Magical realism and Sarah Addison Allen go hand in hand. You are instantly transported into the world she wants you to land. In this book you land into Mallow Island, South Carolina where the air is perfumed with sugary treats, flocks of blue turquoise birds and tenants of luxurious condo units who have mysterious stories.
The beauty of this novel is the underlying connection of family, love and friendships that is formed in the most uncommon way. We all want a flock and we find it when we are not even looking.
I really like Sarah Addison Allen's stories though sometimes it takes a little while to get into the story. It comes together at the end where you are left with a wonderful sensation of togetherness. I give it a 3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️

This beautiful book is a reminder that we have the power to choose: who we become, the people we call family, how we see the world, and whether we give ourselves permission and space to heal. Mallow Island, the Dellawisp, and the characters Sarah Addison Allen has created become places and people readers will hold dear, want to visit, and want to know. And you will come to know them through her words. This is the story fans of Allen’s work have been waiting for.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book! It's been awhile since this author has published a book but it has been well worth the wait! I adore Allen's magical realism and her incorporation of food as one means to communicate love and care. Definitely soul healing, emotional, powerful and another must read I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for access to this eARC. Other Birds was a perplexing, inventive story with a lot of heart, a collection of souls adrift, and a threads left unraveled. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and the truly original setting of magical elements of the book. However, I had a hard time getting truly invested in the characters until around the 70% mark of the book. While the apex of the story was meaningful and well formulated, I found the twists and reveals and changes in the characters perceptions and presentations lacked a certain weight, and some of it almost felt unfinished. While I understand the author’s intention, I wasn’t as moved as I would have liked to be. I do think this author has a wonderfully distinct voice to her writing style, and I am always looking for new magical realism reads. 3.5 Stars.

Other Birds
by Sarah Addison Allen


It’s the summer before Zoey starts college. She has left her father’s home where she has felt less than welcome. In an attempt to connect with family, even if it is just the memory of her long deceased mother, she moves into the apartment where her mother last stayed. Zoey is hopeful to find reminders or mementos of the mother she barely knew. Here she encounters the residents of the Dellawisp Condos who all seem to have their own stories of loss and heartbreak, secrets and ghosts from the past to make peace with. This is a book about second chances, and “Second chances are not to be wasted.

In Other Birds, Sarah Addison Allen has wowed me once again. Her characters are written with such pathos and gentleness that she makes it easy to understand the basic humanity of even the most unlikable of characters. With comfort and ease, her words soar from the page and into the reader’s heart. Though the tone is wistful and a bit melocholy, she loses none of her signature magic and charm.


Many thanks to @SarahAddisonAllen, @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for the opportunity to read this advance digital copy.

I am a huge fan of all of her work and was shook excited to receive an ARC.

The book did feel like it had a bit of a slow start and didn't really pick up until about halfway through. The little bits of magic didn't feel as endearing or magical as they have in her other books.

I did really love the characters and the development was great.

The storyline over all was one that had great twists and things I didn't see coming.

Over all it was a wonderful book but for me didn't have the same level of charm or magic woven through out as her previous novels.

I've been a fan of Sarah Addison Allen for a long time, though it has been years since I've read one of her books. Other Birds was just as magical and fantastical as I remember her writing as being. She writes with such beauty and whimsy, and I absolutely devour her books. She really evokes magic in her writing, and I'm always enchanted by the worlds she creates. Her books also always make me hungry, and Other Birds was no exception. I definitely want to try out Mac's cooking and Zoey's potato chip sandwiches. I could practically smell the scent of marshmallows and sugar floating on the air, and I felt like I was right there on Mallow Island. I also love the characters that Allen creates, especially Otis and Pigeon. I can't wait to see what magical world Allen creates next

A young woman returns to the place her mother once called home to claim it for herself. She meets new friends and learns to navigate the past while also looking to the future. Author Sarah Allen Addison makes simplicity the forefront of her excellent new release Other Birds.

When Zoey Hennessey walks into The Dellawisp on Mallow Island, South Carolina, she doesn’t know quite what to think. Her mother, Paloma, always talked about the Dellawisp as if it was an essential part of who she was. But how can a little collection of condos tucked at the end of an almost-hidden alley be so essential?

Despite her misgivings, Zoey isn’t deterred. If her mother made the Dellawisp home, so can Zoey. And when she meets the manager of the hotel, Frasier, it seems like it’ll be easy enough to move right in. That’s more than she can say for the home she’s left behind where her father doesn’t have time for her and her stepmother thinks of her as a burden.

Life in South Carolina is supposed to be quiet but the night Zoey arrives, Lizbeth, one of the long-time residents of the Dellawisp, dies. Lizbeth’s sister, Lucy, also lives at the Dellawisp, although no one has seen her in ages. Eager to help the people in her new home, Zoey agrees to clean out Lizbeth’s condo and discovers the sad truth of Lizbeth’s hoarding ways. Rather than be deterred by all the stuff, Zoey takes it as a challenge and a way to help Lizbeth forge a bond with her absent son Oliver, even if Lizbeth is no longer around and Oliver lives in California now.

