This book had some good parts and some bad parts.

I love how Sarah weaves subtle magic into her stories and this story delivered on that. I also love how all of her stories highlight found families.

The thing I didn't like was the cultural appropriation of henna done by Charlotte. So I get that Charlotte had a really bad childhood and she found henna and it was an escape for her BUT she made a career out of doing henna as a white person. It just felt gross. If Sarah had wanted Charlotte to wear henna and be an artist she could have Charlotte be a painter but regularly get henna done by an Indian person to feel beautiful.

Overall, this book was not my favorite Sarah Addison Allen stories but it wasn't bad. It was just meh,.

"Other Birds" by Sarah Addison Allen is an absolutely delightful read! Ms. Allen is one of my favorite authors. Her books are like a warm hug, comforting and enveloping. I was captivated by the quirky, well developed characters and the touch of magical realism made this book a charming read. The setting for the story, an island whose history is built on marshmallows, is absolutely perfect for this sweet story. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming, keeping me interested and engrossed in the story and the large cast of characters. At its core, this book is about overcoming trauma and letting go so one can move forward, happy and healed. It's not as light of a read as some of Ms. Allen's other works, but it is a beautiful one nonetheless.

I'm only subtracting a star because of a glaring continuity error in the plot that should have been caught by an editor. Though it didn't take away from the story, it bothered me!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this fabulous book, in exchange for my honest review.

OTHER BIRDS
Sarah Addison Allen

Other Birds is a magical journey of the whimsical, the enchantinting, and the peaceful.

After many years, Sarah Addison Allen gifts to us a uniquely creative and beautiful story where magical realism is not only front and center, but also infused with memories of the past, family secrets, love and hope~ along with the exotic and eccentric which makes for a heart-tugging story that is emotional, colorful, quirky, and charismatic.

Ms.Allen transported me to a place so intriguing, that I found myself absorbed within the lives of these characters and all that surrounded them at The Dellawisp on Mallow Island...

I thank the author, publisher, and Netgalley, for the opportunity to enjoy this captivating narrative which brought to me the unexpected, the light and airy, as well as the sparkling, spellbinding, and memorable moments that make stories by this particular writer, favorites of mine.

4 Stars

#OtherBirds
@sarahaddisonallen
#StMartinsPress

Wild Sage Book Blog

My only criticism of Other Birds is that I wanted more. I wanted to see more and know more about these delightful characters-- to feel as if I had put my book down and taken my own quiet little condo at the Dellawisp.

This is a sweet book about motley and colorful characters who find a way to grow and heal together. I enjoyed it very much.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me an ARC copy of this delightful book to review.

Sarah Addison Allen has done it again! She has delivered another enchanting story sparkling with hints of magical realism.

Eighteen-year-old Zoe arrives at Marrow Island, South Carolina. She moves into the studio apartment left to her by her mother Paloma. Paloma died when Zoe was young, and Zoe is hoping to feel closer to her mother by living in a place that they were both happy. The apartment is in the Dellawisp, named for the enchanting turquoise birds that inhabit the gardens there.

Family is at the heart of this story. Sometimes our given families fail us, and we need to build our own family. This was such a touching story filled with eccentric characters, a few ghosts and a whole lot of heart.

Very well written book II like how it's a structure in this book. I like when she was telling the stories about these people in the book and then you find out what happens with these people who are of the ghost in this book and their own chapters but it all seems to be tied together. Everybody has a story to tell Zoe came back to marshmallow island. She moved back to her mother's old apartment DELLLL ACAWS P. Zoe gets accepted into account in Charleston. When she gets there there's a lady called Lacey who never leaves the apartment Call LI ZB ETH. There's the girl named Charlotte who's running through something for the past as well And then you're h Mac who would get cornmeal all over every night. This was tied to a woman called Cam ILL And then you had the guy who lived there as a property manager.. You find out who Oliver is related to it also in the book This book reads like a murder mystery and people helping each other out. Everybody had a very hard life and they seemed to triumph. Mac who lived on the island since he was a child And Lucy and her sister as well. Zoe had A pet called pigeon who was Is Hebrew And there were other birds around there area as well. There's a lot of history in this book as well about about The property Manager Who turns out to be somebody in the book to find this out there. It's the same thing with pigeon the bird to find out who this bird really was. Oliver has a story behind it as well and you find out what really happened between Lucy and her sister. Charlotte also has a pass as well and she did believe in the ghost And she kept running away from things because she's always afraid she's c O Let's Colt and find her from Vermont. Mac was very dedicated to CA MILLE who raised him. She was really good because his mother abandoned him as a child. The story I like because there's a lot of happy endings and everybody got what they wanted in the en Even Pamela Who was Zoe's Mother who died when she was very young Every time something would happen in the book The next chapter would be about these people who were no longer around. This is how you found out about them and how they were Type to the living person.

