Every Wild Soul by Katherine Johnson – Our Review

Every Wild Soul by Katherine Johnson, winner of the Australian Fiction prize for 2026 is a must-read novel.

Brilliantly written, a book that explores big themes in a wonderfully written prose, this is sure to touch readers and stay with them long after they have finished.

Set in the atmospheric isolated Tasmanian south, on Maria Island we meet Min, a naive and sheltered teen who has been shielded from reality by her overbearing father, the head ranger of the Island, Piers.

Min is not like a typical teenager, so when Fergus, a young man is washed ashore the remote island after an accident, Min is thrust into a coming of age. Finally, pushing against her father’s constraints, Min is deeply vulnerable and navigating the world mostly alone albeit for a handful of key characters around her.

On the island, there is Lucie the journalist who is haunted by the thylacine’s extinction and Werner, a homeless biologist who shields and educates Min as best he can.

This is a magnificent story of survival, with themes of conservation and the natural world. A lyrical story that is rich emotion and entirely engrossing.

Review by Lydia @ Great Escape Books