing. these lessons about doing something before it's too late. i mean i know this before, but like this book is like a wake up call. also as someone who hasn't really experienced grieving, and doesn't know how others truly felt when they are grieving, this was such a good read. it really made me understand them, their feelings, more through this book.

overall, this book is definitely going to my tbrr (to be reread, if that's even a thing) list

this is my child, oh my god, i think i found my child. where do i begin?

i started this book with low expectation, a cozy, heartwarming book just like the cerulean sea. and i mean it has its heartwarming moments but this book is clearly more than that. this was such a rollercoaster, i swear, one moment i'm laughing, then the next i'm bawling my eyes out. i became so invested in this book and its characters. i laughed with them, and cry with them. saying goodbye to this book hurts. 

another is this book is such an eye-opener to me. one of the quotes that i really love is

'we don't always see what's right in front of us, much less appreciate it. it's not until we look back that we find what we should have known all along.'

'we live and we breathe. we die and we still feel like breathing. it's not always the big deaths either. there are little deaths, because that's what grief is.'

i learned and reflect a lot about myself reading this book. it made me realize death can come to anyone without them knowing. these lessons about doing something before it's too late. i mean i know this before, but like this book is like a wake up call. also as someone who hasn't really experienced grieving, and doesn't know how others truly felt when they are grieving, this was such a good read. it really made me understand them, their feelings, more through this book.

overall, this book is definitely going to my tbrr (to be reread, if that's even a thing) list

Sweet, funny, reflective story. Too long, though. 

Jillian Roberts

the weight of living (isn’t it wonderful?)

karina

Fue una agradable and cozy experiencia, no le tenia fe en un principio pero fui enamorándome a como pasaban los capítulos

Vivan los gays y las familias encontradas

Scarlett

Fue una agradable and cozy experiencia, no le tenia fe en un principio pero fui enamorándome a como pasaban los capítulos

T.J. Klune te amo

Vivan los gays y las familias encontradas

Kellie Davis

Ainsley Jeffery

After reading T.J Klune's previous book "The House on the Cerulean Sea" I knew I wanted to read this book. I spent a lot of time annotating this book as I owned the copy I read, and similar to his previous novel, it was five stars.

I loved this book, the depiction of death, regrets, life after death, and cherishing time. Each character was purposeful and different, bringing in their own wisdom and moments that left an impact. It took a typical trope, living a life that one regrets after they die, and takes the reader on a unique journey of self-discovery, friendship, and love.

Bria

** spoiler alert **
           I saw so many comments about Klune breaking and healing hearts and I totally get it.

I’m glad that Wallace had a chance to become a better person and find alive again 😭😭

Mary Lawrence

This book is deeply personal and begs you to wonder what legacy you leave behind when you're gone. Yet another great book by T.J. Klune.

love love love this so much. gave me all the feelings that are possible. couldn‘t out it down after the first few chapters even tho the start was a bit slow 

Thea Sophie

Krys C.

a slow-paced, slice-of-life, coming-of-age story with studio ghibli vibes✨ also i wanna visit Charon's Crossing  alive  😭

Amazing. This book was really relaxing. It was like an escape from reality. Sometimes, books like this aren't appreciated much but it's just people's opinions. For me, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. Loved all the characters and the story.

Liana

Bella Baxter

Overall: Enjoyable read (and in my case, excellent narration), but too long, I think. I checked out about 70% of the way.

* I may have missed the moment when Wallace’s heart started to grow three sizes. Because his character growth (and then love interest?) seemed a bit…rushed? And then the romance just didn’t make sense to me, idk, like, out of all the people Hugo ferried over, are you sure Wallace is THE one, babes? I’m a slow burn girl, so this just might be me. 

* Nelson: favorite character. Truly. But sometimes his dialogue can be a bit…cringe? (“Manscaping”, ok) 

* This might just be me on my writing craft high horse, which is probably more of a piglet, being a baby creative, but there’s too much blinking and “swallowing thickly” and breathing and it’s like…I feel like we could come up with something else when describing surprise and nervousness? I read something the other day that talked about “cinematic” writing being somewhat empty writing, and I think that’s what’s happening here. It just doesn’t tell me anything about how the character is *feeling*.

* Sometimes I want to read a book and not be told (or preached at) how to live my life, just to be there for the ride. I feel like this book could have been a great ride but it got a bit preachy. That said, I’ll do my best to not be a Wallace pre-afterlife. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The gentle pacing of the story and the calm atmosphere of the tea shop make this a soothing read, even as it deals with profound themes of death and regret. A feel-good read that leaves you with hopes and the comforting realization that, in the end, love is what truly matters.

🏹

Michaela Hudson

eARC provided by Tor/Forge on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Oh boy, I'm finding it so hard to be serious and professional about this review, especially when I didn’t do one for The House in the Cerulean Sea, but I’ll try my best to keep the comparison to bare minimum.

Under the Whispering Door tells the story of Wallace Price, or rather, his death and a series of events that happen following it, and the help he receives (from a ferryman, a Reaper, and a few fellow ghosts) in preparation for his Passing; all takes place in a peculiar and (kind of) magical tea shop.

What I like best about this book is the chaotic kind of wholesome this book radiates, from the characters, the conversations, and actions throughout the whole reading. I like how Wallace, being oblivious at first, just came to terms with all the madness and embraced his own inner demon to conduct michieves with his new fellas. TJ Klune also managed to blend this energy with the representation of mental illnesses and grievance, which wasn't too intense but still thoughtful.

