Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune Published by Tor on September 21, 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Goodreads
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
About Under the Whispering Door
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune is the book about loss and grieving that you didn’t know you needed.
Wallace is a highly successful, thoroughly dislikeable man. Even after death, he’s a cranky jerk. To Mei, the reaper who collects him from his funeral. To the other ghosts. And even to Hugo, the ferryman charged with helping Wallace accept his death and move on to his next chapter.
But things don’t go quite as planned. Wallace finds reasons to stay. The biggest one being Hugo.
My thoughts about Under the Whispering Door
Following The House in the Cerulean Sea, this is the second book in what TJ Klune has called his kindness trilogy. Where the first book tackled prejudice and the uncaringness of bureaucracy, this one looks at living, dying, grieving, and loss. Weightier subjects but he’s again handled them with amazing deftness and a great dollop of humor.
The banter in Under the Whispering Door is so good! Wallace embodies the outrage of a drenched cat. Nelson, the ghost of Hugo’s grandfather, is a crafty old man at his finest. And Hugo is love and kindness in a cup of tea.
The relationship that develops between Wallace and Hugo is so incredibly heartwarming without ever sliding into being maudlin. And the found family of all of the characters, so willing to give everything to and for each other was profoundly moving.
Under the Whispering Door will wreck you in the most amazing, banter-filled, heart-wrenching yet kind way possible. It has it all:
• Found family
• Queer love
• Tea talk
• Ghost dog!
In conclusion
Grief and loss are difficult things to deal with. I lost my dad three years ago and that overwhelming sense of loss still clobbers me at times. Under the Whispering Door, while it had me in tears several times, also gave me a sense of comfort. If The House in the Cerulean Sea was a comforting hug, this book is a sympathetic cup of tea and shoulder to cry on.
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