“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 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.”

Other Birds is one of those gorgeous “found family” novels full of magical realism, mystery, and a lot of heart. I really, sincerely loved this book. Each character had this really lovely backstory that author Sarah Addison Allen clearly crafted with care, and each personality stood out immensely.

Something that the novel really did well was touch themes of love in so many ways — just some of many different types of loves one can experience: romance, friendship, companionship, lost love, longing, obsession, desperation…they were all interspersed so beautifully into this narrative.

I particularly loved that the little turquoise birds in the story also had their own personalities and quirks, they were sewn into the fabric of this little neighborhood.

Other Birds left me feeling whole and healed when I didn’t know that I needed to be.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this eARC. I really loved it!!

A sweet book set on an idyllic coastal island. The characters all have secrets and are surrounded by ghosts that they can’t seem to shake. Identities are revealed and relationships are formed. The birds that haunt this place are delightful.

OTHER BIRDS

I enjoyed this book. It had a fresh and young and hopeful feel to it. It was deceptively simple and pleasant.

Set on Mallow Island, known for its agricultural crop of the mallow plant used in making marshmallows, it is now a tourist destination. Things change with time. The story focuses on a group of lonely and lovely tenants living at The Delawisp, a beautiful old cobblestone stable now renovated into condominiums. Each person carries secrets and scars from the past, and are learning to grow and live with loss.

With just a touch of magic and some gentle ghostly visits, the atmosphere of beauty and charm blends nicely while addressing some very serious and tender issues. The beautiful little turquoise Delawisp birds, namesake of the small community, flit around causing interesting trouble.

“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 would like to thank NetGalley, Sarah Addison Allen, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen was a long-awaited treat as her fans, which includes me, have been waiting for a new book since 2015. All I can say is welcome back! Her first book, Garden Spells from 2007 was a New York Times bestseller. She has a delightful way of incorporating magical realism into her books that just works.

This book had the most uniquely flawed and loveable characters. Each one needed each other in simple ways, and they all seemed to fill a void for one another. They were a study in misfits that found a much-needed family. There was a hauntingly beautiful atmospheric feeling throughout the book. You just felt like you were there.

Packed with ghosts, magical birds, earnest and flawed characters, romance, strong mother daughter bonds, a renowned author and an unlikely band of residents made up this delightful story. I think that I read this book in a day it just was a necessary escape from reality that sent a hearty message about friendship and opening your heart to others.

Quotes I liked:
If the people around you don’t love or accept you just as you are, find new people. They’re out there.”

“Don’t hold on to old love so hard you forget to live. Old love isn’t the only love you’ll ever have.”

“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 rather than just the same old thing.”

Liked but didn't love this one. I really was looking forward to the new Sarah Addison Allen book but sadly I just found this an okay read. Recommended for people who enjoy stories about:

-found family
-magical realism
-intergenerational friendships

There were a lot of characters to keep track of in this story and I just didn't find myself connecting deeply with any of them. Good on audio narrated by new to me narrator Siiri Scott.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This is one that I did enjoy but won't stick with me in the long term.

I had set aside time to read and review this book, but Covid has made it impossible. I appreciate the review copy and will try to get to it when I am feeling better. Allen's writing and characters are always a treat so I am looking forward to experiencing it once I can concentrate in the manner it deserves.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an intriguing and enchanting read full of quirky but loveable characters. As with her other books, this story contained a blend of elements of magic and romance along with a heartwarming story about isolated and lonely characters who ways to heal by connecting with one another. This was an enjoyable read from start to finish.

A beautiful and original story that drew me in and took me along its journey. A feel good story with some twists and unexpected turns!

I have read many of this author’s books, and this one did not disappoint. Zoey is getting ready to go to college in Charleston, staying at the condo her mother owned. Dellawisp was an unusual place with quite quirky residents. Charlotte is a henna artist with secrets in her past, Mac is a chef also with sadness in his past. Zoey’s enthusiasm starts to bring them together, and slowly, they open up to each other. Lisbeth, another resident, dies at the beginning of the story and we are introduced to her son, Oliver, another troubled soul. The story offers hope as the group begins to understand each other and themselves. The magical realism in the author’s books includes ghost and the birds, the dellawisps. If you like quirky and unique, I recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm always a fan of Sarah Addison Allen's books - and Other Birds is no different. I loved the story of Zoey and her new life at the Dellawisp, a condo on Mallow Island, SC, that she inherited from her mother. Zoey's story quickly entwined with those of her neighbors at the Dellawisp and the little touch of magic and mystery kept me enthralled all the way through. Definitely recommending to all my reading friends and family.

Creating your own family when the one you were originally dealt is lacking is often the theme of many of my favorite books...and this book just was added to the list. It's quirky and infused with a touch of magic. Full of distinct and often charming characters aching to be seen, understood and loved including a few ghosts hanging around. Zoey, a recent high school grad, has been kicked out of her father's house so her stepmom can turn her room into a craft room, she heads to Charleston to live in an inherited condo as she waits until college starts. The Dellawisp is an old building with just a few condos inhabited, maybe terrorized, by the tiny turquoise birds which gave it its name. As Zoey interacts with the other residents, you learn their stories and the separate and hollow souls expand to allow each other inside.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this one! The setting of Mallow Island in South Carolina was magical and I immediately felt like I was right there on Trade Street with Zoey, smelling the candy, with the mysterious Dellawisp birds flying over my head. You can feel that the setting is loved, from the small histories of the island to the traditional food that Mac cooks.