The second thing I'd like to point out is that: I love everyone in this household. Every. Single. One: Nelson is my favorite out of all for not taking any of Wallace's bullshit and being supportive of him at the same time; Mei being simultaneously "I'm so sick of these people" and aggressively affectionate/protective; Wallace was an asshole at first but his journey to become a partner in crime with the people in this house would be extremely refreshing to witness, I promise you. Apollo is… Apollo (really need I say more?), and Hugo is this one brain cell that keeps everything from going hellhole but also has to deal with his own problems. This set of characters seemingly make a perfect cast for a comedy show of the format like Brooklyn 99 and Community, which, I concur.

Considering these being adult fiction, TJ Klune doesn't have a too sophisticated vocabulary in his storytelling, but his sense of humor is top notch. This trait of his is even more saturated in Whispering Door, especially in how he sets up the scenes, executes the sequences, which help land the jokes perfectly. One thing that I lowkey dislike is how cryptic some conversations between the MC Wallace and other people were, but I'd to think they were intentional, since it appeared, on numerous occasions, Wallace himself didn't understand a shit either. 

Something I felt concerned about this book before reading was whether it was going to be the same book as Cerulean Sea. The plot outline did stay mostly the same, not differentiating very much from each other besides having different settings. In the end, I found Cerulean Sea to be a more quirky and righteous kind of fun, while this book is more chaotic and hilarious, which is equally enjoyable. I think these books are intended for a more liberating way of reading. You can read both or just one in no particular order without missing out too much. 

To wrap this up: It's good, like GOOD good. And I ran out of words. /end/

4.5 I went through so many emotions listening to this story. I loved it, It left me with so many questions that made me want to read it again in the future!

allison chen

** spoiler alert **
           i enjoyed reading this but i’m not so sure if it did what it wanted to do? honestly i don’t even know if i can even begin to comprehend death and what might be beyond this life. but then again, no one knows what happens after death. no one knows what’s under the whispering door, right? i admire the author for even attempting to address such a difficult topic. 

i personally think that the ending defeats the purpose of the discussion of grief and the inevitability of death. i liked this book because it made me think. i liked this book because the discussions felt human. but i really can’t wrap my head around why wallace was revived when the whole plot was centered around accepting death even if you fear the unknown or regret how you acted or constantly ask yourself what you could’ve had in the life that you lived. death doesn’t undo itself just because you tried to be better. it felt like the greater message was sacrificed for the sake of the minimally-developed romance and a ‘perfect’ ending.

I’ve read this book twice and it has stuck with me long after finishing it both times. Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read.

ariadna

que chingue a su madre tj klune por hacerme llorar tanto

I LOVE TJ KLUNE!!!! It is hard to write a book that gives a good look at Death and doesn’t flinch from it yet manages to hold your faith in Life and Love and what it means to Really Live and mean something. The characters were so cute and I got so attached to them. Also the LGBTQ representation in TJ’s books are always amazing.

Daphne Li-Chen

A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, AND INDIE BESTSELLER An Indie Next Pick! A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in Under the Whispering Door, a delightful queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea. Welcome to Charon's Crossing. The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through. When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead. But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days. Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

J Nieto

Although the book was a little slow and at times repetitive, I really loved the last 100 pages. Those last chapters really tugged on my heartstrings which is why I bumped it from a 3-star to a 4-star read.

(view spoiler)[I think that having a deadline (pun not intended) for Wallace to go through the door is exactly what the story needed. Those few chapters when Wallace decided to make the most of his afterlife, become a better person and be with the people he grew to love were amazing. The way he helped both Nancy and Cameron was so wonderful and filled me with a sense of hope. His last night with Hugo and the rest was heart wrenching. I almost wished he actually had gone through the door just to emphasize the themes of grief and letting go that we observed with Nancy.
Still, the happy ending we got instead was really sweet and really wrapped up the story nicely. Overall I really liked and would recommend this book!  (hide spoiler)]

Thank you Netgalley and Torbooks for letting me read this wonderful and beautiful story early! 

Klune is one of my all-time favorite authors, and this book just proves it. 

Something I love about Klune's characters is that they are all respectful of each other. Like if someone is like "I don't want to answer that" the rest are like "oh okay" or if they are like "I don't feel comfortable doing that" they are like "then don't, absolutely don't" and it is just.. normal to be kind and thoughtful towards other people. It's so sad that it can be so foreign in our world today. We all want to get up in each other's business and go "okay but why?" or "you will be fine, come on" or something that undermines the feelings of others. It's something I am learning to not do. Be curious about yourself and the things around you, but also mind your own business. 

ANYWAY.

My gay heart was already broken when I felt the chemistry between our ferryman (someone who helps souls come to terms with them being dead and helps them cross) and our resident ghost, Wallace. Wallace was an ass-hole lawyer when he was alive and just because he is dead doesn't mean he isn't an ass hole anymore. But when he meets the ferryman, the reaper and their own resident ghosts that live in the wayward tea house (think of it as a resting place between becoming a ghosts and going to what is next), something in his heart bursts. 

Hugo, Apollo, Wallace, Mei and and Nelson are all precious and dear and my heart is warm because of them.

Wren Hardwick &
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

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Wren Hardwick &Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Wren Hardwick &
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune