This book was interesting in that sometimes it felt like fantasy and other times like a dystopian. This brings the two genres together in a way that makes this book something everyone may enjoy. This story approaches several different concepts that truly bring in the Black Mirror comparison. Are humans a danger to themselves and the planet? Do they deserve the right to choose how to live if it diminishes the ability for others to live? I don’t always enjoy being placed in a think-piece situation with Sci-Fi. However, this book wrapped it up in lush writing and a fantastic plot, which made it an enjoyable process.
Part of me still has questions about the ending, wanting to know what happens to everyone. I’m a little sad this is a standalone, as I still have questions. Joan He has crafted a beautiful plot, with an interesting world and a thought-provoking ending. This was truly a fantastic book.

My full review will be posted on my blog on May 7th, 2021.

*An eARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Text Publishing and NetGalley!

What began as a tale about two sisters, separated by the sea and desperate to find each other, beautifully evolved into a striking and thought-provoking story; full of intrigue and mystery from start to finish.

The Ones We're Meant to Find follows two sisters. Cee awoke, alone, on an abandoned island three years ago with no idea of how she was marooned. All Cee has is a rickety house, and old android and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her. The other sister, Kasey, is a STEM prodigy who longs to escape from the science and home she once trusted. Living on Earth's last unpolluted place - The Eco-city - Kasey is forced to decide whether she's ready to use science to help humanity, even though it failed the people who mattered most.

This book is pitched as We Were Liars meets Black Mirror, with elements of Studio Ghibli. I can completely see and agree with the comparisons and would recommend this book to fans of the aforementioned. As a slight side note, I could totally see this book as a Studio Ghibli film. It was simultaneously whimsical and somber, and I hope that one day this book can get adapted - it has so much potential! This book definitely stands out on its own and is unique in its own way. The story is filled with mystery and plot twists that are so beautifully and subtly foreshadowed throughout the story, so that when the missing piece of the puzzle this book presents slides into place it is so satisfactory and rewarding.

The Ones We're Meant to Find is deeply emotional and touching in its exploration of sisterhood and the bonds that keep us rooted to ourselves and each other. The author writes so melodically and did such a good job at creating solid characters that were distinct from each other. I really appreciated the stylistic and narrative choices the author made when it came to presented Cee and Kasey's individual perspectives.

During the first part of the book I did find myself feeling a little overwhelmed by the world-building. This book is very much a sci-fi novel, so it took time to understand the concept of Kasey's world and to get into the flow of the book. However, as more of the truth was revealed it became easier to become absorbed in the world-building and I felt that a lot of my initial questions was answered.

This book was heartbreaking, poetic, hopeful and philosophical. There are so many conversations that could be had about this book, and whilst it's set in a dystopian word there is so many discussions - such as those about climate change and human mortality - that are relevant to the times we live in. The author has definitely become a new auto-buy author for me, and I know that this story will stay with me for a long time. What a beautiful and mysterious book.

(Side note: I have to say that the cover of this book is breathtaking. It might even be one of my favourite book covers of all time.)

I wanted to like this very badly. tHE COVER, The summary. PERFECTION.

This book is lyrical yes, structurally gorgeous, but confusing - purposely being vague and chaotic whenever possible. I simply could not finish it.

I will not be posting my review elsewhere since I did not finish this book.

4.5 stars

Haunting, melodic prose sets the backdrop for an ecological, dystopian thiller which is a masterpiece of writing craft, character work and climate activism. This is a book that I think would benefit a lot of people to read, the themes of climate change, preserving the world for future generations and human selfishness causing the downfall of humanity hit very hard, especially given our current world.

We are following two main perspectives, Kasey whom we get in 3rd person and Cee (or Celia) who is in 1st person and is Kasey's presumed dead sister, at the start of the book she seems to have been on a deserted island for the past 3 years and trying to escape to find her sister. From Kasey's POV we see events 3 months after Celia's presumed death, with the world on the brink of catastophe due to radioactive air and other pollutants, and Kasey investigating what happened to Celia.

