I was SO EXCITED to see that Sarah Addison Allen had a new book coming out. It’s been awhile since her last one (with good reason) and she definitely did not disappoint me. I love that her books primarily take place in the south and have that low magic vibe to them. Other Birds was a bit more somber than some of her other titles, dealing with some heavier topics, but they were done well. The ending totally made me cry and I love how it wrapped up. It was such a solid 5 stars from me and I’m in love with the story.

Other Birds was precious! Magical realism at its best!

Zoey Hennessey finds herself moving from Tulsa to Mallow Island in South Carolina. She'll be there until she starts college. The condo was left to her by her mother, Paloma who died when she was young.

Paloma used to love going to Mallow Island and Zoey is hoping to find out more about her mother at the Dellawisps. The building's name comes from the small turquoise birds that inhabit the courtyard. On her arrival, the apartment manager, Frasier takes her to her condo and Zoey realizes there is nothing left behind by her mother. Yet, her disappointment is not long-lasting.

Zoey will get to know the other owners of the condos including Charlotte (henna artist), Mac (chef), Lizbeth (eccentric, hoarder), Lucy (Lizbeth's sister and a recluse), Frasier, and Lizbeth's son. The readers will also meet the ghosts too.

It was a sweet story despite the painful background of each character. I love Zoey's innocence and the way she is able to connect with all the other characters. In a way, she helps them heal and move forward, with some of them finding romance too.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Other Birds" by Sarah Addison Allen is a perfect blend of Friendship Fiction and Magical Realism!

Carrying Pigeon in her birdcage, Zoey Hennessey has arrived at her new home left to her by her late mother years ago. In the coastal town of Mellow Island, S.C., her condo is part of a secluded cobblestone building known as 'THE DELLAWISP'. It's named after the tiny turquoise birds that inhabit the island, the trees, and the air surrounding the small, private complex. A wrought iron gate is the only entrance and, along with the wispy birds, makes it feel like a secret, magical place.

Zoey is shown to her loft studio by the manager, Frazier, an elderly black man with a long white beard gathered and tied at his chin in the fashion of a pirate. He describes her new neighbors: Charlotte Lungren, a henna artist; Mac Garrett, an executive chef; Lucy Lime, a reclusive and her sister Lizbeth Lime, who Zoey meets briefly and surmises her to be brash but mostly confused. She wonders if the other neighbors are as...quirky!

Sitting on the balcony past midnight, the humid air feels thick and oddly still to Zoey. She knows all her neighbors are home now as she hears Pigeon land on her birdcage inside and cooing for Zoey to come in, too. Zoey feels a chill go through her and has a peculiar feeling that something is about to happen.

Inside, moments later, she hears a heavy thump from one of the apartments below that's startling. She sees Mac go outside and knows he heard it, too!

Something just happened! Something strange...

This is the first Sarah Addison Allen book I've read and it exceeds my expectations. This author creates characters that are quietly imperfect, solitary by choice or circumstance, painfully broken, and drawn together in one place for reasons beyond their control. Each is fearful of secrets from their past that leach out slowly to the reader through their backstories. Each is hoping for a brighter, worry free future.

The Magical Realism kicks in early and feels like wind chimes sound in a delicate breeze, soft, sweet, and soothing. That's what makes this story fun and easy to read because without the whimsical aspects, the character's stories may break your heart and bring you to tears. The author does a thoughtful job with this balancing act in her writing, which is light, simple, and carries you along as it flows so smoothly and gently through the story. It reminds me of a conversation you would have with a close friend.

There is a mystery within the pages of this book, but to me, this is more about the lives of the characters, the magic of those living and the memories of those in-between.

True to a Southern setting, there's food mingled in to comfort and satisfy the soul. Another plus for this Reader who lives in the South and is also a Foodie! I highly recommend this thought provoking read that makes me ravishingly hungry to dig into this author's backlist!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 'beautiful dellawisp' stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sarah Addison Allen for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

Other Birds is exquisitely written, rich and full of love and hope and promise. I didn't want the book to end and sobbed a great deal while reading it. I hope she sets more stories in this place, with these characters. Sarah Addison Allen's world-building is truly next level, and I want to experience this town and these people again and again.

I really wanted to love this book, but I was often bored. It moved slowly. I was looking for more character depth and more enchantment. If you like magical realism and don’t mind a slow read, you might enjoy this book more than I did.

Everyone has secrets they’re hiding. Zoey moves into the Dellawisp, a small apartment complex on Mallow Island off the coast of South Carolina. Her neighbors all have their own stories that we learn over time.

This is a sweet book filled with magic. I liked the found family and the ghosts. I felt for the first, say, 80% that nothing happened, and I’m mostly okay with that. Then the end came very quickly, and I’m mostly okay with that too. Overall, I would’ve liked a little more even pacing, but I’d recommend this to folks looking for a wholesome, comforting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

In Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen, we meet Zoey. Zoey travels to Mallow Island outside of Charleston, North Carolina after her mother passes away to clear away her things and take over the apartment. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? But not so fast. This book is full of magical realism such as resident ghosts, imaginary birds and a cast of interesting characters. I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't get into it.

3.5 stars
I love the magical realism of Sarah Addison Allen but it's been a long time since I've read one of her novels. Other Birds holds all the warm sunshine of her previous books along with the feel of Charleston, S.C. which is one of my favorite places on Earth.