If you’ve been a fan of Sarah Addison Allen’s books for awhile, you’ll know it’s been a long wait between her last book and this book. Other Birds was definitely worth the wait.

It’s hard to know what to say about this book without spoilers, so I’ll talk most about what I loved and how the story made me feel. This story felt like a balancing act in many ways; it would go along slowly, giving you a chance to immerse yourself in the characters and setting, and then BAM - you’d get hit with a huge piece of information that changed everything. I had trouble setting the book aside because the characters felt so real and I wanted to know what was going to happen next and how everything was going to work out.

The found family aspect of this book was absolutely beautiful. I loved how the group of Dellawisp misfits were so used to living their quiet, private lives, and then circumstances brought them together and they had to choose whether to stay closed off or open up. I loved the dynamics between the different characters and getting to see bits of their lives and what led them to the Dellawisp and, ultimately, each other. I also really appreciated the themes of the things and people that haunt us, and rising above not only adversity but also the expectations of others.

Other Birds is surprising, magical, beautiful, and emotional. It’s a story about love and loss, hope and grief, finding family and finding home. I know this story and its characters will stick with me for a long time, just as many of Sarah Addison Allen’s other stories and characters have.

Sarah Addison Allen is one of my go to authors for Magical Realism and she did not disappoint with her book, Other Birds.

Allen’s books are always filled with family (found or actual) and friends that are going through troubled times, but with a bit of magic and romance are able to overcome. In Other Birds there is a bit less magic then in her previous books, but it was still a wonderful read.

Each of the characters (including the ghosts) get their moments to shine in the story and Allen is able to develop them very well in such a short time. There are some surprises that show themselves towards the end, and I had to grab a tissue to get me through a few of the spots.

The visuals and lessons in this book are still floating around in my head a week after reading it… that’s how I know I’ve read a great book!

This book was excellent! I have read a couple of Sarah Addison Allen’s books before picking this one up so I had a good feeling that this would be a book I would enjoy. I just love the way that she weaves just a hint of magic into her stories and I really believe that she is one of the best when it comes to magical realism. It didn’t take long for me to fall for the characters in this story and I soon found this book very hard to set aside.

After graduating from high school, Zoey decides to move into her mother’s old studio condo at the Dellawisp. Another resident has recently died, leaving a condo full of paper and other items. Zoey takes on the task of clearing out the unit and is soon joined by another neighbor, Charlotte. Zoey and Charlotte work on cleaning together and eventually get to know the chef that lives in the building, Mac. I love the bonds that this group of characters formed over the course of the story. Zoey seemed to be the catalyst that was able to bring everyone together, even Oliver, who says he wants nothing to do with his mother’s things. Every character in the book had an interesting history and I really enjoyed the way those stories were worked into the story.

I really wanted to see everything work out for this group of characters. Each of them deserved to have good things in their lives. I loved that the most important thing that they gained over the course of the story was their relationships with each other. All of the characters were able to find some closure from the things from their past that has been haunting them. There is just a bit of magic sprinkled throughout the novel which kept things very interesting.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a delightful story featuring a fantastic cast of characters that I could help but root for. There were a few twists in the story that I found rather surprising as well. I definitely need to read more of this talented author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press.

“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.”

I have always loved Sarah Addison Allen's stories. I was delighted to recieve an ARC from Netgalley for Other Birds.
The story started slow and it took a bit to start. Sarah weaves a whimsical, ghostly tale of a small group of people living in a community together. Secrets unfold and there are quite a few twists. The characters were intriguing and the story kept me entertained.

What a magical, endearing, and memorable book Sarah Addison Allen has given us in Other Birds!

The book opens with Zoey Hennessey, 19, moving into the studio apartment her mother willed her in the well-hidden Dellawisp Condos on Mallow Island, off the coast of Charleston, SC. The complex, consisting of five apartments, was named after the small turquoise birds who inhabit the courtyard of the beautiful cobblesone building shaped like a horseshoe. Zoey will start college in Charleston in the fall.