The world building and imagery are fantastic. I loved the focus on the sea, there is something so magical and enchanting about the sea and I feel like it fit the tone of the book so well, this book would make such an excellent studio ghibli film. Also the idea of the world with the eco-cities in the sky was such a cool concept and being ranked by how eco-friendly you are and this determining your standing in society and whether you can live in the eco-cities or the terriorties which are what is left of the earth, with toxic air and rising sea levels, is a fascinating concept and I think reflects almost on eco-terrorism and scientists becoming almost god-like in determining peoples worth, but you can also see how it is so necessary for the survival of the human race. Some of the quotes hit so hard, I don't think I can share them because it's an ARC copy but the writing is impeccable.

The characters are also great, Kasey was probably my favourite and I'm not sure if the author intended it or not but she read to me as autistic, or at least had autistic traits and this was an interesting insight into her character. Also I think the choice to have her parts in 3rd person POV added to the mystery and distance she presents to the world. Also her genius and relentless pursual of science and saving the human race was really great to read about, and something I don't think we see a lot of, especially in women in YA (not the saving the world part, but the slightly low empathy women in STEM aspect). Celia was also another really interesting character, SPOILER I think it was really interesting to explore the idea of AI gaining agency and self awareness, and defying their programming. The relationship between the two sisters was also really well written, and done in a very nuanced way, especially with regard to grief and reconcilliation.

The only negative I have is sometimes I got a little lost, and it felt like there where holes in the story, this could have been intentional to fit the slightly meandering tone of the book, but I feel like it could have benefited form being a tiny bit longer to get some of the scenes that felt missing.

Some of the plot twists were absolutely fantastic, I honestly didn't see them coming but once you knew you could see the seeds and those are the best kind in my opinion. All the themes explored were just immpeccable and while I enjoyed descendant of the crane, Joan He's first book, this book was such a step up and something I think will appeal to a lot of people, whether regular readers of YA or not, this book transcends genres and is a great contemplation on the future of our world, it's climate, and the inherent humanity of saving it.

-`ˏ 5 stars ˎ´˗

Storyline -`ˏ 10/10 ˎ´˗
The news of her sister being lost at sea has left Kasey emotionless. Many assumed that she’s dead, but how can that be possible? Cee is lively and loved by everyone, there’s no way her life can simply end like this. . Meanwhile on an abandoned island Cee woke up confused about her current situation. The vast sea, a shabby little house, and a not so useful android are the only thing around her. Her mind is fuzzy and her vision is blurry but one thing is certain, she knows she has to find her way off this island and back home to her sister.

Characters -`ˏ 8/10 ˎ´˗
Kasey is a highly intelligent individual. Her mind can create things beyond people’s belief, which at one point caused her to be feared by others. It didn’t exactly affect her however as she prefers the non-interactions, understanding people’s emotions seems to be more complex than numbers. On the other hand, Cee is the polar opposite, she’s the center of everyone's attention as they get drawn into her energy. Cee loves to have fun and embark on risky adventures. They have their differences but once together all that doesn’t matter. Only thing that fails between them is proper communication when it's needed. They both conceal things to protect the other person, but that only ends up hurting them more once revealed.

Atmosphere -`ˏ 10/10 ˎ´˗
A world where life comfortability is based on ranks. Numbers determine whether you should live in the eco-city where everything is provided to you easily, or in territories where millions of people still die from natural disasters.
Trigger warning: terminal illness, depression, abuse (emotional and physical), death (mention), and loss of loved one.
*Excessive use of scientific terminology, you may have to google their definition.

Language -`ˏ 10/10 ˎ´˗
A labyrinth. Best way to describe the structure of this writing. The story timeline is not definitive, uncertain whether we are progressing forward or backward, only thing you’re assured of is reaching an end. Even the finest details such as Kasey's chapters being numerical and Cee’s shown as tallies has a tremendous impact.

