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.

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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.

Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

I love the concept of this book. A digital catastrophe, the internet dies leaving behind blips of the past, buzzy static ghosts, virus and danger, basically post-apocalyptic tech refuse. I'm here for all that. The book itself was a bit of a slow start and I found myself floundering for a sec on where it was going. Not incredibly unusual, but something to call out. If you are interested, give it a sec, it does pick up.
I found this speculative science fiction extremely imaginative and well written. The parallels to our modern-day world are incredibly present and can lead to some rather poignant moments of introspection, especially in relation to the IRL pandemic and the potential breakdown of society as we have come to expect. In this book, that breakdown is a reality and the world is remade by the destruction, forcing the populations back to a simpler time and lifestyle: trade, barter, grow, forage. It’s a really interesting premise. I enjoyed the story as it was given and appreciated its soft prose, even if, at times, I longed for answers to questions that never came. At its roots I think the narrative provides us with lessons in resilience and acceptance and grace and strength, whilst also allowing us to read some really creative and cozy sci-fi.

In the near future, we may be faced with the horrors of some of our choices over the last fifty years. Tech and polution as well as the isloation of society come head to head in this post=apocalyptic virus laden world where the internet has left ghost traces in the dark and the forests hide all sorts of dangers.
But at the heart of this brilliant story is the main character's struggle with her past. Rejected by her family and isolated by her past choices, Katya acts as a medic and healer. Relying on an ancient knowledge of herbs and plant based medicines, Katya instils both fear and a grudging respect in the community that lives on the margins of. Is she a witch or a miracle worker? All of the answers lie in the eyes of the beholders.
It's when Katya is 'bequeathed' Stefan a traumatised child who is selectively mute that she learns the trust herself fully again. Although frightened and resistant, Stefan draws Katya back into the community and when he disappears to search for his father she is forced to face more than just the demons in the forests.
Beautifully written with a fully developed and intriguing cast of characters, Wilson plays in the eco-crit world with a deft hand. Engaging as SSF and as LitFic, We Are All Ghosts in the Forest has hints of Le Guin but is also unique in its world building and adventure.
A really enjoyable novel.

This book was so so gorgeous and I feel so special to have been able to read it ahead of publication. I loved the writing, the magic, the characters, the stunning blend of hedge-witch magic and an apocalypse of haunted data. The premise itself, of a world haunted by fragments of the digital age which seek 'belonging' with 'similar' matter (be it biological, digital, or electrical), is honestly the most riveting take on the end of the world since Hell Followed With Us.

The atmosphere of the writing is gorgeously haunted and bright and lush; the way Katerina interacts with the world around her is beautiful and poignant, and her struggles with guilt and belonging and responsibility are so universally relatable and handled with so much understanding and emotion. Despite being so different from her, I felt so deeply connected with her as a character. Her relationships with others – Stefan, Aleksander, Elisabet in particular – are just so real and filled with meaning. And Orlando the cat??? Oh my gosh!

I think the explorations of loneliness and fear of rejection are so so powerful, and are explored in so any different manifestations; I particularly enjoyed the contrasts and similarities between Stefan and Katerina as people who have both been changed irreparably by past experiences and who continue to deal with their lived realities in the way that they can. Stefan's lack of a voice is never treated as a problem. Katerina's fear of others loving and needing and leaving her is something she has to come to terms with on her own, not on anyone else's timetable. Elisabet is not just an ally, but a true friend whom Katerina trusts above all others. Jaakob must face the suffering of others as something beyond his own experiences, despite the loss he carries. All so different but all so universal!

I will be recommending this to everyone who will listen to me, and I think Wilson and the team should be very proud of this one. Can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy when they become available!

I found this book hard to follow as a lot of things were not explained at the start. I felt I was constantly waiting for answers to my questions. I found the story interesting, but I feel more explanation could have been given at the onset. Thank you for the advanced copy.

Science fantasy reminiscent of Ursula le Guin

In the wake of a digital cataclysm, a rural village attempts to rebuild their lives but the past and its fdemons continue to haunt everyone, even as a new digital scourge remains at large.

This is a huge expansive world laid out in immaculate detail., world-building so subtle and so right that I kept recalling Le Guin's Always Coming Home. The central character, Katerina, is admirable, resourceful and clever, but her past has made her also prickly, suspicious and overprotective, a fantastic mix of qualities forced to look after others by design or by fortune. The other characters around her are a mystery to her, and us, and the unravelling of these multi-dimensional narratives is a sheer delight in the hands of Wilson's mastery.

A potent mix of dystopian science fiction, folklore and ecological fairy tale, I recommend this to anyone interested in great writing that answers some questions while leaving plenty of room for the reader's imagination. I also want to single out the excellent thread on othering throughout the book, and how Wilson has made her characters react, call out and tackle inhumane behaviour, while keeping the plot rattling along.

