We - Christelle Dabos

WE

CHRISTELLE DABOS

TRANSLATED BY HILDEGARDE SERLE

*****

Everyone has an Instinct. And everything is perfect.

In a world ruled by “We” each person has a role, a direction, a mission assigned by their Instinct. No choice. No deviation. No freedom. 

But when some students disappear into silence, Claire, who has always felt out of place, and Goliath, determined to become a Saint before time runs out, find themselves questioning everything. As they follow forbidden trails, escape a murderous Archangel, and discover that “We” is not at all what it seems, all their certainties will be shattered.

MY REVIEW

*****

I love standalone fantasy stories, and particularly SpecFic, so I was excited to pick up We by Christelle Dabos - translated by Hildegarde Serle.

Goliath’s Instinct is as a protector - if danger comes near his Instinctual range, he will do everything he can to protect others from harm, even at great cost to himself. Claire’s Instinct means she is compelled to listen to others - wearing headphones over her ears all day, every day to protect her from having to listen to people non-stop. However, when a series of disappearances happen close to their campus, they must team up before their final exams and work out what is happening.

We is a fantastic and unique premise, and the worldbuilding felt rich and expanded throughout. These compulsions exist to make society a better place, where your ultimate worth is on saving lives to make you an angel. All of these instincts are well thought out and interesting, and the characters we meet throughout the story are shaped by what the We has allocated them to do.

The plot itself is really one of two halves, and it almost felt like a novel and its sequel rather than one seamless book. The first half plays as a bit of a whodunnit, as Claire and Goliath solve disappearances in their community. This half gets wrapped up nicely in the middle of the book and then the next part deals with the aftermath and changes focus to cracks appearing within the We. This worked well to keep the reader invested throughout and give more context to what was happening. I loved the breakdown of people’s instincts as they worked against them and caused glitches in their behaviour.

Although this book is originally written in French, it is beautifully translated by Hildegarde Serle and not once did anything feel clunky or confusing, which is quite a feat considering the fantasy and worldbuilding elements.

I was hooked throughout the book, but as the percentages on my Kindle started to tick down, I was a little worried how this overarching and complex storyline was going to get wrapped up. I would say that I did find the ending a little disappointing – it seemed to fizzle out which was such a shame. This would have been one of my 2026 Kindig Gems if it wasn’t for the ending, but it’s still a fantastic 5 star read nonetheless.

Overall, We is a refreshingly unique concept and felt like you were getting two books for the price of one, which kept me gripped throughout. Thank you to NetGalley & Europa Editions for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LINKS TO BUY

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