Enjoyment -`ˏ 10/10 ˎ´˗
This was such a catastrophic experience. Kasey's perspective was very enlightening and opened up your eyes to the damage humanity has done to the planet and each other, this may be what we face in the future. Cee’s perspective however truly had my distress. She went beyond trying to survive, she had hope and determination, many people would have given up a long time. This is the kind of story I would have liked a part two, but I know it's better to leave it as it is. Still trying to process the ending because wow. Just wow.

*sidenote: My kitchen from this day forward should be known as the Fuel-Bar.
**sidenote: The idea of a gravitational device that lets you place furniture and walk on the roof sounds incredible. Just imagine all that extra space you can get in a tiny New York apartment.

“Everyone lived at the expense of someone else”

Let me just start off by saying that this book blew me away. It’s pitched as Black Mirror AND Studio Ghibli and I 100% agree.

What is this book about?

It starts with the tragic story of Cee, who woke up on an abandoned island, with only a (very) sweet android, a house, and a single memory: her sister, and Cee needs to find her.
Then we meet STEM prodigy, Kasey, who lives in the skydome, safe from the polluted Earth. Years have passed since the disappearance of her sister, and Kasey doesn't believe that she's dead, as everyone seems to think.

My opinions

*minor spoilers ahead*

Characters

Cee: I loved her point of view so much, and I quickly became attached to her. What amazed me is the sheer amount of ambition she has, continuing to do whatever she needs to find her sister( even though we find out later why she's like this, it still impressed me). She's also a very refreshing character to read about, putting a smile on your face and also breaking your heart at times.

Kasey: I also enjoyed reading from her perspective, even though she's unlikeable. She's questioning her morality which makes the story even better for me, and she's clearly a gray character. I loved loved lovedddddd her relationship with her sister, it was sweet and heart-rending at the same time.

Actinium: Not my favorite character.Dark-haired boy, tragic and mysterious past. Sure, he was interesting to read about, but also frustrating.

Hero: Golden Retriever boy!! I loved him lots, he was wholesome and like a ray of sunshine. He's not the smartest, made some very dumb decisions, and I enjoyed his relationship with Cee even though it was insta-lovey.

U-me: MY FAV CHARACTER!! A little bot that I cared so much for, not problematic, didn't do anything wrong!!

Plot

The first half of the book:

I was immediately immersed in the story, wanting to find out more about the mystery surrounding the sisters and about how the world worked there, but I felt overwhelmed with the world-building.

The second half of the book:

Better than the first, with so so many twists that felt like I was piecing together a puzzle. My favorite thing about these “puzzles” is that you couldn't guess the twists from the get-go because you didn't have enough information, and later on, these pieces of information were revealed along with the plot twists.

If you like :

-the ocean( there is a lot of it, so beware)
-close sisters
-deserted islands
-the-world-is-almost-ending-but-we-can't-do-anything-to-save-it-because-we-destroyed-it-ourselves trope
-insta-love
-a lot of science involved
-mysterious dark-haired boys with a tragic past trope
-gray characters
-very sweet bots

THEN READ THIS BOOK!!

Rating: 3.75/5💫

⟾ 4.5 stars / 5 stars

⟾ cw: death of loved ones, parent death, violence, chocking, suicide, terminal illness, gore, large scale natural disasters and mass casualties.

the ones we're meant to find is a heartbreaking story set in a world on the verge of destruction. it's an exploration of family, especially sisterhood, but it also follows humanity and the loss of morals when faced with disaster.

i loved both sisters, but i resonated more with kacey. she's highly logical and very, very smart, but struggles with both her emotions and the emotions of others. i did, however, enjoy celia's story. her setting, the island that she was stranded on, created a very nice atmosphere and i liked the descriptions of it. i also lived how the sea was incorporated in the story. the two sisters had different voices and you can clearly tell who is who.

