SAAllen will always be a must read author for me. I can't think of another writer off the top of my head who had the ability to craft stories that can slide into everyday literary fiction but have this childlike whimsy to them. They all have just an almost warm, homey air of magic to them that wraps around you and pulls you in. Not a single one I don't like.

This story has all the subtle nuances of possible magic? the occult, whatever that otherworldly-vide is that whispers like a haunting lullaby just on the fringes. An island with history, a group of people all either running or hiding secrets from the past, and spirits unwilling to move on - what do all of these things have in common? A unique hidden tenement that house not 6 lives that will soon be woven together, but 3 ghosts and some very bizarre birds. It's the Dellawisp. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and get the feels.

** I would like to thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion **

Years ago, I bought a book called The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen. I’m sure I read the back cover at the time to see what it was about, but I’m pretty sure I grabbed it mostly because of the picture on the cover. The picture of a young woman sitting outside on a moonlit night, with butterflies and/or moths flying about. It was just a great cover, and I wanted to know the secret this young woman had.

Fast-forward a few years and I find the book in my TBR (To Be Read) pile, which has gone from a pile to a bookshelf, to an entire closet by this time. And I wonder why I haven’t read it yet, so I do. And that, THAT, is the story of how I discovered one of my favorite authors. Sarah Addison Allen’s books are all special, with their quirky characters, the small-town settings, and the special little something that’s not exactly magic, but pure imagination in each story. I have read all but two of Sarah Addison Allen’s and a short story of hers. To be clear, it’s not because I don’t want to or because I can’t find them. I actually own both books and the short story. But like a favorite box of chocolates, I’m saving the books so I can savor the stories when I really need them. On the day when I get some sad news, or I’m just not feeling well, I know I have those books (and the short story!) to make me feel better. I’ve been itching to cave in and read one lately, but I was on NetGalley about a month ago and guess who is coming out with a brand new book? You guessed it.

Sarah's latest is centered around Zoey and her arrival to The Dellawisp, a small condominium building named after the tiny, colorful birds that reside in the courtyard garden. Zoey has inherited her condo from her mother, and now that she’s 18 and ready for college, she’s hoping this will allow her to learn more about her mother. While living there, Zoey finds herself making friends with the other tenants; tenants who, up until now, have all kept to themselves. Through Zoey’s involvement, we get to learn a little about each tenant and what brought them to the Dellawisp. Just like with her other novels, the characters and the charming descriptions of the dellawisps (and Dellawisp!) left me smiling and wanting more. I loved it!

Special Note: Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a captivating, long-awaited, new tale by Sarah Addison Allen.

Zoey Hennessey heads to Mallow Island in South Carolina. Here she inherits her deceased mother’s apartment The Dellawisp, aptly named for the little blue birds that live there. Here she meets the estranged Lime sisters – one loud and cantankerous, the other one only seen by the movement of her curtains. Charlotte, a drifter of sorts, who is unsure of permanency but longs for it all the same. Mac Garrett, a chef who cooks everything with corn flour, who is afraid to let go of the past. And finally Roscoe, the maintenance man/caretaker of The Dellawisp. Lest we forget the three ghosts that have unfinished stories to tell.

This story is about love (or lack thereof) and family, whether by blood or new found. I found myself eager to learn about each character and how they ended up where they were, whether in life or death. Each story unfolding and blending together, makes you wonder if they were connected previously and brought together from unknown forces.

I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Love. Loss. Past trauma. And the healing power of found family. This book spoke to me in a very personal way. When you add in ghosts, different character POVs and witch balls I'm absolutely in for the ride. This was a quick read, but also an incredibly satisfying one. Filled with characters I was cheering for and grew to genuinely care about. That's not an easy thing to do. And although this book did touch on some heavy subjects, it never lost its sense of lightness and positivity. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and will now seek out other books by Sarah Addison Allen. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

Sarah Addison Allen is my favorite author. I was so pumped to receive a digital ARC of her new novel through NetGalley.
It is beautiful. I love her writing because of her mixture of realism with little nubs of magic and her fantastic character building. This was just a lovely story with lots of character exploration and back stories. I love the discoveries the reader makes as the story unfolds.

