TJ Klune author spotlight and Under the Whispering Door preview
Amazon
This post contains affiliate links. We earn a small commission if you purchase the book through this link.
September is a month I’ve been anticipating since the spring. I love college football and cooler temps, and the holiday at the beginning of the month is nice. But those things cannot compare to the excitement I’ve been carrying around for TJ Klune’s newest novel!
That’s right…this month, we get more brilliance by Klune. I’m a big fan of his work. The Extraordinaries is, well, extraordinary. And The House in the Cerulean Sea is utterly captivating and endearing. But this new story… Under the Whispering Door… is complete and total PERFECTION.
But before I dive head first into this new gem, let’s take a look at some already published fan favorites (me, I’m the fan).
🦸🏻♂️🦸🏻♂️🦸🏻♂️🦸🏻♂️
The Extraordinaries
Completely cheesy and sweet, yet impactful. This YA book is high on drama and a bit over the top, just like the age group! The messaging is on point while the storyline is engaging and funny. It’s earmarked as a superhero story. But really, it’s about teenagers learning to embrace their eccentricities (adhd, queerness, family dynamics).
I’m not typically a superhero fan, but the world could absolutely use more of this kind of superhero. Not just the ones doing super human things either. Ones like these teenagers who band together for good, support each other through thick and think, and overcome obstacles as they learn to believe in themselves.
One of the things I’ve come to love about Klune is his wit. The banter in this one is on point. I laughed and snickered and giggled. Even as our main character, Nick, deals with inner struggles, Klune manages to add a bit of lightheartedness.
Also of note! The sequel to this book, Flash Fire, just released on July 13 of this year.
🌊🌊🌊🌊½
The House in the Cerulean Sea
This whimsical story is a perfect escape from the stresses of real life. Linus’ boring, rule bound life is quickly thrown into an exhilarating twist when he’s sent on assignment to inspect an orphanage full of magically dangerous children. These characters are completely endearing and quickly teach us that they are much more than the label by which they are known. I fully rooted for each of them. And while the magic of these characters enthralled, the messages about the power of kindness and the destructive nature of prejudice resound in a poetic way. I am a reluctant reader of the fantasy genre. But this mini vacation to the Cerulean Sea was an uplifting treat.
But let’s be honest… THIS is what you came here for… drum roll please….
🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪
Under the Whispering Door
Stunningly beautiful and deeply profound. This book resonated in the deepest parts of my soul. It’s about the power of relationships. It’s about allowing yourself to be loved. And it’s about the possibility of change and learning from mistakes
How do you write a review for a book that is absolutely, completely, and utterly PERFECT? Klune has somehow taken the topic of death and made it endearing and whimsical with just the right touch of self-reflection. He’s created characters that are both impossibly loveable and ones you can’t imagine life without. And he’s done it all with charm and wit and beautiful prose. If this doesn’t exhibit writing at its best…if this doesn’t denote an author that is an absolute master, I’m at a loss for what does!
Wallace liked to think of himself as intelligent, hardworking, and successful. Others saw him as a crotchety, self-consumed asshole. But death is an equal opportunity taker. What kind of life did all of that hard work and privilege really afford him in the end? After a massive heart attack, Wallace finds himself at an afterlife way station, imbedded in a tea shop, where he must come to terms with his life and death with help from Hugo, Mei, and Nelson. Wallace may be the main character, but it’s Hugo, Mei, and Nelson that delight! They create a warm, safe space for Wallace to let go of fear and embrace kindness. Ultimately, it took dying for Walter to find his humanity and to learn how to let people love him.
Klune explores the hard topics of death and grief through quirky, easy to love characters that are real and relatable while delivering important life lessons as we get lost in the whimsy of this world he’s crafted at this afterlife way station.
I absolutely loved this book. Complete heart and soul adoration. This one is a must read, friends.
Which TJ Klune book is your favorite?
Leave a Reply