Other Birds
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- Create Date：2022-08-13 11:22:03
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Sarah Addison Allen
- ISBN：1469222140
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Summary
From the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go。
Between the real and the imaginary， there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways。
Right off the coast of South Carolina， on Mallow Island， The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe， and named after the tiny turquoise birds who， alongside its human tenants， inhabit an air of magical secrecy。
When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment on an island outside of Charleston she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors， including a girl on the run， two estranged middle-aged sisters， a lonely chef， a legendary writer， and three ghosts。 Each with their own story。 Each with their own longings。 Each whose ending isn’t yet written。
Between the real and the imaginary， there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways。
Right off the coast of South Carolina， on Mallow Island， The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe， and named after the tiny turquoise birds who， alongside its human tenants， inhabit an air of magical secrecy。
When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment on an island outside of Charleston she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors， including a girl on the run， two estranged middle-aged sisters， a lonely chef， a legendary writer， and three ghosts。 Each with their own story。 Each with their own longings。 Each whose ending isn’t yet written。
Reviews
Anjali
，
I am so thrilled to have another book from Allen after seven years！ Other Birds is filled with Allen's usual warmth， quirky characters， and a touch of magical realism。 The story takes place off the coast of South Carolina in a place called Mallow Island， where the residents of a small condo community create a lovely found family as they help each other heal from the wounds of their various past hurts。 I loved everything about this book， and my only complaint was that it was over too soon。 Thank I am so thrilled to have another book from Allen after seven years！ Other Birds is filled with Allen's usual warmth， quirky characters， and a touch of magical realism。 The story takes place off the coast of South Carolina in a place called Mallow Island， where the residents of a small condo community create a lovely found family as they help each other heal from the wounds of their various past hurts。 I loved everything about this book， and my only complaint was that it was over too soon。 Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for a digital review copy。 。。。more
Kathy Budde
，
This book is enchanting， hopeful and thought provoking。 We meet people damaged by their pasts move forward with a little help from birds， ghosts and new found family。 It is beautifully written， as are all of Sarah Addison Allen’s books and has been worth waiting for。
Allyson
，
“Stories aren’t fiction。 Stories are fabric。 They’re the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them。”“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， ut I’d much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing。”“If the people around you don’t love you just as you are， find new people。 They’re out there。”Sarah Addision Allen is an auto-buy author for me and Other Birds did not disappo “Stories aren’t fiction。 Stories are fabric。 They’re the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them。”“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， ut I’d much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing。”“If the people around you don’t love you just as you are， find new people。 They’re out there。”Sarah Addision Allen is an auto-buy author for me and Other Birds did not disappoint。 I was hooked from the start。 The Dellawisp on Mallow Island is a magical apartment complex with small， turquoise birds flitting about， and tenants that are likable， relatable， all struggling with something and unknowingly searching for their people。 I really loved the character development of this book。 It was enchanting and complex and I will miss the characters。 Allen portrayed their struggles with such beauty and grace that made me cry happy tears more than once。 If you love the idea of ghosts， magic， strong character development， and a book that will stick with you for sometime after reading， you have found your people and your book！Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress5 stars 。。。more
Liz
，
Other Birds managed to be a sweet story without being saccharine。 Zoey is 18 and right out of high school when she comes to claim her mother’s condo at the Dellawisp， on Mallow Island off of Charleston， SC。 Zoey’s a bit of an oddball， with an invisible parrot as her only friend。 She sets out to meet her neighbors， including a chef， a henna artist， the condo manager and two reclusive old sisters。 Oh， and the place is also haunted by ghosts that are bound to the various individuals。 On the other s Other Birds managed to be a sweet story without being saccharine。 Zoey is 18 and right out of high school when she comes to claim her mother’s condo at the Dellawisp， on Mallow Island off of Charleston， SC。 Zoey’s a bit of an oddball， with an invisible parrot as her only friend。 She sets out to meet her neighbors， including a chef， a henna artist， the condo manager and two reclusive old sisters。 Oh， and the place is also haunted by ghosts that are bound to the various individuals。 On the other side of the country， a young man finds himself without a job or means and decides to return home。 Magic realism can be hit or miss for me。 It works here。 “Not everything has to be real to be true。”I was impressed by the twists that turn up in the story。 What initially felt like it might be too lightweight， added depth as it went on。 The theme， that of a family made， not borne， might be common， but it always rings true to me。 My thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Morgan （whatmorgsreads）