She wanted chaos........

Like so many, many others who breathe it in in order to reassemble the inner turmoil that festers there. With a constant shift in the air, it forced an unexpected response. A subtle presence of one who inevitably lights the way and calms the storm.

Sarah Addison Allen presents a novel structured with human building blocks. We will be introduced to shadows of individuals, both real and perhaps not, who fill these pages with doubt, fear, rejection, grief, and tiny fragaments of simple love in all forms. Allen wishes for us to slowly make their acquaintance before instantly reacting with surface judgments so ingrained in the human psyche.

Zoey Hennessey, on the cusp of nineteen, is relocating from Tulsa to Mallow Island off the South Carolina coast. Autumn will bring her to college in Charleston. But for now, Zoey just wants to embrace her mother's memory in Paloma's condo that she has inherited on the island. Zoey has traveled with her pet pigeon, Pigeon, who brings her comfort. But there's other baggage that Zoey carries from her former life. In spite of it all, Zoey searches out connection wherever she lands.

We'll meet the other residents of Dellawisp Condos including the turquoise blue birds that fly freely throughout the grounds. Frasier, the manager, runs a tight ship. The other occupants are as varied as the shells on the shore. They are all clinging to their privacy with two being reclusive. But it is Zoey's nature to seek out the ticking stories held within. Frasier hires Zoey to sort through boxes upon boxes in one of the condos of the reclusive who just passed away. Zoey will uncover unexpected treasures from an unexpected tomb.

Sarah Addison Allen uncovers unifying concepts in her host of characters. Their lives stem from the bizarre to the tragic to the unexplainable. And they all circle dance around the deepest desire to be loved and to be accepted in the scheme of things. Other Birds is a gift from this author to see what can't readily be seen and to experience a life without self-imposed limitations. A honey of a read.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Sarah Addison Allen for the opportunity.

I was extremely excited to see that there was a new Sarah Addison Allen book on Netgalley - therefore I had to request it immediately! So thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

I felt the tone of this novel was a little different from her other ones, but not in a negative way. I enjoyed the theme of family, both biological and chosen. The relationships forged in this novel were very well written, as were the characters. I enjoyed the mish mash of misfits all joined together by this magical, hidden place - the visuals I imagined were beautiful! The metaphorical use of the dellawisp birds is equal parts charming, sweet, and accurate.

Like other reviewers have stated, this novel did start out slow for me, and I actually did abandon it to read some other novels before coming back to it. I am glad I did, as the middle to end of the book held an exciting magical depth to it. I think some readers may be disappointed in this novel compared to some of Allen's others, but overall I thought it was a calm, atmospheric reading experience.

In the end, I would give this a solid 3.5 stars.

I have loved Allen's other novels. This one, though it has a sweet story, was just okay. It took WAY too long to get into (over half the book) and so many shallow characters it was confusing whose story was being told at any given page. Still, it is a sweet story.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The thing about never reading the blurb of a book is that you will find yourself reading a genre that is usually not up your alley. But that's ok to me, as it gets me out of my comfort zone.

I read Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen many years ago and liked it well enough.

The book was full of magical realism and told from the POV of several neighbors who live in the same apartment complex, and the ghosts from their pasts.

Zoey is getting ready to start college when she decides to stay at the Dellawisps, a condo owned by her mother before she passed away.

Shortly after her arrival, one of her neighbors dies and she's hired by the manager to clean out her apartment.

Through this job, she makes friends with a henna artist and James Beard award winning chef.

Other neighbors prefer to remain aloof.

I'm not really sure how to describe this book. It was pretty slow throughout, although it did have some secrets revealed at the end. Everyone had their own story, a desire to be loved by others, and yet a need to keep a part of their lives hidden from others. I never got deeply invested with any of the characters and found the storyline to be lacking.

