3 stars for me, but 5 stars for the right reader, so I'm rounding to 4.

I am very glad to have read this, but I was left with highly conflicting feelings. There is so much great stuff here: beautiful prose, a very cool lead character who is an herbalist and talks to bees and just wants to Be Left Alone, an interesting, well-drawn setting in a post-apocalyptic small town, and a great initial hook.

However, it also has bizarre pacing, elements that I found difficult to suspend my disbelief about, prose so intricate that it doesn't always explain what is actually happening, and some character and plot choices that felt like they came out of nowhere. I feel certain these were all choices made by the author, but some of them just didn't make sense to me, especially the bizarre pacing. The beginning is very slow, and while the prose is pretty, it's also cryptic to the point that key information either flew right past me or wasn't mentioned until strangely late in the book. I can't decide if it's a skill issue on my part, or if this book has some flaws.

My initial rating was 3 stars, but it's been a day or two and I'm still chewing on certain scenes and moments. It's highly intriguing, and for the right reader (particularly one who can accept or wrap their brain around the central concept, which I could not) I think it could be a stunner. I also wonder if it will grow on me over time. I'd recommend it to readers who like slow-paced, meditative stories and a literary tinge to their speculative fiction, and who don't mind if not all the pieces come together in a satisfying way.

Also, a minor marketing note - this book bears absolutely no resemblance to Station Eleven, except that it takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting. The comp makes sense at a broad level, but don't go in expecting Emily St. John Mandel style-prose. ('Twas ever thus.)

Thank you to Lorraine Wilson, Solaris, and NetGalley for generously providing an ARC for review!

Such an original ideal, I loved it. Dystopia at its finest! Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the arc, I will have no problem recommending We are all ghosts in the forest, by Lorraine Wilson.

I have to say I didn't really get taken in by this book I almost didn't carry on. I am glad I did because it is a unique plot with well written characters, and the imagery you get from this story is beautiful.
I think where i struggled with this book is with it being slow paced. I went in expecting a fast-paced end of the world apocalypse, but it was far from that.
This book has got so many great reviews. It's just not that type of 5 I enjoy reading.

Thank you, Solaris, for my advanced copy.
My opinions are my own.

There are ghosts out there but not the type like we are used to. These are ghosts left behind after the Internet collapsed. They bring disease. Can a cure be found?

I went into this book blind, and I do not regret it.
For starters, I am not sure how to describe it, but the better would probably be "soft apocalypse". Even though the descriptions are absolutely gorgeous and vivid, I think they didn't drown the action and message at all, rather highlighting it, and the relationships between the characters were so realistic, at some point, I was moved to tears.
Now, as to the setting, I adored the concept of the ghosts, and the "numeric plague", it was the most original idea I had read in a long time, plus the whole eerie atmosphere was reminiscent of Simon Stalenhag's paintings/TV series Tales from the Loop. Having the action set in an eastern Europe setting contributed to make this book a very original one, and it is safe to say I won't forget it anytime soon!

The premise of this book was intriguing and I think it was executed well!! I love a dystopian type book and this was no exception, and while the concept of backfiring technology is not new, the specifics of this were not something I have come across before and gave the book a slightly spooky feel which I really enjoyed.

Right from the off, this title was interesting and had some fascinating worldbuilding surrounding it. Unfortunately, I found that the start of the book left me with a few too many questions and things that were unclear. It had some truly fascinating concepts (ghosts made from the internet? amazing) but I could have done with a *little* more context early on to get me properly into the story.
That said, I really thought that the characters really shone. The cast was impressively varied and I really came to enjoy several of the side characters. A really fun book that was held back by being just a touch too vague at the beginning.

Book review 📚
We Are All Ghosts in The Forest by Lorraine Wilson
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So, when it comes to science fiction, I usually tend to avoid it. Personal preference and all that. But I am so happy to have gone into this blind only to realise a third of the way in that it was in fact sci-fi. This book was absolutely brilliant in every aspect!

Wilson has such an interesting writing technique that I almost felt at home with the main character. I was involved in her life and desperate to be with her along her journey and progression. Katerina was an amazing character and the descriptions from the writer were brilliant in bringing her to life.

The story is not only heartwarming but just fantastic in every sense. I would definitely pick up another sci-fi after this, but I know better than to think they will all be this good!

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.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. If you're expecting a fast-paced book with ghosts and a plague, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Instead this is a beautifully written book about acceptance, kindness, grief and family. It's a slow-burn book that doesn't go out of it way to explain anything so if you like everything in a neat bow this will not be the book for you but if you want a book brimming with emotion then look no further.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅."

Following the collapse of the internet, which left digital ghosts roaming the natural world, Katerine fled the city to live in a rural village, once home to her Grandmother. She lives mostly in solitude, crafting herbal remedies and conversing with the surrounding wildlife.

When she is forced to take in an unspeaking boy named Stefan, a stranger whose appearance stirs premonitions of harvest failure and an evolving digital infection, the villagers become hostile towards Katerina and cast her out of her home.