Possibly the best science fiction book I've read this year: five stars

For all that it’s set in a near-future Europe and deals with a post-apocalyptic world shaped by the disintegration the internet, this is firmly a fantasy novel rather than SF: it is essentially the story of a witch temporarily fostering a mute child in her cottage on the edge of a haunted forest, then being dragged into a quest against her better judgement: a 21st century Baba Yaga’s mixed race granddaughter living a quiet life in a quiet village in a haunted world of make do and mend, talking to the bees and trying to steer clear of the wolves.

But it’s the kind of fantasy novel that will appeal to people who enjoy Magical Realism and LitFic rather than straightforward sword and sorcery shenanigans: think more Angela Carter than George RR Martin, but with gentle ghost story vibes. If you urgently need to know all the nitty gritty of how and why the world went careening off the rails and our characters find themselves in this odd new reality, you’re going to be frustrated, because Wilson’s focus is firmly on character and emotion, not on weaving elaborate lore.

This is a beautifully written book. The prose is lush and evocative, piecing together this curious half-familiar world through vivid descriptions and poetic turns of phrase. It made perfect sense when I learned that this book was born out of the first Covid lockdown: it has something of that time’s otherworldly mixture of isolation and community, of living in a world gone odd and unrecognisable, baking bread and doing chores with the constant low level dread of plague always hanging over everything.

In terms of vibes, this actually reminds me quite a lot of the film The Quiet Place, which I adored: of course this isn’t a horror story and we’re not dealing with the kind of tension and peril that characterise that film, but we DO have 21st century people building lives of almost medieval simplicity in the wake of a world-shattering event, and we have a story that is far more concerned with love and care and connection in the face of grief and adversity than it is with detailed backstory: this is simply the world in which our protagonist exists, both strange and familiar, and we need to just accept the flickering ghosts of video footage and ebooks and photographs, and the malevolent half-sentient forest, and the dancing golden language of the benevolent and prophetic bees, and move on.

The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, but my attention was hooked both by the curious world and by the warmth between Katya and the people (and creatures) she loves, and I was rooting for them all to get their happy ending.

This is my first time reading anything by Lorraine Wilson, but it will not be the last.

(Special mention to Oliver The Everchanging Digital Ghost Cat, who is the best familiar a modern dystopian witch could wish for.)

First things first – gorgeous cover. Even before reading the blurb, I was already caught, and after reading the book, I can come back and find delightful little details: the golden bees, the herbs, Orlando's adorable swishy tail. A cover does not a book make, but it's certainly a pleasure to have such gorgeous art wrapping another piece of gorgeous art.

Now to the content between the covers: nothing short of amazing. I have a fondness for dystopian novels, so you can imagine I've read my fair share. I was pleasantly surprised when I read We Are All Ghosts in the Forest and found a story that felt non-derivative: the refreshing feeling of reading something new, something I hadn't encountered before; of immersing in a completely new world. I imagine, of course, there are similar books out there, but this was my first of its type and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I won't tell you what We Are All Ghosts in the Forest is about because you can read it right up there in the blurb, but I'll tell you other details that might tip you towards reading it: it's not a story about a world gone haywire but a story set IN a world gone haywire. It's a story about certain people caught in events that feel way larger than what they can handle. It's a story about love, grief, and renewal, all in the middle of a world gone haywire. You can go into it not expecting hard Sci-Fi and brainy explanations of why things broke, but the story of someone finding a way to heal new and old wounds.
All in all, a lovely read, and one I hope to revisit eventually.

I got about 50% of the way through before I finally DNF'd. I so loved the premise however the book just felt slow and confusing. I needed more backstory as even at the halfway point I had no idea what was going on.

Not for me.

This was a beautiful book focused on relationships with yourself, with others and with society.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Katya and Stefan and I thought that the way the author was able to convey an equal speaking relationship while Stefan was mute was incredibly skilful.

Sometimes the concept of the Internet imploding and creating digital ghosts and how it linked to the forests went over my head. But this didn't stop the enjoyment of the book at all.

I thought this was a fabulous dystopian book and receives a 4.5 stars from me.

I have read some confusing reviews of this book, it seems that what others disliked I loved. A dystopian story does not need to explain in the first few pages what led to the current state of the world, nor does it need to explain in small words why something is a threat. That the reader does not understand everything adds to tension and a menacing feel which the author captured really well.

I loved the characters and the pacing, the setting was brilliant and the human nature of the ‘bad guy’ villagers was painful but realistic.

The storyline was unlike anything else I’ve read in this genre and I loved it.