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A review by r_j_setser
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
"Book lovers can spot a wrapped book a mile away."
This was a beautiful and fun book! Zoey, Charlotte, Mac, and Oliver kept me laughing, feeling comforted, and fully engaged in their story. It was simple, but in a complimentary way. The story and characters had such a depth to them without making you feel bogged down by their pasts or struggles. It was such a beautiful way of portraying the complexities of people and how, when you find the right people, those struggles that typically isolate you can have the same power to knit you together and create strong bonds. I loved how natural the communication was for these broken people and it just felt so much like "finally" finding people who will stay on your side through thick and thin. Zoey and Charlotte's friendship was so comforting and healthy, too. Exactly what female friendships should be.
The mysterious undertones kept me flipping the pages. The food--oh my goodness. I would buy a cookbook of recipes from this book (and other Allen books!). Since finishing Other Birds, I've started The Girl Who Chased the Moon (also by Sarah Addison Allen) and her food descriptions set my mouth to watering.
The romance was so sweet and comforting, too. The kind that makes you feel like watching your best friend fall in love with someone who is PERFECT for them. There are several mentions of casual s3x from background characters but there's nothing shown on page. Overall, I adored this book and as I mentioned above, I immediately started another book by this author because I wanted more. This would be a great summer read!
This was a beautiful and fun book! Zoey, Charlotte, Mac, and Oliver kept me laughing, feeling comforted, and fully engaged in their story. It was simple, but in a complimentary way. The story and characters had such a depth to them without making you feel bogged down by their pasts or struggles. It was such a beautiful way of portraying the complexities of people and how, when you find the right people, those struggles that typically isolate you can have the same power to knit you together and create strong bonds. I loved how natural the communication was for these broken people and it just felt so much like "finally" finding people who will stay on your side through thick and thin. Zoey and Charlotte's friendship was so comforting and healthy, too. Exactly what female friendships should be.
The mysterious undertones kept me flipping the pages. The food--oh my goodness. I would buy a cookbook of recipes from this book (and other Allen books!). Since finishing Other Birds, I've started The Girl Who Chased the Moon (also by Sarah Addison Allen) and her food descriptions set my mouth to watering.
The romance was so sweet and comforting, too. The kind that makes you feel like watching your best friend fall in love with someone who is PERFECT for them. There are several mentions of casual s3x from background characters but there's nothing shown on page. Overall, I adored this book and as I mentioned above, I immediately started another book by this author because I wanted more. This would be a great summer read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Child death
Content/trigger warnings: Little to no cursing. No spice. No gore. There are a few heavy topics about one character escaping a cult where a child died. A couple of characters deal with the mental illness of being abused (sexually) as children. One character grows up with a narcissistic and mentally ill mother and there are several sad and complicated conversations dealing with that.