A review by s_sheppard18
We Are All Ghosts in the Forest by Lorraine Wilson

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

4.0

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 if
Katerina'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.