I was thrilled to see a new Sarah Addison Allen book. She is one of my favourite authors and her latest did not disappoint. I tried to savour the book but read it over a weekend. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

5 Stars

I loved this book! This is a wonderful magical realism story with a mystery.

Zoey Hennessey is spending her last summer before college on Mallow Island, off the coast of South Carolina. Her mother Paloma, who died when Zoey was a baby, has left her a studio at the Delawhisp Condos. She is hoping to find out more about her mother and perhaps connect with people who had known her.

Zoey is a person with a secret, surrounded by an odd collection of new neighbors with secrets of their own. A crank, a shut in, a shy chef, a reserved bohemian artist and an unforthcoming manager, along with some very unusual birds make this a tough place to go digging into the past.

As Zoey seeks to know her mother, hoping for a sense of connection and family, she learns about herself and finds she isn't as alone in the world as she thought.

Sarah Addison Allen has written a charming and insightful coming-of-age story about finding family, facing the past with courage and embracing forgiveness for yourself and others.

If you love stories about found family - then you are going to absolutely love this book. Combining quirky characters, magical realism, ghost POVs and an overarching theme of letting go, this book will warm your heart and keep you turning the pages to see how all the characters intertwine.

"Stores aren't fiction. Stories are fabric. They're the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them." Roscoe Avanger

This read does have a slow start - but keep with it - once you meet all of the characters and start to see the threads forming, you will be hooked. Zoey, a college student, leaves the house she lives in with her father and step-mother to return to the condo her father bought her now-deceased mother in Mallow Island, SC. Her father is basically one in name only - he has forgotten Zoey once he remarried and had children with her. Zoey arrives to find the condo exactly as her mom left it. It is in a hidden, small condo complex called the Dellawisp Condos in honor of the special little birds that live around the complex. As an introverted and lonely child, Zoey decides that this is the fresh start to become the person she has wanted to be. She is determined to meet her neighbors and form the attachments she craves.

The reader is introduced to the various residents and the manager of the Dellawisp. Each one has his/her own story. There is an underlying similarity between them all which is evident once all of the characters and their backgrounds are revealed. I loved the development of each character. They all had distinct stories and personalities. Not all were likeable, but I definitely felt something for each one (which I love in a book).

There is a string of sadness woven throughout the story, but as the pieces fall in line, the feeling turns more hopeful and uplifting. The writing is vibrant and descriptive. I felt like I was there in the hot, humid SC summer. The characters and the scenery were brought to life.

"It had taken him all his life to understand this, but even unlikeable things have value. It was how, after all, he'd learned to live with himself." Frasier

I've seen great reviews for the author's previous books, so I will definitely be looking into her backlist. I loved the thread of magical realism woven throughout. I loved the ghost POV and I loved the Southern flavor. Definitely recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC to read and review. Pub date: 8.30.22

Other Birds is yet another triumphant, spectacular, magical read from author Sarah Addison Allen. Incredibly engaging, beautiful surprises at every turn! I’d love to spend more time with these characters.

I absolutely adore the treasure that is author Sarah Addison Allen and her gracious gift to all readers every Sunday in the form of a short bespoke story she posts on her Facebook page inspired by a interesting thought-provoking photo. These stories are so magical and can be heart-warming, sparking her readers to continue the story as co-writers in her craft.
#SAAShortShortStorySunday
Now St. Martin's Press is publishing her next new book release in late August OTHER BIRDS, and it is a perfect extension of her enchanting and charming Sunday short stories. Sarah weaves together an imperfect cast of characters with delicate wispy threads that could steal or touch the reader’s heart, all brought together at the DellaWisp condos tucked away on Mallow Island. Each character bears their own scars, fears, and baggage borne from their pasts, families, and childhoods that are finally on the path of healing through each other with the birds and ghosts of the DellaWisp.
This book is also very special and dear to the author herself, written during a time when she had lost both her mother and sister within days of each other. Out of the raw emerges this authentically beautiful written story. This is for all of us who see and imagine our passed loved ones visiting in the birds and butterflies flying among us.