If you have an aversion to birds, this may not be the book for you. Dellawisps is named after the birds that keep their home in the garden of the complex.

My husband's aunt is terrified of birds, so whenever we go to Maine so refuses to go to the beach for fear she will get attacked by a swarm of birds. I told her it would be more dangerous to see me in a bathing suit, but alas, I've yet to change her mind.

In the end, this is not a book I would recommend go to the top of your TBR stack, but I liked it.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

I didn't get into this book as quickly as I usually do with Sarah Addison Allen's books but once I did I really enjoyed it. It's the kind of book you want to read again, a comfort book.
In Mallow Island South Carolina there is an apartment building tucked away called the Dellawisp. It's now home to 18 year old Zoey who is on her own for the first time in her life. Her mother passed away when she was young and Zoey moves into the unit that her mother lived in years ago. She meets the other tenants who live at the Dellawisp and with her youthful enthusiasm she brings people together.
I love how the author describes the history of the town and the quaint street full of sweet shops. You can just imagine the smell of marshmallow in the air.
This book makes you believe in families of all kinds and that love lasts long after someone is gone.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I love, love, love this book. I have been a fan of Sarah Addison Allen for a long time. I enjoy her quirky characters, the magic interwoven throughout the story, the heart and soul in every story, and the way I can laugh, cry, smile and still finish the book wanting more. Other Birds is no different, I finished the book wanting to know more about the adventures of Zoey Hennessey and the other tenants of Dellawisp Condos. Zoey is moving into the condo her mother left her. There at the Dellawisp Condos, she meets Fraiser, the condos manager, Charlotte, a local henna artist, Mac, a renowned chef and the Lime sisters. Having Zoey move into the complex causes the atmosphere to change and even the dellawisp birds are more active. Secrets are revealed, stories are told, history is revealed and life changes. A beautifully written story about friendship, letting go of your past, and creating your own family.

Well written, the perspective of a different character flows from each chapter, this approach does not lessen the story; but rather enhances it. Each character adds to story much like a cook adding spices to a meal. The different characters bring their own flavor to the story. And in the end, the well-seasoned story is richly developed, one where when you finish, the memory of the story lingers like a good meal does. Sit back and enjoy, Other Birds is worth the read. Well done Pigeon!

I thought this was such a sweet story and am so I glad I was able to read it! I love this author and her books are always so whimsical and make me smile and make me tear up; Other Birds was no exception! The only problem I had with it, was around Chapter 10, Charlotte and Zoey talk about how they went on the trolley tour and saw Mac's restaurant Popcorn while on it and Charlotte was going to work there. Then about 2 chapters later (12 I believe) is the actual chapter where the girls take the trolley tour, see Popcorn, and Charlotte gets hired for the job. Not sure if this was just a problem with my copy, but I did want to point it out because it was confusing and I had to backtrack to make sure I hadn't missed anything (like maybe that it was supposed to read like that) but after finishing it, I never did find anything that would point to it being on purpose so I wanted to make sure it was pointed out to someone else.

I love Sarah Addison Allen books and have read them all at this point. I’ve been waiting years for her next installment and The Other Birds was a perfect homecoming to her gorgeous southern magical realism style. I loved all the characters she created at the Dellawisp and how individual each of their stories were. Everyone was so well thought out and the story beautifully contained. It’s the perfect summer read that makes me crave sweet treats, sunshine, and home. Can we have her next book already??

I have read all of Sarah Addison Allens previous books and have enjoyed them all, some more than others and this one is no exception. It is full of quirky, unusual characters that we gradually learn more about as the novel progresses, a little bit of mystery, and even a little bit of a ghost story. The found family trope is also strong here and some life lessons about what is really important in life
There is just a gentle warm flow to this book where you have the opportunity to spend some time with some interesting characters. If you are looking for a plot driven fast paced novel this is not it, but if you are in the mood for a slower visit with some fascinating new friends, this is your book. Thanks to net galley and the publisher for the e galley, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for goodreads ratings.

