elazza3540's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Cancer, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Animal death, and Injury/injury detail
jesshorn10's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.5
This book was beautiful and almost completely perfect. Everything that I wanted to happen, happened, and I found myself in tears multiple times. My only complaint, is that it took me a little bit to really get into the story, but overall, I loved it!! I would read a sequel about these characters in a heartbeat!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
wormgirl's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Child death, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Cancer, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Homophobia
Minor: Abandonment
abbiechron's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I thought I had the ending worked out about halfway through the book. I was incredibly wrong, and completely shocked. I read this after The House in the Cerulean Sea, which I HAD guessed the ending correctly, but not with this one.
Klune makes you think. I didn't know what to expect of this book. There were tears, conversations that followed with loved ones, and a tangible hook stinging my heart.
I was somewhat disappointed with the character development. It seemed to happen all at once in the first half of the book, and then the rest was moreso based upon building up to the ending with more of an emphasis on the character interactions and relationships.
I loved what Nelson and Apollo and Mei added. They were the rainbow to the already warm and welcoming sun shining through the decay and rot of death.
Was in a way, grateful for the ambiguity of The Manager.
Highly recommend for those ready to involve themselves in this darker read.
Klune makes you think. I didn't know what to expect of this book. There were tears, conversations that followed with loved ones, and a tangible hook stinging my heart.
I was somewhat disappointed with the character development. It seemed to happen all at once in the first half of the book, and then the rest was moreso based upon building up to the ending with more of an emphasis on the character interactions and relationships.
Spoiler
By relationships, I mostly meant between Hugo and Wallace. I adored the change in Wallace's heart, but it was almost too predictable in terms of the narrative of horrible-person-turned-lovable and felt very Christmas Carol-esque.I loved what Nelson and Apollo and Mei added. They were the rainbow to the already warm and welcoming sun shining through the decay and rot of death.
Spoiler
I WAS for sure expecting Nelson to cross by the end (knowing Hugo was in good hands with Wallace; and I honestly thought Nelson was going to take Wallace's place in regards to the "forced" cross that The Manager was planning on enforcing a week after his initial visit), but did not expect Apollo to go with him, that broke my heart...Was in a way, grateful for the ambiguity of The Manager.
Highly recommend for those ready to involve themselves in this darker read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Suicide, Injury/injury detail, and Terminal illness
Minor: Animal death and Blood
tinybrito's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
sad
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Cancer, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Infidelity
ppixxie's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-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
2.5
I sort of picked this up on a whim, knowing that it was about a man who had passed and living out a kind of gay Christmas Carol situation; I figured that I would give TJ Klune another shot. I had read the Green Creek series (which I sort of hate read/sort of liked despite... You know. The really weird grooming adjacent stuff.) and House in the Cerulean Sea (which read completely different than the Green Creek series. Very much trying to emulate Terry Pratchett but not as charming?). So, to set the scene here is me, recently losing someone very important in my life and picking this book up. I expected to feel at least something that wasn't on a spectrum of boredom to annoyance.
And yet.
This book has everything that I disliked about House in the Cerulean Sea but turned up to eleven. The unearned character growth that Wallace goes through that seemingly comes from nowhere in Chapter 2 (I wanted to see him be shitty! I wanted to see him EARN his redemption and feel his horror at how bad of a boss he used to be.), how the nonwhite characters seem to only exist to further the white main character's emotional journey, and he never seems to build on the interesting concepts he introduces? He resolves them very quickly. I loved the idea of Cameron and I would've loved to see him more as some type of looming element throughout the book <spoilers>instead of coming in at the middle of the book, then getting his big resolution at the end. I'm also not a huge fan of how TJ Klune writes romances in general, he uses many of the same tropes for a lot of his couples so it ends up feeling more like a Hallmark movie rather than two individual characters falling in love.
I won't comment on how the book deals with grieving, the conversation about death, and how the narration deals with it. After I finished the book I read the acknowledgments where the author says that he used this book to channel his experiences. Everyone's journey with the death and grief of losing a loved one is different. However, why does it feel like the narrative punishes people who aren't immediately okay with their death? Or if they react in a way that is... not convenient to the characters at Charon's Crossing? it would've been cool to see how Hugo changed tactics to accommodate the different reactions that people had, but he kind of just sits with them and says "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through" and sort of leaves it at that. (Which all the other characters repeat as well)
The part in this book that I truly, absolutely loved that hit me as incredibly real and grounded and sort of endeared me to Wallace and Hugo's relationship was at the end It almost makes up for how one note all the characters are.