the other two important characters, hero and actinium, were well thought out, but i liked hero more. he's so endearing and soft. i felt like actinium's actions weren't explained well enough, but i can definitely see why he's the way he is.

the pacing was slow at first, but it picks up after the first 50ish pages. nonetheless, it works with the whole story. it's a nice set-up to the twists and turns that come next. i definitely didn't see the plot twists coming and the ending left me speechless.

overall, this is one of those novels that will stay with me for a long time, because it's an unforgettable story.

thank you to netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley. Although the premise of this book is clever, the dual point of view in this futuristic novel about sisters was at times confusing. Not sure I would have finished it if it had not been an ARC.

I will preface this by saying that if it wasn’t for this being an arc I would have dnfed it around 25%.

I haven’t read a book by this author before so I can’t compare this book to her other. For me, her writing style isn’t for me. It felt very fragmented and not enjoyable to read. This made it harder for me to get into the book and unfortunately, that never happened.

Another issue I had with this book is that the world-building or the way things were explained could be very confusing. I would have to reread sentences a few times to try and understand. It would also happen where something was said and I would think it meant one thing but then it would be further explained that what I thought that thing was actually wasn’t what that thing was. Maybe this is just a me thing. 🤷‍♀️

The plot deals with a lot of futuristic aspects such as what happens when climate change has changed the earth and everyone lives in ecocities, unless you have a low ranking then you are screwed. I do wish that there was more talk about the ecocities or even the way those still on land survived. Some parts of the plot and world-building just felt glossed over.

When it came to the characters, the book is told in the perspective of two who are sisters: Kasey and Cee. I definitely preferred Cee’s point-of-view over Kasey’s as Cee felt more emotional about things where as Kasey’s point-of-view felt bogged down by all of the technical stuff. Because of that, I just didn’t care for her and felt her emotions to be lacking as well.

There are other characters but honestly I didn’t care for any of them. I also never felt attached to either of the sisters. One was just more entertaining to read.

I think my big issue with this book is that I didn’t feel anything because the more emotional part of the plot was bogged down by everything else. It is an interesting setting and idea but to me it just wasn’t executed right.

Overall, this book wasn’t for me and that’s okay. I still love the cover and I am sure others will like this book.

The overall idea of this story is incredibly creative and compelling. A future where the Earth is so polluted that people have moved into Ecocities and have developed incredible technology is a really cool idea. However, there was so much info dumping about said technology and the way the system worked that I often had a hard time concentrating and understanding what was going on. Mostly this was when I was reading in Kasey's POV. I also seriously didn't enjoy Kasey's side of the story at all. She's dull and near emotionless and I couldn't find myself to like her. I really did enjoy Cee's parts of the book though. I loved her character, her strength, her determination and how alive she really was. I loved the little lost island in the middle of nowhere with U-me the bot and MM's house. I also really came to enjoy Hero and his relationship with Cee. This definitely was a 4 star read for me from Cee's perspective but a 3 from Kasey's. I just didn't like the way these two stories meshed together. I think science fiction fans are going to love this book though. It really was a creative and cool idea!

Two sisters, a futuristic world, and a mystery that haunts them both. Celia and Kasey are sisters, Celia- a fun extrovert who mysteriously disappears one day, and Kasey- a more detached introvert who is obsessed with science and trying to find where her sister went. They both live in eco-city, a place floating above earth that is meant to be a sanctuary for people. Cee wakes up one day on the shores of an abandoned island with barely any memories and a little robot to keep her company until a mysterious boy shows up and tries to kill her, i.e. meet Hero. He also has no memories and blacks out when he tries to kill her. Kasey is trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her sister and where she went, all the while a mysterious boy named Actinium shows up and seems to be the missing piece to finding where her sister went. Throw in a whole lot of future tech, eco-planet stuff, and a big mystery with a little bit of romance and this is what you get. The overall story is interesting and the world setting is definitely unique. I found myself getting confused at some parts but in the end it made sense, sort of haha. Overall, a interesting read and great for anyone who is interested in a futuristic mystery.

