2024~24. Under The Whispering Door

TJ Klune. 2021.

TJ Klune's whimsical writing style is pretty much the only thing I liked about this book.  I mean, that is a lot in favor of a book.  His playful, vibrant storytelling is kind of fabulous.  The way he plays with character development, especially with the layers of sexual orientation and sexuality, is unique and fun.  There is something just so lovely about his writing style.

But, everything else about this book was kind of a mess.  I hated the plot, which was just a variation of show The Good Life, with a kind of purgatory situation where the rules and process are a mystery, but everyone is nevertheless kind of muddling their way through.  I particularly hated that the main character was an awful human who was given a chance to redeem himself by having a change of heart.  In all honesty, it pissed me off that he could be just such a heartless, uncaring jerk for almost his entire life and then he meets really kind and patient people after he dies whose love and care help him transform himself into a totally different person.  It was just so irritating and trite and I just felt like their energy could have been spent on someone more deserving.  There was nothing redeeming about this person that warranted the special treatment he gets.  

Plus the plot just did not hold together and every time there was a particularly large plot hole, something bizarre would happen that made no sense and just made things weirder and made less sense.  It wasn't painful to read, since the writing is so lovely, it just left me feeling disappointed that nothing made sense.

Not recommended.

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