，
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 The premise of this book was intriguing and hooked me， however the story left me wanting more。 There were so many characters stories to follow that I feel like it drowned out Zoey’s。 In the end I loved the way everything came together。 Sometimes family is what you make it， and that’s exactly what these characters did。 I did find it hard to connect with the characters and it took me a little longer to read tha I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 The premise of this book was intriguing and hooked me， however the story left me wanting more。 There were so many characters stories to follow that I feel like it drowned out Zoey’s。 In the end I loved the way everything came together。 Sometimes family is what you make it， and that’s exactly what these characters did。 I did find it hard to connect with the characters and it took me a little longer to read than normal。 I liked the twists and thought they were clever。 I would still recommend this book to others because I felt like it was a heart-warming tale of finding one’s way through life。 。。。more
Jeanne
，
I'm not really a fan of magical realism but Sarah Addison Allen does it so well that I am always enchanted。 Zoey is starting college in Charleston having left a disinterested father and a less than caring stepmom。 She is staying the summer in her mother's condo at The Dellawisp on Mallow Island hoping to learn more about her mom who died when Zoey was young。 She also brings along with her an invisible Pigeon。 She meets her neighbors， Charlotte， a henna artist; Mac， a James Beard winning chef; an I'm not really a fan of magical realism but Sarah Addison Allen does it so well that I am always enchanted。 Zoey is starting college in Charleston having left a disinterested father and a less than caring stepmom。 She is staying the summer in her mother's condo at The Dellawisp on Mallow Island hoping to learn more about her mom who died when Zoey was young。 She also brings along with her an invisible Pigeon。 She meets her neighbors， Charlotte， a henna artist; Mac， a James Beard winning chef; and Frasier， the caretaker when Lizbeth Lime dies and Zoey is hired to clean out this paper hoarder's apartment。 The other resident is Lucy Lime， Lizbeth's sister， but Lizbeth hates Lucy and they never speak。 Lucy is a recluse and rarely seen。 The Dellawisp sounds like a delightful place。 The small turquoise birds flitting around play a large part in the ambiance of the condos。 Zoey's place， while devoid of anything personal of her mother's still sounds like a perfect place to live with the pink refrigerator and patio。 All of the characters are well-developed and likeable。 They all had rough childhoods and secrets they kept。 I was rooting for them to find a path in life that would finally lead them to the happiness they deserved。 They had a little bit of help from the ghosts that also lived there。 Oh and one more thing - READ THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS。 I won't say why but they are short and worth it。 I would like to thank Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for providing me a copy of this thoroughly charming story。 。。。more
Britney
，
Allen takes her time introducing us to each character within the story。 You can almost view the beginning chapters as individual novellas - and to say that the Camille chapters left me smiling would be an understatement。 I would classify Other Birds as a slow burn。 I never felt that urgency to pick up the book and continue reading - but sitting with my hot coffee， in the early hours of the morning just as the sun was rising， it was the perfect read。The Dellawisp is a magical condo complex locate Allen takes her time introducing us to each character within the story。 You can almost view the beginning chapters as individual novellas - and to say that the Camille chapters left me smiling would be an understatement。 I would classify Other Birds as a slow burn。 I never felt that urgency to pick up the book and continue reading - but sitting with my hot coffee， in the early hours of the morning just as the sun was rising， it was the perfect read。The Dellawisp is a magical condo complex located on Mallow Island and inhabited by a unique cast of characters。 Zoey has inherited her mother's condo and chooses to spend the months leading up to her first year of college living on her own and reaching for a connection with the mother she lost at such a young age。 In her eagerness to get to know her neighbors we learn the traumatic past of each individual in this small community and get to watch them grow and come together。 If you love found family， character driven stories， magic and whimsy then I definitely recommend picking up Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen。 。。。more
Kate Magee
，
