Reviews with content warning for Car accident - Under the Whispering Door

I enjoyed this one more than The House by the Cerulean Sea; it was a little more grounded and adult. The fantasy elements are well thought out, but not hindered by over-explanation. Just a truly good book about grief and death and love and beauty.

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junowo's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-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

5.0

I’m a person who has always had a complicated relationship with death, and I found a kinship in this book. I love the way that it reflected on the subject, acknowledging the great sadness and loss and fear, but also the joy and relief.

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sgpartyhat's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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

4.75

Wallace Price is a bit of an asshole. Okay, a lot of an asshole.

That is, until, he dies.

TJ Klune's Under the Whispering Door asks: what if when you died, you stopped at a tea shop on the way to whatever's next? That's just what Wallace does, shepherded by a reaper and a ferryman, and none too happily at that. But death has a way of changing people--the dead most of all.

Klune spins a tapestry of warm tea and warmer conversations, of love and loss and grief and fear and the occasional Eldritch being as old as time itself. His characters are imperfect, messy, and a comforting reminder that we are, too. His romance writing is loudly quiet and beautifully crafted, glowing embers and a raging fire all rolled up into one. His worldbuilding is whimsical and grand, and while it's looser than some of the fantasy I've read, that feels fitting for the story.

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cassielaj's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-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

5.0

Let me first say that I was fragile while reading this, dealing with some grief of my own, and this book was exactly what I needed in that time. It is a beautiful, hopeful reflection on life, death, and grief, filled with some of the loveliest characters who burrowed their ways into my heart.

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sandysmith's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-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

4.5

It's a really quirky, beautifully written read, but if death is a trigger for you, then give it a miss. It's about Wallace, a cold friendless corporate lawyer who likes it that way who has a heart attack and dies. He doesn't accept this but is collected by Reaper Mai at his funeral, who takes him to the Ferryman Hugo. He meets various other ghosts, mainly Nelson, Hugos' grandad, and Hugos' dog Apollo who together they help him come to terms with his death and become a better person, hopefully allowing him to cross over. So very thought-provoking about grief, relationships, friendships, and so much more. Uplifting and the best bisexual storyline I've read. I loved it, a big hug in a book, comforting and a massive tear jerker. A perfect modern fairy tale esq book. Smashing.

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