Everything about this book is absolutely gorgeous: the writing style, the characters, the plot, and the feelings it evokes. I felt like I was transported to Mallow Island while I was reading this and I was left wishing I could go back. I will definitely be reading the other works by Sarah Addison Allen because this is literature at its finest!

Sweet, captivating, impossible to put down!

Ahhhhh this book was so good and I loved it so much! Ki loved everything about it, especially the characters! I loved the journey they each went through and how they overcame any obstacles. Magical realism is something I want to read more of, and this book solidified that!

Zoey is moving away for college. It's her first time on her own - her mother has passed and her dad has a new family. She's welcome with his new family, but she decides that it's time to adult.

She moves to Mallow Island with her constant (mostly) companion, an invisible bird named Pigeon.

Sarah Addison Allen is my all-time favorite, and Other Birds is no exception. I highly recommend this title to all readers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title from Net Galley.

#OtherBirds#SarahAddisonAllen#NetGalley

Like many others I've waited eagerly and somewhat impatiently for a new novel from Sarah Addison Allen. I was delighted when Other Birds was announced. It did not disappoint! Allen creates a strong sense of place in all her novels and Mallow Island quickly became a place I wish I could visit. I also love her characters - many who seem to have a touch of magic or otherworldly-ness to them. I was especially drawn to Mac's story this time. While this one does not rank as my favorite SAA book (oh hey, Sugar Queen), I don't think any of her fans will be disappointed to read this newest one.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-galley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I just love Sarah Addison Allen's writing. She writes whimsical stories set in the Southeastern US and I just feel a sense of comfort when I read them. I like her so much that after I received Other Birds on Netgalley, I also bought the hardback and also the Audible version of the book. Like other books and stories I have read by the author, Other Birds does not require a ton of mental dexterity. It is a book about creating your own family. Each character had a trauma in his or her past. Each one was dealing with their pain alone. But through the course of the novel, as the reader finds out more about each of them, they are finding each other and building a quirky family. There was one downer about the plot: all of the main characters had one or more hurtful, neglectful or cruel parent. That was one of the things everyone in the book had in common. But that is part of what drew them to each other and helped them understand each other.

And while I don't typically comment on risque content, I want to point that Other Birds had very little of it. So if you have a friend who is always asking for recommendations for "clean" books, you would be safe to recommend Other Birds.

One of the books I have recommended the most this year, "Other Birds" was a story that found me in just the right time! Built on quirky characters, a magical apartment building, and a troupe of mysterious birds, Mallow Island brings people together and ultimately shows us second chances are possible when we are able to come to grips with our past and move forward. It's been a really long time since a book made me cry and this one got me right in the feels, leaving me unable to even explain how touching it was without crying each time.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect and I felt that was the best way for me to experience the story. Woven within the characters, is so much hope, forgiveness and acceptance. Their trials and tribulations, an ability to accept their histories, allow themselves to love and become their best, leads to some of the most touching scenes in a story I've experienced in a long time. The words are poetic and colorful, the flow of the narrative allows just the right amount of heart, laughter, and struggle, and a mark will be left on the reader for having been able to experience the thoughtfulness of family, loss and an ability to move on in such a realistic way.

Unexpectedly, there were so many parts of this story that resonated with me. It's just too hard to really give you a taste of this incredible storyline without releasing the magic that makes this such an amazing read. If you're looking for a book that is different, a book with wonderful characters, a book you're able to discuss with others, a book you will go back to and wish you had just one more page to be in their world, this is the one for you!

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit magical in many ways. I've read two others by this author and loved them.

The birds sound fun and the other tenets seem great. Maybe a bit out there for some but still very likable. This book did take me a while to read but that is my fault and the holidays. I was late getting started.

Zoey is great and finds out some things that keep her on her toes. She's a very outgoing young lady. Each character is great and has a backstory that keeps you wanting more. Keeps you turning the pages. Then you have the mystery and of course that will have you wondering who and why.

This book contains a lot of emotion and keeps you on your toes. It's great. It's a well written book. I throughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress for this ARC,

4 stars and a very high recommendation..

I have always heard great things about Sarah Addison Allen's books and jumped at the chance to finally read one. For the first few chapters I felt a little confused and frustrated at the changing points of views. Once I got into the book the story was amazing and the alternating points of view enhanced the storyline. The characters were dynamic and I felt attached to each of them. I found myself trying to slow down reading this book so that it would never end. Overall, this was one of my favorite books of 2022.

Ghosts, birds, and other wonderfully eclectic characters? Yes, please. Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen is mysterious and slow-burning, yet it has a steady plot with some suspenseful moments. I was quickly swept away by the residents living at The Dellawisp, a stunning old cobblestone building, shaped like a horseshoe. So many intriguing storylines mesh together in the most beautiful way to create an ending that will leave a satisfying smile on your face! Highly recommend!