The connection that each of the inhabitants of the Dellawisp had to the island was slowly revealed through their own stories and the stories of the ghosts that they held onto. As they all became friends and got closer, their individual pain was transformed and they were able to let go of their pasts. It was a lovely story about found family, healing, and belonging. Mac's history with Camille was one of my favorites!

If you are someone who doesn't like magical realism, or prefers for every supernatural thing to be explained, then you might not enjoy this book. Quite a lot of the story feels almost like a dream, and some things (like the Dellawisp birds) are never really explained, and yet they have a definitive place in the story and setting. Overall a wonderful book!

Such a beautiful story. Combining grief, letting go, finding yourself, a found family, and loved magical realism / ghosts your past and real ghosts elements thrown in. There was a bit of a lull in the middle for me, but I loved the beginning and loved the end. It’s nice how by the end of the book you felt apart of the little community. Thank you for sending me an advanced copy, I’ll definitely be recommending this book.

This book was wonderful. It makes you have the warm & fuzzies as you're reading it. As Zoey moves into her new place and meets all of her vastly unique neighbors she begins to learn about each of them, piece by piece. Each person has such an interesting life and their stories allow a deeper look into their lives deeply but slowly. All of these people I think I would be friends with if they weren't fictional. This book makes you acknowledge and care for those who have experienced trauma. It was lovely and I wish I could go back and start it all over again.

Eighteen year old Zoey moves into a small apartment complex and the unit where her deceased mother lived years earlier. She gradually gets to know the complex's other residents, including a lonely chef, two sisters who hadn't spoken in years, a henna artist, and three ghosts, and learns their stories while trying to adapt to her new life.

Sarah Addison Allen's new novel is lovely. The characters are thoughtful, well-drawn, and empathetic, the plot features several surprises that I did not see coming, and the setting is described in such a way that makes me want to visit Mallow Island and make reservations at Mac's restaurant. Allen's touches of magical realism are just enough to add a sparkle to the story without being overwhelming. This is one of those heartwarming, hopeful reads that I'll be recommending to many patrons and friends.

Other Birds took me awhile to get into. I actually almost abandoned it. I'm glad I stuck it out because by the end the book had me completely wrapped around its finger and pulled at my heart strings in the best way.

Other Birds is the latest book from Sarah Addison Allen who I adore. I've read most of her books and I adore their rich imagery and magical elements. Sarah Addison Allen knows how to write characters you care about and root for. They are never perfect or are experiencing a transformation and you instantly are right there with them experiencing their emotions. She is also amazing at making the settings of her stories come alive.

This story is set on Mallow Island off the Carolinas in an apartment complex with a courtyard that is home to some very unique birds. The residents on the complex are also unique - misfits and outcasts who rarely interact until a tragedy and a new tenant brings them together.

Each chapter is in a different person's point a view, so you really get immersed in the characters. There's a lot of focus on family, loss and finding where you belong - making your own family. Finding love and self worth after issues with abandonment and losing a parent. These issues are heavy, but the book is so beautifully written it doesn't feel depressing. This book is actually very uplifting and heartwarming. I loved it, highly recommended.

Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors, and I was immensely excited to find out she had a new book coming out after a few years since her last one. This book brought all the delight and light mystery that her other titles I've read had - no other author quite has her sense of writing books that bridge the gap between fantasy and real life in a way where it feels as if the magic could happen in the reader's own life. The set-up of the coastal, a bit run-down Dellawisp added a nice extra touch, and I enjoyed the characters and especially how they all meshed together as a found family (but I'd argue Mac was my favorite, and Pigeon's chapter at the end had me tearing up). The only reason I docked it to 4 four stars was that I felt the story wasn't long enough, and therefore felt a bit rushed. Still adored this one, and I love recommending Allen's books - they're like little slices of pie with a hint of spices you can't put your finger on what they are, adding a dash of whimsy to a quaint piece of literature.

If I could describe a book that has character flaws but let you inside their world as to how they came to be and that you shouldn’t judge them because they had their reasons, this book would be the one I recommend! Outstanding, rich details from beginning to end, I wanted more for all the characters. What made me really emotional was the mother and children relationships or lack there of and how you find love from people who aren’t related to you, you make your own family sometimes.

Sarah does it again with the magical realism and I knew I would not be disappointed with the mention of Mac’s cooking and Camille’s cornmeal meals and desserts. Food really can transport you to places where you have the best memories through olfactory or sense of taste. Many of the meals described here reminded the characters of what home should feel like.

I fell in love with Mallow Island and the Dellawisps! Both the birds and the locations seemed to have a life of their own and I wanted these places and things to be real, but as Sarah says in the final chapter, “not everything has to be real to be true” and so I enjoyed every second of this book. I wish we could see where Oliver and Zoey head to next but maybe there will be a sequel soon? Either way, great book and I definitely recommend you read this one if you are afraid of letting go of someone you love.

Thank you to Sarah Addison Allen, St. Martin's Press an NetGalley for the ARC!

Sarah Addison Allen writes such sweet, soothing fiction with a realistic edge that stops it from becoming saccharine. I'm so glad she's writing again! I was eager to be whisked away to another enticing fictional community; in this instance the setting felt like Charleston, but with a slant. The magical elements—including magical food!—were enticing as always.