The residents of the other condos don’t quite know what to make of Zoey. Charlotte has been on the run for a long time, and it seems like Zoey could become a friend. However, Charlotte’s got problems of her own. She lost her spot in the large artists’ collective in town where she had a booth to apply henna for tourists. Then someone steals most of her earnings.

As much as Charlotte is charmed by Zoey’s wide-eyed look at life, she’s afraid she’s going to have to pack up soon and leave again. Zoey convinces her to stay and earn a little extra cash by helping her clean out Lizbeth’s condo. As the young women work side by side, they begin a tentative friendship.

Mac, head chef at one of the best restaurants in town, also lives at the Dellawisp. He’s had feelings for Charlotte since the first time he saw her, but he’s also nursing a broken heart of his own. How can he let someone new in when he’s having so much trouble letting go of someone dear to him? Even if Mac could let go, there’s the little matter of a ghost who won’t leave him alone.

Zoey, Mac, and Charlotte learn what it means to deal with their ghosts—literal and metaphorical—as they try to figure out some of Lizbeth’s secrets and why everything keeps tying back to a local author who put Mallow Island on the map with a novel he wrote decades earlier. Zoey suspects there’s more going on below the surface. What she learns will give everyone at the Dellawisp something they need more of: love.

Author Sarah Allen Addison delivers a simple story with a huge heart. Readers will find themselves charmed by Zoey’s positive outlook on life, even though any malice she could have had would have been completely justified. Her naivete is refreshing and will remind readers that sometimes taking care of the little things means the bigger things take care of themselves.

The elements of magical realism in the book work seamlessly into the narrative and enhance the small-town feel of the story. Addison treats each of her characters with care, building a deep back story for all of them that feels both real and idyllic all at the same time. In trying to balance those two characteristics, some authors might tip the scales heavily in one direction or the other. Addison keeps both level on every single page, making the book memorable and charming.

For those looking for a simple story with deep emotions and a memorable setting, readers will definitely want to add this to their TBR lists.

“ I go now to settle in a place where there is always happiness. But how can I be happy when my soul still needs to fly?“

This BOOK though! It was a giant warm hug and I devoured it. It was so charming and magical, with just such a fantastic story.

I loved this so much.

Magical, emotional, and charming are 3 words I’d use to describe Other Birds. Sarah Addison Allen is back with a tale of magical realism where birds play an important role - those we see and those we don’t.

“Birds are supposed to be messengers between heaven and earth”.

I wasn’t expecting the tears and emotions that were brought up while reading this. It felt like both a goodbye and a new beginning. Hope and loss. Love in all it’s forms. I was left feeling comforted that even when those we love aren’t with us, their love remains. This wasn’t a sad book, but there are elements that will resonate with those who have experienced loss in their lives.

Thank you to St Martins for an early copy. If you enjoy magical realism and found family, then this is a book for you.

Sarah Addison Allen has been one of my favorite authors for a long time, so I was delighted to receive this arc of Other Birds. It was absolutely amazing. The characters were all so quirky, unique, and perfectly imperfect. Zoey, Charlotte, Oliver and Mac are all people I would love to meet - I think they would make life a much better thing.

I especially loved the perspectives of all of the various ghosts. It added an entirely different dimension to the story.

So glad the author is back!!

I was enthralled from the very beginning and it continued to take me on a whimsical journey. And when I got to the part where the title was mentioned, I made an audible "aww" and smiled. This book was a cozy, fun read and I really enjoyed it. Loved the multiple perspectives too.

There are very few authors about whom I can say that I've read all of their books, but Sarah Addison Allen is one of them. I love her sweet tales of magic in real life and Other Birds does not disappoint. First, we meet Zoey, freshly graduated from high school, she is spending the summer before college hoping to learn more about her mother who died when Zoey was a child. She has moved into her mother's condo on Mallow Island off the coast of South Carolina, more than a thousand miles away from where she was raised in Oklahoma. The small condo community is populated with a strange cast of characters that include a hermit, an award-winning chef, a henna artist, and a mean old busy body who gets angry when people make any noise at all. Zoey is determined to get to know her new neighbors, but when one of them suddenly passes away, it changes the entire dynamic of the group.

Also part of this tiny little community is a reclusive author no one has seen for years, tiny birds named Dellawisps that rule the roost, an invisible pigeon, and several ghosts. The magic isn't as prominent in this book as it has been in some of Allen's other novels, but it was still a fun element that gives the reader a little break from the real world. I am a big fan of this author, and I will always auto-preorder anything she releases. I hope she continues to write for many years to come.

Ghosts, birds, invisible birds, secrets, old wounds, new starts, found family. This book is so full of seemingly small things that combine to make a powerhouse of a story. And as each secret is revealed a new layer of understanding and appreciate is created for the characters that inhabit the Dellawisp, a small cluster of 5 small homes on Mallow Island. The domino of events begins when Zoey moves in to her deceased mother's home for the summer before college. I loved her naïve positivity and how it impacted those around her. Despite some more serious subjects, the story kept this uplifting positive view throughout making for a small cast of very loveable characters: human, bird, and ghost. Really the only thing I can find to dislike about this book was the lack of recipes for the amazing sounding food Mac created. I think I can figure out the potato chip sandwiches on my own!