I’ve read and loved everything that Sarah Addison Allen has ever written, and this was no exception. The depth of characters, the magical realism, the settings… it always ties together so beautifully in her work. This was the perfect note on which to end a great year of reading… an easy five stars!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this book.

This book felt...I don't know what to call it? A tiny bit heavier, deeper than the author's previous books, but I enjoyed it all the same. Maybe it was just the sadness that was wrapped through this story that affected me so, but it was a lovely story nonetheless. I absolutely love the magical elements that are in all of her books, and this one did not disappoint.

A favorite for this year, I am just sorry it took me so long to get to it. Sarah Addison Allen writes charming stories filled quirky and appealing characters and magical realism. Set in South Carolina on the fictional Mallow Island and the Dellawisp Apartments that are named after the small turquoise birds that inhabit the area. It follows the residents when Zoey shows up to spend the summer in the apartment left to her by her mother. About new starts and found family and completely delightful.

Entertaining enough story with obvious plot "twists" but too many underdeveloped characters so I never felt fully engaged with the story. Too sweet and sentimental, even when dealing with dark subjects. Magical realism was lightly sprinkled into the story but not a major part, more like a quirk some characters shared.

I wanted to love this book but there was some disconnect between the book and I. I put it down a few times thinking it was the mood I was in but each time I picked it up the disconnect was still there.

I just could not get into this book, but I can't quite put my finger on what exactly kept me from being engaged with it. It had all the elements I love in a book, like magical realism and being character driven, which is why I requested it in the first place. However, I never quite got that spark that caused any desire to continue reading it.

I feel part of my issue was the actual characters themselves. I never became attached to any of them. I also feel like the plot could have been better. There was some great quotes, but nothing really happened until the last few pages and by that point I was already checked out. Overall, ratings are high for this book, but it just wasn't for me and I can't say I'd recommend it.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

I love Sarah Addison Allen’s quirky charming magical realism writing and this one did not disappoint. This book may be leaning a little towards the supernatural, however I still enjoyed it immensely.
The story is about a group that becomes a found family and I really enjoyed reading about their journey together.
If you enjoy reading about flawed characters dealing with grief, loss, and moving on from the past then I recommend Other birds by Sarah Addison Allen.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

This beautiful story has so much heart and whimsy with unique characters you wish you could be friends with. I loved the stories of connections and finding home and family. Truly a magical and charming book.

Thanks to St. MArtin's for the copy to review.

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

Sarah Addison Allen has wonderful prose and engaging writing style that I recommend people to try out, but the plot and flow of the novel just did not work out for me. I felt it was trying a bit too hard to be moving, beautiful, etc. and it just did not hit for me sadly. I think flow wise, I just needed it to try... a little less.

I always thought I was a magic realism lover, but it has to be done perfectly for me to be bought into it. For this one, it just was a miss for me sadly.

Zoey is an 18 year old from Oklahoma ready to start a new life at college in South Carolina. She arrives on Mallow Island early in the summer to claim the condo at the Dellawisp that was left to her from her mother's estate On her first morning there, a neighbor is found dead.! This sets in motion a murder mystery that brings together all the quirky neighbors, each with their own secrets.

I really enjoyed this book because it shows how everyone has a guardian angel, everyone is brought together by fate and every person has an impact on those in their lives.

3.5/5 stars, this was a really sad but heartfelt story

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Going into this story I didn't really know what to expect, and while it didn't end up being my favorite book ever I think it was still a pretty solid read. The problem is, I read this really recently and not all of the details stuck with me, and I think it's just that kind of story. It's forgettable but when you are reading it, it's cute and heartfelt enough that it keeps you reading.

There was nothing inherently wrong with this story, I just felt that it was slow-moving, especially in the beginning. Some stories need to start and be told this way though and so I wasn't uninterested, it just made it a bit harder to get into. And I really do think that this story had to be told this way otherwise it would not have the emotional appeal or impact that it did. Throughout the story, there were more secrets and side plots revealed that did in fact, increase the pace of the story, but still, not everything was entirely interesting to me personally.

I don't have much to say other than this, it was an okay story and I recommend it to people who want a hard-hitting contemporary (with hints of magic). It just wasn't necessarily what I wanted to read at the time. The ending is very strange, but also very sad I will give the story that. The electric group of people in this story did make me smile, and I enjoyed seeing how they developed into a found family.

[TW: death of a parent, death of a loved one, immigration mentioned, sex and cheating mentioned, cult themes, animal harm (unintentional), estranged family, drug abuse and overdose mentioned, death from cancer, death of a friend, religious abuse, child negligence and abuse and death mentioned, sick death mentioned, drug addiction, arrests mentioned, assault]