Spoilers for the ending
I honestly think this is the longest review I've ever written for anything. Wow.
And yet.
This book has everything that I disliked about House in the Cerulean Sea but turned up to eleven. The unearned character growth that Wallace goes through that seemingly comes from nowhere in Chapter 2 (I wanted to see him be shitty! I wanted to see him EARN his redemption and feel his horror at how bad of a boss he used to be.), how the nonwhite characters seem to only exist to further the white main character's emotional journey, and he never seems to build on the interesting concepts he introduces? He resolves them very quickly. I loved the idea of Cameron and I would've loved to see him more as some type of looming element throughout the book <spoilers>instead of coming in at the middle of the book, then getting his big resolution at the end. I'm also not a huge fan of how TJ Klune writes romances in general, he uses many of the same tropes for a lot of his couples so it ends up feeling more like a Hallmark movie rather than two individual characters falling in love.
I won't comment on how the book deals with grieving, the conversation about death, and how the narration deals with it. After I finished the book I read the acknowledgments where the author says that he used this book to channel his experiences. Everyone's journey with the death and grief of losing a loved one is different. However, why does it feel like the narrative punishes people who aren't immediately okay with their death? Or if they react in a way that is... not convenient to the characters at Charon's Crossing? it would've been cool to see how Hugo changed tactics to accommodate the different reactions that people had, but he kind of just sits with them and says "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through" and sort of leaves it at that. (Which all the other characters repeat as well)
The part in this book that I truly, absolutely loved that hit me as incredibly real and grounded and sort of endeared me to Wallace and Hugo's relationship was at the end
Spoiler
where it's one of the last nights before the Manager has to take Wallace into the door. Wallace and Hugo are in bed, and they're talking. They're having a conversation about how they would've met if Wallace were still alive, it's so bittersweet and tender.Spoilers for the ending
Spoiler
But, if he was going to bring Wallace back in the end I think it would have been stronger thematically - especially with the depiction of the manager being this antagonistic bureaucrat - with Wallace choosing to live out of spite, saying that yes; my death was unfair. I have so much else I want to do, it's unfair that I am only now living my life happily now that I am dead. So I will fight the world, I will claw my way to the man I love, to the family I love - and live? The entire book is about the finality of death, the process of grief, and how inescapable it is. The ending felt like the antithesis of the core themes, which I understand that TJ Klune is a writer that exclusively writes happy endings! That's fine! But this ending seems so disingenuous to the heart of the book.I honestly think this is the longest review I've ever written for anything. Wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Medical content, Animal death, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, and Racism
franklola's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Cancer, Chronic illness, Grief, Self harm, Child death, Murder, and Suicide
houseplantz's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Cancer
emmylamptey's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.25
Under the Whispering Door is a breath of fresh air and wonderful, thoughtful read. Wallace, a partner in a law firm, was a very Scrooge-like man during his life. He cared little about anyone other than himself and liked things to be exactly his way.
When he finds himself at his own funeral, he is angry and doesn’t believe he has died. Through a journey with the Reaper and Ferryman, Wallace finds himself and his purpose in the afterlife.
The small cast of characters in this book are wonderfully developed, diverse, and loveable. Set in a small tea shop, the Ferryman Hugo helps Wallace, and other dead souls, to find peace and make their way up through the door.
This book provided perspectives on love, death, kindness, humanity, and the afterlife that will change how I see things in my life.
Thank you to Net Galley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel and thank you to TJ Klune for writing such an inclusive and lovely story where LGBTQ+ relationships exist without being the sole focus.
When he finds himself at his own funeral, he is angry and doesn’t believe he has died. Through a journey with the Reaper and Ferryman, Wallace finds himself and his purpose in the afterlife.
The small cast of characters in this book are wonderfully developed, diverse, and loveable. Set in a small tea shop, the Ferryman Hugo helps Wallace, and other dead souls, to find peace and make their way up through the door.
This book provided perspectives on love, death, kindness, humanity, and the afterlife that will change how I see things in my life.
Thank you to Net Galley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel and thank you to TJ Klune for writing such an inclusive and lovely story where LGBTQ+ relationships exist without being the sole focus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Child death, and Animal death
Minor: Cancer
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Terminal illness, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment