Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen - Book Review

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

Genre: Contemporary, Magic Realism

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Slow start but good 

****

Marrow Island, on the coast of South Carolina, is more of a tourist destination. However, nestled in its center is Dellawisp, an old building in horseshoe design and secrets from the past. 

Zoey goes to Dellawisp to claim her dead mother’s property and continue her education away from an apathetic father and stepmother. She meets-

• Fraiser, the caretaker of the building
• Charlotte, a struggling henna artist
• Mac, a sous chef with secrets 
• The Lime sisters, Lizabeth and Lucy (who couldn’t be more contradictory even if tried) 
• The Dellawisp birds 
• Ghosts waiting for… 

Everyone has a story that weighs them down. Everyone has ghosts from the past. But maybe it’s time to write the stories and let go of the past for a better future.

The story comes from the limited third-person POV of the main characters and the first-person POV of a couple of interesting characters. (Yep, too many POVs but each with a distinct voice). 

My Observations: 

This is my second book by the author, and I like how well she deals with heavy topics. The story could have been melodramatic but reads more like a melancholic narrative. 

Having so many POVs and voices is not easy. This book manages it well, even when the POVs change in the middle of a chapter. That said, reading this when distracted can cause confusion. There are quite a lot of voices. 

The use of magic realism starts with a promise. How can we not be curious about Pigeon or ghosts? However, a little more of it would have been great. The setting has the potential, but the story skims only the surface. 

The same happens with the characters’ backstories too. There are hints of a lot of things (triggers listed at the end), but none are detailed. Though I like books with more depth, this one worked just fine for my current mood. I didn’t want anything too heavy or overwhelming. The characters are a bit stereotypical, which I didn’t mind. 

The story doesn’t progress until after 70%. The first chuck is where we collect information and get to know the characters. Max action takes place in the last 15-20%, and it picks up pace. Feels like the book ended too soon. The last chapter made the ending interesting for me. 

What I would have liked is an acknowledgment of the cultural heritage of henna. Charlotte is a henna artist, meaning there are too many opportunities to add a couple of lines about henna’s origins. There is one teeny reference, more like an indirect nod. Henna has been a part of Hindu, Islam, and other indigenous cultures (Egypt and Africa, I think). Google can help with more information. It’s not common for a white blond woman to be a henna artist. No issues with it (makes me glad that she likes it as much as we do), but proper acknowledgment would have been appreciated. 

To summarize, Other Birds is a mellowed narrative that deals with various topics but doesn’t go deep. It still manages to be emotional in some parts. It will appeal to readers who like a light touch of magic. 

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the eARC. 

*****

Content Warning: Hints/ mention of pedophilia, child abuse, parental abuse, parental neglect, parental death, romanticized grooming (dunno if I missed any).