A review by sparklefarm
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Here's the thing about reading TJ Klune books. The setting is so cozy and the characters so heartfelt that if I read quickly enough, I don't catch how preachy it is. I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way, but both books that I've read are just so dang earnest. In this book I think the charming setting distracted me from the fact that
I didn't actually see Wallace's transformation from asshole to great guy, or believe his growing connection to Hugo (also I definitely clocked their ages as like, 65 and 29 at first since it wasn't made explicit, which complicated things 😆). For me, a lot of telling vs showing.
That said, I really enjoy how his books make me feel when I read them! So I'll probably definitely read more.
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