“When cardinals appear, angels are near.” -Victoria McGovern

#SarahAddisonAllen #otherbirds #theeruditebibliophilewithwanderlust

IF you enjoy Sarah Addison Allen’s Sunday short stories and novel OTHER BIRDS…..
THEN you may also enjoy the novels of Heather Webber (THE MIDNIGHT AT THE BLACKBIRD CAFE, SOUTH OF THE BUTTONWOOD TREE, THE LIGHTS OF SUGARBERRY COVE)
#IFTHENNEXTREADBOOKS SHOWCASE SERIES

This is a really beautiful story about getting rid of, or making peace with, the ghosts in your life. I've always loved Allen's ability to create characters you can identify with and love. The trick with the cornmeal is very cute, and I figured out who Pidgeon was pretty much right away, but loved the unfolding story.

Sarah Addison Allen has a gift. She weaves magic into the everyday that makes it’s seem entirely possible. Our main character, Zoey, has recently left home to attend college. Her mother, who passed when she was young, has left her a condo not too far from her school. Zoey hopes to find out more about her mother and whether she knows it or not is looking for connection with others.

Medium paced, mostly character driven with a bit of plot movement.

This book will suck you right in. Don't plan on getting anything else done if you start it. But it's not long and the pace is fast, so that shouldn't be a big problem.

I love this author and Garden Spells is my favorite. I almost wish I hadn't read it first, because, until now, the others just didn't live up to that same level of awesome. But this book is right on that level, imo.

A group of people with troubled family histories end up living in a condo building and become friends, sort of a surrogate family. The setting is magical. There are ghosts. And invisible birds. The characters are lovely and not just the living, human ones.

I definitely recommend this. Especially if you are looking for something lovely and happen to like authors like TJ Klune.

I love books by Sarah Addison Allen. She introduced to an entirely new kind of book to me--one with magical realism. Who doesn't like the idea of a bit of magic in their life?

In this story, there are several key characters who had difficult childhoods with parents who really shouldn't have been parents. Each of them was so masterfully created by Sarah, that they came to life on the pages of the book. As the story unfolds, bits of their childhoods are slowly revealed and I could see why they behaved like they did. I love the addition of birds in this one-from pigeon to the colorful dellawisps. I also liked the addition of ghosts, that added another layer to the story and more information about the backgrounds of the living characters.

The only con for me is the fact that I finished reading this too soon, and now there is another endlessly long wait unttil the author writes another story.

*Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy*

I've been a fan of Sarah Addison Allen for years. So when I heard she was releasing a new book (finally!), I was very excited. I was even more excited to receive an advance copy of the book to read and review. And yet - I was a bit disappointed in the book. Maybe it was my expectations. The book is well written, the characters are relatable and likeable but it left me wanting more. More magic. More depth with the characters. I felt like the dellawisps and the setting of the island were just kind of there. I wanted more interaction with them (and Pigeon). I wanted to get to know them and why they were there at the condo. I wanted to feel the island setting. And I didn't. For me, the first 60% of the book just kind of meandered around. I wasn't that into it. It wasn't a "I can't put this down. I have to see what happens next kind of feeling." Once it got past the 60% mark, it picked up a bit and I felt more engaged. The plot was interesting. And like I said, the characters were likable and relatable. I went back and reread part of one SAA's other books to refresh my memory. And immediately I felt the difference. There just wasn't the same magic in Other Birds that was in her earlier works. And I missed that. Other Birds is a good book. It just wasn't what I was expecting.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this much-anticipated book since Sarah Addison Allen is one of my most favorite authors. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my personal review.
I anticipated that I would sit down and finish this book in one sitting but it actually took a little while for me to fully get into it. The first hundred or so pages took a few days to get through as I surprisingly wasn't getting the 'hook' I thought I would.
I often don't finish reading books that don't fully engage me in the first 50 or so pages but there was no way I was not going to finish a Sarah Addison Allen book. I'm glad I continued on with it because at about the 1oo page mark is when it really started getting 'meaty', when things started to gel and come together.
Overall this is a really good book. Not her best book, but really good. I think some of the characters and their stories could have been fleshed out a little more and the magic a little more magic-y.
There are some loose ends but I'm hopeful that they'll be resolved in a future book.

