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An enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways. Right off the coast of South Carolina, on Mallow Island, The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe, and named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy. When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at the Dellawisp she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors, including a young woman with a past, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and a lonely chef, and three ghosts. The sudden death of one of Zoey's new neighbors sets off a search that leads to the island's famous author and to a long-estranged relative of the sisters. Each of them has a story, and each story has an ending which hasn't yet been written.
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Wow, first and foremost, I was SO impressed with how extremely thoughtful Allen was with every single choice she made in this book. From the careful writing of the POVs to the extremely casual treatment of the magical elements at play, this is such an intentional book that really stands out from others in the genre. A tiny example of thoughtful decision making that avoids any spoilers: the 18 year old actually thinks and acts like an 18 year old, which shouldn't be a big deal but for some reason is something other fantasy authors seem to really struggle with.
As to the plot itself, I definitely was expecting a lot more magic and less murder mystery vibes, but that may have been a result of only skimming the description. I'd describe it as a crossover between magical realism, mystery, and found family, but only at fairly diluted strengths of the first two, so this would be a really good book for anyone familiar with one but interested in dipping a toe into any of the others. Ultimately it was definitely interesting and an enjoyable read, and while the plot twists weren't entirely unexpected they still packed a good punch.
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