This story is filled with quirky, mostly loveable characters who find each other and create a safe and loving family which they all really needed. Also present, as in all of this author's books, is a touch of magic, a presence of ghosts and the links between the worlds. I came away from reading this with such a hopeful and peaceful feeling.

this is actually my first book by this author, though i own several (oops). i really enjoyed it - it was so dreamy and i loved the magical realism element. i loved the characters and the themes about grief and love.

I love when I book makes you cry happy tears and that is what Other Birds did for me. A sweet tale of finding your own family, finding happiness, and realizing others support you in ways you don’t see.

I love Sarah Addison Allen's books. I just know that when I start one I'm going to enjoy it. Her writing has this dreamy quality of being able to pull you in and keep you engaged throughout the whole story, and her use of magical realism is perfect. It's so engrained in her books and it feels like it could actually be true.

This is the perfect book on dealing with grief. Everyone deals with it in their own way. There's no right or wrong way, no time frame, and no way of knowing how it's going to go. Even though we all deal with grief, it's different for everyone. But not only that, it's different each time we experience it. Each of the characters in this book are dealing with grief for a different person or situation in a different way. I loved how time was spent with each person, and how all their stories slowly unraveled to reveal more of what each was going through. I also loved the aspect of them all being so far apart from each even though they all lived in the same complex, and slowly coming together as a new found family. Sometimes we need to find our own family, even if we have one, as sharing our grief with others can help us all overcome whatever it is we're facing. I have a lot of first hand experience with this. It took me a long time to get to the point where I could share it with others, but as a result, I have found a new family of people I know will always be there for me.

I have not been this excited about an upcoming release in ages! After nearly 7 years Sarah Addison Allen returns with the wonderful and magical novel, Other Birds. Allen‘s work has been some of my favorites throughout the past decade with the flawless use of magical realism she brings to her stories that will warm your heart.

"Between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.

Right off the coast of South Carolina, on Mallow Island, The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe, and named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment on an island outside of Charleston she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors, including a girl on the run, two estranged middle-aged sisters, a lonely chef, a legendary writer, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written."

I absolutely adored this story for so many reasons and just like Allen‘s previous work it left me feeling truly satisfied and with a full heart. This new release has made me want to go back and reread her back catalog as The Girl Who Chased the Moon was the first to get me hooked on her work.

I have to note how much I really appreciate how Allen has never really changed the overall feeling and voice of her books, despite having experienced surviving cancer along with unthinkable loss within the past decade. Her own life is just as complicated as the multidimensional characters that she brings to life on the page, and her ability to overcome and produce such a beautiful piece of fiction is simply awe inspiring.

Do NOT miss out on this one by pre-ordering today from your favorite indie bookstore!

Allen's works are truly an escape from reality unlike any other, and I am absolutely thrilled to have had the opportunity to read and review this title thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.

Every once in awhile, a book comes along that stays with you long after you've read the last page. This is one of those books. The residents of The Dellawisp, a charming little apartment complex on Mallow Island, South Carolina, each have multi-layered stories and pasts that haunt them. As their stories intertwine and unfold with the help and hindrance of ghosts from the past, they learn to trust and love again.

It has been a long time since we have had a new book from Addison Allen, but I think it was worth the wait! Looking back on my reviews of her other works, they have been 3’s or 4’s, but I think she really ramped it up with this one, more twists and turns and story lines, but not confusing, and the magical realism is there and then some! The characters are likable, and you hope for everyone’s happiness, no matter how hard their start or journey, because they deserve it. You will care for them. them! Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review, which this truly is. Was so excited to get it!

3.5 stars, rounded up. Zoey moves into her late mother’s condo on Mallow Island, South Carolina. She brings an empty birdcage, with an invisible bird, named Pigeon. That same night, one of the residents dies suddenly, when a bookcase falls on her. However, that sad incident leads to Zoey meeting all the other residents of the Dellawisp, including the blue birds that try to regulate activities. The story of each resident slowly unfolds, along with 3 ghosts still living at the Dellawisp. Each resident has their own family hardship and struggle with current relationships. This is a nice, light, feel-good story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC.

🐦📘Other Birds📘🐦 by @sarahaddisonallen

This lovely novel set on Mallow Island, South Carolina winds ghosts, strange birds, and family losses together into a story where seemingly unrelated people are drawn together in unexpected ways. Allen writes sentences that draw the reader into the story just as the magical food draws people home. Perfect for fans of magical realism and found family themes.

From the publisher:

Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive . . .

When a deadly snowstorm strikes the Icelandic highlands, four friends seek shelter in a small, abandoned hunting lodge.

It is in the middle of nowhere and there's no way of communicating with the outside world.

They are isolated, but they are not alone . . .

Review: Okay this book had me hooked at the beginning - I thought it was actually a bit shocking and mysterious and creepy I've never read something that started off that strong. This novel is very atmospheric and I was on a real Scandinavian mystery novel kick so this was perfect for that. The ending didn't particularly resonate or satisfy me but overall an enjoyable read. 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my free digital copy.

MAGICAL. There is something about reading a Sarah Addison Allen book that transports you. You want to live in that magical world where troubles still exist but your surrounded by magic that makes everything a bit softer.

This book was great - the characters were well rounded, their troubles there but not what they lived for, and so very likeable. The setting was perfect with the oasis in the middle of chaos.

I can't say enough good things about this book and highly recommend to...EVERYONE.

