A review by theaceofpages
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

emotional reflective medium-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

3.0

Wallace is sent to a tea house run by a mix of the living and the dead to  accept his death and grow as a person before he moves on. I have heard a lot of good things abut Klune so was interested in trying his books. Most have waitlists at my library,  but this one didn't so I thought I'd give it a try, even though there are others that sound more interesting to me (and I'll probably still try at least one of these so I can see if it's the author or the book that annoyed me). While it wasn't bad, I didn't feel particularly invested in the story either. It was okay, but I was expecting more for how much this book is praised. 

I was rather bored for the first third or so. Nothing really happened? It also annoyed me that Wallace, this supposedly cruel man, suddenly did a complete 180 in terms of personality. While big events can definitely change a person, this didn't exactly feel natural. Then we reach the more interesting part of the book. We have gotten to know the characters a bit better and we see how the tea house functions. And then we get to the end. Which, again, I did not like all that much. It felt a bit forced and heavy handed, but I can also tell why people would enjoy it.
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