eliya's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
I spent 9h 47m reading this book.
The whole time I was reading I was trying to figure out what this book was going to be. There was so much backstory and set up, it seemed, that I wasn’t sure when the book, or “real” story, would begin. It caught me off guard when I realized the point of the book, and it was kind of relaxing. This isn’t a particularly exciting book or anything, this is a very healing book.
Now, the actual book was weird. The point was lovely— there was a very odd antihomelessness theme throughout the book. The island that they live on has heavy patrols for people sleeping anywhere but inside a house & none of the characters bay an eye about it. The author tries to do this like “I remember poverty… it was rough” thing with a couple of the characters and it doesn’t land, it just reads as empty, really. I think she could have dived deeper and given detail instead of vague “what was probably abuse” description.
I feel bad for Lizbeth honestly. I think she and Lucy should have had a larger part of the story. You have Lizbeth and her diaries and we’re waiting for this big ball to drop (no pun intended) at the end when someone finally reads her diaries, but it, again, falls flat on delivery.
I’m glad the loose ends were tied up, but the package was a lot smaller than it made itself out to be. Cute book, glad I read it, good for grief. Nice to fat people and not weird about weight lol.
The whole time I was reading I was trying to figure out what this book was going to be. There was so much backstory and set up, it seemed, that I wasn’t sure when the book, or “real” story, would begin. It caught me off guard when I realized the point of the book, and it was kind of relaxing. This isn’t a particularly exciting book or anything, this is a very healing book.
Spoiler
I just lost my father about two months ago and it’s been hard to let go. I’m glad I read this book when I did.Now, the actual book was weird. The point was lovely— there was a very odd antihomelessness theme throughout the book. The island that they live on has heavy patrols for people sleeping anywhere but inside a house & none of the characters bay an eye about it. The author tries to do this like “I remember poverty… it was rough” thing with a couple of the characters and it doesn’t land, it just reads as empty, really. I think she could have dived deeper and given detail instead of vague “what was probably abuse” description.
I feel bad for Lizbeth honestly. I think she and Lucy should have had a larger part of the story. You have Lizbeth and her diaries and we’re waiting for this big ball to drop (no pun intended) at the end when someone finally reads her diaries, but it, again, falls flat on delivery.
I’m glad the loose ends were tied up, but the package was a lot smaller than it made itself out to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Death of parent, Stalking, Forced institutionalization, Death, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Racism, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Classism, Pregnancy, and Emotional abuse
sharkgirl45's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Grief, Mental illness, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
foxreadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
While Other Birds wasn't quite what I imagined, this held up. The writing is engaging, as is the cast of characters which make up this novel, but underlying the novel is a feeling of grief that I wasn't expecting. The 'mystery' and the 'twist(s)' are not particularly gasp worthy, and once you understand the ghosts, you can see where pigeon's character is going, but is moving nonetheless.
What didn't work for me was that this often felt disjointed. It could have used 50 more pages to tie core elements and characters together, especially with Charlotte. I also did not appreciate the comment that a character was selfish for choosing not to have children, especially in a novel where all the characters have traumatic childhood as a result of neglect.
What didn't work for me was that this often felt disjointed. It could have used 50 more pages to tie core elements and characters together, especially with Charlotte. I also did not appreciate the comment that a character was selfish for choosing not to have children, especially in a novel where all the characters have traumatic childhood as a result of neglect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent
gem114's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. I read it for my book club, though, and the other reviews were mixed. If you’re a lover of magical realism, birds, and chosen family storylines, I think you should give this book a shot. I loved the whimsy of the dellawisps, the “ghost stories,” and the overall vibe of the setting as well. I also shed a few tears, and I love a book that can evoke that much emotion in me. The biggest criticism was that some of the “twists” were unnecessary or forced, and in hindsight I can see that view, but they weren’t egregious enough to distract from my enjoyment while reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, and Death
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
kareseburrows's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
Accurately, I'd give this 3.75 stars. Although it took me a while to get into it, I did like this book in the end. I think it's a charming, and magical story, and I did enjoy Allen's writing. In the beginning, you do wonder how these characters fit together and how they impact one another, especially because it seems that, until Zoey arrives, they haven't taken the time to really interact with and get to know each other. In the end, though, you realize it's their stories and their separate complexities that bring them together, turning them from strangers to a chosen family. It's a sweet story, with themes of home, family, love, friendship, food, trust, growing up and moving on.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
redbirdreading's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Addiction, Death of parent, Death, and Toxic relationship
icapturethecastle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Grief, and Adult/minor relationship
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
zimmerlemon's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This is one that gives you lots to chew on, which I liked! It’s hard to explain the vibe, but it was nice. Hits the spot if you want someone to dish some serious tea that doesn’t have anything to do with you lol. Sorta spooky vibes sometimes but in a quaint way.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Child abuse, and Abandonment