Name: Lauren Piper's review of Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
Item: Other Birds
Rating: 4.5
Author: Lauren Piper

Sarah Addison Allen

A Novel

Other Birds

ausra

Not everything has to be real to be true.

“Does it ever feel to you like the best things go away too fast, and the worst things never, ever leave you alone?”

We all want to think we’re worth the trouble.

Zoey was uneasy with the thought of untold stories. What happens to them? Where do they go? If you never share your stories with at least one other person, does that mean they weren’t real, that they never really existed?

He was secure in the knowledge that when a reader falls in love with a book, they have no choice but to fall in love with the author, too.

History is known for sugar-coating. Sometimes it’s the only thing that can make it palatable.

It was an odd feeling, when she really thought about it, not having anyone in the world who knew everything about you and loved you anyway.

“In all my years, I’ve never encountered something that didn’t mean anything.”

Zoey had spent too much of her life as an outsider to ever think of running to anyone when she was afraid. It wasn’t that she was particularly brave, she just didn’t want the disappointment of being turned away. But right now she felt a painful longing for something she couldn’t name.

Zoey had a vague sense that her mother had been a great fabricator, as if to her there was no veil between what was real and what was not. It all existed together.

Stories aren’t fiction. Stories are fabric. They’re the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them.

Leah | @LeahsLittlePleasures

Good twists throughout. Sometimes difficult to tell who is speaking

Lauren Piper

Such a beautiful book, has an amazing balance of poetry and suspense 

McKenzie Ives

Jeremy Wang

well i was working at the library but then i decided to binge this in three hours instead!! at least the reading slump is halted

i wasn't sure that i wanted to finish this after the first quarter or so since the prose and dialogue reeked of that brash, overly explicit american style ("Zoey's brows shot up with alarm. What had happened to Lizbeth Lyme?" why do i feel like i'm reading a children's book). but somehow, despite being hobbled by awkward dialogue, the characters were on this strange trajectory toward deeply likable. maybe it was their sheer quirkiness (itinerant henna artist? award-winning cornmeal chef? yes please), or maybe it was their oddly believable tragic backstories, but whatever it was, i found myself loving them all by the end. certainly each character is remarkably dynamic, and as the story draws to a close, they have simple life reminders to offer the reader, ones that were especially timely for me. 

a few other remarks: i really loved the usage of magical realism here; the chapters from camille and lizbeth and paloma were some of my favorites, and this is largely because of the unique perspective the magic gives them. they also work as really effective plot devices and paired well with the major plot twists. aside from the dialogue, my other major qualm was with the setting, since i would have expected an author touted for their loving portrayal of the south to produce a masterpiece given the setting. instead, mallow island is mostly characterized by occasional tours (quite literally) and a single book (yes, a vague book about mallow island inside of a book about mallow island...thanks sarah). altogether worth a read if craving some good old american contemporary!

I used to love Allen's books when I was in high school, but it's been ages since I've read anything by her. When I saw this as a BOTM pick, I knew I had to grab it just for nostalgia sake. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a bit of a mess. Nothing about the characters or the plot kept my attention. I remember loving Allen's use of magical realism, but even that felt flat and boring. There were some twists thrown in that you could tell were supposed to be shocking, but didn't have much of an impact. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it wasn't my favorite.

Heather Harrington

Certain books come to you at just the right time, and it’s like getting a hug. Other Birds is that book for me.

Zoey has gone to Mallow Island to live in a condo she inherited from her mother. She’s lonely, but determined to make friends. When a neighbor dies on her first night there, a series of events is set in motion that helps the residents in her building begin to help one another heal.

This is a book with some magical realism, including ghosts. Not usually my thing. But it’s a well-written, delightful, and filled southern charm.

Cheri McElroy

Certain books come to you at just the right time, and it’s like getting a hug. Other Birds is that book for me.

Zoey has gone to Mallow Island to live in a condo she inherited from her mother. She’s lonely, but determined to make friends. When a neighbor dies on her first night there, a series of events is set in motion that helps the residents in her building begin to help one another heal.

This is a book with some magical realism, including ghosts. Not usually my thing. But it’s a well-written, delightful, and filled southern charm.

Vilandra

There was nothing really wrong with this book - it’s a nice little book, the writing is good. I just wasn’t blown away by it.

Kota Smith

Wow I really enjoyed how sweet this story was. Found family was done so beautifully in this book. Each a misfit in their own right coming together to form a community and family amongst themselves. I grew to love each of the characters and really feel for them and their stories. I also enjoyed the little surprises throughout that kept the story interesting. I also thought the concept of the ghosts and their role in the story created an interesting perspective and allowed for the author to portray a sentimental lesson in the book.

