Under the Whispering Door

Having read The House in the Cerulean Sea (which I loved) and now Under the Whispering Door, I've noticed a certain Pixar-esque sensibility to T.J. Klune's writing – there's a dynamic premise, a gentle touch, a colorful cast of characters, and a thoughtful message. The tone borders right on the edge of being too syrupy sweet, but Klune injects enough turmoil and heft into the proceedings to never cross over into cloyingness.

I did have some difficulty getting behind Wallace's redemption arc here, as his introduction paints him in such a vile light that it made it hard to believe his personality could undergo such a 180 in such a short time. As such, I did not find this book to be as effective or affecting as The House in the Cerulean Sea, but it is still well worth your time. I really enjoy Klune's writing and I look forward to reading whatever he pens next.

See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.