Sarah Addison Allen is back! One of my favorite comfort authors is back with my most anticipated read of the year (of many years, really).

Other Birds centers of Zoey, a 19-year-old who’s just moved into her late mother’s old condo on the small island of Mallow, SC. The building is also home to Mac, a shy chef, Charlotte, an artist who moves around a lot, and Lizbeth and Lucy, estranged middle age sisters living in separate units, plus Fraiser, the property manager. This story picks up when the death of one resident brings the others closer together. As always, a strength of SAA’s book is the character development across a fun cast of supporting characters. While Zoe is our protagonist, I had a soft spot for Mac and Charlotte.

This is a world just a bit more magical than our own, where ghosts reside with the living, food has the power to influence our emotions, and even our most pragmatic characters hang beautiful glass “witch balls” to keep their homes safe. True to SAA’s usual style, magic is interwoven seamlessly into normal life for these characters, so we accept it without much world-building or explanation needed.

This book is set across one summer, making it the perfect late summer read. I loved this book, as I knew I would, and will definitely be rereading it soon.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Addison Allen is the queen of magical realism and her latest, “Other Birds” just further proves how masterful she is. The magical elements never feel forced or out of place, I immediately adore her characters, and her ability to write personal connections so honestly wows me every single time. I didn’t want to put this book down and, frankly, I was annoyed to re-enter reality anytime I had to take a break. I just finished it and I already miss Mallow Island and the band of misfits I met there. I read a lot of thrillers and Allen’s work is such a nice break from the doom and gloom - hopeful but not saccharine, light but not even remotely fluffy, peppered with nuggets of wisdom without being preachy, and just plain fun. It’s almost a supreme pleasure to read her work. 5 very sparkling stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Addison Allen has long been my favorite author. Her first book Garden Spells is probably my all time favorite book and it introduced me to my favorite genre which is magical realism.
I’ve loved all of her books and I’ve waited impatiently for a new book for years :) I follow the author on social media and knew about the losses of her family members and how that prevented her from having the time to write. When I found out this book was coming, about 8 years since her last book, I pre-ordered it before there was a cover image online or even a book description!
Then a couple of amazing things happened. First I got approved for the book on NetGalley. I told myself though that I was going to wait to read the physical book. This is my favorite author, I needed the actual book in my hands. And then the second amazing thing happened: The Book Club Cookbook offered my mom and I both early editions of the book!

I saved the book for the perfect moment (and by this I mean just a few weeks until I got back from a trip) and then I tore into it. I knew after waiting about 8 years for a new Sarah Addison Allen book that I’d read it too quickly and of course that’s what happened :)

This book felt heavier than previous books by the author but it wasn’t a sadness that permeated the story. To oversimplify it: none of the characters had a loving home in their childhood.

Zoey moves into her mother’s old home when she’s 18. Her mother passed away when Zoey was a young child and her father and stepmother were very distant to Zoey. So, as soon as she’s done with highschool she moves to the mysterious Mallow island and into her mother’s old home. Zoey is young and she hasn’t had it easy but she is so optimistic and warm. She immediately brings the neighbors into her life.
Cranky neighbor Lizbeth passed away the same day Zoey moves to town which results in Zoey getting a job cleaning out Lizbeth’s apartment and trying to find some manuscript she always claimed was there.
Zoey immediately makes friends with Charlotte who has tried to keep everyone at a distance since she moved in a few years ago.
There’s also Mac who became one of my favorite characters very quickly. He’s a chef, he lives with his cat (who also had a rough life before finding Mac) and he still mourns Camille who raised him when his mother walked away.

In this magical place, this found family is brought together. Camille and Frasier were/are the mother and father figures despite never wanting children themselves.

There are several characters that are ghosts. I’m glad we got to meet Camille as a ghost because she’s the most kind hearted and loving character and I loved getting to know her in the present tense. I can see why Mac mourned her so much. The stories of Camille feeding the neighbor hood kids with bags of free cornmeal just absolutely warmed my heart.

I look forward to doing a book themed meal to go with our book discussion. If you’re looking for some inspiration: go with cornmeal based recipes and marshmallow desserts.

