under the whispering door by T.J. Klune

70th book of 2021

Release date: September 21st 2021

Thanks to NetGalley, Mac Millan/Tor to send me a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Reading period: Aug 23rd 2021 – Aug 27th 2021

Summary

Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy with TJ Klune’s signature “quirk and charm” (PW) 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.

Rating

Review

TW: death and suicide

This book was a delight to read; when I started, I didn’t want to stop.

Some of the characters are despicable, but they have something in them that makes them likeable. I love to see them evolve even in death and I become attached to them. I wasn’t prepared to have that many characters and so many stories. Yes, we have the past of who they are/were, and those passages were so exciting and so real.

In this book, you also have some hints of his previous book, The House on the Cerulean Sea. Those elements mess a little with me as I wanted to know why they were here.

The ending was so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I was surprised by the epilogue; I didn’t see this coming, and I’m still not okay with it.

Even if the theme of this book is hard as it talks about death, it’s done beautifully, and it’s not as sad as we think it would be. In fact, you sometimes have funny scenes. And especially one where I needed a break as I was laughing out loud.

There is a certain magic that I liked in his previous book and that I found here again.

Liz.