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 through the whimsical backdrop of this afterlife way station.  I couldn't have loved this book more!  
 
Thank you TJ Klune, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.