I read Garden Spells by this author back in the day， so I was expecting Magical Realism。 I found a heartwarming ghost story about finding belonging and letting go of trauma。 It was a slow build， very character driven， but paid off in the end as I was emotionally invested。 I particularly loved the chef and his back story。 The writing was much more purposeful than her earlier work， with the message and loose ends wrapping neatly together。 Overall， a beautiful， sweet story that lingered in my mind。 I read Garden Spells by this author back in the day， so I was expecting Magical Realism。 I found a heartwarming ghost story about finding belonging and letting go of trauma。 It was a slow build， very character driven， but paid off in the end as I was emotionally invested。 I particularly loved the chef and his back story。 The writing was much more purposeful than her earlier work， with the message and loose ends wrapping neatly together。 Overall， a beautiful， sweet story that lingered in my mind。Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC！ 。。。more
Kate Wolford
，
This book comes together in a very meaningful way。 By the end， I was teary-eyed， in a good way。The action takes place on a fictional island， （Mallow， outside of Charleston）， and at the Dellawisp， a beautiful and haunted old place that’s got a few condos and a lot of ghosts。Indeed， the main characters are all haunted。 They include college freshman Zoey， skittish Charlotte， sweet and lonely Mac， and Frasier， the apparent caretaker of the building who has a supernatural relationship with the rare D This book comes together in a very meaningful way。 By the end， I was teary-eyed， in a good way。The action takes place on a fictional island， （Mallow， outside of Charleston）， and at the Dellawisp， a beautiful and haunted old place that’s got a few condos and a lot of ghosts。Indeed， the main characters are all haunted。 They include college freshman Zoey， skittish Charlotte， sweet and lonely Mac， and Frasier， the apparent caretaker of the building who has a supernatural relationship with the rare Dellawisp birds who live in the garden。This being a Sarah Addison Allen book， the supernatural unapologetically exists in this story。 I’d have been very disappointed if it hadn’t been。 But the book itself seems haunted， and like ghosts， the outlines and details come together slowly。 That’s okay， because Addison Allen pulls it all together slowly， then much faster and very completely。There are literal and figurative ghosts here， and Addison Allen doesn't shrink from showing that everyone suffers and that everyone keeps secrets。 Yet it is not a book about suffering。 It’s more a book about how we continue to grow up and surprise ourselves and others all of our days—and beyond。 And the last few pages are exceptionally moving。 Sarah Addison Allen is back， and in top form。 Hooray！NetGalley very kindly gave me this book in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Heather | booksbyheath
，
ummmmm did i read the same book as everyone else or
Lloyd
，
3。5 ⭐️
Andrea Johnson
，
This story is filled with quirky， mostly loveable characters who find each other and create a safe and loving family which they all really needed。 Also present， as in all of this author's books， is a touch of magic， a presence of ghosts and the links between the worlds。 I came away from reading this with such a hopeful and peaceful feeling。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc。 This story is filled with quirky， mostly loveable characters who find each other and create a safe and loving family which they all really needed。 Also present， as in all of this author's books， is a touch of magic， a presence of ghosts and the links between the worlds。 I came away from reading this with such a hopeful and peaceful feeling。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
This was my first time reading a novel by Sarah Addison Allen， and I loved it！ I have no idea why I haven't read her books before， but I plan on changing that ASAP。Other Birds is delightfully enchanting， the writing is lyrical and graceful， and the characters are captivating in their flaws， brokenness， love， and grief。 Allen takes these pieces of humanity， the grief and brokenness， and weaves them throughout the book， tying them as strands throughout the novel， binding Zoey， Charlotte， Mac， Oliv This was my first time reading a novel by Sarah Addison Allen， and I loved it！ I have no idea why I haven't read her books before， but I plan on changing that ASAP。Other Birds is delightfully enchanting， the writing is lyrical and graceful， and the characters are captivating in their flaws， brokenness， love， and grief。 Allen takes these pieces of humanity， the grief and brokenness， and weaves them throughout the book， tying them as strands throughout the novel， binding Zoey， Charlotte， Mac， Oliver， and Frasier （and Lucy） together into a found family， something they each desperately need。 Of course， there are secrets involved and a mystery as well， like any good book set in the South， and Other Birds is set on Mallow Island， a fictional island in South Carolina near Charleston （my favorite city）， in my beloved Low Country。 Zoey， almost 19， arrives on Mallow Island with an empty bird cage and everything she owns to live in the condo her mother left to her when she died。 She's never lived alone when she arrives at the Dellawisp Condos， but she's ready for a new start after growing up with an unloving father and stepmother。 She soon becomes involved in the lives and stories of her unusual neighbors: Charlotte， a henna artist， Mac， a James Beard award-winning chef， Lucy， a recluse， Lizbeth， Lucy's sister and a hoarder， Frasier， the property manager with a secret， and Oliver， Lizbeth's son。 Oh， then there are the ghosts on the property。 And one must not forget the Dellawisps！ These are the tiny turquoise birds that roam the property for which it's named。This story unfolds slowly， magically as Allen tells the story of each character。 I enjoyed how she used magical realism in the novel although I know that isn't the case for some readers。 For me， this book felt like sinking into my favorite chair with a cozy blanket and a mug of tea， book in hand in front of a fire--so perfection！ It will linger with me long after in a way a lot of books do not because I was really able to care about these characters， empathize with their grief and losses， and hope they could let go and embrace the future。 Highly recommend it！Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Susan