Zoey returns to Mallow Island, hoping it will help her reconnect with her mother who died years ago. Instead she meets an odd assortment of people, a flock of birds, and a new beginning Ng. Wonderful!

This book took me a little bit to get into. Typically fantasy is not my favorite genre, but this book just has the slightest hint of fantasy/supernatural. Once I got into it, I did enjoy the story line. Sarah Addison Allen digs deep into relationships and wounds caused by them and shows her characters overcoming. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Sarah Addison Allen is back! Having loved her previous books, I was very excited to read Other Birds. Allen's magical realism, family drama, and tone make her books a must-read for me. I finished Other Birds in one day (nearly one sitting)- that's how enraptured I was by the story.

Told through multiple perspectives, Other Birds is the story of the residents of The Dellaswip, a small community on the beautiful Mallow Island. Zoey- who has left her distant father and his family to move into the studio apartment her mother left for her. Charlotte- a wandering artist who yearns to put down roots but can't escape her dark past. Mac- a brilliant chef who is afraid to let go. And the sisters- estranged and mysterious. And then there are the ghosts.

Other Birds is full of explorations of the bonds between a mother and her child, what it means to let go, and mysterious and dark pasts. The found family in the book just made my heart so happy. In all, a true to form Sarah Addison Allen story that I fairly devoured and made me want to pick up and move to the Dellaswip.

💗 “Dedicated to the memory of my mom, who taught me that food is love. It was the first, and best, magic I ever knew.” ***

Sarah Addison Allen’s dedication to her mother at the beginning made me love the book before I even started the first chapter.

I found myself nearing the end of the book (on Kindle) before I even realized it.

Then I went back and read through many paragraphs again to make sure I didn’t miss anything! Allen’s writing is so beautiful and heartfelt; each thought and observation full of meaning.

💗”Vines symbolize perseverance,” Charlotte said. “Flowers mean joy. And the moon, here, is the power of change.” She pointed to her knee. (Henna designs) “Birds are supposed to be messengers between heaven and earth.” She indicated a peacock on the other knee. Birds had always been her favorite to draw.”

Each character in “Other Birds” shares a childhood that lacked a mother’s love.
Each character is haunted by a dysfunctional family past filled with varying degrees and manners of abuse/neglect.
Each character wants to feel safe and settled somewhere, and they want to feel loved.

💗”Everything around her was suddenly stitched together by unseen threads, as thin as gossamer. She’d come here wanting to feel a connection, but she’d always thought that connection would be to her mother. Instead, it was to these people. And it felt more substantial, more real, than she could ever have dreamed.”

Each character is living with ghosts of some type, good and bad.

💗”One day he’ll be ready to let me go. Until then, I’m here, weightless but not unhappy, waiting to be released like a wish or a balloon, floating up to that place where hope goes. That’s the difference between me and that Lizbeth. …She needs help understanding the right reasons to stay. And the right reasons to go.”

I especially enjoyed the friendship that grew between Zoey, who is experiencing a new world of adulthood, & Charlotte, who is the older survivor.
My favorite Charlotte thought:

💗”She was young enough to think that drama was something you had to run toward. She had no idea that drama doesn’t need to be chased. It knows exactly where you live.”

We’ve waited 7 years for Sarah’s new book. She fought cancer and lost her mother and sister during that time. This book is a tribute to the power of family —by blood or friendship—and I loved it.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, publicity@stmartins.com, trademarketing@stmartins.com and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy to review.

💗”We all want to think we are worth the trouble.”

This is a beautifully told story of friendship and the human condition. The author has a masterful way of drawing you into her writing and the charcters. I enjoy her charcter development, the picturesque Low County setting and the interwoven friendship . As with all her writing this has a touch of grief and magical realism that only adds depth to the story. A must read

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.

I really like this novel! The story includes family drama, friendships and family of choice, a bit of a mystery, and ghosts. Recommend to readers who want something a bit different, interesting, and ultimately a "feel good" story.