LOVED it!!! Pure magic. I have missed reading Sarah Addison Allen's books. They always make me cry, smile, laugh... pretty much every emotion. It's the characters. I fall in love with them and don't want to stop reading about them. Loved getting to know everyone and learning the truth about them. Mac, Charlotte, Oliver and Zoey were exactly what each other needed. I can't imagine what it was like living with Lizbeth. No wonder Oliver wanted to move as far away as he could from her. She never showed any love towards him. I'm pretty sure she loved her paper more that Oliver. Instead of being jealous of her sister, Lizbeth should have helped Lucy. Who couldn't love Mac after he rescued Fig!!! Mallow Island seemed like a beautiful place to live. I would definitely want to stay at The Dellawisp and wouldn't mind all the birds. Simply this was a beautifully written book that kept me interested from start to finish.

Definitely recommend the book. I loved the characters, writing style and story. All the people living at The Dellawisp, are the family you didn't know that you were missing (except for Lizbeth- no one wants to be around her). I was so sad to see it end, I wanted to keep reading about everyone and see what they were up to. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book very much. While it's n my fiesta time reading Addison Allen's work, it's always lovely to find out that her work now is just as good as it was a few books ago or going back to the beginning :) It's just the right dose of magical realism without feeling hockey or no fun to experience, Characters were well drawn out and relatable as ever and I was proud of myself for guessing about half of the story twists while still in the dark about several others.

This book encapsulates all the things I love about Sarah Addison Allen's writing style. Tight plot, wonderful characters, intriguing storyline that sucks you in and holds you captive. To be completely honest, it was a little hard for me to read due to a recent loss, however upon completion it gave me a peace I didn't know I needed. Highly recommend diving into the world, just don't get divebombed by the birds.

I have been anticipating a new Sarah Addison Allen book for years. This was not my favorite of hers, but still enjoyable.

I loved this book. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished it. This is my first book by Allen and after reading Other Birds, I definitely plan on reading other works by this author. I liked the magical realism and how I could picture every detail perfectly. I felt like I was in the book with the characters. I really liked the characters in this book (and pigeon), along with the island setting. Would definitely recommend this to others who are looking for a magical read.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. This author has such a great imagination. She never fails to grab your attention and entertain you. I always look forward to Ms. Allen’s latest novels. Mallow Island and the Delawisps are waiting for those looking for a great summer read. Thank you Net Galley for the chance to read this novel.

I was captivated from the first chapter in this engaging novel threaded with ghosts and the people who they watch over in a small, old building of condos. It is also the story of a young woman, Zoey the college girl trailed by Pigeon, who moves to the complex and draws the other residents into friend relationships: Mac the chef trailed by Camile and Frasier trailed by Lizbeth. They are joined by Oliver and Charlotte who each have their own stories. This group of formerly detached people form bonds they all need and are desperately missing.
It is a lovely story of hard childhoods that formed these adults, each wanting connections but not knowing where to find them until Zoey arrives to touch their lives.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A beautiful and sweet story about a group of people on a little island off of Charleston. Zoey comes to Mallow Island before starting college. She meets a cast of eccentric characters including Lizbeth, whose home she ends up cleaning out, Charlotte who is a henna artist, Mac, a chef who wakes up covered in corn meal every morning and a bird only she can see named Pigeon. We find out more about each character and I loved the stories and people weaving together. My one gripe is Lizbeths story which I think could have used more (won’t say more bc of spoilers)but overall I really loved this story. I think this would also make a great book club pick!

I’m trying to decide how I feel about this book. It’s very…different. There are many characters, none of which are particularly great, just average people from unique circumstances all living in a shared building. And none of their individual stories feel like they really go anywhere significant. There are a few revelations about each, but there are just so many. Plus the ghosts. Plus the imaginary bird. It’s an odd story.