Under the Whispering Door

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. Tor Books.

Wallace Price is a lawyer, and like many of his kind, he’s cold, analytic, and mean. One day he wakes up at his own funeral and is soon escorted away by the newly minted reaper, Mei. At first, Wallace doesn’t quite get what’s happening and he’s pretty calm. But he soon catches on and he suddenly wants to get back home and runs away. By this time he’s arrived at Charon’s Crossing at the teahouse run by Hugo, who just happens also to be the ferryman. It’s while at this way-house that Wallace learns how to live.

This was a delightful read about living, dying, and changing one’s ways. Wallace is pretty unlikeable at the start but he redeems himself over the course of the story and you can’t help but cheer him on as he evolves. Hugo is like the calm in the storm and he is extremely talented at making tea and also at helping people to cross over. But Hugo’s life isn’t perfect and there’s plenty of room for him to grow. He’s accompanied at his teahouse by his grandfather, Nelson, and his old dog, Apollo, who are ghosts like Wallace and waiting to cross over. Except they have been there a long time, waiting for the time that Hugo is okay to be left behind. Mei has a fiery temper but is really good at her job, even though she’s only just officially started. She also helps to run the tea house.

We meet many other characters, like the woman who “speaks” to spirits through a Ouija board, the mother of a child who crossed over in difficult circumstances, and a man who is a husk of himself after running away. Even Wallace’s ex-wife gets some attention along the way as he reshapes himself during his time in the way house.

At the heart of this story, there’s love, in a general sense and in a romantic sense. It never gets gushy or mushy and it all feels sincere and natural. Wallace learns how to love others and it changes his life.

Overall, this is a great book and I give it 4.5 stars. I would like to thank Netgalley and Tor for providing a free advanced reader copy. I have written this review voluntarily.