I loved this magical story about friendship, family, and belonging. Zoey has come to Mallow Island off the coast of South Carolina to live in the condo at Dellawisp she inherited from her mother. It's hard not to fall in love with Zoey and her eccentric neighbors. Other Birds is a bit of a mystery and ghost story with a touch of the Gullah culture thrown in and you will find it hard to put down. Thanks to author Sarah Addison Allen, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook for an honest review.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Sarah Addison Allen is by far my favorite author. I remember when I was 18/19 years old I was at my little local library at the time and I was looking and found her book "Garden Spells". I was instantly enchanted with the cover and I got it. I was so excited to see that she is writing a new book and I was not disappointed. I went through so many emotions reading this book. You know it is a good book when a book makes you emotional and you don't want the story to end! I loved every single character! Sarah Addison Allen has such a way with writing it is so magical and her writing is like southern comfort food for the soul! Thank you for writing this truly amazing story.

Sarah Addison Allen's Other Birds is a magical, beautiful and beautifully written story of loss and redeeming love of some different and wonderful people who come together in a rental community and become a "family". through their experiences on a little island near Charleston, South Carolina. I've read all of this author's books and this is truly one of her best. You won't be disappointed!

Remember, there are birds and there are other birds. You'll have to read this intriguing story to find the explanation for those birds. And meandering through the story to find that answer will be an adventure you won't want to miss.

Other Birds is absolutely worth the wait. Magical and heartfelt, this book was like coming home. Warm and comforting and full of characters I wanted to be friends with. Even the dellawisps! As always, Sarah Addison Allen perfectly balances the whimsical with heavier topics and emotions, leaving me completely satisfied and utterly charmed.

This is the first book I have read from the author, and I was absolutely charmed by her writing and storytelling.
The reader knows from the beginning that there are both real and imaginary elements of the story, but it’s not always obvious which you’re dealing with or why someone / something is other-worldly. It wasn’t a mystery to be solved, but rather a slow reveal without distracting from the characters and their journeys. When all is explained in the final 15-20% of the book it felt both heartwarming and sad, almost wistful.

In the acknowledgements, the author shared that she lost her mother and her sister days apart while writing this book and that it shaped the story and relationships in it. The book was beautiful, and I hope it brought the author healing.

Thank you again to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been looking forward to a new Sarah Addison Allen book for so long, and Other Birds did not disappoint! This book was filled with the same magical realism and beautifully complex characters as all of her other novels. I always love the little twists and hint of mystery her writing brings. A unique and enjoyable read that will leave a lasting impression.

I am a fan of Sarah Addison Allen's particular brand of magical realism and food, and Other Birds did not let me down. The book is absolutely charming. I found myself wanting to visit Mallow Island and the quirky residents at the Dellawhisp, to go eat at Mac's restaurant and get henna from Charlotte. And while the book also deals with love, loss, disappointment, and abuse, it still manages to leave the reader feeling hopeful. A poignant read that will be perfect for book clubs.

Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors and I’m always excited to read her new book. Allen, known for magic realism and wonderful complex characters, is still at the top of her game with Other Birds. Set in a unique condo complex five occupants, along with their ghosts, learn how to finally fully live by being vulnerable, reaching out to each other, and knowing even their “real” selves deserve to be loved. These beautifully written characters carry hurts from their childhood that need to be resolved, and they do so by accepting each other.

This book was so engaging, just like the characters in it. It is beautiful storytelling and so, so magical. A very poignant story which grabs your imagination from page one. I couldn’t put it down as I really wanted to immerse myself in these characters lives and those around them dealing with shifts of existence. We all think about whether the choices we've made were the best ones at the time and this book explores this with a magical, mysterious storyline and I loved it.

