A review by rover_under
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

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.
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