A review by thewickermage
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

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

3.0

I find TJ Klune's novels formulaic and repetitive. There's not a whole lot of differentiation between the MC in A House in the Cerulean Sea and the MC (and cast of supporting characters) in this novel. 

This is a story about learning how to live and coming to terms with grief. The themes are beautiful and meaningful, but as the story develops are only ever really investigated and presented at a very surface level. However, the coporate drone schtick is very well written (and very American). The character development of the MC wasn't really achieved, so at the end of the book I felt a whole lot of nothing. 

The story itself is quite drawn out and repetitive; the MC seems to have the same conversations with the supporting characters every day. The love story appears out of nowhere. There's very little tension, if none at all, to the build up for it. I do not think the story would have been any less impactful if the love story hadn't been present. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings