Trigger warnings for grief, suicide, violence, natural disaster, vomiting, death of a parent (off page), terminal illness

Thank you Text Publishing for the advanced e-copy. I think this might become a five stars when I reread a finished physical copy. My e-copy had a lot of unexpected repeats and jumps (like for example the footer text suddenly in the middle of a chapter and the end chapters being repeated) that disconnected me from the story.

Nonetheless, this SHOOK me. The start was slow and I was fearing that this book would not be for me, but the twists and sensitive writing kept me reading. About 50% in I was getting really invested and my emotions have been thoroughly played with. Shock, warmth, anger, betrayal, sadness, homesickness. All the things I felt while reading.

I have a preference for Cee’s POV because Kay’s POV tends to become very scientifically technical, which made me reread it a few times to understand (and I still don’t fully understand but I’m thinking it’s because English isn’t my mothertongue).

Honestly, a very beautiful book with an equally beautiful cover and I’m very happy to have read this. I hadn’t read anything like this before and it definitely surprised me.

Wow. With deep characters, explorations of love and purpose and loyalty, danger and adventure at every turn, and several high-quality and genuinely surprising plot twists, The Ones We're Meant to Find has all the makings of a truly top-tier story. The creative, would building, and depth of emotion and conflict are extremely impressive. This novel really blew me away.

Cee is stranded on a deserted island, and has been for three years, but she is determined to somehow find her way off and reunite with her sister, Kay. She can sense her presence out there in the world, and will do whatever it takes to find her, including rebuilding wrecked ships washed up on the shore. She remembers almost nothing about her past or who she is, and is extremely cognizant (and more than a little distressed) that she seems to have lost her color vision. But she will not be deterred, even when the ship that she has so painstakingly assembled is torn apart in a storm. She feels herself getting comfortable, and knows she has to shake that feeling off in order to survive. When a boy washes up on the shore with the same amnesia she has been experiencing, she knows his mysterious appearance and existence holds a key purpose in her quest to find her sister, but she doesn't know if she can trust him enough to find out what it is.

Out there in the world somewhere, Kasey is grieving the loss of Celia, who sailed out into the sea and never returned. But she is grieving in her own way, and finds herself a bit put off by her inability to feel the depth of grief for her sister that Celia's friends seem to be feeling. Kasey is numb, hardened, and focused on her priority: saving humanity from extinction. The earth is already so deeply in the thralls of a climate crisis that humans are having to spend the bulk of their days in stasis pods, living out their work and social lives by holo-ing around, only engaging in the physical world in order to eat, sleep, and exercise. Scientists are now taking refuge in a city floating above the earth, allowing them to be free of the natural disasters and extreme pollution below, while dedicating their time and energy to save the planet. There are 8 of these eco-cities, but down in the 12 territories below, major natural disasters and persistent pollution are posing an extraordinary lethal threat to human life. From megaquakes to oceans of water poisonous to the touch, Kasey is up against stakes that could not be higher, and she seems to be the only one with the combination of analytical skills, engineering power, and stoicism in the face of life-or-death decisions to make the necessary decisions to save humanity.

Again, this book is incredible. It's also incredibly confusing. But not in a bad way, I actually kind of love it for that. There are no long info-dumps and no constant reminders of some critical piece of the plot/world that you may have missed ten pages ago if you weren't paying attention. Key developments aren't presented with a drumroll and fanfare, they just show up in a natural progression, and are sometimes subtle enough that it takes a few pages to realize the gravity of what you just read. That is such a difficult skill in writing style and I'm in love with it.

The depth of the characters, especially Cee and Kasey, is superb. Even the side characters are very well-developed for the scope of their roles. They really showcase the complexity of human emotion, from grief and loss, to independence and purpose, to bravery and fear. You feel right along with these characters, and even when Kasey isn't feeling much at all besides pressure, you feel her tension and isolation that stems from that.

At the same time, there were a couple minor things that I didn't love. The staccato bursts of chapters in the middle and toward the end were very jarring to me personally, but I can appreciate the technique behind them. The perspectives line up in the oddest of ways in those moments, and they do a great job of building suspense in two of the novel's biggest moments. I really could not put the book down once I got there. I also finished the book still with quite a few lingering questions, even though I feel like it did wrap up very well. I think I'll have to give this one another read to catch all that I missed.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook for the eARC in exchange for the review.

This book goes slowly from 0 to 100. We start on a small scale: two sisters, one of them is missing, both of them trying to find each other. And then, the deeper we go into the book, the more obvious it is that this book is not just a story about sisterly love and that the stakes here are of the tallest order. Suddenly, the scale goes from tiny to global. I loved slowly discovering the real story, it was like a very emotional puzzle, because you get all the pieces together and it's exciting and, sometimes, shocking, but at the same time, you realise what it means for the characters and it breaks your heart. Captivating, emotional and surprising read, definitely would recommend it for everyone!

The Ones We’re Meant to Find is a futuristic thriller by Joan He. The world-building is amazing and the pace of the story is excellent. The narrative unfolds gently in a world that has passed the brink of climate crisis. So be prepared to be swept up into a world that is achingly familiar in its unfamiliarity. The characters in the novel are so intricately crafted, no detail has been spared. Joan He is a master of illusions, so expect the unexpected! This is a story that lingers long after the final page has been turned.

The Ones We're Meant to Find is a compelling, creative and lush gem of a novel which I sped through over the course of a couple of days. Having read Joan He's other novel Descendant of The Crane and loving it, I was so excited when I first heard about this book and seeing how much of a departure this was from that. Versatility? Range? Legendary status? Joan has it all.

I'll say from the get go that I think this book won't be everyones cup of tea, some of the choices in this novel are unique in a sense - and it does get kind of confusing at times. I did find myself having to re-read certain parts, especially when it came to the world building and how the eco cities / eco aspects operate. Once I got my head around it all though, I was super into it. The pacing is also a tad slow in the first half, so do keep this in mind if slow paced books are usually not your thing.

On the surface this is a story about two sisters separated by unforeseen circumstances, Cee is desperately trying to find her way back to Kasey, after she wakes up on an abandoned island with slivers of memory of her sister, while Kasey is trying to come to terms with Cee's disappearance. The dual perspectives work so well here and I really enjoyed how different these two characters were, not only in the way they move through the world but their physical setting too captured my interest. While Kasey navigates the different rungs of the eco city she calls home, Cee is on an island, with only a trusted bot for company. I really liked the island setting and how it just adds to the mystery and sense of Cee being utterly alone.

There was something incredibly beautiful about the island but also that sense of listlessness and foreboding as each and every time Cee tries to leave, she somehow finds herself back on its shores. I LOVED how the island tied in to the wider story and the explanation as to why and how she came to be there in the first place. I had so many theories whilst reading but I have to say, Joan He surprised me again and again with all the different threads she wove so deftly in this book. One overwhelming one being the impact of grief and loss too.

The whole concept of an eco city and the ways that humanity has had to move forward in the novel, in a sense is all down to climate change. There's a strong message here about responsibility to yourself, others and the planet and I quite liked this thread and think it's definitely an important one to note. I think it's especially fascinating and sad in a sense as the concept of eco-cities and having to leave a degraded land doesn't seem implausible given the current climate crisis we're facing. There's many levels on which this consciousness of the environment and preserving life works, just trust me when you read the book you'll see how integral this is to the core of the story.

I really enjoyed the direction the story took in the latter parts of the novel, there was such weight to it all and I genuinely didn't know what the characters would decide to do. It was very much a crossroads moment for them all so it was interesting to read as they forge their own paths. I know that's really vague but I really don't want to spoil this book for anyone - it needs to be experienced without any hints or spoilers.

I truly loved this book beyond words and I could honestly go on for ages so I'll conclude here, but trust me - read this book! I would especially recommend this to readers who enjoy mysteries, sci fi / fantasy entwined with a contemporary or real world feel.

I'm finding it difficult to review this book in a way that doesn't spoil the experience of reading it. It's confusing and fascinating and I suspect that it will end up being very polarizing. Even on a personal level, I hovered over that four star rating for a while, because Joan He's novel didn't quite capture me the way I wanted and expected it to. In part, this was because of wrong expectations on my part. I thought this was a different novel from what it ended up to be and as such could not judge it on its own merits. I also read it during a period of great stress.
I will be revisiting in the future because despite all of my shortcomings as a potential reader for it it managed to grab and hold my attention, and i found myself warming to the characters almost despite myself. Definitely recommend it, if only so that I have more people to discuss it with and try to work out its meaning.

** A big thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC**

The cover for this book is gorgeous and it was definitely a factor into my wanting to read it. Going into this book I had no idea what to expect, I most certainly was not expecting it to be so "futuristic/sci-fi" as it was, You are thrown into the deep end of the world of Celia and Kasey, jumping between their pov's with no real context of what is going on at the start which is slightly confusing but I can see that maybe the more you get into this book the better it will get, but unfortunately for me I have put this book down 20% in - it is more of its me not the book situation as I do struggle with books that tend to be heavy sci-fi based.

However I will definitely pick this up as an audiobook when it comes out as I tend to enjoy sci-fi books in audio format and will update my review at that time.

The Ones We're Meant to Find is the story of two sisters. One, Kay, a STEM prodigy, and the other Cee who has been trapped on an island with no memories of how she wound up there, just a need to find and get back to her sister.

First off, this cover is stunning. I initially wanted this one just for the cover. I know we shouldn't judge books by their covers as the cliche goes, but you've seen this one. Tell me it doesn't call out to you.

The Ones We're Meant to Find is an amalgamation of genres. It's part sci-fi, part mystery, part fantasy and all kinds of weird. I found myself struggling through the first half, but mainly only Kay's chapters. I couldn't get enough of Cee's chapters. I love survival stories and so that aspect of it really sold me, but the STEM stuff wasn't so much what I was into, and so Kay's chapters felt a little slower for me. That being said, about halfway thorough it really picked up, and although I still much prefers Cee's chapters, I flew through Kay's too.

I actually found myself not seeing this twist and it blew me away. I loved it. I adored it. It was everything. I loved how the two perspectives came together and the story unfolded. Joan He is definitely a master of story weaving.

The thing I loved most about this book was how Joan He told this story. Each character is written in a different perspective. I felt personally that having Cee's chapters in first person really helped to connect with the character, and having Kay's in third made me feel removed from her. I think this was genius, especially with everything that unfolded. It was just so clever, and I cannot wait to read more from Joan He because she is obviously amazing at what she does.

It was not my usual genre, and had it been, it possibly would've been a five star review, but it was a wonderful story, the only downside for me was the Kay chapters. In no way were they bad, I just felt so much more invested in Cee's so my excitement wasn't matched the whole way thorough the book.

This was a beautiful story about family love set in a dystopia world caused by climate change/disaster. The prose was so graceful and engaging with the two sisters having separate, distinctive voices whilst still exploring their separated losses and identities.

It was a very well crafted plot that kept twisting and turning to the point you couldn’t believe what you read because it would just change again seconds later! I just loved the development of it. The clear focus on what it means to be human, how to deal with loss, and how to be free in a world constructed solely for survival was so enthralling. I did at times find it a bit confusing as there were a lot of elements to keep up with, but it was a provoking narrative that I greatly enjoyed and would definitely recommend. I also still can’t get over how stunning the cover is!

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for kindly providing me with an eArc!

This is such a touching and heartbreaking story. I truly don’t think I can give it justice in explaining how great this was. Please give this a go!

Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing this arc.

Trigger warnings: Violence, suicide, death, grief, and illness.

This book was one of my most anticipated books to be released this year. And I’m so grateful to Text Publishing for allowing me to read it before its release date

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this up. But this book is simply fantastic. A stunning and immersive tale with so much to offer. Joan He combines elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery/thriller to create a unique story. I loved every single page and couldn’t stop reading. The writing was stunning and made me fall in love with the world and its characters.

The worldbuilding is incredible; so interesting, special, and like non-other. There’s so much attention to detail and it made the reading experience so unique. With that said, I do feel like it became a little too technical sometimes. Kind of messed up the flow for me a bit

The characters, oh the characters. I loved them. The sisters, Kacey and Celia were so well-developed. The unique and intimate writing style made them so realistic and easy to love. But I did enjoy Celia’s chapters more than I did Kacey’s

This book was incredible! It is rather technical, particularly in Kasey’s chapters, and I did have to re-read certain sections but by about half way through I was fully immersed in this world and desperate to find out what was happening. This is a world where society as we know it has been destroyed by climate issues. It was so well written, so intricate and complex, and something that genuinely seems plausible for our future, which is always fun.

I was on edge throughout this book. It was genuinely unlike anything I’ve read before. The plot, the reading experience, the timelines. The attention to detail was wonderful, even the way in which Cee’s chapters are written as tallies, as if showing how many days she has been trapped on the island. It was all just very clever and original.

It was evident that there was something weird going on with the timelines. Both sisters were sharing their lives and yet it was clear they could not exist in the same timeline. So I was racing through this book waiting for the moment when everything came together and we were finally told what was going on, and I wasn’t disappointed. This book was full of twists and turns, with family and relationship drama, so many beautiful and heart-breaking moments, all whilst having the issue of climate change at the front of the reader’s mind.

I cannot recommend this book enough, particularly everyone who loves sci-fi, dystopians or thrillers should definitely read this.

Thank you NetGalley and Text Publishing for an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Black Mirror meets the opening scene of Lost (Jack waking up on an unknown island) in this one!

A sci-fi/cli-fi tale of two sisters, Cee and Kay, Cee wakes up with no memories and black and white vision on an island, all she knows is that she has to find her sister Kay.

Meanwhile Key knows her missing sister isn’t dead even though in the not too distant future everyone is traceable through a mental interface. Kay finds Cee’s interface and with the help of an unregistered boy unravels Cee’s memories in an effort to find her.

While this book started off slowly and I definitely enjoyed Cee’s chapters much more than Kay’s, who’s a lot colder and harder to relate too. Also the Sci-Fi elements of Kay’s chapters took a while to get used too.

In saying that, I loved this book! I loved its commentary on where the line between surviving and living is. The sister relationship was fantastic. And I loved the plot twists, seriously fantastic!

If you liked Warcross, Black Mirror, or Warcross than this is the book for you.

I’m giving this a 4.5 stars

This was such a wild ride! I really enjoyed reading this crazy sci-fi, Black Mirror, thriller, suspense, YA novel.
I'm still trying to process it in my brain, but enjoyment was had.
I loved the twists and turns, I really enjoyed the sisters and both POVs were really interesting.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

After the conflicts with her prior publisher regarding her debut, I was glad to see Joan He was able to find another publisher for her sophomore novel, a sci-fi stand-alone, The Ones We’re Meant to Find. While somewhat stylistically different from her previous book, I enjoyed this one just as much.

The choices regarding the dual POV did take a bit to get into the flow with, as it’s told from the perspectives of the two sisters who are trying to find each other: Cee’s POV is in first person, and Kasey in third. But I think the respective choices suit each of them, as we follow Cee in a more intimate story of survival, and Kasey’s is more technical and she is more detached as a character. As a result, I did feel a bit closer to Cee than Kasey. However, I did ultimately enjoy both perspectives and what they brought to the story.

And He’s attention to detail is immaculate. There’s intricate world-building and a briskly structured plot with compelling plot twists that kept me engaged, culminating in an emotional punch.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and am excited to see what Joan He will write next! Fans of deeply emotional, character-focused sci-fi will love this.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)!

this book, my goodness. what a beautiful masterpiece it was.

the book follows cee (celia) and kay (kasey); sisters who were tragically ripped apart after cee was lost at sea, kay has never fully believed that she was dead - but with every day that passes with no sightings or proof that cee is still alive, it is becoming more and more unlikely.

the premise of this book makes you think you know what you’re getting yourself into, but trust me, you don’t. the plot twist that ensues around the halfway mark is INSANE and i felt my jaw drop at it.

i am, admittedly, not the biggest fan of dual point of views in books, but that didn’t deter me one bit with this novel.

while the storyline is complex and intricately woven, i didn’t find it hard to follow along (with chronic illness brain fog; that’s a must for me) and i savoured every single moment that i spent reading, every word on the pages.

so; if you’re umming and ahhing about whether to pick this book up: DO IT. i can guarantee you won’t regret it.

Beautifully written, with themes that have never been more relevant than right now, The Ones We're Meant to Find is a fantastic sophomore novel by Joan He.

The first half is slow. Like, really slow, and unfortunately the digital review copy I had didn't have the finalized formatting, which made the experience a little bit more difficult. I could have done with much more imagery - specifically in the bleakness of Cee's island home.

However, as soon as we hit the halfway point, I was swept up in our characters and the impossible choices they're faced with. We get a really climactic moment/discovery at about 60% and I was practically pulling at my hair like "how do we have so much book left when THIS is going on?"

I will warn potential readers: the book involves significant ecological collapse. There is massive loss of human life (due to environmental disaster and the inability of people in charge to come up with decisive and effective plans of action), the discussion of generational privilege, and the psychology of policy decisions (ie which truths are told and which probabilities are shared). It's a little hard to read in the context of being over a year into a global pandemic, but it brings up fascinating sociopolitical questions.

There will be a lot of people who hate the ending though.

DNF @12%. Hard as I tried I couldn’t go on. I couldn’t connect with the story or the characters and I was permanently confused while reading it.

Kudos for that amazing cover.

<i>The Ones We're Meant to Find</i> is an unpredictable sci-fi story with so much to dissect that I find myself still trying to piece every little detail together even after I've finished it.

With an incredibly immersive world-building, this book is told from a dual perspective. On the one hand, Cee trying to escape this island, working relentlessly towards being reunited with her sister, and, on the other hand, Kaysey, trying to come to terms with a world falling apart (both literally and figuratively) with the disappearance of her sister.

This story is the definition of unpredictable. After the halfway mark, it feels like plot twist after plot twist is thrown at us. It's the type of confusion that I love trying to figure out. Understanding how both sister's perspectives come together is so interesting and complex that you just can't put this book down and need to keep reading until you uncover all the secrets "told and untold".

I loved the conversations around freedom and how it is tied to preserving the planet (and humanity itself), so fitting in our current situation. The concept for eco-cities and the descriptions of the "natural disasters" felt so immersive. Yet, from the point of view of Kaysey, a person detached from emotions and her own humanity, together with her we could analyse everything from her scientific and "logical" perspective. There is a clear message on how greed and power are still at play even when the end of the world is imminent.

<i>"Logic ended where love began"</i>

Even though I NEEDED another 30 pages of this book, an epilogue of some sorts, I'm still really happy with how it turned out and I can confidently say I really loved this book.

<i>Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.</i>