，
One word: delightful。 This is not one of my usual genres so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book。 The characters are quirky and fun and they all have been through some sort of trauma。 The author did a nice job of putting me into the world she created。 I wanted to visit the coastal town and especially wished to see the birds！ The book flowed nicely without any boring， drawn out spots。 A lovely quick read for when you want to relax and enjoy the scenery and the characters and One word: delightful。 This is not one of my usual genres so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book。 The characters are quirky and fun and they all have been through some sort of trauma。 The author did a nice job of putting me into the world she created。 I wanted to visit the coastal town and especially wished to see the birds！ The book flowed nicely without any boring， drawn out spots。 A lovely quick read for when you want to relax and enjoy the scenery and the characters and not be rushed through non-stop action or horrors （my usual type of books）。 。。。more
Sandi
，
Every once in awhile， a book comes along that stays with you long after you've read the last page。 This is one of those books。 The residents of The Dellawisp， a charming little apartment complex on Mallow Island， South Carolina， each have multi-layered stories and pasts that haunt them。 As their stories intertwine and unfold with the help and hindrance of ghosts from the past， they learn to trust and love again。 Every once in awhile， a book comes along that stays with you long after you've read the last page。 This is one of those books。 The residents of The Dellawisp， a charming little apartment complex on Mallow Island， South Carolina， each have multi-layered stories and pasts that haunt them。 As their stories intertwine and unfold with the help and hindrance of ghosts from the past， they learn to trust and love again。 。。。more
Jessica Gard
，
I have not been this excited about an upcoming release in ages！ After nearly 7 years Sarah Addison Allen returns with the wonderful and magical novel， Other Birds。 Allen‘s work has been some of my favorites throughout the past decade with the flawless use of magical realism she brings to her stories that will warm your heart。 "Between the real and the imaginary， there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways。Right off the coast of South Carolina， on Mallow Island， The Dellawis I have not been this excited about an upcoming release in ages！ After nearly 7 years Sarah Addison Allen returns with the wonderful and magical novel， Other Birds。 Allen‘s work has been some of my favorites throughout the past decade with the flawless use of magical realism she brings to her stories that will warm your heart。 "Between the real and the imaginary， there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways。Right off the coast of South Carolina， on Mallow Island， The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe， and named after the tiny turquoise birds who， alongside its human tenants， inhabit an air of magical secrecy。When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment on an island outside of Charleston she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors， including a girl on the run， two estranged middle-aged sisters， a lonely chef， a legendary writer， and three ghosts。 Each with their own story。 Each with their own longings。 Each whose ending isn’t yet written。"I absolutely adored this story for so many reasons and just like Allen‘s previous work it left me feeling truly satisfied and with a full heart。 This new release has made me want to go back and reread her back catalog as The Girl Who Chased the Moon was the first to get me hooked on her work。 I have to note how much I really appreciate how Allen has never really changed the overall feeling and voice of her books， despite having experienced surviving cancer along with unthinkable loss within the past decade。 Her own life is just as complicated as the multidimensional characters that she brings to life on the page， and her ability to overcome and produce such a beautiful piece of fiction is simply awe inspiring。Do NOT miss out on this one by pre-ordering today from your favorite indie bookstore！Allen's works are truly an escape from reality unlike any other， and I am absolutely thrilled to have had the opportunity to read and review this title thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press。 。。。more
Darlene
，
3。5 stars， rounded up。 Zoey moves into her late mother’s condo on Mallow Island， South Carolina。 She brings an empty birdcage， with an invisible bird， named Pigeon。 That same night， one of the residents dies suddenly， when a bookcase falls on her。 However， that sad incident leads to Zoey meeting all the other residents of the Dellawisp， including the blue birds that try to regulate activities。 The story of each resident slowly unfolds， along with 3 ghosts still living at the Dellawisp。 Each resi 3。5 stars， rounded up。 Zoey moves into her late mother’s condo on Mallow Island， South Carolina。 She brings an empty birdcage， with an invisible bird， named Pigeon。 That same night， one of the residents dies suddenly， when a bookcase falls on her。 However， that sad incident leads to Zoey meeting all the other residents of the Dellawisp， including the blue birds that try to regulate activities。 The story of each resident slowly unfolds， along with 3 ghosts still living at the Dellawisp。 Each resident has their own family hardship and struggle with current relationships。 This is a nice， light， feel-good story。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC。 。。。more
