The Ones We're Meant to Find is a gorgeous story about sisterhood, mystery and discovery. We have the outgoing Cee, stuck on an abandoned island and Kasey the science girl, trying to decide if she’ll save the world she struggles to understand. Both of them connected by their will to find each other.

The dialogues were amazing and I cannot recommend this book enough!

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

Trigger warnings: gore, suicide, violence, mass death

Cee awoke on an abandoned island three years ago. With no idea of how she was marooned, she only has a rickety house, an old android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her. STEM prodigy Kasey wants escape from the science and home she once trusted. The eco-city—Earth's last unpolluted place—is meant to be sanctuary for those commited to planetary protection, but it’s populated by people willing to do anything for refuge, even lie. Now, she'll have to decide if she’s ready to use science to help humanity, even though it failed the people who mattered most.

The two sisters were entirely different characters - and I did like how He had Kasey’s chapters from third person and Cee’s from first. I’ll admit to feeling some disconnect with Kasey’s chapters and that is probably because I was in Cee’s head, whereas I was a bystander in Kasey’s story. Cee’s flights from the island and the subsequent actions and feelings were interesting - probably the thing that kept me mostly engaged in the first half of the book. Kasey being more of a recluse in the world seemed to translate in the writing. I almost felt she was a step back and I couldn’t get a full and proper read on her. Despite that, I felt both sisters were interesting characters and I was interested in knowing their stories.

Reading this story, there is a very strong Black Mirror vibe. Set in the future, we see how humans are coping with the effects of climate change and the impact we’ve had on the planet. It’s an interesting take that had me engaged and interested to see how this version of the future played out, how things had become different over time, and what new technology had come to fruition. I do feel that the bombshell happened a bit too early, as there was a build up to it that perhaps could have been fleshed out more with information we see after the bombshell has hit. But, despite this, the story was certainly interesting, keeping me gripped to know what happened next. I want to know what happened after that ending too! That cliffhanger was not something I was impressed with!

Overall, The Ones We’re Meant to Find is a brilliant story of wishing to be found and carving your own path.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Text Publishing for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on 03/05.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He has left me wordless, but I’m going to try to tell you what I know.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Two sisters, separated by the ocean between them.
The Ones We’re Meant to Find is the kind of book you read at least twice. You finish the book first, mostly all in one go if you’re anything like me and can’t put it down. You sit down and take a deep breath and then text your friend, torn between telling them to read it and telling them everything about it. You pour over the pages connecting all of the dots that led you to the final chapters.
You think about Celia, who had to survive an island with no memory, only trying to get back to her sister.
And Kasey, who had to survive the politically charged dystopia her sister could never quite fit into.
You think you’ve found one of the most interesting stories you’ve ever read. You could be right.

There is nothing I can say about this book except to read it. Devour it. Revel in shipwreck meets sci-fi tale of two sisters just trying to shrink the ocean between them.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find is being published on May 4th.

*I would like to thank NetGalley, Roaring Brook, and Joan He for access to the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Ones We're Meant to Find in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a mind twisting sci-fi. I love how you never quite know what's going on as a reader until the final twist. I don't want to say a lot because I don't want to spoil but I will say that while I was absolutely obsessed with Cee's POV and it definitely made the read worth it, Kacey's was a little lackluster in comparison. While I do like that her perspective was included and think it was interictal to the story, I don't think it needed to be given as much page time as it was.

Other than that, this was a wonderful sci-fi.

I need a little time to process this and write a proper review but overall I loved this book. The world building was incredibly well done, and I'm not surprised about that given the previous books that I've read by this author. I feel gutted after finishing this book and it is definitely one of my favorites of this year. The choice to make one of the sister's (Cee) perspectives done in first person, while the second sister's (Kasey) is done in second person is something that takes a little bit to get used to. It also makes it a little harder to understand her, which is something also due to her personality. I definitely felt as though I related to and sympathized more with Cee while reading this book. I adored this book and the plot twists definitely kept me on edge the entire time that I was reading this book.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one. I kept being confused whenever something alien to me was introduced and not explained since page 1 (U-Me, Hubert, SILVERTONGUE, Meridian, etc.) and I felt I was stuck onward - trying to *get* what it was first before going back to the story. The characters weren't likable to me either and, while their ways of talking and *feeling* was perfect to always know who was talking, they felt like opposite extremes that I did not enjoy, sadly. Though again, this is just how I felt, maybe I wasn't in the right mind to read it and may try re-reading it in the future-

Human race has succeeded in destroying the planet so now the life happens in eco cities and you participate in reality or online.. Wow, what an incredible premise.