*Thanks Netgalley and Text Publishing for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I have been looking forward to this book ever since I saw that stunning cover, and it did not disappoint.

The Ones We're Meant To Find is so clever and shocking and utterly devastating. It packs so much nuance and grey morality that I'm still not even sure how I feel about it, because the choices Kasey and Celia had to make were so tough that there was truly no right answer ever, and my heart ached for their struggles. While I was reading I said it felt like the book picked me up and started running at about the halfway point, and that was certainly true: if you are looking for a read to get swept away in, this is it.

I knocked off a star for purely subjective reasons. I felt the romance subplot was a little too hollow (which makes perfect sense come the revelations near the end, but still. I struggled to love Hero because of it) and I don't love the open ending. I understand it completely, but I don't enjoy it, I would have loved just one page more to give me a definitive answer, because without it this will be haunting me forever.

But there are far worse books to be haunted by, so ultimately: The Ones We're Meant To Find is incredible, I would recommend it to anyone, and thank you so, so much to Netgalley for the ARC.

When I saw the cover and read the description, I immediately wanted to read "the ones we're meant to find" by Joan He. Thanks to the eArc from Netgalley, I was able to do that, because the book doesn't come out until May.
We follow two sisters, Cee and Kasey. Cee wakes up one day on a abandoned island and slowly but surely loses her memory. They both try to find each other.
Sadly, I stopped reading the book after 70 pages. I hardly felt that I understood what I was reading. The writing style is sometimes very fragmented and jumps from thought to thought. Unfortunately, I found the two sisters rather uninteresting. The few secondary characters I got to know did not contribute anything to the story. The world was hardly explained, so I couldn't imagine anything either.

This book is hard to review. The writing is very atmospheric and the dual POV was engaging. We have Cee's first person POV and Kasey's third person POV that alternate and set up the story. There's some really masterful plot twists that I frankly didn't see coming. But with all that said, the plot was at times confusing, and I think the ending might've needed a little more.

However, overall, this is a unique gem that focuses on sisterhood and the people you find in life when you least expect to. It's more than meets the eye, and it's amazing how many twists are packed into this novel.

The plot follows Cee, a girl deserted on an island with vague memories. The clearest one is of her sister Kasey and the desire to reunite. And Kasey, the sister left in a dystopian world. Kasey is seeking to move on after her sister disappeared/died.

This was one of the more unique dystopian I have read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the e-ARC. I really appreciated the opportunity to read this gem.

Joan He has created a thought provoking character driven story that lingers long after the last page. I find myself thinking about the environment and what it means to be human even after the story finished.

THE ONES WE'RE MEANT TO FIND constantly challenged my expectations -- of sisters, of what the future could look like, of how we find meaning in conditions that aren't ideal. It's the type of book that constantly makes you want to guess what's going to happen.

One of the things that most stuck with me about He's debut, DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE, was how it took me to places I never could've guessed. THE ONES WE'RE MEANT TO FIND does this as well in such an incredibly masterful way.

This is a story that would be so easily to spoil by saying too much so I'll leave you with this -- be patient with this story. It took a while to hook me but once it did, it was absolutely worth it. I'm looking forward to release day so I can have more people to discuss this with!

The Ones We're Meant to Find was one of my most anticipated releases of the year so I was very excited when I had the chance to read an eArc.

This book did not disappoint. It was a gripping, beautiful, and sad story about two sisters at different points in their lives. I adored all the characters in this book. The growth they went through (specially Cee) was really good. In the beginning, it might seem like things are confusing but it all ends up falling into place beautifully.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, not just sci-fi fans. I believe everyone will find a character to connect with.