Alexa Rosenberg
，
I read this book in one sitting and was completely immersed in the world Allen created。 It was thoughtful， funny， a tad mysterious， with a dash of mystical realism， and a sprinkle of romance， it kept me hooked to the end。 It's one of the few， rare books where I genuinely didn't mind the switches in POV， as I was equally interested and excited for each character's voice—especially the ghosts。 Overall a good read and I look forward to seeing it on shelves。 I read this book in one sitting and was completely immersed in the world Allen created。 It was thoughtful， funny， a tad mysterious， with a dash of mystical realism， and a sprinkle of romance， it kept me hooked to the end。 It's one of the few， rare books where I genuinely didn't mind the switches in POV， as I was equally interested and excited for each character's voice—especially the ghosts。 Overall a good read and I look forward to seeing it on shelves。 。。。more
Katie
，
3。5*
Anastasia Kim
，
From the publisher:Four friends。 One night。 Not everyone will come out alive 。 。 。When a deadly snowstorm strikes the Icelandic highlands， four friends seek shelter in a small， abandoned hunting lodge。It is in the middle of nowhere and there's no way of communicating with the outside world。They are isolated， but they are not alone 。 。 。Review: Okay this book had me hooked at the beginning - I thought it was actually a bit shocking and mysterious and creepy I've never read something that started From the publisher:Four friends。 One night。 Not everyone will come out alive 。 。 。When a deadly snowstorm strikes the Icelandic highlands， four friends seek shelter in a small， abandoned hunting lodge。It is in the middle of nowhere and there's no way of communicating with the outside world。They are isolated， but they are not alone 。 。 。Review: Okay this book had me hooked at the beginning - I thought it was actually a bit shocking and mysterious and creepy I've never read something that started off that strong。 This novel is very atmospheric and I was on a real Scandinavian mystery novel kick so this was perfect for that。 The ending didn't particularly resonate or satisfy me but overall an enjoyable read。 3。5/5 starsThank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my free digital copy。 。。。more
Jaime Fellis
，
Other Birds takes its time methodically introducing a cast of complex characters that'll break and mend your heart in equal measure。 In the months leading up to her first day of college Zoey moves into her late mother's condo。 The Dellawisp， an otherworldly cobblestone condo complex， is nestled in a secluded nook on a quiet and secluded Mallow Island。 It's quirky tenants and Boisterous Birds soon intrigue Zoey and she eagerly begins to learn the heartbreaking stories of the small community。 Othe Other Birds takes its time methodically introducing a cast of complex characters that'll break and mend your heart in equal measure。 In the months leading up to her first day of college Zoey moves into her late mother's condo。 The Dellawisp， an otherworldly cobblestone condo complex， is nestled in a secluded nook on a quiet and secluded Mallow Island。 It's quirky tenants and Boisterous Birds soon intrigue Zoey and she eagerly begins to learn the heartbreaking stories of the small community。 Other Birds is a must read for folks who love character driven stories。 We're offered a huge cast of characters here and they each get equal billing。 I found myself engaged with each， rooting for most， grumbling at some， and empathetic for all。 While initially this story felt a bit isolated and slow for my liking it picked up steam at the mid point and it delivered big with a whole lot of heart！！ The authors tell-tale magic is threaded throughout creating a story that's masterfully balanced between harsh humanity and lighter whimsy。I only dock one star because I felt an opportunity was missed to sprinkle in some more atmospheric elements。 。。。more
Jayme
，
Not rating！ I was wanting to try some magical realism， but at 25% I realize this isn’t for me！ Magical Realism is style of literary fiction and art。 It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements， often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality。 Despite including certain magic elements， it is generally considered to be a different genre from fantasy because magical realism uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point Not rating！ I was wanting to try some magical realism， but at 25% I realize this isn’t for me！ Magical Realism is style of literary fiction and art。 It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements， often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality。 Despite including certain magic elements， it is generally considered to be a different genre from fantasy because magical realism uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality， while fantasy stories are often separated from reality。 （Wikipedia） Please read the reviews from those who love the genre and the author because it’s just a matter of personal taste and nothing more。 🐦 。。。more
LeAnna Christopher
，
