A review by tnm94
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
emotional
hopeful
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
3.25
I almost dnf'ed this and I'm so glad I didn't.
The first half was not for me. Wallace is such a comically unlikable that I cared very little about him and his quest to become a better person. The hijinks and misunderstandings that make up the humor were too cartoonish for my tastes. I loved Hugo and the other characters and was intrigued by the mystery of Cameron so I pushed through (and uped my audiobook speed from 1.5x to 2x)
About halfway through, Wallace finally grew on me and I began to care about what happens to him. Here is where I feel that the author's theme and prose and character growth begin to shine. I went from not even wanting to finish the book to weeping through the last third of it.
While I very much enjoyed the ending, it didn't make up for the slough of the beginning. Still, I am glad to have read it and recommend it for stubborn readers who want their fantasy warm and cozy. You will want a cup of tea nearby as you read
The first half was not for me. Wallace is such a comically unlikable that I cared very little about him and his quest to become a better person. The hijinks and misunderstandings that make up the humor were too cartoonish for my tastes. I loved Hugo and the other characters and was intrigued by the mystery of Cameron so I pushed through (and uped my audiobook speed from 1.5x to 2x)
About halfway through, Wallace finally grew on me and I began to care about what happens to him. Here is where I feel that the author's theme and prose and character growth begin to shine. I went from not even wanting to finish the book to weeping through the last third of it.
While I very much enjoyed the ending, it didn't make up for the slough of the beginning. Still, I am glad to have read it and recommend it for stubborn readers who want their fantasy warm and cozy. You will want a cup of tea nearby as you read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Child death, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Cancer