The characters in Other Birds are dealing with the death of one of the condo owners, as Zoey helps to clean out her apartment. There are ghosts and stories floating around with each character.

The setting of the story reminded me of a movie I saw probably twenty years ago, "Til There was You" with Jennifer Aniston and SJP, something about the courtyard and quirky characters made me think of it.

The book was sweet and slightly predictable. I enjoyed it as a break from some of my heavier reads.

Our bookclub enjoyed this latest addition to her works. I love the quirky characters and they voices and this one had a mystery interwoven with the main story

I'm hit or miss with Magic realism so I went in to this one nervous. But it was absolutely wonderful! The story is a bit quirky but it's beautiful. About loneliness and finding your place in the world.

I was a bit overwhelmed at first because the whole group of house owners was introduced quickly and I got a little bogged down in the details. There are also a lot of POV and it bounces a bit, between those living there and those that weren't. But, honestly, all the perspectives were needed because it really gave different sides to every story in the only way you could - through the people who were there.

I really loved the characters. You get to know them so quickly through their perspective and through what they reveal (and don't) about themselves. And the end felt like a perfect conclusion! I'm so glad I gave this one a shot! it was really good!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Sarah Addison Allen returns with a novel about Zoey, a college student on her own adventure trying to rediscover her deceased mother in an apartment she'd kept and the other "misfits" around the complex. Each of the tennants have their ghosts, figuratively and literally, and they come together as an unlikely family in a way that heals and comforts.
As usual, throughout a story that has a feel-good vibe, Allen finds a way to ratchet the intensity to edge-of-your-seat action as each of the characters needs to deal with their ghosts.

A beautiful story about carrying the past, letting go, and carrying on with a touch of magic and whimsy as only Sarah Addison Allen can do.

#arc
#netgalley
#otherbirds

Disjointed and not the authors best. At times felt like a series of short stories with a tie in. I love this author though

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen is the winding tale of many lives interwoven by the island of Mallow.

Zoe, a young college student, moved to Mallow to discover her mother’s history. Charlotte, always running from her past, moves to Mallow to seek sanctuary. Mac, a chef with paranormal occurrences holding him back from moving forward in his life. At its heart, Other Birds is a story of belonging.

Other Birds was like a tapestry, pulling together many pieces into a final picture. My biggest issue with this book was that the pacing was SO slow I struggled to continue reading it. If you like a slower, more thoughtful pace in stories, this is the book for you.

Rating: 3/5
Genre: Magical Realism/Fiction

#fiction #botm

I was enchanted by this little community of misfits. Each character's past weaves together with the present culminating in a somewhat predictable but entertaining climax. I love every book by this author for the way she seemlessly blends reality with a touch of magic that makes the entire story sparkle and this book did not disappoint.

I was given an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Other Birds was not at all what I was expecting. As it stands, alone without any connections, this book was great. It was well written and put together in an intriguing way that made the reader want to continue. The characters were well built, all with their own issues and hauntings.
That said, however, as a Sarah Addison Allen book, I wasn't thrilled. Allen's other books provide a warmth that I was missing and hoping for. Her previous books are like comfort food. This book, however, left me just a little confused. It had her usual flare of magic in the real world. But this time, it was of spirits instead of some unknown entity. I was also really confused as to the importance of the Dellawisp birds, other than the island namesake and the author's utter fascination with them.
In the end, as a general book, Other Birds is a great read. As a book written by one of my favorite authors, however, I don't think it stood up to any of her others.

I have enjoyed all of Sarah Addison Allen’s previous books and so I was very happy to receive a complimentary copy to review. I love how the author weaves magical realism into her stories. I liked the setting and the characters. It was a sweet story that tugged at my heartstrings. "A dream, a story, an invisible bird - it was all the same thing, really. Not everything has to be real to be true." - 3.5 stars

This is a magically charming book! I loved all the unique characters. They each had a sense of quirkiness that made them interesting. It is the perfect character driven story that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Actually, the only thing that I disliked about this wonderful book was that it had to end. Although, the ending was fabulous and wrapped everything up perfectly.
I highly recommend visiting Mallow Island in this beautiful book. I am very grateful to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this heartwarming book in exchange for a honest review.

This is a heart warming novel about found family and friendships. The magical realism in this is subtle, so if you typically shy away from it I think you should give this one a try! I always really enjoy this author’s work

---Other Birds Sarah Addison Allen



Another enchanting read by the author.


We meet Zoe when she decides to move into her late mother's apartment.

She is grieving of course and she meets her new neighbors and even a ghost or two.

I really liked Zoe and the characters in this book. It was endearing and unusual and just heartbreaking at times.

I liked the new beginnings and the ghosts of course.


Who would enjoy the book? People who like quirky books, with a bit of loss and healing and ghosts, someone who has read and enjoyed the author's earlier books would really enjoy this one too.

4*****

Thank you to NetGalley and the author and publisher

This is a wonderful, magical, cozy story of family - the ones we find and want to stick around with and the ones we are ready to let go of. Like the other books by Sarah Addision Allen, there is a hefty dose of reality, along with some magic, and that makes everything sweet and heartwarming in the end. I loved the story, the setting, and the characters and the wonderful bonds between them.