Under the Whispering Door

This is such a lovely, heartwarming book. Though it deals with a serious subject, death, it does so in a sensitive, compassionate, and sometimes humorous manner. The characters are endearing, the setting is quaint and quirky, the plot is engaging, and the overall aesthetic is perfect. My only very mild complaint is that the ending dragged on a bit. However, that does not detract from the enjoyment of this book.

Wallace Price finds himself in unexpected predicament at the start of the story. He is dead, but he is still present on earth. He meets his Reaper, Mei, who leads him to a tea shop where his Ferryman, Hugo, awaits to help him accept his death and assist in his crossing over. Wallace struggles to accept his situation, but the inhabitants of the tea shop are there to guide him.

The best things about this book is its characters. The occupants of the tea shop are charming, compassionate, funny, and supportive. They bring out the best in Wallace. I especially love Nelson, the ferryman's dead grandfather who teaches Wallace how to be a ghost. Nelson adds much humor to the story. Hugo is also a wonderful character who is kind and empathetic. It is impossible not to love all of these strange and fascinating characters with their unique abilities.

The plot of the book centers mostly around acceptance of death and growth as a person. The fact that it takes dying for the main character to learn how life should be lived is the books great irony. The climax of the plot is satisfying and adds a sense of hope to the storyline. The action after the climax is slightly drawn out more than necessary, which is why I gave the book 4.5 stars instead of 5 stars.

This truly is a wonderful read that will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful. It will also make you a little bit sad, but that is part of the book's beauty. I highly recommend this book to any reader.