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rover_under's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It was a charming book. I enjoyed the setting and grew to like the characters, but I feel like by the end of the book everything felt a little underdeveloped. A lot is said about the history of Mallow Island and and the characters' backstories, but I feel like there just weren't enough moments of the characters experiencing things in the present to really connect with them.
It felt expository at points and I think with a book with such an emphasis on the scenery and sense of place, it would have been nice to explore it a bit more or have a few more characters outside the Dellawisp residents to add vibrancy of the narrative.
I would have liked to have seen more of the characters bonding, overcoming shared obstacles, and doing things together so I could have felt more convinced by the ending, where the characters are very close and refer to each other as their family. Their challenges felt very individual for the most part, and it wasn't until a few moments near the end that the characters helped each other address their mutual struggles.
I liked that certain characters had secrets or things that they only shared with one other character, like Charlotte and Mac revealing their pasts', but I felt like something to unite the whole group, including Fraiser, was missing.
The magical realism elements didn't go as far as I would have liked, but that's a personal preference. Overall a cozy book that I felt could have had a bit more meat on it when it came to the story and the setting.
It felt expository at points and I think with a book with such an emphasis on the scenery and sense of place, it would have been nice to explore it a bit more or have a few more characters outside the Dellawisp residents to add vibrancy of the narrative.
I liked that certain characters had secrets or things that they only shared with one other character, like Charlotte and Mac revealing their pasts', but I felt like something to unite the whole group, including Fraiser, was missing.
The magical realism elements didn't go as far as I would have liked, but that's a personal preference. Overall a cozy book that I felt could have had a bit more meat on it when it came to the story and the setting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
kelleykamanda's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I usually love her books but this one was simply okay. Still nice to listen to but I didn’t have as much of a desire to root for the characters as I did with other books. I liked listening to Zoe’s plot line.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Child death
fearavatar's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Incest, Sexual assault, and Child death
silverhill's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Addiction, Incest, and Child death
laurenca's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Child death
Minor: Addiction
katiieecat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Addiction, Incest, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Car accident, and Adult/minor relationship
valerie's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Death, Child abuse, Child death, and Drug abuse
leetorib's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was such an unexpected light! The beginning felt a little slow but about 25% in, I felt untutored and invested in the ways the characters were coming together. The magical realism of the book felt well done and I found most of the plot twists enjoyable, even though a few were maybe a little more obvious.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest and Child death
haileybones's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
There is a magical quality to Other Birds that adds to its sweetness -- and its sadness. I liked the story and characters and especially Mallow Island, but the handling of the characters felt a little off to me. They're all dealing with some element of loss, abuse, family, identity, and/or learning how to move through the world and, despite all their personal tragedy and reluctance to process it, they're very self-aware. I think that narrative choice serves the themes and fairy tale vibe of the story, but it comes at the price of some of the authenticity or subtlety or something. It still emotionally connects (I cried more than once), but it was because the author has a talent for profound sentences more than me feeling something for a character. I also noticed the two most prominent black characters fell into some racialized tropes, which made me a little uncomfortable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Sexual assault
milojean_reads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Drug use
Minor: Pedophilia, Incest, Child death, and Sexual assault