Under the Whispering Door

I picked this up immediately after [b:The House in the Cerulean Sea 45047384 The House in the Cerulean Sea T.J. Klune https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569514209l/45047384.SY75.jpg 62945242] and it did not disappoint! A unique way to cover the five stages of grief, and the things we realize after rather than what's in front of us at in the present. The character development of Wallace was great and how he changed with the time spent with the people of Charon. Loved the little Reaper Manual for Mei as well!

Nelson stole the show! Nelson and Appolo.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. It has to be my least favourite of Klunes books and I wouldn't recommend this if you're new to his works because without the trust I have in him as an writer I wouldn't have believed he cloud have closed this story off that was satisfying with a sucker punch to the heart.

Characters. Nelson is amazing and I liked the manager. But Wallace's arc from asshole to okay guy seemed a bit rushed. The book would have felt deeper if Hugo and Wallace or the whole gang worked out Wallace's issues with being as asshole to then form friendships and relationships.

Overall a good read. As always T J Klune makes me Cry.

This is the heartwarming tale of Wallace Price.

Wallace is a jerk. Everyone hates him. Now he's dead and no one mourns him. He finds it quite rude.
Then a reaper comes to collect him so he can cross over. So why is he being taken to a tea shop in the middle of nowhere?

This is such a beautiful story! The characters are fantastic. I said it's heartwarming, but it is also heartbreaking and full of hope.

I need to read everything by this author.

Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this.

When Wallace dies unexpectedly and is taken by a reaper to a quirky tea shop to meet with Hugo, who she refers to as a ferryman, he is in shock. His life was full of success and money, but not so full of people who cared about him. He has a hard time grappling with the afterlife and everything Hugo has to offer him in terms of help and care. As Wallace finds himself starting to enjoy the company of the people in this tea shop, he realizes that maybe the way he lived his life wasn't the best, but it may be too late for him to do anything about it.

Guys, this book wrecked me. I was a puddle on the floor when I finished. I couldn't stop crying. This book is such a magical, lovely story. Klune does it again. The setting, the characters, the themes, everything help create the most fantastic, touching story. This tea shop is somewhere I would want to go to every day just to experience this cozy, perfect ambience. Characters are Klune's strong suit, and he doesn't disappoint here. Every character is so unique and fully realized. They each have very distinct personalities, as well as lovely relationships with each of the other characters. The family Wallace finds in this tea shop is so beautiful.

I was sobbing for the last 20 pages of this book. It definitely deals with some heavy themes. However, the story is so poignant and touching, and I would read 10 more books set in this tea shop with these characters just living their day-to-day lives. I recommend this book to anyone that loves a good love story. Check out the content warnings before hand, though. There is some dark content matter.

TW: animal death, anxiety, cancer (terminal), child death, death of a parent (past, mentioned), depression, heart attack, murder, outing (mentioned), self-harm

UPDATE:
Originally I rated this very high, and stated I wanted to read more from this author. The after posting my review I found out that TJ Klune's other book THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA was actually based on how during the 50s and 60s in Canada Indigenous children were taken from their homes and put into government sanctioned orphanages/residential schools.

The fact that a cis white man turned that trauma into a fantasy story doesn't really sit well with me.
So I'll be passing on reading his other works. Deeply disappointed upon discovering this and the interview in which he discussed his reasoning behind it.

This is a quote from the interview:
“I came across something known as the Sixties Scoop, which was in Canada during the fifties and sixties, where indigenous children were taken from their homes and put into government sanctioned orphanages, for lack of a better word. It was something that I could not shake. And so when I stumbled upon this article about children being taken because they were different or they didn't adhere to what standards people thought should be at the time , it was something that I couldn't get out of my head and, but I didn't want to co-opt, you know, a history that wasn't mine. I'm a cis white dude, so I can't ever really go through something like what those children had to go through. So I sat down and I was like, I'm just going to write this as a fantasy.”

SOURCE: https://www.jeffandwill.com/biggayfictionpodcast/2020/03/16/episode-232-tj-klune-on-the-house-in-the-cerulean-sea-extraordinaries-and-greek-creek/


ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Pass the tissues and someone give me a giant Mei hug please.

A solid 4.5 read. The writing hooked me from the start. I loved the quirky style and got an immediate sense of who all the characters were. There are many recognizable troupes, but I enjoyed the journey and exploration of death and beyond. Wonderful world building and so many moments that tug at your heart strings, especially if you've experienced the loss of a loved.

This was my first time reading T.J. Klune, and will certainly be checking out HOUSE BY THE CERULEAN SEA as well as anything else to come.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Kirt Graves' narration, and felt he distinguished between each character subtly, but distinctly so I always knew exactly who was speaking.

***Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.

This is such a lovely, heartwarming book. Though it deals with a serious subject, death, it does so in a sensitive, compassionate, and sometimes humorous manner. The characters are endearing, the setting is quaint and quirky, the plot is engaging, and the overall aesthetic is perfect. My only very mild complaint is that the ending dragged on a bit. However, that does not detract from the enjoyment of this book.