Stayed up late with THE ONES WE'RE MEANT TO FIND & it was every bit as brilliant as I expected. A lethally powerful story about sisterhood, a masterfully-crafted sci-fi landscape, & layered characters all conveyed via Joan’s gorgeous writing. This was one of those RARE books that stays with you with you for a long time after you’re done. Even the opening lines are the work of a master, & the ending is just jaw-dropping. A must-read.

A page turning,Dystopian Thriller with an all too believable premise which serves as an allegory of identity, society and morality;a stark warning of the dangers posed by Climate Change.

Set in a dystopian future, Cee has been stuck on an abandoned island she woke up on for three years, with a rickety shack and no one but an old android for company. Her only memory is of her sister, who she desperately needs to find.

Kay lives in a floating “Eco-City”, the last truly unpolluted place on earth.Its been years since the disappearance of her sister, who’s presumed dead. As Kay searches for the truth about her sister , she has to make a choice- whether to use her STEM background to help solve the Earth’s global crisis,even though they’ve failed those who matter the most.

This was a heart wrenchingly thrilling tale of love and survival,words simply cannot do it justice. It primarily focuses on both sisters who have very different view points-one sister emotional, the other logical. This is also made apparent by their environments (the sterility of the city vs. the primitive nature of the island).

The setting was incredibly atmospheric and made for the perfect backdrop to the emotional rollercoaster of twists and revelations made throughout by both characters.I was genuinely an emotional wreck by the end but my goodness was it a great one.The pace was slow to begin however, it did pick up and the climatic ending was well worth it.

I thought I’d also mention that It’s labelled as YA but I’d say it’s at older end of the YA genre, due to some of the content (violence,etc). Recommended to fans of Sci-fi and Dystopian fiction or anyone into Mystery Thrillers.

I also just want to give a huge thank you Text Publishing and Net Galley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find is Joan He’s up-and-coming YA sci-fi/dystopian novel. It’s a story of love, humanity, and how much one is willing to sacrifice without giving up their sense of self. It’s also a novel that I really enjoyed.

What stood out to me from the start was the overall tone of the book. It sort of reminded me of a Studio Ghibli film, with its whimsical yet almost somber atmosphere. This is part could be attributed to the light and beautiful writing style that He uses. It never felt stilted or forced and was rather funny at times, which worked well to juxtapose the more melancholy story.

Another thing that worked well in contrast were the two main characters, Cee and Kasey. Cee, an outgoing socialite, finds herself in isolation on a deserted island. And Kasey, reserved and naturally reclusive, has the weight of the dying world on her shoulders. Both of these girls are such fantastic MCs that I enjoyed following.

I did find myself slightly more engaged in Cee's storyline, only because I am usually more drawn to the more energetic and outgoing characters. However, Kasey is definitely one I can relate to (and can imagine many others relating to her, as well), so I appreciate He writing her the way that she did.

If you’re someone who is as into twists and turns as I am, this is certainly the book for you. While I was never particularly shocked by any turn of events, I still think they worked nicely to convey the themes that He was trying to portray here.

I think they only drawbacks I have with this book are its world-building and pacing. I found the world-building to be a bit confusing in the beginning and I’m not quite sure I got it all sorted by the end. This could certainly be a me problem, though, considering sci-fi not being my genre of choice despite being a science nerd. And the pacing in the middle I found to be a bit slow. It took me longer to read this than I usually would for a 300 page book.

As far as romance is concerned, I think it is well done. I think it’s one that some people may dismiss as insta-love but, without going into detail as to not spoil anything, given the circumstances and what is revealed thoughout the story, the way it’s written makes sense. Plus, Hero is so stinking endearing, I’d be instantly drawn to him too! So, yes, I enjoyed the romance.

All-in-all, I think The Ones We’re Meant to Find is a unique and engaging story that I think most people will latch onto. It’s mature and thought-provoking and despite falling under the young adult label, definitely feels different than your typical young adult novel. I think if you are on the fence about reading this, you should give it a try once it comes out!