Reviews

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

garbitchdisposal's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Child death, and Suicide

stabbing

leareadstoomuch's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

kristenlees's review against another edition

4.0

I liked this, but not as much as I expected. I loved Cerulean sea, but it's not fair to compare or have high expectations.
I really liked the characters in this one - the side characters more so than the main character. the story was unique and interesting, fast paced and i was so eager to find out how it would all end. it was heartwarming and emotional, i liked all the little nuggets of wisdom and reminders that life is short etc.
i read this over a month ago and should have written the review immediately, but of course i didn't. so i don't remember as much as i should. anyway. it was enjoyable and i liked it, but i didn't hardcore love it, and i didn't fall in love along with the main characters, like i did with cerulean sea.

arc received in exchange for review by netgalley

sswetz01's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

3.25

hungrybrainz's review against another edition

5.0

A moving tale about receiving what you need when you least expect it. I cried, I laughed, I held my breath, I got angry. When I did some research on this book after reading it, I discovered the author actually wrote the book to help process his own grief. And you know what? This book helped me process some of my own grief as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with grief or attempting to understand the process of death. Read it with an open mind and the suspension of disbelief. Hopefully it will soothe your aching heart in a similar way that it did mine.

Side note to the author: T.J. Klune, you're 2/2 with me now (House in the Cerulean Sea + this). Please keep writing these wonderful pieces of literature. Your stories feel like a warm hug when you're in dire need of a friend. Thank you for that.

jenwacasey's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

georgia_brown's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

guacamolly_peters's review against another edition

I thought it was the second book in the House on the Cerulean Sea series but obviously got it wrong. I was really struggling to get into it so I went back and read the blurb and when I realized it was the wrong book I decided to DNF it

bibliotreasures's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

“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.”

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his sparsely-attended funeral he is outraged and refuses to accept that he’s dead. But, he begins to believe her when she takes him to Charon’s Crossing, a quirky tea shop run by Hugo, a man who promises to help him cross over. Despite his life being one of all work and  no play, Wallace is reluctant to leave his life behind and sets out to try and live a lifetime in the week he’s been given to pass through the door to the other side.

Witty, moving, cosy and unique, Under the Whispering Door is a book that warms you from the inside like a warm drink on a cold day. This was my tenth backlist book of the year and my introduction to T. J. Klune, an author I’ve been meaning to read for a long time. I now completely get the hype surrounding him and his books and will be prioritising reading his other books on my TBR. An exploration of life, love, death, grief and redemption, this broke my heart into a million pieces and then glued them back together. I appreciated how Klune examined the many stages of grief; how the pain of losing those we love never leaves us but leaves a permanent mark on our heart and soul. Beautifully written, richly imagined and evocative, the storytelling merged with the spectacular narration to make the story come to life around me so vividly that I felt like I’d flown through a hurricane and landed in Oz like Dorothy, opening the door to a magical and colourful new world I never imagined. 

Whimsical, escapist, colourful and deeply poignant, this gorgeous fantasy is one that will stay with me long after reading. Highly recommended.

nwoodward's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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