The astounding journey of “Under The Whispering Door”

The cover of TJ Klune's "Under The Whispering Door."

The cover of TJ Klune’s “Under The Whispering Door.”

Ryan King, Correspondent

Wallace Price was a man with high expectations. He believed people were machines in the workplace, and that’s how they should operate. Empathy wasn’t part of his emotional arsenal. He was a cold man who liked to work and that was his motivation every day — until it wasn’t. He died an untimely death when a heart attack struck him.

Now Wallace must face the afterlife and come to terms with his death, or rather the realization that he never truly lived at all. In death he meets someone who may just put some life into that cold empty heart of his after all. That someone is Hugo, the Ferryman who is supposed to guide him through the afterlife safely. When Wallace is granted a week to accept his fate, he’ll be forced to squeeze an entire lifetime into a week. How will Wallace face his truth? And will he come to terms with it? Will Hugo be more than just a mere guide for Wallace?

This is what unfolds within TJ Klune’s wonderful story, “Under The Whispering Door.” The book provided me with tears both of joy and of sorrow. The laughter and frustration I experienced made me forget I was even reading a fictional story. Klune leads you on a remarkable journey that will have you constantly on your toes, anticipating what comes next.

In the second chapter I found myself tearing up by the end and I knew I was in for a ride with 384 pages worth of emotion packed into this novel.

Before reading this book I’d never heard of TJ Klune, but I found he is an LGBTQ activist who publishes under Tom Doherty Associates. Klune specializes in sci-fi queer love stories and “Under The Whispering Door” is a prime example of his specialty.

I purchased my copy at a local Barnes and Noble for $26.99, pretty pricey — but you can purchase the book online at the Kindle store for only $13.99. And now that the holiday season is around the corner, it might make a great gift. All in all, it’s not a bad first take on TJ Klune’s work — and was worth the purchase price for me. I may even be back for more of Klune’s work.