Sarah Addison Allen is one of my auto buy author and I have been looking forward to a new release by her for a while. Other Birds is certainly worth the wait. The multi lost soul cast of characters makes up the magical, mystical story about the residents of the Dellawisp condo complex and how they become the family each had been craving..
I savored Other Birds. It's been well worth the wait. 5+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

I love a good found family story and enjoy books with a touch of magic realism! I was quite invested to see how the story played out and uncover some of the character's secrets and learn more about their upbringings. They all had diverse backgrounds and I would have liked a little more depth and discussion to some characters. This does read a bit more YA than adult but still recommend for an easy read.

Finally! After a long wait, Sarah Addison Allen delivers another lovely story, filled with bittersweet relationships and flavored with magic and romance. The central themes of this novel are mother-daughter relationships and coping with loss. The characters are relatable and the setting is gorgeous. You'd dream about living an idyllic live in a small island.

Sarah Addison Allen has long been one of my must-reads. Her previous books are some of my favorites, and this possessed the same magic and poignancy as the rest. But this book also has an even greater depth to the characters and further surprises to the storylines. It's both whimsical and emotional, joyous and heartrending — and full of her signature touches of inexplicable magic.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

I don't always know what to think of stories that deal with magical realism but this one is a winner for me. The Dellawisps are the tiny turquoise birds that the five unit, well hidden, apartment building in Mallow Island, South Carolina, is named after. This birds inhabit the courtyard garden of the apartment complex, and they can be found around and on the apartment manager, Frasier, too. These little birds seem to have a lot to say, strong opinions about everything, and are every bit as scary, for some folks, as they are tiny.

Nineteen year old Zoey has just arrived at the apartment complex so that she can inhabit her late mother's studio apartment. Her mother died when she was seven and she's lived a lonely life since that time. Her father is wealthy, wanted little to do with her even though she lived in his home, and neither did the woman he married after Zoey's mom's death. It was as if her dad, stepmother, and her two step siblings were waiting for her to finally move out of their house so they could really be a family without her intrusion in their lives.

All the residents and the manager of the property have hurts and longings that keep them from living their lives fully. They are lonely and sad and try to hide these feelings but instead they wear them like a cloak they can't take off. One resident, an intrusive, angry, bitter lady, dies as soon as Zoey moves in and she can't help being interested in this woman. Frasier asks Zoey to go through her apartment to find some missing papers and to clean the hoarded mess of this woman. Another neighbor, Charlotte, helps Zoey and despite Charlotte's fear of befriending and trusting anyone, these women become close. And there is the big, redheaded chef, Mac, who has his own hurts and secrets. Another resident is Lucy, the dead woman's sister, who is so reclusive that Zoey never sees her because the woman won't leave her apartment during the light of day.

This is such a sweet story, as these people come together and learn to give and learn to love. So much more makes a family than blood ties. There is so much more to belonging than having the same last name as others. And just because you can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't real. This story brought such a smile to my face and I loved all the birds, including the invisible pigeon named Pigeon.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

“A dream, a story, an invisible bird—it was all the same thing, really. Not everything has to be real to be true.”

Off the coast of South Carolina there is a place called Mallow Island. It’s rich in history and holds a touch of magic, especially at the Dellawisp. This old horseshoe-shaped building houses 5 very different people full of secrets and even more stories, 3 ghosts, and many magical birds.

I have been waiting a long time for a new book from one of my favorite authors and this whimsical, heartwarming story did not disappoint in the least. There are many different characters and storylines which caused me to take some time to connect with each one of them and the book itself. However, once I did, I fell in love with each and every one of them.

This is a story about letting go of the things that hurt you in the past and learning to trust. It’s about the ghosts that follow us and their stories too. Each character has seen so much hurt and pain but I absolutely loved seeing them band together as a little misfit family. They all have backstories that are hard to share but when the pieces are finally put together and connections are formed, I was in awe of this storytelling.

There are lots of secrets and surprises along the way. I may have even gasped a time or two. But, in the end, I was left feeling happy and hopeful and maybe a little teary.

"From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home.

Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother's apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn't yet written.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.

Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways."

An inheritance, a mysterious apartment building, and unfinished tales? How do I get a place in The Dellawisp again?

This was supposed to be a cute magical realism book. Sadly, I wasn't all that enthralled. The magical elements are pretty limited, and sometimes seemed random without any connection to the story. The "quirky" characters weren't all that quirky and the main character didn't act her age. Overall, this was a bit disappointing. Did I read the same book as everyone else?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Other Birds is completely magical. Sarah Addison Allen's last book, First Frost, was published seven years ago, so I was ecstatic when I saw that she had another book coming out. I've read all of her books, and they always leave me feeling as if I've been transported into the book. When I reach the end, I don't want to leave. Other Birds left me with that exact feeling. I just wanted to soak in the feeling for as long as possible. If I didn't have an abundance of books I need to read, I would have started Other Birds over again as soon as I got to the end! It's that good.

