This was my first experience with TJ Klune's writing, and it definitely lives up to all the great things that I've heard. This story made me laugh and cry hysterically, and was a much-needed reminder to appreciate the little things in life. I can't wait to check out more of TJ's work in the future, and I can't recommend this book enough; it's so beautiful in so many ways.
“It’s never enough, is it? Time. We always think we have so much of it, but when it really counts, we don’t have enough at all.”
Wallace Price is the definition of a workaholic. As one of the co-founders of a successful law firm, he has a no-nonsense approach to his work, and he expects the same from his employees.
His life is an endless cycle of waking up, spending the day meeting with clients, going to court, and filing paperwork, then heading home to his high-rise apartment to eat a frozen dinner, then more work until midnight.
Day in and day out, this was his routine, and Wallace saw nothing wrong with it. To him, this was the definition of success, and there could be nothing in life more important than that.
We learn the extent of Wallace's heartlessness towards his employees when Patricia Ryan, a longtime employee at the firm, comes to Wallace's office hoping to vent. She is going through a rough patch, her husband has been laid off from work, and she's having a hard time with her kids. The only good news is that her daughter has finally found some direction and has started business school under a scholarship provided by the firm.
Wallace responds by firing Patricia, terminating her daughter's scholarship, and having her escorted from the building.
Two days later, Wallace is found dead.
"He woke up. He went to work. He stayed at work. He did his job, and he did his job well. Sometimes he lost. Most times he didn't. There was a reason the firm had been as successful as it was. What else was there to life aside from success? Nothing, really."
No, he wasn't murdered, though some would venture to say he deserved it.
Instead, he had a sudden heart attack in his office, and somehow finds himself attending his own funeral. Of course, he isn't really there, and he is no longer attached to the body lying in the casket. He's more of a spirit, and no one can see or hear him.
The only people who bother showing up to the funeral are his partners at the firm, his ex wife, Naomi, and a young woman Wallace doesn't recognize. He figures he either won a case for her and she was eternally grateful, she was in love with him, or she murdered him, but he isn't sure which.
As you can see, Wallace isn't exactly a likeable guy, and his funeral guests have no problem saying it. As they start sharing stories about what a terrible person he was, Wallace attempts to defend himself. Of course, no one can see or hear him, so it isn't doing much good. That is, until the unknown woman looks right at him and speaks.
Her name is Meiying, or Mei for short, and she is a reaper, here to collect Wallace and bring him to Hugo, the ferryman. This ferryman's job is to help Wallace come to terms with his death and cross over to what's next.
“Hindsight is a powerful thing, Wallace. We don’t always see what’s right in front of us, much less appreciate it. It’s not until we look back that we find what we should have known all along.”
Well, Wallace is not happy about this, and fights Mei every step of the way, but she eventually guides him to Charon's Crossing Tea & Treats, a ramshackle four-story house that looks like it was put together from spare parts.
On the first floor is a fully functional tea shop, where Hugo and Mei cater to living customers seven days a week. The customers come and go, completely unaware of the spirits mingling with them—but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The second floor houses Hugo and Mei's bedrooms, with more rooms on the third floor.
The fourth floor sits almost like a turret in the middle, and at the top of the stairs is a door. When the spirits are ready, Hugo opens this door and helps them cross over.
Long story short, spirits like Wallace are reaped by Mei and brought to Charon's Crossing, where they may stay as long as they like.
Some stay a few days, some stay a few weeks, but ultimately, they all cross through the door when the time is right.
Well, all except Nelson and Apollo.
Nelson is Hugo's grandfather, and while he passed away many years ago, he chooses to remain at Charon's Crossing to look after Hugo and keep him on his toes. Nelson may be my new favorite fictional character of all-time, and he had me cackling throughout the entire story.
Apollo was Hugo's dog in life, and chose to remain with him in death.
As you can see, Charon's Crossing has its own little family: Hugo, Mei, Nelson, and Apollo, and they all do their best to help the spirits that pass through. Some are angry, some refuse to accept their deaths, some beg for another chance, but ultimately, they learn to accept it.
“Death isn’t a final ending, Wallace. It is an ending, sure, but only to prepare you for a new beginning.”
