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

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

3.75

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.