Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

Not a whisper but a shout of a review for "Under the Whispering Door" by T.J. Klune. Klune is a favorite author of mine for their unique blend of whimsy and depth in dealing with various uncomfortable and challenging themes many authors typically shy away from. This time is about life, death, and personal growth themes. The novel follows Wallace Price, an unlikable man who, after his death, is guided through the afterlife by Hugo, a tea shop owner. This setting allows for a charming exploration of Wallace's transformation from a selfish, cold-hearted individual to someone capable of genuine care and affection. At the novel's beginning, Klune made Price so unlikeable that I almost put the book down, thinking there was no way I could ever like this protagonist enough to read this book to the end. But I trusted Klune and am glad I did. The characters, especially Wallace and Hugo, are well-developed and relatable, making their journey heartwarming and poignant. My favorites, though, were Nelson and Mei. They had me laughing out loud several times.

As usual, with a Klune novel, I feel like I highlighted more than I didn't. Some of my favorites: "If we worry about the little things all the time, we run the risk of missing the bigger things." "It helps to laugh, even when you don't feel like laughing. You can't be sad when you're laughing. Mostly." "Death isn't a final ending, Wallace. It is an ending, sure, but only to prepare you for a new beginning." "Hindsight is a powerful thing, Wallace. We don't always see what's right in front of us, much less appreciate it." I could go on and on with these quotes. They all were particularly meaningful for me, having lost someone important a few years ago. Reading in the Acknowledgements that this is a deeply personal story for Klune and forced him to explore his own grief made perfect sense. No wonder so many passages in the book hit home. He obviously "got it" and knew what it was like to have that gaping hole in the center of your heart.

The ending was very emotionally satisfying, and it was nice that Wallace and Hugo got to have their happily ever after. I was rooting for it, and it was nice to see. But, I felt they didn't work especially hard or sacrifice enough for it. It appeared the "manager" could have done it all along and was just a jerk. So, the end was a bit of a copout, and I was expecting something grander and more dramatic. I was expecting some last-minute dramatic save or difficult nail-biting ending involving more characters and plots coming together. Don't get me wrong, I did feel it was emotionally satisfying for this reader to give Hugo and Wallace their happy ending since I was very invested in the characters and their relationships. However, I still feel Klune's ending did not deliver on the novel's more complex explorations of life and death we were traveling; the ending did not align with the logical progression of the novel. It was too simplistic and too easy. With all that said, I did enjoy it and will read it again and again.