         This book was the Brenda Novak Book Club selection for October of 2022.  Brenda Novak’s book club was the first of the celebrity book clubs that I started following, way back before I moved into my house, so it would have been either 2019 or 2018.  It actually showed up on my Facebook as a suggestion, and since I love books, I was all in.  I can actually credit Novak for getting me started on this book journey that has led me to where I am today, and I will always be thankful for that.  Since then, I have started following quite a few of the celebrity book clubs, because I realize that a HUGE number of readers follow them, which makes my reviews more relevant.  So, thank you Brenda Novak, for being my jumping off point. 

            I was expecting a pretty hefty storyline with this book, based on the synopsis and the “magical realism” it included.  Every time I ever read a book that GoodReads readers claim includes “magical realism,” I get a very involved story, so I steeled myself for a book I wasn’t going to love.  Instead, I got a rather whimsical story that included a wee bit of magic.  The residents of Dellawisp seem to be a mix of, well, societal rejects (I hate to say that, but they do seem to resemble the island of misfit toys) who found a place to call home.  Eventually, they even find their way to each other, creating a family out of their small community. 

            It was a pretty light story with a happy ending, and it was just what I needed to start 2023.  I read a variety of books, many sit heavily, others flit about the surface, just giving me a story that is light and easy.  This one was the perfect light and easy book. 

Kristen Claiborn

         This book was the Brenda Novak Book Club selection for October of 2022.  Brenda Novak’s book club was the first of the celebrity book clubs that I started following, way back before I moved into my house, so it would have been either 2019 or 2018.  It actually showed up on my Facebook as a suggestion, and since I love books, I was all in.  I can actually credit Novak for getting me started on this book journey that has led me to where I am today, and I will always be thankful for that.  Since then, I have started following quite a few of the celebrity book clubs, because I realize that a HUGE number of readers follow them, which makes my reviews more relevant.  So, thank you Brenda Novak, for being my jumping off point. 

            I was expecting a pretty hefty storyline with this book, based on the synopsis and the “magical realism” it included.  Every time I ever read a book that GoodReads readers claim includes “magical realism,” I get a very involved story, so I steeled myself for a book I wasn’t going to love.  Instead, I got a rather whimsical story that included a wee bit of magic.  The residents of Dellawisp seem to be a mix of, well, societal rejects (I hate to say that, but they do seem to resemble the island of misfit toys) who found a place to call home.  Eventually, they even find their way to each other, creating a family out of their small community. 

            It was a pretty light story with a happy ending, and it was just what I needed to start 2023.  I read a variety of books, many sit heavily, others flit about the surface, just giving me a story that is light and easy.  This one was the perfect light and easy book. 

nini!

REVIEW:

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I could describe Other Birds in a word, it would be warmth: this book brims with it, nestled in the wonderfully soft setting of Mallow Island, among the dellawisps and the spun-sugar air and the candy-colored buildings. The main character, Zoey, moves to her mother's condo in the Dellawisp the summer before college starts, where she meets a misfit cast of characters, each with their own eccentricities and tragic pasts. Other Birds soars in the atmosphere and the lightness it has even when discussing heavy topics, but it also falls startlingly flat in other, more essential aspects.

The main thing that drew me away from this book was the plot — or lack thereof. There is little driving the story forward, and the result is a narrative that meanders from character to character without truly committing to anything of substance. Seemingly unrelated issues are connected at the end, but with little satisfaction; the climax's grand villain is one we never met prior, the mysterious Roscoe Avanger's identity is revealed and then rushed past with no ramifications, Zoey's tumultuous relationship with her mother, despite being referenced so often, gets a few pages at the end for resolution and nothing else. The characters are given the same treatment: at first, charming, but often underdeveloped to the point of becoming dry. Even when given backstories of severe neglect or religious cults or angry, bitter families, the characters themselves aren't interesting enough to dwell on or flesh out. Even Zoey felt startlingly forgettable in her own story.

I think the premise of Other Birds is a good one, but the book fell short of what it promised not just in its summary, but throughout the developing story. 

WRAP-UP:

+ Pros:

— atmospheric setting
— comforting writing

+ Cons:

— plot that quickly becomes boring
— dry/uninteresting characters

FINAL RATING: 2.5/5

Leah | @LeahsLittlePleasures &
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

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Leah | @LeahsLittlePleasures &Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

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Join the club

Leah | @LeahsLittlePleasures &
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen