Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

46 reviews

batwinggoth's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The book has a slow start, but the delivery of main character's struggles and inner monologue are written whimsically and humorous which is a great balance to the dark and heavy themes of the novel. The characters are all written well with great detail to each. The story's narrative is well encompassing of both predictable story progression and the pleasantly unexpected that pull you even deeper into the story being told.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Car accident, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Self harm

The book is centered around dead people and meeting people from all walks of life as they die in various ways - understanding and helping them process their dead and pass. Most characters are complicated and real with great detail of their emotions, feelings, and inner dialogue and they process their life and what happened to them or what they're currently going through. There's a child

who died from terminal illness whose mother is actively grieving and constantly visiting the tea shop (central setting of the book).

There's a character who we meet who was

murdered in an ally who recounts his death and expresses his extreme anger drastically.

There's a character who was bullied and emotionally abused

by his parents and experiences a sudden loss of his partner in the hospital and ends up dying by suicide due to his overwhelming grief.

The main character begins as an extremely toxic, workaholic and overall extremely bitter man who had been once married to a woman, the both of whom where extremely toxic and gaslighting towards each other in the end. The sexual harassment

is only in reference to a man and a woman who visit their tea shop often and constantly hits on Hugo in inappropriate ways and in one instance the man even says he'll 'wear him down' despite Hugo already rejecting him multiple times.

The animal death

is only mentioned because a main character, Apollo, is a ghost dog who had passed.

I may have missed other important instances of tagged content, but hopefully this helps give folks a better idea about the themes who need it to determine whether reading the book is right for them. I'd say while it's not impossible to skip past some graphic subjects, death and grief are unavoidable and I would suggest you not read the book if you are actively in mourning yourself unless you find reading about other people's grief and experiences cathartic in processing your own grief.

madradstarchild's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a beautiful story about death, grief, and love. The character growth and found family that comes from it are phenomenal! I’ll be recommending this book to everyone ☺️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Chronic illness, Cursing, Murder, and Racism

the_crooked_neighbor's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The author gives fair warning of all the triggers but I really wanted to read it given how much I liked House on the Cerulean Sea. I should not have read this book. But I did so here is my review. It is really slow to start and then moves with the anxious pace that Wallace himself feels at the end. It was hard for me to get through because of how long it took to get into. If you can get past the hard topics and the slow beginning I do think it pays off to some degree.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Emotional abuse, Biphobia, Child death, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Body horror

starsnstitchin's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Bullying, Car accident, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Stalking, Suicide, Animal death, Child death, and Death

honeyhistory103's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

TJ Klune's talent truly knows no bounds. To write a book about death and grief in a way that was so intimate, and yet so hopeful, results in a gut-wrenching story that is deeply, deeply human. I don't think this book is for everyone - it asks us to sit with the pain and fear that death and dying inspires, and I almost put it down in the beginning because of the thoughts it asks you to meditate with. But I'm so, so glad I didn't. The work is beautiful, the story is beautiful, and it is inspiring - a call for its readers to reconsider not death, but life, and what it means. I was moved to tears by the epilogue in the best of ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

baileycowen's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book deserves every single one of the five stars I give it. Beautiful and heartbreaking in it’s own way, Klune has done it again with a story that draws you in and make you love the characters deeply- truly lovely!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Child death, and Suicide

exlibrisabigaillee's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Suicide

Minor: Death of parent and Chronic illness

celestriakle's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Very sweet, very comforting, I cried at least 5 times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Mental illness, Death, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Abandonment, Body horror, Cancer, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Self harm, Car accident, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Animal death

camsara99's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Child death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness

Minor: Animal death and Murder

This book revolves around death and grief in a speculative and low-fantasy way. Although it would be triggering for many experiencing grief, it would also be extremely cathartic and beneficial for many others. Approach with caution and an open heart if you’re currently grieving.

lumpyspaceprincess's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide

Minor: Animal death