Other Birds is the story of a girl. A girl named Zoey, who lost her mother at a young age, who found a bird named Pigeon that no one else can see, who had an older father that rarely interacted with her, a step-mother who focused on her own children and didn't understand Zoey's unique personality. She's graduated from high school, and she'll be attending college in Charleston once summer ends. But she's spending her summer on Mallow Island, in a place with a handful of apartments, called The Dellawisp. And it's at The Dellawisp where this beautiful, magical, enchanting story begins.

I fell in love with Other Birds's characters. Those characters include two sisters, one of whom never leaves her apartment and the other is a hoarder. There's also a chef and a henna artist. The building manager rounds off the group. (Another character is added later, but it would be a spoiler to tell you about them.) I can't wait for readers to meet this eclectic group. They are each so unique and well-written.

Other Birds has many themes and sub-plots weaved into one breath-taking, enchanting novel. And, I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Other Birds
by Sarah Addison Allen
Pub Date: 30 Aug 2022

I always love this author's books and this one is no exception. Sara Addison Allen has a way of weaving magical, dream-like prose that still manages to capture the realness of the everyday world.,
There are many characters (including some who are dead), but you become deeply invested in all of them: in their pain, loneliness and desperate longing to simply belong. I love how all the pieces come together between the backstories and the here and now. This is just a lovely story filled with grief and hope, great character building and atmospheric details sprinkled throughout.

4 Stars

Talk about a found family! I was hooked on this book and it was a perfect, light read. Zoey comes to the Dellawisp, a condo building on the idyllic Mallow Island near Charleston, SC, to inherit her mother's studio and prepare to start college. Her first night there, her downstairs neighbor, Lizbeth, is killed by a falling bookcase. As Zoey helps to clear our Lizbeth's condo, she grows closer with her other neighbors and helps them grow closer to each other!

What I loved:
- The setting: I am biased because I graduated from the College of Charleston, but I felt like I knew this island and it's whole vibe. I thought Allen captured the pace of life in the low-country well. Additionally I think the story line captured some of the real-life challenges of the low-country, including extreme class differences, poverty, and poor education.
- The characters: I loved each resident of this little enclave for different reasons, but they felt very real to me. I have read a lot of characters who are processing family trauma from their teenage years but come across as having a very skewed perspective, but the only character I felt that with in this story was Lizbeth, which felt very intentional. I loved that these characters grew into themselves throughout the story, and through community, became more open and trusting.

What I didn't love:
- The ghost sub-plots are a very interesting device, but I'm not sure they are more effective than flashback chapters from their perspectives would be.
- This book could have been longer - I would have read more!

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Edelweiss for the ARC of this delightful book!

"I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing."

Other Birds has everything I've come to love about Sarah Addison Allen novels:
Setting: Mallow Island is delicious and mysterious - full of gorgeous flowers and culinary history.
Characters: Zoey and her new friends are some of her best yet. As always, they have tasty sweet names and intriguing histories.
Magic: Personified objects, magical birds, and ghosts galore.

Reading Sarah Addison Allen is like savouring your favourite candy. Garden Spells, with its mischievous apple tree, will probably remain my favourite, but Other Birds is enchanting and fills up all my senses.

I’ve always heard really great things about Sarah Addison Allen’s books but up until now I had never read one. Wow, have I been missing out! Other Birds is a story set to release on August 30, 2022. It’s genre is magical realism and it centers around Zoey Hennessy. She has just arrived in Mallow Island, South Carolina to inhabit her deceased mothers apartment in The Dellawisp which is a 5 unit condominium. Her purpose in coming there is to try and learn more about her mother Paloma who died when Zoey was quite young. While there she becomes acquainted with the other tenants, a young girl who is on the run, a chef who is visited nightly by a ghost, a washed up author who is in hiding and 2 estranged sisters that are both middle-aged. All the tenants have their own stories and secrets they are keeping. This is a book about friendship, learning to have trust in others by letting go of the past, and moving forward and finding your true home. This was a fun and entertaining read. I loved the magical aspects such as Zoey’s invisible Pigeon, Mac’s nightly visits from Camille with her cornmeal and Frazier and his connection with the turquoise dellawisp birds. It was a fast read for me because once I got started, I had a really hard time setting it down for the night. It’s a story I’ll be recommending to all my reader friends and hopefully will get to discuss it with some of them. I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the arc. It was a fun and entertaining read and I’m happy to have finally experienced reading this author. I would now love to read all of her previous books. It’s always nice to find a new author to enjoy and I’m giving this a 5 star rating!

