Author: T.J. Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Released: September 21^st, 2021
Received: NetGalley/Own
Warnings: Death, suicide, suicidal thoughts, terminal illness, murder, animal death

Brilliant author T.J. Klune is back with another emotional read. He’s the author that brought us The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Now, we get to read Under the Whispering Door.

Wallace Price was admittedly not the best of people in life. You’d think that would make the afterlife less shocking for him – but you’d be wrong. He was pretty surprised the day he dropped dead; that much is certain.

Wallace’s journey on this earth isn’t quite over, as he needs to come to terms with his death. This involves spending time at a tea shop run by a man named Hugo. It’s Huge’s job to help those that have passed make peace with their new status and cross through the whispering door.

“The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.”

Having read the rest of T.J. Klune’s backlog, it is safe to say that I had reasonably high expectations for Under the Whispering Door (along with probably every other reader on the planet). And wow! My already high expectations were blown away!

To be clear, before sitting down to read Under the Whispering Door, I would strongly recommend you get yourself a cozy blanket, your cuddliest pet (if you have one), and a box of tissues because this book is going to give you all of the feels. Seriously. You’ve been warned.

Wallace should win an award for the most character development I’ve ever seen within a single book. He went from a character I really didn’t like all that much (putting it kindly) to a character I wanted to hug and protect with all of my being.

“Death isn’t a final ending, Wallace. It is an ending, sure, but only to prepare you for a new beginning.”

He isn’t the only character I fell in love with through the course of Under the Whispering Door. Klune is a genius when it comes to creating lovable characters, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what character he’s going to create next that will utterly destroy my heart.

Words cannot express how much I loved this novel or how deeply it hit me. I would recommend this novel to anyone willing to listen, especially those looking for a fantasy novel that will touch the heart.

Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.