4。5 stars！ Was blessed with an early edition copy of this from my book club and I must say I am not disappointed。 A feel good book with some supernatural bits thrown in。 I enjoyed the various viewpoints and the way they tackle the subject of love in all its forms。 Super fast read and great for those looking for something to make you feel warm and fuzzy while intriguing you with some mystery。
Krystal
，
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
Lauren （thebookscript）
，
"If the people around you don't love you just as you are， find new people。 They're out there。" Other birds is a story about trauma， and the magical fine line that divides the harshness of reality with the mystical of the unknown。 It's about a connected band of misfits who find home within the Delawisp and with each other。 The author wrote this book following the deaths of her mother and sister， so if you have this mindset going into the book， you can feel the love and the longing in these pages。 "If the people around you don't love you just as you are， find new people。 They're out there。" Other birds is a story about trauma， and the magical fine line that divides the harshness of reality with the mystical of the unknown。 It's about a connected band of misfits who find home within the Delawisp and with each other。 The author wrote this book following the deaths of her mother and sister， so if you have this mindset going into the book， you can feel the love and the longing in these pages。 The themes of loving， and letting go are strong， as well as how to move on from a past that seems to define us， the the ghosts that are left behind after someone is truly gone。 What I loved about this book was the setting。 An ideal cobblestone off the beaten path off the coast of South Carolina。 This story is full of southern charm， magical/paranormal moments， and found family。 I loved how each resident finds their way to the Delawisp， and how they find friendships and belonging in each other。 There's only a slight fluttering of a romantic aspect but it's there none the less。 What is hard about this book is that it is full of generational trauma and decisions that hurt people for years to come。 It has strong triggers for sexual harm， cults， and drug abuse。 （not described but implied） So if you're going into this one thinking its going to be a light read full of magic。。。its time to think again。 I think this story overall has more magic than sadness but I think I was in the mood for a little more magic than what I got。 HOWEVER。。。no matter how bleak the past was， the future for these characters and their present timelines were bright and full of hope and love， and thats what gave me that warm hug feeling at the end of the story。 A very unique quick read for magical realism fans who like complicated relationships in quaint settings。 。。。more
emily • emilybookedup
，
the premise of this one had me so excited/had so much potential， but the execution let me down 😭 i am a BIG fan of magical realism tropes and needed more of that in this book。 it was very heavy on the character development and growth and didn’t have a lot of magical realism + plot （until the last ~50ish pages and then it all got very chaotic and felt like a different book）。 there were also a TON of characters that weren’t all fully developed so it was hard to “bond” to one。 there were a few twis the premise of this one had me so excited/had so much potential， but the execution let me down 😭 i am a BIG fan of magical realism tropes and needed more of that in this book。 it was very heavy on the character development and growth and didn’t have a lot of magical realism + plot （until the last ~50ish pages and then it all got very chaotic and felt like a different book）。 there were also a TON of characters that weren’t all fully developed so it was hard to “bond” to one。 there were a few twists in the backhalf that surprised me， and one i saw coming。 but they happened so late that i was already a bit tuned out。 the setting was beautiful and the description of the birds had me googling to see if they were real！ thanks to St。 Martin’s Press for gifting this to me pre-release。 。。。more
Megan Hill
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Filled with intertwined elements of enchantment and the realism of life， “Other Birds” takes you on a magical journey of youth， delicately balancing both beauty and sadness。
Susan Peterson
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Pure magic！ Escape from reality with this whimsical， heart-stirring book。 There are birds—both invisible and real （and the real birds are full of personality）—and ghosts。 But at its heart this a book about lost childhoods， grief， and secrets。 The residents of Dellawisp are wonderfully quirky， each with their own origin story， but they come together in this place to find friendship， love， and family。 Sarah Addison Allen fans have been clamoring for a new book， and they are going to love this one！
Mary Fabrizio
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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Sweet story。 Not enough happens though until the end。
louise
，
18-year-old Zoey moves to Mallow Island searching for a connection to her late mother， Paloma。 Instead， she learns the true meaning of family with the eclectic residents of the Dellawisp Condos。 Other Birds brings to life a story about the family we choose and the magic of moving on。 This book is rich in history—both in terms of the setting and its characters。 Each person stood out on their own and had their own mystery to unravel。 Overall， Other Birds was a light and heartwarming read。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Other Birds
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Other Birds&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Other Birds&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0