Allen is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited for her latest book. This has everything I adore about her books - quirky characters, hints of magic and places I want to move into ASAP. The mystery is always interesting and the story moves at a great pace to keep me interested and reading just one more chapter. So happy for Allen to be writing again - I missed her stories

This book was simply a magical experience. I loved the meddlling ghosts and wonderful food descriptions. I have waited a long time for a new book from SarahAddison Allen and this one did not disappoint. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of the book.

“Not everything has to be real to be true.” -Zoey, Other Birds

Mallow Island is a picturesque town on the coast of South Carolina. Looking forward to starting college in the Fall, Zoey relocates to the island hoping for a better understanding of her mother’s past. Moving into her mother’s former condo at The Dellawisp comes with a slew of quirky neighbors, one of whom dies the very night Zoey moves in. Unexpectedly, this brings the tenants of the Dellawisp closer together, uncovering past tragedies while simultaneously exploring new friendships.

As a longtime fan of the author, I am not at all surprised that the writing took my breath away. From the charismatic cast of characters to the beautifully described setting, every detail of The Dellawisp floated off of the page to paint a magnificent scene in my head. Complete with a stunning location, ghosts, food, magical birds, and a bit of mystery…this book really has a little something for everyone.

Finished reading this on my dinner break because I couldn’t wait any longer. I cannot tell you how long I’ve been waiting for a new Sarah Addison Allen book. It felt like an eternity but I know now that this one came into my life at the exact time I needed it to.

I’m not sure how I’ve managed to miss reading any of Sarah Addison Allen’s books until now. Other Birds is simply delightful. It’s a bit of everything - several “broken” people, a beautiful setting, some magical realism, a little romance, a little backstory tragedy. Overall, it was a heartwarming story of found family of overcoming a difficult past, two themes I love.

Zoey arrives on Mallow Island, near Charleston, South Carolina, to take possession of the apartment her mother left to her, before starting college in Charleston. Her arrival seems to be a catalyst for change in the quirky and beautiful Dellawisp Condos (only five apartments). I found myself rooting for everyone in this book, from Zoey to Charlotte to Oliver to Mac. The two estranged sisters, Lizbeth and Lucy, have a truly interesting backstory, which gets revealed gradually. There are a couple of surprises along the way, both of which added depth to the story.

I love a bit of magical realism, but even if that’s not your “cup of tea,” I think you will really enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Zoey Hennessey has moved to her late mother’s condo on Mallow Island to attend college in the fall an hour away. There are five apartments in the stunning old style building named for the Dellawisp birds that inhabit the area around the building. There are also 3 ghosts that live with the other residents. Everyone has secrets and stories of there own, but the birds are the main inhabitants. What all the residents learn is to live, love and let go of their pasts.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4415183196

Welcome back, Sarah!!

It's been too long since her last book but she has made up for it. I always liked her books before but there were places where you could argue they were weak but she has used her absence to fix those. She has really constructed a book with lots of interlocking characters and storylines which are so rich and interesting. And the book has so much heart, most of the characters were such good people forced by fate to lead their sad lives. You really get absorbed into the story and after some awesome revelations I did not see coming (but then I was enjoying the book and not trying to connect things), it just pulled all together to be a really satisfactory conclusion. I cried and was annoyed when it was over cause I wanted to stay in that world forever but it was a good complete story.

To the naysayers, yes, it is definitely still magical realism so if friendly ghosts and magical birds annoy you, you should skip it. But that is only one part of a really really good story and should really not dissuade a person from this great reading experience.

My rule for a 5 stat rating is not only is it a good book, well-written with interesting characters, but it also sticks with you. The day after finishing it, I was at a craft fair and kept looking at things with birds. I'm not into birds at all! But this book really made me think of them differently and the magic they can bring to ones life. I have a feeling I will be thinking about this book for some time. I already miss it.

I did get an ACR copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review-- and this is! Not my fault it's such a good book! And hopefully this signals the return to regular writing of Sarah Addison Allen.

“Other Birds” is a story I wanted to go on forever. A haunting tale populated with engaging characters, a charming location, and contrary ghosts. The characters became friends I rooted for good fortune and hope-filled dreams.

This quote from the book reveals the importance of letting go of your past so you can enter your future:

"How odd that pretending to be someone else has made me happier than I was when I was just being myself. It's almost as if, once I got over the guilt of loving my future more than I loved my past, my old life dropped away and became make-believe, and my present life became my second birth."

“Other Birds” is as magical as Sarah Addison Allen writes. A story to read more than once to soak in the ambiance of all the characters, the dellawisps, and Pigeon. The ghosts are sweetly sad, and stay to nurture those they loved in life, the ones who cannot let go just yet.

"Not everything has to be real to be true." - Zoey Hennessee, Other Birds

This book is a sweet farewell to those we love and a wholehearted welcome to those who enter unexpectedly into our lives written in pure Sarah Addison Allen style. A must-have for your bookshelf.