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knitelf's review against another edition
5.0
A study in people and in letting go, of holding on, of coming home to yourself just in time. And there is candy.
thepolaroidtherapist's review against another edition
5.0
A short, pleasant read. This author was able to beautifully combine feelings of whimsy, longing, loyalty, and the joy of everyday magic. I grew attached to the characters quickly just as they quickly developed attachments to each other. Mac is my favorite- he’s the big burly sweetheart. And Frazier is the little old man we all wish was our grandfather. But even he, like all of us, has their secrets. The lesson is who we choose to trust with our secrets has the power to heal us.
obsidian_blue's review against another edition
3.0
Such a shame. I have been waiting on a new Sarah Addison Allen book for years. I absolutely love her older books and this one just didn't do it for me. Somehow in her other books she's always been able to transport me to a fictional town where it seemed magic leaked around the edges. Instead this book seems to be missing that. Maybe because the grief in these pages just crowded out everything else. And I think that due to that I wasn't able to settle with any of the characters at all. And I think that Allen tried to force-fit a few things that just didn't work.
"Other Birds" follows Zoey Hennessey who finally before she starts college, has moved to Mallow Island, South Carolina, to live in her deceased mother's condo. The home she moves into also includes some strange and compelling residents such as Charlotte (a henna artist with a past she is running from); Mac (a chef who is still grieving someone who can't quite let go of); Lizbeth (newly dead and still angry); Lucy (sister to Lizbeth who is afraid to leave her home) and Frasier (seems to be the equivalent of a super to the building). The book also follows several ghosts as well as Lizbeth's estranged son Oliver.
I guess you could say this book is about connections. Zoey ran from her father and stepmother's home because there was no love for her there. She goes to her mother's old home hoping to find her and is focused on starting a new family with the other residents. I seriously felt sorry for her. It's easier to ignore cause of her age, but her storyline just didn't hold any interest for me much. I was more interested in Charlotte's and guessed at Lizbeth and Lucy's. Mac's was interesting though and I wish we had spent more time with him throughout the book. I honestly think Oliver's side plots took up way too much time.
The writing was fine, but honestly if her name was not on the front cover, I would not have though Sarah Addison Allen wrote this. It's just missing something. I kept reading and reading and I realized that I was honestly bored and just wished for things to go faster. I usually linger over her books and take them in like a very nice and sharp champagne. There's always something that reminds me of home or a longing when I read her books and this time it just felt absent.
The flow wasn't great. Maybe the numerous characters and ghosts in the pages just didn't work. I felt like the book was fractured. You kept getting half stories here and there and could guess/work out the rest. I wonder if we actually had gotten some sense of Zoey's father outside of her opinion of him maybe that would have given the book some weight? It just felt off that the man was totally okay with ignoring his own child. It just felt too much like a caricature.
The setting of Mallow Island sounded magical, but there was no there there. I needed more. I think that maybe is why this fell flat. I can name you the residents and the special places in the Waverly family series, same with "The Sugar Queen" and "The Girl Who Chased the Moon". Sarah Addison Allen always made the places come alive for you. And besides a short little here is Mallow Island, that's all you get. I think because Zoey doesn't go out and explore the place until a good three quarters of the book, you don't get a sense of what the place is and why people want to live there. Maybe if other characters outside of the building had been part of the story, it would have worked better.
The ending was sad, but definitely emphasized that life goes on and those who love us, want the best for us, and wait for us in the end.
"Other Birds" follows Zoey Hennessey who finally before she starts college, has moved to Mallow Island, South Carolina, to live in her deceased mother's condo. The home she moves into also includes some strange and compelling residents such as Charlotte (a henna artist with a past she is running from); Mac (a chef who is still grieving someone who can't quite let go of); Lizbeth (newly dead and still angry); Lucy (sister to Lizbeth who is afraid to leave her home) and Frasier (seems to be the equivalent of a super to the building). The book also follows several ghosts as well as Lizbeth's estranged son Oliver.
I guess you could say this book is about connections. Zoey ran from her father and stepmother's home because there was no love for her there. She goes to her mother's old home hoping to find her and is focused on starting a new family with the other residents. I seriously felt sorry for her. It's easier to ignore cause of her age, but her storyline just didn't hold any interest for me much. I was more interested in Charlotte's and guessed at Lizbeth and Lucy's. Mac's was interesting though and I wish we had spent more time with him throughout the book. I honestly think Oliver's side plots took up way too much time.
The writing was fine, but honestly if her name was not on the front cover, I would not have though Sarah Addison Allen wrote this. It's just missing something. I kept reading and reading and I realized that I was honestly bored and just wished for things to go faster. I usually linger over her books and take them in like a very nice and sharp champagne. There's always something that reminds me of home or a longing when I read her books and this time it just felt absent.
The flow wasn't great. Maybe the numerous characters and ghosts in the pages just didn't work. I felt like the book was fractured. You kept getting half stories here and there and could guess/work out the rest. I wonder if we actually had gotten some sense of Zoey's father outside of her opinion of him maybe that would have given the book some weight? It just felt off that the man was totally okay with ignoring his own child. It just felt too much like a caricature.
The setting of Mallow Island sounded magical, but there was no there there. I needed more. I think that maybe is why this fell flat. I can name you the residents and the special places in the Waverly family series, same with "The Sugar Queen" and "The Girl Who Chased the Moon". Sarah Addison Allen always made the places come alive for you. And besides a short little here is Mallow Island, that's all you get. I think because Zoey doesn't go out and explore the place until a good three quarters of the book, you don't get a sense of what the place is and why people want to live there. Maybe if other characters outside of the building had been part of the story, it would have worked better.
The ending was sad, but definitely emphasized that life goes on and those who love us, want the best for us, and wait for us in the end.
bberta's review against another edition
4.0
Very sweet found family story. All the characters are interesting and I found myself wanting to get to know each of them equally.
sofiamally's review against another edition
4.0
Overall I love this book. The story made me smile and heartwarming. At the same time it has this edge of mystery that was unexpected but kept me wanting more. I loved each of the characters and how their stories were revealed. I would give this book a 5 star rating but toward the end of the book there is a sudden shift and the events that unfold seem detached from the wholesome feel good moments within the book. Despite that he like absolutely recommend this book.
courtneyb1209's review against another edition
5.0
I went into this book not sure what to expect and it ended up being sooo good. I cant wait to read it again!
bibliomorgan's review against another edition
5.0
This is darker than Sarah’s other books but in the best way possible. It covers grief and loss and longing in the most beautiful and hopeful way- through birds. She writes of found family in the way a found family develops- slowly and organically then all at once it hits you what these people mean to you. I adored every word on every page. Sarah’s books are always a comfort and feel like home for me. This one was no exception.
In the Sugar Queen Sarah writes “Books can be possessive, can't they? You're walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what's inside will change your life, but sometimes you don't even have to read it. Sometimes it's a comfort just to have a book around.” This book is the physical manifestation of this quote. It found me when I didn’t even know I needed it.
Sarah, I appreciate all your writings. Thank you for this beautiful work.
In the Sugar Queen Sarah writes “Books can be possessive, can't they? You're walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what's inside will change your life, but sometimes you don't even have to read it. Sometimes it's a comfort just to have a book around.” This book is the physical manifestation of this quote. It found me when I didn’t even know I needed it.
Sarah, I appreciate all your writings. Thank you for this beautiful work.