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A review by reedalong
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Wallace Price is a terrible person who suffers an unexpected death. We're not expected to feel for him at first, though we are given his perspective to grapple with. Over the course of the novel, we watch him discover his own humanity and that of those around him. Hell, he even comes to care about a dog! What's not to love?
Klune uses this novel to grapple with themes of grief and anxiety, suicide and what it means to exist. He cushions these themes with bubble wrap made of comedic moments, found family, and love. And he does a wonderful job building an optimistic feeling in the chest of the reader. At least, he did this for me.
If you find Wallace a bit too close to someone you know in real life keep reading anyway. What you feel might get better, might give way to a little hope at the end.Plus, remember: Wallace had to have the patterns of his life permanently altered before he could change and stop hurting people. He made those changes with strangers, not with his ex-wife or former friends. Sometimes the people who hurt others need to have a complete perspective and power shift before they can learn to be kind.
Klune uses this novel to grapple with themes of grief and anxiety, suicide and what it means to exist. He cushions these themes with bubble wrap made of comedic moments, found family, and love. And he does a wonderful job building an optimistic feeling in the chest of the reader. At least, he did this for me.
If you find Wallace a bit too close to someone you know in real life keep reading anyway. What you feel might get better, might give way to a little hope at the end.