This was really beautiful. It was a slow, gentle book and yet the pacing didn’t drag. The ever so slight whisper of a mystery helped keep my attention. And the characters all grew together in such heartfelt, gorgeous ways.

I just finished Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen and this is my review.

Zoey didn’t know what to expect when the cab pulled up to the apartment her mother had left her after she died. The building, full of South Carolina charm comes with the interesting name of The Dellawisp. Named after the little turquoise birds who reside there.

Zoey yearning to belong, sets out to befriend her neighbors. Charlotte, the girl who is always running away. The chef who isn’t over the loss of his surrogate mother and 2 estranged sisters…. Everyone has their skeletons and they all seem to have a ghost too.

When one of the neighbors dies unexpectedly, Zoey is tasked with cleaning out the apartment and discovers the secrets hidden there. Can all the lost souls, dead and alive, make their way into the light?

This book exceeded my expectations. I found the book delightfully quirky with a hint of magical possibilities that really stretched the imagination on a realistic level. I really enjoyed how all the characters came together and became this little mismatched family. Every single character had something they needed to let go of in their pasts and I loved watching it all unfold.

I loved the setting of mallow island and I wanted to know more. I could just feel the vibe of the island, how it looked and smelled. I actually enjoyed the pace of this read, it wasn’t super fast but just kind of hit it stride and stayed there. It was a novel take to have POV from the ghosts. I actually thought that was kind of clever. Loved the twist at the end too, it was very unexpected and I felt it was a smart way to end the book.

If you are looking for a beautiful women's fiction read with magical realism and a whole lot of love… This has to be your next book!

4.5 stars Thank you to netgalley and St Martin's Press

This book is extremely hard for me to rate, as I have loved and adored so many of Sarah Addison Allen novels in the past...but sadly this one just didn't quite live up to the others for me.

The positives are that the overarching themes send a wonderful message. i.e. Even outsiders can find their "family," even if it's not by blood. That those we love are always watching over us. That it's okay to let go of those we've lost, while still never forgetting or loving them deeply.

The negatives are that I never felt like any of the characters were fully developed. They never quite seemed real or authentic to me, and mostly all of them conveniently had terrible mothers, just in different types of ways. I also didn't feel the "magic" of the magical realism that Allen's books normally have...as the "magic" here were really just ghosts/spirits.

I liked the book, but didn't love it, and aside from the above reasoning, I just can't quite put my finger on truly why that is. If the synopsis peaks your interest, please give it a read, as so many others have loved it!

💭My review🐻
It was my first time reading a book by Sarah Addison Allen and it absolutely didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed it. It was a sad story but so beautiful. I loved all the character's stories and backstories. There is soo many details to this book it was awesome and you can forget the twists and turns ( I said Wow so many times while reading this book). I really enjoyed reading it. I really felt like I was in the story. LOVED IT!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

I wish this was a real place because I'd like to live there. Unfortunately, Mallow Island and the Dellawisps, tiny turquoise birds only found on the island, are completely fictional. Otherwise, it would have been my next vacation destination, as it is sunny and beautiful, and I would have loved to explore the small town and sample the marshmallow dishes. Mallow Island is also famous for the author Roscoe Avanger, who wrote one bestseller decades ago and then disappeared from the public eye.

Zoey's mother has died and left her an apartment on the island, which was a surprise. Zoey is very young and is planning on starting college in the fall. She goes to the island intending to clean out her mother's apartment and possibly put it up for sale or rent. Her companion is Pigeon, who is invisible, can fly, and can be confined in a birdcage. Her mother's apartment is in The Dellawisp, a building named after the birds, which are numerous around the building. It is in the shape of a horseshoe and has only a handful of apartments owned by the tenants. The other tenants are sisters who don't get along, a talented henna artist with a past, a chef with a crippled cat, and ghosts.

I loved this book more than I can say and have already re-read it to pick up all the clues I missed before. My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These are my opinions of the book.

✨Book Review✨

Yesterday was publication day for Other Birds and I tried so hard to finish it in time to post. Alas, adult/mother duties overtook my afternoon and I finished yesterday evening.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC of this book.

I’m not typically one for magical realism, but this book was so well done. It’s quote where you understand the title is *chef’s kiss* :

“There are birds, and then there are OTHER birds. Maybe they don’t sing. Maybe they don’t fly. Maybe they don’t fit in. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing.”

This book is about the residents of a Dellawisp condominium finding themselves while finding each other. It’s beautiful and I especially loved the fact that one character, Zoey, was kinda sorta from Tulsa and had an invisible pigeon.

It was so funny going from Carrie Soto to this book because Carrie’s father’s endearment for her was the Spanish word for pigeon “pichóna” and then Zoey (you guys already know I love this name!) has this pigeon in this book!

This cover is gorgeous and this book was like a warm hug. Read this if you love characters finding themselves, found families and a dabble of magical realism.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
(Round up to 4 for Goodreads)