Fleeing to the forest, the two go in search of Stefan’s missing father, which Katerina hopes will bring answers surrounding the mutating disease and why she was chosen to care for a boy she’s never met.

If a cure is possible, Katerina may be able to concoct it, but trusting those around her proves more difficult than any disease the ghosts threaten humanity with and she is forced to face the fears she has been endlessly running from.



This dystopian-themed novel is a refreshing and unique approach to the genre, presenting readers with an engrossing environment, which I’d love to live in, and heart-warming yet flawed characters who are very relatable.

Lorraine Wilson has crafted an intricate and expansive world yet her detailing of events makes it easily accessible and enjoyable for readers. As the characters have already adapted to this new world, the pacing of the story is very natural and the lack of “how” this world came to be allows readers to delve into the unfolding narrative without the distraction of exposition.

Wilson’s writing is very artistic and the imagery she uses is stunning. I love the detailed herbal remedy references and the hints towards witchcraft are subtle enough to remain realistic. The overall story is cohesive and intriguing with a moving ending that has a lasting impression.

A perfect book to read for cosy feels and complete escapism. This is a new favourite for me. 🖤

I was intrigued when I came across this book and lucky enough that I was given an advance copy. Despite it’s big surroundings of apocalypse type situations in a world where the interne has collapsed – leaving behind not just the devastation of society as we know it but also digital ghosts looking to reclaim a place in the world, taking over the living to do so – this is at its heart a small personal story. That of a woman ostacised by her community for the way she looks, the skills she has and the things she believes in, a boy thrust into her care unexpectedly and the shared quest to locate his father.

I really liked the slower pace of this, it let the atmosphere become part of the story and the world felt very real. I enjoyed the style of this too – a mix I would describe as part dystopian fiction and part magical realism.

Katarina was wonderful, I loved her connections with nature, the bees and the way she understood the world around her. The way we got to know Stephan as a person even though he was non-verbal was a fantastic piece of writing (given that so much of how we usually learn about characters in books is through what they say) and as someone who is a complete push over for animal companions I whole heartedly adored Orlando the ghost cat.

An emotional journey for Katerina as well as a literal one, this book is a quiet gem.

It's a very original concept, I enjoyed it! The pace could have been better, but overall, it's a great blend of mystery and magic with a unique dystopian plot and setting. Thanks Netgalley for an ARC!

I don't tend to read a lot of science fiction, so picking up this book was a little out of my comfort zone, but I'm so glad I did!

I felt like I was in safe hands, following Katerina's story in this post-apocalyptic world. I loved the mix of horror and science fiction, and would love to spend more time in this area.

From my perspective, the detail spent developing these characters is what has shone through in this story, it's very difficult not to feel compelled to root for them. Wilson has a great knack for storytelling and I'm excited to read more of their work in the future.

Looking for a sci-fi fantasy with low stakes and a beautifully described, cozy setting? "We Are All Ghosts in the Forest" might be the book for you.
In a post-apocalyptic world where ghosts form from corrupted technology, Katerina makes herbal remedies, tends to her bees and trades with her townsfolk - till a mysterious boy turns up with a note asking her to care for him.
This book started slowly, but it was brimming with description. The slow buzzing of the bees and the way Katerina composes her herbal remedies and the crackling of Orlando - everything was in such vivid and immersive detail. Around the halfway mark, this book picked up and got so much better, bringing in themes of found family and warmth, and belonging.
The pacing of the book overall was not very fast, which in my case led to me taking a while to read this book, but would also make it ideal for a cozy read. If any of this sounds like something you'd enjoy, you should definitely check this out.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a tale of surviving in the apocalyptical aftermath of the end of the digital age.

In this dystopian landscape, 'ghosts' of data artefacts, released from their Internet and storage prisons, now roam free. Whilst some ghosts are innocuous remnants of their pasts, others are infectious and insidious, killing anyone they might infect.

We follow Katerina, now a herbalist and healer in these new times. Arriving back from trading at the market, she has a mute boy named Stefan with her.

Although he is not contagious, strange things start to happen after his arrival and their attempts to track Stefan's father.

Journey with Katerina as she works to prevent the disasters that she's heard whispered on the airwaves. The same worries that the bees have told her about.

The shadows grow long in the forest. Danger is coming... will they survive?

This is a story that's focused on life after an apocalyptical event that makes technology redundant. Could you survive?

I found this to be a gripping read with a strong female lead whose persistence and strength are the backbone of this story.

A recommendation to any Sci-Fi fans with a love of the dystopian or those who enjoy tales that embrace the ecological and natural magics of the world.

*I received an advance reader copy via NetGalley, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.*

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ahead of time. Unfortunately it is a DNF for me. Just couldn’t get into it.
I’m not saying it is a bad book, it’s just not for me.
I found the concept intriguing and interesting, but I wasn’t vibing with the book.

