Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen Review

Author: Sarah Addison Allen

Genre: Magical Realism

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Mastery of Writing: 4 out 5 stars

Characters: 4 out of 5 stars

Plot: 3 out of 5 stars

Uniqueness: 5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyment: 3 out of 5 stars

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen is a story masterly woven between reality and the imaginative world. Moments of eccentricity were blended with moments of heartfelt bonding throughout this endearing story of family and home.

This book was my selected Book of the Month pick, and I dove into it with nearly no knowledge of it beforehand save for the short two sentence description on the website. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet story within the pages of this book.

The art of magical realism, when written correctly, is always such a lovely treat to experience. In the case of Other Birds, I wanted to devour each carefully crafted sentence. Meshed with themes of found family, longing, and holding onto the ghosts of our past, Other Birds is a wonderfully written tale that is sure to be on any magical realism TBR.

When Zoey and her invisible bird Pigeon move into her late mother’s old apartment in Mallow Island, South Carolina, she is greeted by a collection of eccentric neighbors, a lost manuscript, and a mystery. Her new home in the Dellawisp, named after the funny little turquoise birds who reside within the complex, is a link to her mother’s past. During her stay at the Dellawisp, she soon finds family amongst a young henna artist with a tragic past, a star chef, two sisters who refuse to acknowledge each other, and three ghosts.

One of my all time favorite tropes, found family, was featured in this novel. Residents within the Dellawisp grow closer together, bound by circumstances and experiences. This novel shows the gradual forming of this new family, pulling heartstrings along the way. Zoey’s kindness and optimism is the glue for the relationships that become secured together throughout this journey.

Food is also a strong theme throughout this story, which I really appreciated. Food is one of my love languages, so I enjoyed reading a similar sentiment throughout this book.

Overall, I really enjoyed Other Birds. It was the perfect length, and the perfect story to curl up under a blanket on a rainy day. I was perfectly content throughout reading this book, and am looking forward to checking out Sarah Addison Allen’s other books!

Other Birds was my September Book of the Month pick. Want to receive monthly books? Sign up here: https://www.mybotm.com/kdntajovd5?show_box=true