Thank you so much to The Book Club Cookbook for giving us the rare opportunity of getting to read our very favorite author’s book early!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this title but was delighted with the read. I judge books by their titles and would not have picked this however, I'm so glad I did. Read it! It's fun and magical and endearing. You will love the characters and the story will make you smile. The story is told by several of the characters. It does show that no matter your beginnings - and none of the characters had nice starts to life - you can find happiness and even maybe a great love and a happy life. Thank you, NetGalley, and St. Martin Press for allowing me to read the eARC this is my honest opinion.

As a fan of Sarah Addison Allen, I couldn't wait to read Other Birds--and I wasn't disappointed. It's an incredibly engrossing story filled with twists--and a little magic. I can't wait to add it to our collection, and suggest it to our magical realism readers!

This book made my heart happy. This book touched on so many things that I love. Magical realism, found family, love (but not all romantic love). This book will leave you feeling happy and loved.
I will admit that I guessed a couple of the twists early in the book, but they were still fun and understated reveals in the book. The story moved quickly and I didn’t feel like it dragged at all. Having little interludes from the ghosts was wonderful and added so much to the story!
I have been reading a lot of thriller, mystery, heavier books and this book just hit the spot!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you enjoy well written stories about the families we are born into and the ones we create, perfectly blended with a bit of mystery and just the right amount of magic then you can't go wrong with anything written by Sarah Addison Allen.

Her latest, Other Birds is a delightful read including a beautiful setting, with fully developed, relatable characters and perfect pacing. It starts like this. "The empty wicker birdcage beside her began to rattle impatiently." I'm in. At the Dellawisp, a small private apartment complex, everyone has secrets and is running to or away from something. Not surprisingly, they all live alone. Or do they? They each have reasons to remain distant, except one. Zoey, a young woman who wears her heart on her sleeve. Zoey, who will bring them all together. What could be better than that?
I highly recommend Other Birds.

I received a drc from the publisher via Netgalley.
Expected publication date 8/30/22.

This book is beautifully written and enchanting. 4.5 ⭐️s.

Told from multiple perspectives, this book brings together multiple characters - each with their own story and own baggage - into a makeshift family. At first, I thought there were so many characters that I was missing the plot. But once I realized that the characters’ side stories were the plot, I started to really connect with each of them and was totally invested in their stories. Mac’s character really stands out - I just want to hug him! Charlotte’s story was also very interesting and I admire her resilience.

The elements of magical realism were so well done. I’ve found that ghosts in magic realism often end up being a cheesy plot - but the humanity of these ghosts was so endearing that it just absolutely worked for me.

And the ending = perfection!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to review this book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: 8/30/22
Genre: magical realism
In one sentence: When Zoey inherits an apartment at The Dellawisp in South Carolina, she discovers that there's much more to this building and its residents than meets the eye.

If you love getting lost in a fantastical world, this is the book for you! The author did a wonderful job creating The Dellawisp and Mallow Island - the birds in the title refer to the tiny turquoise birds (dellawisps) that live there. I didn't know what to expect going in, and I was a little confused after the first few chapters, but the story unspooled well, and I felt very connected to Zoey and her friends (living and dead). The ending was especially strong and very poignant.

If you love plot-based books, this may not be the one for you. But if you love magic, ghosts, and quirky characters - think Unlikely Animals and Remarkably Bright Creatures - you may enjoy this one! 4 stars from me.

I could not get into this novel. I was so bored with it and had no idea where this was going. It’s like she was trying to be like Binchy with town chatter and a big focus on birds. Thanks for the advanced copy NetGalley. I was really looking forward to reading this and it just fell short. DNF at 11%.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen is such an enchanting read.

I was taken on a magical journey when Zoey left her fathers home he shares with his wife and her children. Zoey is going to college in SC so she moves to The Dellawisp on Mallow Island. She meets the other tenants who have their own magical stories. Ghosts follow a few tenants and Frazier who takes care of The Dellawisp. The emotional outcome has such an unusual twist.

This is a must read, I enjoyed it so much I have to read a few other stories by this Author.

Thank you for this read in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and The Book Club Cookbook for the copy of this ARC.

Other Birds is a cute “found family” story about a group of people all living at the Dellawisp. Each has an emotional and/or tragic past, but together at the Dellawisp, they find each other and deal with the ghosts of their past… literally. I was very intrigued by the setting of this novel, but never felt very connected with or invested in the characters themselves. It also read a little on the YA side, so I think if especially for YA readers who like paranormal or magical realism storylines, this will be a big winner.

Sarah Addison Allen has been one of my favorite authors since I first read Garden Spells over a decade ago. Since then, I have devoured each of her books as soon as I can get my hands on them. Her latest offering, Other Birds, did not disappoint.

Other Birds tells the story of Zoey Hennessey, a girl on the brink of adulthood. Zoey moves from Tulsa, Oklahoma to the small South Caroline tourist town of Mallow Island. She's essentially alone in the world, a half-orphan who, now that she's 18, seems to want little to do with her sole living parent - a distant father who is more interested in her stepmother and half-siblings than he ever has been in her. Zoey takes up residence in her mother's old condo at the Dellawisp and quickly becomes entangled in a mystery and in the lives of the Dellawisp's eccentric inhabitants.

Other Birds contains Allen's trademark southern magic realism and unfolds at a slow, comfortable pace. If you haven't already read any of Allen's work, this is an excellent place to start. I'm so grateful to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of quirky, gentle, southern mysteries free of an excess of angst.

What an enchanting story! I can absolutely see why this author has such a wonderful following of fans. This book was magical and warm and adorable. I was really into it until around halfway when I started to feel like it wasn’t going anywhere. The characters, while there are a lot of them and they’re all very different, just fell slightly flat to me and I couldn’t connect to any of them. The writing is wonderful and I think this book has an ideal audience that just unfortunately isn’t me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It felt so good to read a Sarah Addison Allen book after such a long time. Other Birds was everything I hoped it would be - a story about finding one's way despite challenges, about finding family and a place to call home. As usual I loved the descriptive writing about food, setting and characters. There's a mystery or two, a little romance and a lot of hope. I loved it all.

This was my first book by Sarah Addison Allen and I am completely kicking myself for waiting so long to pick up one of her books. My hesitancy was that I'm not a huge lover of magical realism but if this is how all magical realism books would be written, it would probably be a top three genre for me.

Other Birds was just a delight that had themes of family but not just the ones you're born with and learning to let go of the ones we've lost.

It's a good mix of plot vs character based; maybe leaning more towards the characters but enough plot to keep the story moving forward.

I don't want to give too much of the book away but do know that it does have some flashbacks of child neglect. Nothing graphic, but definitely sad that gives background to the characters.

Oh my god what an incredible read! What I thought would be a simple discovery of self novel turned out to have beautiful twists and turns. A story of friendship, longing and belonging, old emotions and new flames I really enjoyed this dance with the dellawisps! I promise you this won't disappoint. I can picture Mallow island, cast in a serene instagram-filter dream state. Cotton candy and seagulls. Sarah Addison Allen has a beautiful way of making me picture this island town, and truly feeling the magic to my bones. Would recommend and read again.

What a lovely and uplifting story. A group of misfits find themselves neighbors on an island off of South Carolina and together find happiness and belonging.

I wasn’t sure where this book was going but I ended up loving it. The way the author brings just a touch of magic to real life is always great, and I especially loved it here. Definitely recommend this for a perfect summer read!

Beautiful read. I'd given up on another title from Allen, but am so glad I waited and watched. This is as good as or better than her others. A lovely read!

Other Birds | Sarah Addison Allen (Pub Date 8/30)

Synopsis | Swipe to See

Thoughts | I love SAA! I have read all of her books and always pick them up quickly. Just as her others, it was a fast and easy read. She has a way of creating lovable characters and working in ghosts and magic in such a sweet way.
This book is wonderful for history, absolution, growing up, and whimsy.
All the characters live in a small, Southern apartment complex. They all have different backgrounds, mystery’s, and secrets of their own.

Quote | "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."

Trigger Warnings | Mentions of Sexual Abuse, Hoarding, Cults, Child Abandonment

***Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Addison Allen, and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in return for a real and honest review. ***

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