Wallace Price finds himself in unexpected predicament at the start of the story. He is dead, but he is still present on earth. He meets his Reaper, Mei, who leads him to a tea shop where his Ferryman, Hugo, awaits to help him accept his death and assist in his crossing over. Wallace struggles to accept his situation, but the inhabitants of the tea shop are there to guide him.

The best things about this book is its characters. The occupants of the tea shop are charming, compassionate, funny, and supportive. They bring out the best in Wallace. I especially love Nelson, the ferryman's dead grandfather who teaches Wallace how to be a ghost. Nelson adds much humor to the story. Hugo is also a wonderful character who is kind and empathetic. It is impossible not to love all of these strange and fascinating characters with their unique abilities.

The plot of the book centers mostly around acceptance of death and growth as a person. The fact that it takes dying for the main character to learn how life should be lived is the books great irony. The climax of the plot is satisfying and adds a sense of hope to the storyline. The action after the climax is slightly drawn out more than necessary, which is why I gave the book 4.5 stars instead of 5 stars.

This truly is a wonderful read that will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful. It will also make you a little bit sad, but that is part of the book's beauty. I highly recommend this book to any reader.

I always include major spoilers (hidden), to help with my memory  issues. Read them at your peril! 

Man with many failings is collected by a reaper after his death, and taken to a café in some woods, where souls go to pass on when they are ready. The living humans visiting the café are not aware of the souls or of the café's real purpose. He meets the owner His eventual love interest and  the owner's dad who it turns out has not passed on because his son is not ready to cope without him. Souls are not allowed to leave the café except by the trap door in the roof, which is the door to the afterlife . One previous soul has run away and is deteriorating. The hero helps to bring him back into the fold . At the end the hero is restored to life and will remain to love and assist the café manager (I think forever)  

I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea! It's one of my all time favorite books. I recommend it to literally everyone. Because of this, I had extremely high expectations going into this one and most of them were met. Under the Whispering Door is a great book. There are, however, many similarities between the two books. The main character is a jerk who values professionalism over kindness and humanity. He gets sent to a place where an attractive and extremely humble man is in charge and takes care of an eclectic group of individuals whom the main character falls for. The side characters include a mute animal creature that is adorable, a seemingly prickly character that is on the MC's side from the get, a strong and gruff female character also in a leadership position, even a diabolical and sociopathic child that you are warned about, but can't help but to love. The MC changes and becomes self sacrificing and deferential. And then the big scene at the end makes you cry. It's a great template, but I wanted something wholly new. Of course I loved this book and I'm sure I will be on the waiting list as soon as his next book is announced.

Beautiful story of love and loss and finding meaning in life. It was funny and moving, sad and also incredibly joyful. The only thing that I'm still a little confused about is the relationship the main characters have with The Manager. I honestly don't understand their disdain for him. I also didn't appreciate the brief cat hate, that wasn't necessary, and seemed to be more a statement from the author than the characters.

That being said, it's a beautiful book and a really entertaining story. One that still probably be living rent free in my mind for a long time.

I loved reading this book a lot more than my expectations for it had been. There were some things I hadn't really accounted for (I should read book blurbs better), but all in all, I found it to be a lovely comfort read, a feel-good novel. Klune explores the concept of grief and death in quite an interesting and positive light throughout the book with lovable, fluffball characters. It felt almost like those fairytales from my childhood and a mix of A Man Called Ove and The Midnight Library. It also relays messages that grownups need reminders of.

I wouldn't be recommending this book to all, just to some that I personally know.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was SO FUCKING GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! The character development was PERFECTION!!!!!!!! You know a writer is GREAT when you start the book hating the main character, and end the book wanting them to have the World!!!!!!!! The writing itself was ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL!!!!!!!!! The comedic timing was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!! All in all I absolutely ADORED THIS!!!!!!!!!!!! T. J. Klune is an Absolute MASTER WRITER!!!!!!!!!!

Have you ever read a book and just didn't know what to say about it? Not because it was bad but because it was so good you didn't think you could do it justice?

Under the whispering door by TJ Klune is one of those for me. I got the audio from the library and just couldn't stop. It's one of those quirky books that will make you life, cry and lay a hand over your heart as it comes to a close.

The book is about Wallace Price. A mean and unlikeable lawyer who dies alone. When a reaper comes for him and brings him to the tea shop, a place to cross over but Wallace is just as stubborn in death and refuses to go,l but that tea shop is where Wallace finally learns what it's like to be human. To clear. To feel.

He ends up falling in love with the ferryman and learns so much by watching, things he didn't learn in real life.

It was so heartwarming and Klune always creates these wonderful characters.

If you listen to audios I highly recommend this one.

It might be the best audio I ever listened to

5 stars