This book can go under many genres; new adult, magical realism, paranormal, romance, mystery, women's fiction...the list goes on and on but in a word, it was simply lovely. Beautiful, emotional and so believable. Read it in a couple of sittings. This book is compelling, heartbreaking and thought-provoking all at the same time and I was really pleased with the surprising secrets and twists. The central theme of everlasting hope shines through to the very end, I will miss these characters.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written.
The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing.
The characters and storyline were fantastic.
Truly amazing and appreciated the whole story.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

St. Martin's Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

It’s been several years since her last book, so I was elated when I received an early copy from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

There really is a Queen of magical realism and she’s back. I so missed Sarah Addison Allen’s writing. I’ve read all of her books and was a fan from the beginning.

This novel is exceptional and was well worth the wait. From the very beginning we have a condo in a cobblestone building on an island, a pink kitchen and an invisible bird. The story just keeps getting better and better. The characters are so well written and the descriptive writing was lovely. I swear I could smell and taste the food and feel the atmosphere on Mallow Island and in the garden with the dellawisps. Personally, I want to live at The Dellawisp and visit the bakery and sweet shops with all things marshmallow.

I loved this so much, I have preordered a copy of this novel. Release date is September 13, 2022. Congratulations to the author for this beautiful story.

Sarah Addison Allen is back with a fantastic exploration of found family. This found family has members that have all experienced some rather devastating losses or hardships, sometimes both.

They live in a magical little group of condos with fantastic, other-worldly birds, a ghost or three, and uniquely drawn characters, most of whom are endearing, real, and extremely interesting. Even the two that I didn't much care for I came to understand and have empathy for.

Prepare yourself for beautiful, lush descriptions that are so real you can feel the softness of the air and see the cornmeal in the head chef's hair, more than a little dose of magical realism, and a journey of the heart well worth taking. No one does characters and magical realism like SAA and I simply adore her, her other books, but especially this book.

Take the time to read the acknowledgement at the end. It's worth it. I'm devastated that Other Birds is finished and while I rarely reread books, I do believe this is one I will.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

I was so excited to get my hands on this long awaited story by the marvelous Sarah Addison Allen. It was everything I hoped it would be and more.
This tale weaves a spell into the fabric of the readers heart with it’s mesmerizing imagery. The characters are a fascinating menagerie of residents that inhabit of Dellawisp Condos on the charming Mallow Island. These individuals all have a story, the chef, the artist, the caretaker and the sisters. When the newest resident, Zoey, moves in changes abound.
At its heart this book explores the themes of self discovery, found family, and love in a way that is unique to Sarah Addison Allen’s storytelling. I found myself highlighting so many moving phrases and passages and so know I will need to re-read this one. Finishing this book left me feeling both contented and wistful. This is a must read story for fans of magical realism.

I am a big fan of Sarah Addison Allen. Her books are ones I have reread over and over. I have anxiously awaiting this book for years. This book is in the same category of the rest of her books. A classic. One that must be on my bookshelf.

Sarah Addison Allen writes characters who just can't help but love and wish that you knew them in real life. I especially loved the character, Camille. This book stirred so many emotions in me. I don't think I will be the same again.

"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."
It's been seven long years since Sarah Addison Allen's last book. Seven long years of me waiting. Seven years of tumultuous life for the author--surviving cancer and then experiencing the loss of both her mother and her sister. It was worth the wait for sure. As much as I wanted to savor each page, I also wanted to inhale these words I had been longing to read. I think I was able to achieve a balance.

This story features one of my favorite themes, which is found family. These characters are real, raw, somewhat broken, somewhat healed, with fractured pasts and working toward new beginnings. There's loss and grief and misunderstanding. They come together, along with a few ghosts, to help each other move forward.

I adore Allen's magical realism and her incorporation of food as one means to communicate love and care. Her characters are vividly drawn and made me want to know even more about them. There's the perfect amount of intentionality by the author to craft an imaginative and moving tale, sure to please current fans of her work and hopefully to create some new ones as well. Do yourself a favor and pre-order this book, you won't be disappointed.


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an early copy of this lovely novel.

Sarah Addison Allen writes books that bring comfort, joy, and magic to her readers. Other Birds was worth the wait.

I read it in one sitting because I needed to know what happened to the characters so lovingly brought to life by Ms. Allen's words. Now I'm going to read it again to savor those words and soak up all the magic. Wishing one of those little birds would come sit with me.