A review by v_larr
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
4.0
This book really said "Put Uncle Iroh in The Good Place. Do it. Do it."
AND AS THEY SHOULD. OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
What was it I said about this book....it reminds me of The Good Place, duh, with a bit of Julie and the Phantoms and Cemetery Boys, and some Christmas Carol. Huh, maybe I consume more of this genre/topic than I thought.
I think this author's writing style works well with topics relating to philosophy and the afterlife and such. Like it's got that comforting style that makes it like, hey, yeah the unknown is okay but we'll reach it together.
Anyways, I mean the plot of this book is pretty clear cut. Jerk dude dies, realizes his life wasn't that great because he was a jerk, and becomes a better person in the afterlife. Like I said, The Good Place.
Okay yeah the found family in this book was super sweet, not nearly as good as The House in the Cerulean Sea, though. But man it tugged at my heartstrings. The whole book did, really.
I found the idea of the tea shop being adorable. Like yeah man, didn't you know the Grim Reaper works at a tea shop? Of course she does. With her ghost family.
I loved seeing Wallace's progression, like I've only known this man for a day but if anything happened to him-uh, whoopsies.
I thought Hugo was adorable and loved his relationship with Wallace. After reading something as icky as The Spanish Love Deception, I really needed something more, idk, pure and lowkey but still something that you'd root for with your entire being. For a greater chunk of the book, they reminded me of Luke and Julie. Yaknow, the whole ~can't really be together cause yaknow one of them is DEAD.~
Nelson and Mei are absolute gods I love them they're hilarious.
The Manager did nothing wrong. I am a Manager apologist. And I love when they have super scary intimidating powerful beings just be kids. Like you're right, kids are horrifying.
Only issue was I found it repetitive with its vague conversations about how no one knows what happens when you die blah blah like it could've been cut a bit. I mean it's not nearly as deep as The Good Place but then again what is.
And I was not expecting that ending. Does it count as a Deus ex Machina if said Deus showed up many times to fuck around already?
Anyways, this book made my chest all fuzzy, I wanna work in their tea shop fr. But as an alive person. Let me make that clear.
I love this author a lot! Might go look up more of his books.
AND AS THEY SHOULD. OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
What was it I said about this book....it reminds me of The Good Place, duh, with a bit of Julie and the Phantoms and Cemetery Boys, and some Christmas Carol. Huh, maybe I consume more of this genre/topic than I thought.
I think this author's writing style works well with topics relating to philosophy and the afterlife and such. Like it's got that comforting style that makes it like, hey, yeah the unknown is okay but we'll reach it together.
Anyways, I mean the plot of this book is pretty clear cut. Jerk dude dies, realizes his life wasn't that great because he was a jerk, and becomes a better person in the afterlife. Like I said, The Good Place.
Okay yeah the found family in this book was super sweet, not nearly as good as The House in the Cerulean Sea, though. But man it tugged at my heartstrings. The whole book did, really.
I found the idea of the tea shop being adorable. Like yeah man, didn't you know the Grim Reaper works at a tea shop? Of course she does. With her ghost family.
I loved seeing Wallace's progression, like I've only known this man for a day but if anything happened to him-uh, whoopsies.
I thought Hugo was adorable and loved his relationship with Wallace. After reading something as icky as The Spanish Love Deception, I really needed something more, idk, pure and lowkey but still something that you'd root for with your entire being. For a greater chunk of the book, they reminded me of Luke and Julie. Yaknow, the whole ~can't really be together cause yaknow one of them is DEAD.~
Nelson and Mei are absolute gods I love them they're hilarious.
The Manager did nothing wrong. I am a Manager apologist. And I love when they have super scary intimidating powerful beings just be kids. Like you're right, kids are horrifying.
Only issue was I found it repetitive with its vague conversations about how no one knows what happens when you die blah blah like it could've been cut a bit. I mean it's not nearly as deep as The Good Place but then again what is.
And I was not expecting that ending. Does it count as a Deus ex Machina if said Deus showed up many times to fuck around already?
Anyways, this book made my chest all fuzzy, I wanna work in their tea shop fr. But as an alive person. Let me make that clear.
I love this author a lot! Might go look up more of his books.