Under the Whispering Door

Name: Under the Whispering Door
SKU: 7698
Availability: InStock

4.4 | 17,009 ratings

Price: 21.65

Last update: 01-11-2025

Top reviews from the United States

Nanette Littlestone, Author

One of the most heartwarming books I’ve read this year

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024

Wallace Price, a rather mean, self-centered man, encounters Mei, a Reaper, at his own funeral, who’s there to bring him to Charon’s Crossing—the tea house way station for the dead, run by Hugo, a ferryman, who lives with his dog, Apollo, and grandfather, Nelson. A lively bunch on a typical day, but to Wallace, a totally bizarre collection of beings who can’t seem to give him the only thing he desperately needs—to be alive again. What Wallace doesn’t understand is there’s no going back. Once you’re dead, you’re dead, and your only choice is to move forward.

What ensues is nothing short of magical. The house at Charon’s Crossing is an impossible feat of architecture with a cozy atmosphere and delicious tea and scones. Mei is a fierce, no-nonsense woman, Apollo loves to lick and have his stomach scratched, Nelson gets a kick out of practical jokes, and Hugo . . . well, Hugo is just about the most warm-hearted perfectly imperfect person ever that could be in charge of lost souls. Together, these eclectic characters help Wallace find himself in so many unexpected ways.

Death is a difficult subject at best, even in a fantasy, and Klune handles it with both curiosity and great humor, as well as deep questions and introspection. There were times I laughed at Wallace and times I wanted to hug him, times when I thought he was ridiculous, and times when I understood his fear of leaving the world behind. And for most of the last third of the book I cried, because facing the unknown is terrifying and he is so brave and so full of love for the people who have become his friends.

Under the Whispering Door is like an all-day pass to Disneyland, full of thrills and chills, death-defying drops and soaring adventures—the greatest ride of your life (pun intended). And through every moment, the biggest, most wonderful love you can imagine. TJ Klune has done it again. Get your ticket now, because you definitely don’t want to miss out.

Amazonian45

Under the Whispering Door

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024

Soft but funny, another Klune masterpiece. Here Klune asks the question we all do— What is the meaning of life? The world of the tea shop and its visitors provides multiple vantage points for tenderly delivered suggestions. I loved this gentle walk through the themes of loss, grief, and death. It was only made more perfect because it included a dog to help along the journey.

Social Workin Mom

Contemplative Lighthearted Exploration of Grief

Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2024

This is a sci Fi/fantasy book about grieving. Not just loss of others but loss of one's own life and all that could have been. It is emotional, quiet, thoughtful, gently amusing at times and cute. It will make you contemplate the grand scheme of life and death. It will make you smile. If you hold dearly any very specific beliefs around the afterlife this book may not be for you.

Amazon Customer

Heartwarming and full of unexpected moments

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2024

TJ gave us a well-rounded, balanced, yet complex array of characters. The evolution of all main characters shows the true depths of how the chosen family support one another throughout struggle, love, processing the past present and future. Selflessness, love, compassion, loss, grief and growth are intricately embedded in every turn.

Leah C

Not what I expected

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2024

I loved the beginning and the ending of this book. It took me a really long time to plow through it. It was not at all what I expected. It was well-written and the characters were great. The subject is a difficult one. I was hoping I would be uplifted, but it fell flat with me. So many loved it.....just not me.

Laundry Czar

Unexpectedly brilliant

Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2024

I believe every reader will take something different from this book, as we all view our selves and our place within the world differently, even if we think we align with others. This book is a treasure.

Alison S. Coad

Touching Love Story

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2021

Wallace Price is not a nice person - a lawyer, he values efficiency and winning over all else, including human relationships. So when he suddenly dies of a heart attack, there are few mourners at his funeral. He is surprised when one of them, a young woman he has never seen, not only appears at the funeral but actually sees and responds to him when nobody else does; it turns out that she is Meiying, a Reaper sent to bring his soul to a waystation where a ferryman while guide him across. Hugo Freeman is unlike anybody he’s ever met, and along with Mei, Nelson the ghost of Hugo’s grandfather and Apollo the ghost-dog, Wallace begins to learn how to become a better person, despite being dead. After all, the potential for personal growth doesn’t stop with the mere end of life…. T. J. Klune is getting a lot of praise (and probably some hate too, unfortunately) for centering queer folk, people of colour and queer people of colour in his books, but what I think he does best is centering human relationships, connections and honest emotions throughout his work; I’ve only read two of his books (the other being “The House in the Cerulean Sea”), but in both cases the fantasy worlds are anchored by the characters’ humanity and care for each other. I pretty much knew what would happen in this novel from the beginning, but that didn’t detract from the story at all - indeed, it was fascinating to see how he would get his characters to that ending! Above all, this story is engaging and thoughtful, and it takes no time at all for the reader to become invested in Wallace, Hugo and the rest - they’re all people (and dog) that we would want to know in our own lives! Recommended.

ltd

what a unique book!

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2024

What a good story about life and death. No religion just humanity. I loved the characters both dead and alive. I want to start it all over again.

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