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A review by micheala
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a weird book for me. It's really close to reading as a contemporary rather than speculative book, despite the premise being that our main character is a ghost.
The main character, Wallace, is profoundly unlikable at the beginning. This is primarily a character study of watching Wallace learn how to be a decent person (and learn to acknowledge how terrible of a person he was when he was alive).
I ended up listening to this on audiobook, which really helped get me to the point in the story that Wallace begins to change. I did like the plot that was happening with the other ghosts we get introduced to, even though that was clearly not the point. The point of this story is exploring the relationship each individual has with death, from both sides of the grave.
I do wish we got to find out more about the ghost world outside of the tea shop.
The main character, Wallace, is profoundly unlikable at the beginning. This is primarily a character study of watching Wallace learn how to be a decent person (and learn to acknowledge how terrible of a person he was when he was alive).
I ended up listening to this on audiobook, which really helped get me to the point in the story that Wallace begins to change. I did like the plot that was happening with the other ghosts we get introduced to, even though that was clearly not the point. The point of this story is exploring the relationship each individual has with death, from both sides of the grave.
I do wish we got to find out more about the ghost world outside of the tea shop.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Suicide
One of the ghosts was stabbed to death, one of the ghosts committed suicide and we talk about a past ghost who was a little girl who died after a fight with an illness (hospitalization)