Other Birds takes its time methodically introducing a cast of complex characters that'll break and mend your heart in equal measure.

In the months leading up to her first day of college Zoey moves into her late mother's condo. The Dellawisp, an otherworldly cobblestone condo complex, is nestled in a secluded nook on a quiet and secluded Mallow Island. It's quirky tenants and Boisterous Birds soon intrigue Zoey and she eagerly begins to learn the heartbreaking stories of the small community.

Other Birds is a must read for folks who love character driven stories. We're offered a huge cast of characters here and they each get equal billing. I found myself engaged with each, rooting for most, grumbling at some, and empathetic for all. While initially this story felt a bit isolated and slow for my liking it picked up steam at the mid point and it delivered big with a whole lot of heart!!

The authors tell-tale magic is threaded throughout creating a story that's masterfully balanced between harsh humanity and lighter whimsy.

I only dock one star because I felt an opportunity was missed to sprinkle in some more atmospheric elements.

Not rating!

I was wanting to try some magical realism, but at 25% I realize this isn’t for me!

Magical Realism is style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Despite including certain magic elements, it is generally considered to be a different genre from fantasy because magical realism uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality, while fantasy stories are often separated from reality. (Wikipedia)

Please read the reviews from those who love the genre and the author because it’s just a matter of personal taste and nothing more. 🐦

Other Birds
Sara Addison Allen

Other Birds is Southern Fried Fiction meets Magical Realism, a poignant and a bit otherworldly coming of age story, a love story and a story that tells readers families aren’t always blood related. Beautifully set on a touristy fictional South Carolina barrier island this master storyteller will have her audience entranced as she weaves her multilayered tale about love, loss, starting over and letting go. Readers will be mesmerized by Sara’s fluid narrative, whimsical dialogue and exceptional quirky characters both corporeal and spectral, especially Zoey who is simply enchanting, a misfit who just wants to belong who just so happens to move into a condo complex full of other misfits who just want to belong and as Sara fills in all the blanks of her story readers will find themselves totally hooked. Fans of Karen White, MJ Rose, Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig will find this extraordinary novel absolutely unputdownable.

Zoey Hennessey hasn’t had it easy growing up in a family who always made her feel like an outsider but now she’s ready to make a fresh start, start living, ready to start college in the fall but first she’s ready to come home to Mallow Island and move into the condo at the Dellawisp she inherited from her late mother. So armed with all her earthly belongings and her invisible pet pigeon she takes her first baby steps into adulthood. Her neighbors, including the tiny pesky turquoise birds the condo complex is named for, a henna artist, a chef, two sisters, plus the condo manager are a quirky bunch and all seem to be ships that pass in the night. When one of the sisters dies accidentally at home, Zoey takes on the job of cleaning out the woman’s apartment because she needs something to do until school stars and decides it’s also the perfect way to meet her neighbors, learn their stories and hopefully be able to share hers as well.

This is a heartwarming magical realism book about finding your self and finding those who accept you for who you are. I love how this book has a wide variety of characters, each with their own unique story that all comes together and connects with other stories in the end. This is a bit of a slow burn, so it took me some time to truly get hooked, but I am so glad I kept with it. This is a sweet and meaningful read. Thank you so much to Net Galley, the author, and publisher for providing this book for my honest review.

Pure magic! Escape from reality with this whimsical, heart-stirring book. There are birds—both invisible and real (and the real birds are full of personality)—and ghosts. But at its heart this a book about lost childhoods, grief, and secrets. The residents of Dellawisp are wonderfully quirky, each with their own origin story, but they come together in this place to find friendship, love, and family. Sarah Addison Allen fans have been clamoring for a new book, and they are going to love this one!

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen is a thought provoking book about the family we grow up with and the family that we choose after we grow up.

I loved this new novel from Sarah Addison Allen!

Set on Mallow Island off the coast of South Carolina we follow a cast of characters each struggling with their own past and ongoing journey. It is a lovely story of found family and the importance of community. A charming story with hints of magic and ghosts (but not the scary kind).

I don't have the words to say how much I loved this book, but here is my attempt.

Other Birds is hands down one of my favorite books. I'm not saying this is the best book ever written, the most technically perfect, the best paced, the greatest characters, none of that (though I truly loved every one of those aspects here). I'm saying this book made me feel deeply for the characters - I was happy when they were, I was relieved when they were, scared when they were, everything. I loved every twist and bend in the tale and every single one felt earned and right unlike so many "twists" that are written for shock and awe. I'm truly going to mourn not being with Mac, Charlotte, Zoey, Oliver, Frasier, and Lucy. I'm going to miss Mallow Island. I'm going to crave cornmeal pancakes and sweet marshmallow treats for weeks after this. Allen truly paints a world for her readers, complete with smells, tastes, sounds, everything. This book is a treat for the soul.

**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC**

Sarah Addison Allen's books always are magical in just the right ways. "Other Birds" is no exception.

Set on Mallow Island in South Carolina, "Other Birds" brings together a disparate group of loners with secrets, regrets and problems of their own. Birds . . . the annoying ones that flap their wings and peck at those who get in their way and the invisible variety that only certain people realize are there . . . share the premises with ghosts who want to move on but who have unfinished business.

Readers familiar with Sarah Addison Allen's books know to expect just a touch of magic or mysticism in her novels. Readers also know to expect well-drawn characters who tug at heartstrings and contemplative storytelling that lures readers into the tale.

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