A review by vienna_books
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-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
3.5
I wish I could give this book 5 stars because there were many aspects I really loved about it:
The overall feeling was very cozy and picturesque. TJ Klune managed to describe scenes in a way that made me want to paint them. The book tackles one of the hardest topics one can write about (death) and spins it into a feel good story. Tea is also a very central theme, which I loved because it’s also important in my life (I work for a small tea company). The writing was easy to read and beautiful at the same time. I also loved the first chapter - we as a reader find out that the main character of this book is an asshole which is always a great set up for character development. The characters are very diverse - different nationalities, age groups and sexual orientations are represented.
This is the perfect transition to the things I didn‘t like about the book:
Although the cast of characters was diverse, I feel like this book could have had more women. I feel like it even failed the Bechdel-test. Nearly all characters central to the story are male (there is one woman in the main cast and two VERY minor side characters that barely have any lines). This is not something that bothers me too much - but I noticed.
Another thing I disliked (but didn‘t hate) was the pacing and plot. I feel like it was very slow paced with barely any plot. I like character driven stories, so it was okay for me, even though I did get a little bored in the middle. If you prefer plot driven, fast paced reads - this book is not for you.
My main criticisms are about character development, romance and the ending, I will include mild spoilers (won‘t spoil any plot)
The romance was so strange to read for me and I would have preferred if it was left out. I felt like the two characters have nothing in common, I even had trouble imagining the main character as bi for some reason. I started to picture him like a meaner version of Darryl Whitefeather from Crazy Ex Girlfriend but it didn‘t help much. I could not get on board this ship. (I feel the need to state that this has nothing to do with the fact that it‘s a queer romance, just about me not liking these particular characters together)
This section will discuss the ending and why I hated it with a fiery passion even though I still liked the book overall (going into spoilers here):
All in all I would still recommend this book to people looking for a relaxing, cozy read.
The overall feeling was very cozy and picturesque. TJ Klune managed to describe scenes in a way that made me want to paint them. The book tackles one of the hardest topics one can write about (death) and spins it into a feel good story. Tea is also a very central theme, which I loved because it’s also important in my life (I work for a small tea company). The writing was easy to read and beautiful at the same time. I also loved the first chapter - we as a reader find out that the main character of this book is an asshole which is always a great set up for character development. The characters are very diverse - different nationalities, age groups and sexual orientations are represented.
This is the perfect transition to the things I didn‘t like about the book:
Although the cast of characters was diverse, I feel like this book could have had more women. I feel like it even failed the Bechdel-test. Nearly all characters central to the story are male (there is one woman in the main cast and two VERY minor side characters that barely have any lines). This is not something that bothers me too much - but I noticed.
Another thing I disliked (but didn‘t hate) was the pacing and plot. I feel like it was very slow paced with barely any plot. I like character driven stories, so it was okay for me, even though I did get a little bored in the middle. If you prefer plot driven, fast paced reads - this book is not for you.
My main criticisms are about character development, romance and the ending, I will include mild spoilers (won‘t spoil any plot)
Spoiler
I feel like the development of our main character, who started out as the badest person imaginable, is unrealistic. It read like he was swapped out with a different character. I would have liked it if he had shown more of his bad side during the story and gotten learning moments instead of just becoming a good person overnight.The romance was so strange to read for me and I would have preferred if it was left out. I felt like the two characters have nothing in common, I even had trouble imagining the main character as bi for some reason. I started to picture him like a meaner version of Darryl Whitefeather from Crazy Ex Girlfriend but it didn‘t help much. I could not get on board this ship. (I feel the need to state that this has nothing to do with the fact that it‘s a queer romance, just about me not liking these particular characters together)
This section will discuss the ending and why I hated it with a fiery passion even though I still liked the book overall (going into spoilers here):
Spoiler
I felt like Wallace becoming alive again defeated the purpose of the whole story. Like WHAT? What about the river only moving in one direction? Loved that quote but it became a joke after this ending. Wallace should have gone through the door or at the very least stayed a ghost. The manager changing his mind seemed so out of character. Maybe it‘s because I usually don‘t read many feel good books but I wanted so much more from the ending. I felt like the whole story should have focused more on Wallace and why he became such a bad person in the first place and his development into a better version of himself without the romance plot. But maybe that‘s just me.All in all I would still recommend this book to people looking for a relaxing, cozy read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Child death