A review by gintonic95
We Are All Ghosts in the Forest by Lorraine Wilson

emotional sad 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

5.0

Thanks to NetGalley and Solaris for this ARC.

This book made me feel comforted and despondent at the same time. The apocalypse came and stripped away all pretentiousness from people, revealing the true ugliness of prejudice beneath.

The story starts in medias res, with Katerina, a former photojournalist living on her late grandmother's farm in Estonia, meeting a strange boy in a market in a world where the collapse of the internet has thrown society back a few hundred years, and dangerous digital remnants roam the lands. She takes Stefan in and teaches him the art of herbal medicine, all the while trying to find out what happened to his father and how they can stop a new mysterious type of digital sickness.

Throughout the book, I often felt that the science behind the digital ghosts, along with the apparent magic of sentient objects and forests, as well as talking to bees, blended together to create a mystical background that feels both outlandish and realistic at the same time.

The hazy details of the science and the cause of the apocalypse did not diminish the book's enjoyability. It deliberately shifted the focus to the human element, and there was plenty of that! The main character is still trying to process an old trauma, which is brought to the forefront of her mind by the awful way her community treats her. Being a recluse herbalist of Indian descent is apparently one odd thing too many for the average Baltic apocalypse survivor.

The strange connection between Katerina and Stefan's father is beautifully portrayed and provides a solid foundation for a hopeful ending.

I feel like I made a new friend in this book. Thank you!