In the aftermath of a global shutdown thanks to the breakdown of the internet, we follow the main character Katerina as she navigates a post-technical life in a rural Eastern European village. Having been a photojournalist in her previous life, Katerina takes on a new role as a spiritual herbalist, learning the ways of her grandmother having moved into her old home. While she likes this simple routine, things will change for Katerina as she meets the non-verbal boy Stefan, and the ghosts of the past begin to infect the present.

This book grabbed my attention with the premise of the internet ghosts meeting the spirituality of herbalism and nature, touching the technical with the magical in a way I wasn’t expecting. I was enthralled by the use of spirituality in this book, and I felt the story taking shape the most when we visited those elements through the speaking with bees and the herbal remedies for the ghost infections. I found this aspect of the book to be the most interesting and was definitely the parts I enjoyed the most while reading.

Saying that, I found the internet ghosts and their “infections” the most difficult to wrap my head around. I never felt like I was truly understanding that aspect of this world, and found it the weakest point of the story. Unfortunately as this was the premise of the story, I felt like I was taken out of the story too often, especially near the beginning of the book as most of this was touched upon to build this world for the reader. Despite enjoying the technical vs. magical, and enjoying dystopian worlds, this world building aspect just lost me and made the story feel too unbelievable.

Another strong aspect to this book is the relationships. Katerina and Stefan’s interactions and conversations are interesting when one of the character’s doesn’t speak a word. I felt this was written strongly in particular. As well as this, Katerina’s friendships within the village were some of my favourite moments in the entire story, and I liked the pieces of community and understanding Katerina had created in this new life. To contrast this, the subplot of bigotry and racism that Katerina faces further through the story was written with care and respect by Wilson. I liked this extra conflict that was added to the main character’s journey. There was one particular relationship I felt was the most jarring to me, and was one of the most important that helped drive the story, which left me disappointed as I felt the development between Katerina and this character was unearned. The relationships with others, her friends and Stefan, were by far the stronger emotional ties for me than anything else in this story.

While I found the writing sometimes hard to get through, I did find some of the world building and relationships unique and catching. I don’t know how I would have wanted the aspects I didn’t like to be changed, but what I did enjoy was special and felt new to me. Overall this book felt just a little lacking with not a very strong plot and some difficult writing to read, and for that reason I will find it hard to recommend this book to many others who don’t already enjoy this genre. For the others who do, I do think this book had some special elements that I think are worth exploring in this story.

Dystopian in it's own unique way this book follows the downfall of the internet where all records are virus like ghosts, as well as haunting these ghosts can infect individuals if they resonate too closely with their memories as well as possessing similar records such as books of their digital stories. When a new strain of ghost infections rise, fear is everpresent and trust between many begins to falter.

Pushed away by her peers Katerina follows Stefan who was mysteriously left to her by his infected father, accused of witchcraft for her herbal practices they journey to find his father and learn more about her herbal practices and a cure for this new infection along the way.
Perfectly recommended for fans of the last of us due to its fungal infection element it was an interesting read with a unique storyline unlike anything I have read before.

From found family, to grief over those lost to the devastation the internets fall left, this book is surprisingly heartwarming and is the perfect read for anyone wanting a bit of mystery and magic with a unique dystopian plot and setting.

🐝🌲ᨰׁׅꫀׁׅܻ ɑׁׅ֮ꭈׁׅꫀׁׅܻ ɑׁׅ֮ᥣׁׅ֪ᥣׁׅ֪ ᧁׁhׁׅ֮ᨵׁׅ꯱ׁׅ֒tׁׅ꯱ׁׅ֒ ꪱׁׅꪀׁׅ tׁׅhׁׅ֮ꫀׁׅܻ ⨍ᨵׁׅꭈׁׅꫀׁׅܻ꯱ׁׅ֒tׁׅ🌲🐝
by @raine_clouds_writes !

"When the internet collapsed, it took the world with it, leaving its digital ghosts behind – and they are hungry. Former photojournalist Katerina fled the overrun cities to the relative safety of her grandmother’s village on the edge of a forest, where she lives a solitary life of herbal medicine and beekeeping.

When a wordless boy finds her in the marketplace with nothing but her name in his pocket, her curiosity won’t allow her to turn him away. But haunting his arrival are rumours of harvest failure and a rampant digital disease stirring up the ghosts, and the mood in the village starts to sour."

I loved this book! the concept was so unique and the characters were so well formed and enjoyable to read! I loved the inclusion of the subtle magics in the book amd how they combined with the herbalism Katerina practises. the development of her relationship with the boy and how it helped her grow as a person was so great to read. the bees were my favourite character, I loved how they interacted with Katerina and how they were insistent with their intentions and desires.

It took me quite a while at the beginning to get into it. After a while, the reader is slowly able to pierce together what has happened with the world. I liked the way the story was told, but had to push forward for a while to keep going. It's not for everyones taste, but I liked it and I am glad for the opportunity to read it.