I am a HUGE Sarah Addison Allen fan, and this book perfectly illustrates why:
Her luminous, fantastical storytelling is both enchanting and emotional.
Other Birds will transport you to a small coastal town that harbors many secrets. In the ensemble, each character is mysterious and enjoyable in their own way.
I loved the twists the plot took to show you more of who these people are and how they all ended up in a small apartment complex together. A lovely summer read.

I have always love Sarah Addison Allen's books and was so happy to see that she had released a new one. Other Birds had the familiar mystical and magical books while also adding a layer of grief and mourning and what that can mean to different people. This was a beautiful, heartfelt book that tugged on my heartstrings until the very last page.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All words and opinions are my own.

Sarah Addison Allen does a fantastic job or threading the right amount of magical realism into her small town stories. The charm of the characters, the location development and the weaving of everyone's story comes together beautifully.

The word that comes to mind for Other Birds (as well as other Sarah Addison Allen novels) is sweet. But not in the cheesy or sappy sense. It's almost as if the magic throughout this novel has added sparkling sugar at the edges of each page. The author takes topics such as deep personal grief, childhood neglect and loneliness and softens them with magical birds, ghosts, eccentric and kind characters, a charming Southern island setting, and yummy food.
I read this book while grieving the loss of a family member and I found it comforting. What I love about magic realism is that difficult real-life topics can be softened when magical elements are all around. They help the characters deal with their grief or pain and they can help us too. Highly recommended!

Absolutely amazing novel, this book will break your heart and piece it back together. I couldn’t get enjoy, absolutely amazing.

I loved the idea of "Other Birds", but for me, I keep reaching for more and was left wanting.

"Other Birds" delves into themes of healing, magical realism, and ghosts, making it the perfect book for me, however, I needed a bit of a longer story. I think by adding depth to the characters and their interactions, Allen would have written a novel 5-star novel.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the sense of community and friendship. A second bonus were the small blue birds called dellawisps that dance around the apartment complex. They add a layer of mystery to the story and character arcs.

I loved everything about this book: the setting, the concept, and the characters. It was my first read from this author and I will definitely be reading more from her.

Magical! Lovely look at grief and sadness and feeling not quite whole. I really enjoy this author even though I am usually a plain old realistic fiction reader. Sometimes you need something transcendent… and this satisfies.

Other Birds completely took me by surprise in the very best way. Magical realism is a genre I have only recently come to enjoy, and I found it so totally well done here. I loved this unique, cozy fantasy with a Southern vibe. Really not a combination I have ever used to describe a book, but it really worked here. Sarah Addison Allen is such an excellent writer and weaver of stories that I think she could do anything and make it work.

The highlight here were the characters and setting for me. There are several POV's to keep straight and while I absolutely came to really enjoy them, I will say it was a bit difficult to keep them straight for some time until I really became immersed in the story. This is very much a character rather than plot driven story. As for the South Carolina setting, the author brought it totally to life on the pages, down to the native plants and birds of the setting that made for such a beautifully atmospheric read.

This was a magical read that meshes the real with the imaginary in a fantastic way that I know will stick with me for a long time to come. It will be one I highly recommend for that reader looking for something just a bit different in their life. It's a gem that I wish more people were talking about!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy!

I really enjoyed this cozy fantasy but had a little hard time keeping the characters straight at first but once I figured it out I couldn’t put this book down. This story has quite a few POVs all around Della Wisp condos. We follow multiple people’s life in these condos as well as some perspectives of ghost from past residents. This book was much more focused on character building than action based plot which I really enjoyed. At first it was a little confusing but once I realized that multiple Povs sometimes take place during the same chapter I was good. I really look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I've come to realize I've lived a good deal of my life with a certain amount of magical realism. . .so when I find a dose of it in my reads that is just right - not too much and not requiring too much suspended disbelief . . .then I'm full in! Sarah Addison Allen has hit that sweet spot in her books I've had the pleasure to read, and Other Birds is no exception.

I was immediately absorbed by this story (and only later could the internet finally convince me that this was fiction, not fact) - North Carolina, Mallow Island, home of the original marshmallow, and dellawisps. Birds are throughout the book, stories and theories propounded by knowledgeable characters. Soon, a reader realizes, they are joined by haunts, ghosts, spirits of place and people. Zoey, 18-yrs old and now seeking her inheritance - a condominium left by her deceased mother - finds a community of living and dead to settle her into her new life. Zoey is a reader, and there is a reclusive author it is rumored living amongst them. The path of the book unravels one delicious clue after another, stories within stories.

NOTE: Don't skip reading the author's acknowledgement - her last sentence reveals for whom this book was written, and the freedoms it released. I teared up, thinking of my own promises to my dear one, long-gone, and mightily missed.

*A sincere thank you to Sarah Addison Allen, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a free ARC to read and review.*

Very unique read. Something I think a lot of folks need to read and something to really think about. I must have for folks that love this genre.

I've waited on Sarah Addison Allen's newest book for the longest time. I've enjoyed following her on social media, and was thankful when she went into remission. Other Birds weaves together great Southern storytelling with that little bit of magic Sarah loves to add to her stories. It was definitely worth the wait!

Sarah Addison Allen has been one of my favourite authors from the day i read her first book. I was so excited to know that the author had a new book coming out. And this book did not disappoint!

This begins on Mallow Island, in South Carolina where Zoey goes that summer following the death of her mother many years before, who left her studio condo to Zoey. Zoey has memories of this place, memories of when she was there with her mother as a child, but that was long ago. In the interim years, she’d lived with her father and her stepmother, although it was a life that lacked even the most basic sense of care, or caring, for her or about her. And now Zoey is back to the place and thats when the story takes a turn.

I loved the characters and the setting was oh so lovely, it was easy to picture it all, the descriptions of the native plants, the birds, especially the dellawisps that is native to the island.

An enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go sums up the book!
Highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the ARC of Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. I have loved the author's previous works, and was really excited to have this galley. The author does a beautiful job of weaving symbolism and magical realism into the story. Parts of the novel were sad, as the characters learned to let go of grief and move forward. I will note that the beginning was slow for me, and the premise required suspension of reality. Once I bought into the concept, I really enjoyed the lovely writing and the fantastical ride that was Other Birds. Pick up this book on a rainy day, in a contemplative mood, and close the cover feeling hopeful.

I don't read a lot of magical realism but after getting The Light Pirate from NetGalley and actually enjoying it, I thought to give this one a try also! I loved the cover and the beginning of the story was interesting enough but after putting it down for a couple of days, I just didn't feel the need to come back to it.

Thoroughly enjoyable read with a great cast of characters. I was enchanted from beginning to end. Sarah Addison Allen does a great job creating immersive worlds.

Sarah Addison Allen and the worlds she creates are always so warm and welcoming, and Other Birds was no different. I always love the sense of family you feel in her books, whether it's found family or the one you're born into. Other Birds is set on an island near Charleston, SC, and reading this book during the summer was the perfect time to read it and imagine life on a coastal island.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I had not read anything by this author before and was pleasantly surprised.
This was a cute, charming tale and had elements of magic and ghosts - that were not scary.
Lots of little details to love - the birds, the realistic magic, all of it.
Great read!

I was already a fan of Sarah Addison Allen before I started “Other Birds”
This book is filled with lyrical prose and magical realism which hooked me from the start. Birds, ghosts, people and beautiful imagery what is not to love about this magical story that will capture your heart.

I always want more after I have finished her books. So delightful!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book for review.