Zoey's mother died when she was quite young. Her father and his new family have always treated her as an outsider and made it plain that when she turns eighteen, they expect her to move out on her own. Her step-mother already has well thought out plans for Zoey's room.

It's no surprise, given her background that Zoey is a very lonely and quirky girl, used to being on the outside looking in, and longing to find a place where she feels she belongs. As she meets, or is told about, each of her new neighbors, she finds them to be unique and quirky as well. Not only are there people living in the Dellawisp Condos, but three ghosts as well!

The author does a wonderful job of painting each of these colorful and secretive characters vividly and bringing each of their stories to light so beautifully. I love her writing!! It is wonderful to watch as the characters bond and become a found-family to each other. YAY!!!!!

This is a magical, heart-warming read that I won't soon forget. I highly recommend it!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of the book via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

What a sweet story!

Sarah Addison Allen has reminded me once again why I love Magical Realism so much. How can I not love a book whose main character has an invisible bird named Pigeon and who resides in a condo complex with several ghosts and some curious little turquoise birds called dellawisps? It’s not really a question, because of course I’m going to love that!! Like TJ Klune, Allen captures the human spirit so well in a way that both charms and makes you feel for all the characters, while gently giving focus to some pretty heavy topics - in this case childhood trauma and healing old wounds.

Nineteen-year-old college student Zoe Hennessy has just inherited her late mother’s Mallow Island condo off the coast of South Carolina, managed by friendly but mysterious, Frasier, and is a new neighbor to four other residents of The Dellawisp: executive chef Mac, henna artist Charlotte, resident busybody/hoarder Lizbeth Lime, and Lizbeth’s estranged and reclusive sister, Lucy Lime. At first glance, they’re a rag-tag group with little in common, but after an event happens that slowly draws these residents closer together, you see just how similar they really are. It’s the newly formed friendships and each character’s gradually revealed backstory that give this book its heart and depth, and by the end I loved all these characters.

Zoe is an energetic ball of charm who’s determined to bring these virtual strangers together, if she can get her often petulant invisible bird, Pigeon, to stop interfering. It’s sweet to watch her friendship with Charlotte grow and, in turn, their friendships with Mac, though the Lime sisters are another issue. I cheered for each character as they confronted the traumas of their past and opened their guarded hearts to each other. The budding romances were also handled with a light hand, so they felt very pure and sweet!

My main difficulty with the story was that it was a bit heavy-handed on the bad parenting theme, which made it a little less believable, but then again, Frasier did say the residents were picked for a reason, so I guess the similar backgrounds were intentional? The ending went a teeny bit OTT for me as well. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this, I love her writing, and there were some fabulous unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming! I highly recommend this lovely story and I’ll definitely watch for more from this author!

★★★★ ½

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and author Sarah Addison Allen for this ARC to honestly review. It’s due for publication on August 30th, 2022.

Other Birds feels little different than previous Sarah Addison Allen novels. I did enjoy it, just took some time to get into.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Mallow Island is right off the coast of South Carolina and on it sits The Dellawisp, a historic building that’s shaped like a horseshoe. It’s named after the tiny fluttery birds who live there with the select humans who are lucky enough to live in its condos. There is magic in the air as Zoey, who inherits her mothers studio sized condo, comes to spend the summer before beginning college. We read about the tenants and the ghosts who live there in alternating chapters. The residents are quirky and endearing and I loved uncovering the secrets they each had that seemed to keep the ghosts around for support. I loved this book and I will miss the residents at Dellawsip. Can’t wait to read another book by Sarah Addison Allen.

The first book from Sarah Addison Allen following monumental losses was well worth the wait. Her work hasn’t changed, except to get deeper and better, steeped with whimsy and magic and a charming story. I feel like this should be a series- there’s so many more stories to tell. I love the idea that our loved ones don’t leave… they linger with us and watch over us until we don’t need their guidance.

