![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Under the Whispering Door - TJ Klune
Apr. 20th, 2024 12:52 pmI really didn't like House in the Cerulean Sea, and that has made me very reluctant to read any more of Klune's books, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance - I really liked it! It's got a number of things in common with the other one, but I feel like a number of the similar elements that didn't work for me in Cerulean Sea did actually work here, and the ones that didn't, I was willing to overlook because I enjoyed the rest of it, though I'll still mention them under the cut.
I actually picked up this book because I was buying his werewolf book, which I also plan to read, but I saw this right next to it and was reminded that I found the premise interesting (dealing with the afterlife and Grim Reapers, basically) so I got it too and read it first. There were a few points where I just went "Oh, Klune, STOP" - there are definitely elements of overwhelming tweeness to this book as well - but on the whole I really enjoyed it and blazed through most of it yesterday.
( General comments on premise and setup )
( The big spoilers of it all, including what I liked and didn't like )
So yeah, I really enjoyed this one. As much as I would have liked a bit more leaning into the eerie, sad, and otherworldly elements, I felt the fact that it did have those elements provided a balance on the twee and cozy that worked for me overall. On the whole, I'm glad I gave Klune another chance, and with a 50/50 hit-and-miss track record, I'm looking forward to seeing what the werewolf book is like!
I actually picked up this book because I was buying his werewolf book, which I also plan to read, but I saw this right next to it and was reminded that I found the premise interesting (dealing with the afterlife and Grim Reapers, basically) so I got it too and read it first. There were a few points where I just went "Oh, Klune, STOP" - there are definitely elements of overwhelming tweeness to this book as well - but on the whole I really enjoyed it and blazed through most of it yesterday.
( General comments on premise and setup )
( The big spoilers of it all, including what I liked and didn't like )
So yeah, I really enjoyed this one. As much as I would have liked a bit more leaning into the eerie, sad, and otherworldly elements, I felt the fact that it did have those elements provided a balance on the twee and cozy that worked for me overall. On the whole, I'm glad I gave Klune another chance, and with a 50/50 hit-and-miss track record, I'm looking forward to seeing what the werewolf book is like!