Good ol' Wallace wants nothing to do with these crazy people, and he flees the building. He doesn't make it far before bits of his skin start flaking off, his legs stop working correctly, and his body seems to be disintegrating. When he meets a terrifying human-shaped creature standing in the road, he isn't able to run away. This creature starts advancing towards him, and Wallace takes in the greyed skin covered in welts, the blackened hair and teeth, and the vacant look in its eyes.
He is rescued by Mei and Hugo, and we learn that this creature has a name: Cameron. They explain that the world beyond Charon's Crossing belongs to the living, and since Wallace is no longer one of them, he cannot exist beyond their doors. Cameron had tried to flee, too, and all that remains of him is an empty shell. Any remains of who he had once been are gone.
These beings are known as Husks, and Hugo sees Cameron as one of his greatest failures.
“Everyone loses their way at some point, and it’s not just because of their mistakes or the decisions they make. It’s because they’re horribly, wonderfully human. And the one thing I’ve learned about being human is that we can’t do this alone.”
With nothing else to do, Wallace takes to hanging out in the tea shop during the day. The customers can't see him, so he is free to observe as he pleases.
In the evenings he talks to Hugo, reluctantly at first, but Wallace comes to enjoy their time together. Hugo talks about his own family, including the deaths of his parents, teaches Wallace about his love of tea, and for the first time in maybe ever, Wallace finds himself gazing up at the stars. He starts to realize there was so much more to life than winning cases, taking names, and destroying anyone who gets in the way, and wishes he had taken time to enjoy them while he still had it. He also develops a deeper understanding of others, and thinks maybe life would have been better if he hadn't spent so much of it alone.
“Wasn’t that the great answer to the mystery of life? To make the most of what you have while you have it, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.”
Since ghosts don't need to sleep, Wallace spends his nights hanging out with Nelson and Apollo. Nelson teaches him the ins and outs of being a ghost, like how to move furniture, which Wallace picks up fairly easily, and how to change his clothes, which had hilarious consequences.
Nelson shares the story of how he lost his wife, and how the things that annoyed him most were the first things he missed when she was gone. He also talks about the death of his son, Hugo's father.
"I can't wait to see them again, to hold my son's face in my hands and tell him how proud I am of him. We think we have time for such things, but there's never enough for all we should have said. You'd do well to remember that."
Things had fallen into a routine at Charon's Crossing, with Wallace fitting right in and starting to feel like part of the family. This routine is complicated when Mei arrives with a new spirit: Alan, a young man who was stabbed and left to die in an alley. Alan is furious at the unfairness of it all, and wants Hugo to help him get back to the living world so he can get revenge on his murderer. He refuses to accept any other possibility.
The family tries to help Alan in any way they can, with even Wallace stepping in to try to reason with him. He feels hypocritical at first, given how angry he had been when he first arrived, but instead, is reminded of how far he's come.
"Perhaps, but that doesn't discount what you've done in your time here. The work you've put in to making yourself a better person. Be proud of what you've accomplished, Wallace. You've earned that right."
Wallace begins to feel a connection between himself and Cameron, and is determined to help him, despite being told there's nothing that can be done.
He realizes he wants to make things right with the people he hurt.
He realizes that for once, he's happy with his life, or lack thereof, and that he doesn't ever want to leave Charon's Crossing.
So, when Hugo and Mei's boss pays them a visit and tells Wallace that he has overstayed his welcome and has one week left before crossing over, how will he spend it?
"'Why are you calling me now with this?' 'Because he thought you deserved to hear it. I know you hadn't spoken in a long while before he passed, but the man I know—knew, was different than the man you remember. He learned kindness.' 'That doesn't sound like Wallace at all.' 'I know. But people can change when faced with eternity.'"
I wish I had the words to describe how much I loved this story, but I'm at a loss.
It's such a beautiful redemption story and just goes to show that it's never too late to choose kindness. It's also a great reminder that if you see someone who is working towards being a better person, please let them. We can't expect the world to change for the better if we don't allow any chances for growth.
Please remember to hug your family, biological or found, tell them how much you love them, and take time for the little things. Stop and smell the roses, look at the stars, and enjoy a nice cup of tea. You never know which day could be your last.
I'd love to talk to others who have read this book, or even some of TJ Klune's other work, so please join my Discord so we can chat!
'•.¸♡ Until next time (maybe)! ♡¸.•'