The author’s note at the end? Yes you sure did.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen is pure joy, and I predict this will be a big hit in the book world. The story centers around our lead protagonist, 19 year old Zoey Hennessey, who is looking for a place to belong and memories of her dead Mother. Zoey’s father has remarried, and she is no longer welcome in his new life. Hence, she travels to Mallow Island off the coast of South Carolina and moves into her mother’s empty studio condo in a small enclave of eclectic characters. Most importantly, Zoey’s new home is also the home to a flock of rare Dellawisps, turquoise-colored birds with many quirks. Added to this is Zoey’s unusual “bird”, called Pigeon. This small group of characters in Zoey’s new condo forms a home of sorts for each other and a place to belong. When looking for love and security, ghosts, fellow weary travelers, and misfits can become significant. They help Zoey to fly. There is magical realism, coming-of-age plotlines, family, birds and ghosts. I won’t reveal more details because this book is magical and reminds us that we are not alone. It is a book of hope.  #birds #love #family #life #comingofage #secrets #sweet #OtherBirds @sarahaddisonallen #netgalley @netgally #hope #SouthCarolina #mystery #future #life #purpose #belonging @stmartinspress #arc
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022.

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Overall I enjoyed this story. The writing is well done with engaging prose and a meandering storytelling style that is endearing in the end. I can understand why people love this author's books as her way of telling a story is measured and peaceful with sprinkles of wisdom thrown in that make you take notice.

The beginning was a little rough as I found it slow and I was struggling to find the point, the reason why I should care about these characters living in this complex. A lot of reviewers have used the phrase "magical realism" to describe this story and while I wouldn't call it magic per se I would definitely call it longings of the heart that is all too real for many. Loss, longing, a desire to find yourself, your community, your family so much so that you're holding on to something that doesn't exist anymore. Every character we're introduced to living at the Dellawisp is longing for something and this is the story of how they find what they're looking for and let go of the past that binds them.

Hidden from prying eyes, was the magical Dellawisp. Built for the birds, it became a haven for a few lost people and a place where they found a home.

Following her high school graduation, Zoey arrived at the Dellawisp in an attempt to feel closer to her mother who had passed years ago. Though that connection was lacking, Zoey did bond with her neighbors, all of whom were haunted by ghosts of their own.

I loved the way Allen incorporated ghosts into this story. Some were literal, while others were figurative. Regardless of their nature, these residents were able to face their past, make peace with their ghosts, and forge forward because they found each other. I was shedding happy tears and patting my heart as it filled with warmth and joy. I simply adore stories like this.

The book had a bit of mystery, lots of atmosphere, a touch of romance, and so much love. The relationships that developed between the residents were what delighted me the most. Found family is a favorite trope of mine, and Allen assembled quite a wonderful one here. I loved learning about their pasts, watching them overcome those things that were holding them back, and seeing them form important human connections.

Overall: A breathtaking and magical tale.

Other Birds introduces the reader to the neighbors who inhabit The Dellawisp apartment complex, named after the local, mischievous, turquoise birds of Mallow Island, off of the South Carolina coast. Zoey is on her way to college, but first living for the summer in the condo that she inherited from her mother, in an attempt to become closer to her mother's memory. Along the way, she discovers more about herself, the residents, their mysterious lives and the lives of those they have loved and lost, while reconnecting them to hope, new lives, new loves, new created families and new futures. I absolutely loved this book as it described the beautiful island, the enticing foods and the colorful characters that came alive in this magical realism story, so much so, that I WISH that is was an actual place that I could visit (I already do love Hilton Head Island, SC!). I longed for a bit more--wishing that there had been longer, more detailed back stories for some characters. such as Frasier & Zoey's mom and more resolution for some stories such as Oliver's (I felt that the secret isn't something that should be kept until the end of time as it is a life changing secret and everything in the book seemed to be pointing in that direction). The book had twists--some that I saw coming (and instead of being disappointed that I figured it out, I eagerly cheered it on when it happened!) and others that were surprising. This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading her other books!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ (4/5)
Pub Date: 8/30
Genre: Fiction/Magical Realism

Found family, whimsical characters, a sprinkle of magical realism, ghost stories and the underlying theme of letting go of the past -- "Other Birds" will pull at your heartstrings & warm your heart all at once. You won't want to stop turning the page to see how all the characters intertwine.

Although this book has a slower start, once you meet all of the quirky characters you begin to see the threads forming, the connections made. Although there is a string of sadness woven throughout, it's definitely overshadowed by hope and new beginnings. The result is an enchanting story with more magic than sadness. I was immediately drawn into the world the author created because of the vibrant and descriptive writing. The ending was very touching and gave me that warm hug feeling.

Enchanting, atmospheric, emotional.

"Stores aren't fiction. Stories are fabric. They're the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them." Roscoe Avanger

**Thank you to Sarah Addison Allen,St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!**