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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
We Are All Ghosts in the Forest is exceedingly slow-paced and character-focused - which is usually very much my thing, especially in tales dealing with a world post societal-collapse. However, I will admit that this book took me a little while to truly get into - until the final quarter, which I found to be much stronger, and was thoroughly engaged by.
There is an excellent supporting cast of characters in this novel - I often felt more drawn to these than our protagonist in some ways, as Katerina is so closed off. The village as a whole felt well-rounded and believable - my particular favourites were Dorotea, Elisabet, Jaakob, and of course Stefan. I wasn't entirely convinced by the interactions and emotions between Aleksander and Katerina however.
The novel as a whole veers more fantasy than sci-fi - although the internet collapse and digital ghosts might suggest a scientific explanation, the narrative is mostly inconclusive in this regard. The finer details are hand-waved a little.
That said, I found this to be an engaging and intriguing read, with lots of thoughts around grief and community to reflect on.
Thanks to Solaris and Netgalley for the ARC.
There is an excellent supporting cast of characters in this novel - I often felt more drawn to these than our protagonist in some ways, as Katerina is so closed off. The village as a whole felt well-rounded and believable - my particular favourites were Dorotea, Elisabet, Jaakob, and of course Stefan. I wasn't entirely convinced by the interactions and emotions between Aleksander and Katerina however.
The novel as a whole veers more fantasy than sci-fi - although the internet collapse and digital ghosts might suggest a scientific explanation, the narrative is mostly inconclusive in this regard. The finer details are hand-waved a little.
That said, I found this to be an engaging and intriguing read, with lots of thoughts around grief and community to reflect on.
Thanks to Solaris and Netgalley for the ARC.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have a hard time rating this one- for me it's a 3.5 star for the majority of the book, but rounded up to a 4 star for the ending. Firstly, I have to say that the atmosphere of We Are All Ghosts in the Forest feels much more fantasy than science fiction, to me. The true "scifi" elements- a communications apocalypse, breakdown of the internet, widespread disease, etc- were all tempered by the kind of hands-waving magical fantasy I'd expect in a fantasy spec fic novel, particularly the concept of the fragmented internet ghosts which are rather poorly explained. The only thing that really makes this a scifi novel is that the background societal collapse is related to the internet. Everything else about this book is fantasy. I mean, c'mon, she talks to bees, the forest is sentient, she does literal magic although she resists the title of "witch," how much more fantasy do you need to call it fantasy?
I get it, though. This isn't a traditional post-apocalyptic "how do we rebuild society?" kind of novel. This is a story that lives and dies by vibes alone.
And, I have to say, despite the confusion I had at the beginning, the vibes are immaculate. It was somehow spooky and cozy at the same time, and the care Katerina shows for the other characters is truly heartwarming. At it's core, this is a story of a hurting, traumatized woman trying her best to protect herself while also caring for everyone around her, and it tells that story incredibly well.
I've seen other reviews complain that it's too slow, but the pace didn't feel slow at all to me. Sure, there were parts that seemed to serve more to set the atmosphere than advance the plot, but I personally think it works. I quite enjoyed how things were tied up at the end, even ifKaterina's homecoming was rather unrealistic, considering she had just been run out of town by an angry mob with guns. I'm one of those that just wants the happily ever after, even if I need to suspend my disbelief a little.
I get it, though. This isn't a traditional post-apocalyptic "how do we rebuild society?" kind of novel. This is a story that lives and dies by vibes alone.
And, I have to say, despite the confusion I had at the beginning, the vibes are immaculate. It was somehow spooky and cozy at the same time, and the care Katerina shows for the other characters is truly heartwarming. At it's core, this is a story of a hurting, traumatized woman trying her best to protect herself while also caring for everyone around her, and it tells that story incredibly well.
I've seen other reviews complain that it's too slow, but the pace didn't feel slow at all to me. Sure, there were parts that seemed to serve more to set the atmosphere than advance the plot, but I personally think it works. I quite enjoyed how things were tied up at the end, even if
hopeful
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
This was an impulse pick up from the Library and it was worth it. A fascinating concept and I wish the lore was explained more, although it fits the vibes for it to remain a little ungraspable. The ghosts weren't in this as much as you'd think they'd be, but when they're there, they were written in an enthralling and lyrical way. The past could have woven through a bit more to give us more backstory about the ghosts because they became very secondary by the end of the book. The main appeal of this book is the bond between Katerina and Stefan, and I'm glad the book spend a long rim building that up.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Solaris for the ARC copy they provided.
There are two things you always want to find in a book and so rarely do find: Yourself and a good hangover. We Are All Ghosts in the Forest provided both.
A few lines, paragraphs, pages in, I found myself in Katya, the main character, and when I finished reading, I found myself with a book hangover so intense I still haven’t been able to climb into another book and feel at home. I just want THIS book to go on and on and on.
It can’t, of course, and that is both a shame and exactly as it should be.
Lorraine Wilson’s writing is divine in so many ways. Smooth and luxuriant all at once. The characters are real and oh-so human. Even the ones that aren’t human at all. The world is so natural, even in its unnaturalness. And the worldbuilding is so rich it’s like coming home, instead of becoming lost in a book.
I couldn’t possibly say enough about this book, or praise it highly enough. I identified with Katya, and fell for the subtle and not so subtle diversity displayed in We Are All Ghosts in the Forest’s pages.
In the end, I can only hope to fall as deeply in love with this book on my second read through, and all the others that will come after because I will definitely be returning here again.
There are two things you always want to find in a book and so rarely do find: Yourself and a good hangover. We Are All Ghosts in the Forest provided both.
A few lines, paragraphs, pages in, I found myself in Katya, the main character, and when I finished reading, I found myself with a book hangover so intense I still haven’t been able to climb into another book and feel at home. I just want THIS book to go on and on and on.
It can’t, of course, and that is both a shame and exactly as it should be.
Lorraine Wilson’s writing is divine in so many ways. Smooth and luxuriant all at once. The characters are real and oh-so human. Even the ones that aren’t human at all. The world is so natural, even in its unnaturalness. And the worldbuilding is so rich it’s like coming home, instead of becoming lost in a book.
I couldn’t possibly say enough about this book, or praise it highly enough. I identified with Katya, and fell for the subtle and not so subtle diversity displayed in We Are All Ghosts in the Forest’s pages.
In the end, I can only hope to fall as deeply in love with this book on my second read through, and all the others that will come after because I will definitely be returning here again.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Lorraine Wilson’s writing is simply stunning and I loved the ideas in this novel - digital ghosts and dead houses and bewildering forests… right up my street. My rating was knocked back a bit due to several chapters feeling very repetitive about 3/4ths of the way through and the connection between Katerina and Aleksander seemed a bit forced and wishy-washy. Absolutely adored Elisabet, Stefan and Orlando, of course.
I really enjoyed this book but I can't really put my finger on why. To be honest not much happens, and what does happens happens really slowly. It isn't your usual end of the world dystopian novel, in fact you never really find out exactly what has happened, but I think that is perhaps part of it's charm. It's beautifully written with an elegant turn of phrase and an almost ethereal vibe to it. It's at times quite spooky, and surreal but the characters are so boldly written that it manages to stay grounded. It's a novel about belonging, about finding your place and about the worst and the best of humanity. I can see that it wouldn't be for everyone but I very much enjoyed it.