We follow our main characters - 2 sisters - separated in time and space and both of them are trying to find the other one. What lead to disappearance of one? Why can't the other one remember most of her past or see in color? There are so many exciting turns in the story that will keep you up late reading it.

One of the better stories about the end of the world as we know it. Throw in sibling relationships, androids, life you live while actually being stationed in a pod..

The Ones We're Meant to Find is a beautifully lush story about two sisters set in a futuristic world that quickly becomes uninhabitable for the human race. This book is a sophisticated Sci-Fi with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The environmental aspect of this story is hauntingly familiar and made me wonder where humanity will end up in a couple decades.
The author manages to captivate the reader with her writing style and complex characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Text publishing for sending me an early review copy of The Ones we're meant to Find!

Some secrets were best left at sea, between sisters.

This above all else is a story of two sisters fighting to find their way back to each other, while also trying to rediscover themselves. There's mystery, there's budding romance and there's hurt and comfort.

I loved every moment of reading this, with the uncertainty and hopelessness that was woven throughout, even as the girls were so determined to not give up.

I would recommend this for fans of the sci-fi/dystopian genre, for fans of girls saving themselves, and above all for fans of unreliable narrators because the layers that this book had kept you fed on the crumbs of information you get at every step of the way.

I really enjoyed this book but I'm not sure how much I understood it - I felt like it was building up to something and it didn't really get there. But it was well written and engaging, after the first 10-20% (which took me a while to get through).

I went into this book completely blind and I found it such an interesting book to read. It took a number of turns throughout which I was not expecting. It was such a beautifully written story. The ending matched the vibe of the book incredibly. This isn't the type of book I read but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

What a unique and well crafted story. Easy to glide right in to, although it does take a minute to get your bearings. Because this world is not like ours so it will take a few page to get the lay of the land. However, it is easy and I loved learning about it all

Two sisters - Celia and Kasey. They've been separated and are, each, looking for each other. I loved learning the life on the island. I loved the breadcrumb clues I painstakingly looked for and I loved what I found. Kasey was heartbreaking but also interesting. Her story is more prominent and I appreciated the details of her life and her world.

There are so many layers to this story, so many reasons to love it. Sisters, family, life purpose, the breaking down of the planet, pollution and death. So many themes that were touched on and explored and had such interesting and new settings. This one was so good. I loved it!

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

If you loved Joan He's previous book, this will definitely be one for you. A compelling sci-fi story that keeps you guessing throughout.

I really enjoyed how fresh this book felt. It had lyrical writing, an innovative style, and compelling mystery. The questions and alternating POVs made me really keep turning virtual pages.

I especially appreciated the type of sci-fi included here. Joan He provides an interesting view of where the world is heading, and what moral questions people might face in a climate-destroyed world.

YA needs more books like this, and I hope Joan He gets to write them!

The Ones We’re Meant to Find is a book that I devoured within a couple of hours. I looked up after 50 minutes to find I’d read almost two thirds of the book. And yet. I wasn’t entirely engaged with it. I don’t have a whole lot to say about it. There were twists and turns aplenty, but I think what happened was that I was too fixated on guessing those to get fully involved in the story itself.

Which is entirely a me-problem, I realise. If you enjoyed Descendant of the Crane, then you are definitely going to love this one. If you haven’t read Descendant of the Crane, I still predict you’ll enjoy this one. For me though?

I probably could have seen this coming.

I think my issue wasn’t the plot — I was plenty engaged with it, and didn’t want to put the book down because I had to know what happened. I think the problem I had was I didn’t feel much about anything in it. (This is likely also a me-problem. In fact, most of anything in this review will be so. Stop reading here and go about your day, I would say.) Maybe this was because I was trying to guess too much, maybe I was reading too quickly. Whatever the reason, I didn’t get to be involved enough to love this book.

But I would still highly recommend reading this book! I am easily going to be in a minority regarding this one, I think. So if the premise intrigues you (as well it should), then make sure you get to this one as soon as you can.

This was a quick and fun read. I especially enjoyed the duel POVs, the settings of both the island and the eco-city, and the sci-fi elements. It felt immersive and the twists definitely kept me turning the pages.

2.5 stars

I have so many feelings about this book. this novel is equal parts beautiful, as it is confusing. It took me quite a while to get through it, because of how complicated and advanced it is. it is sci-fi, after all.

it'd be unusual for me not to start with the characters. it is so much easier to get lost in a book, when the characters are interesting, and captivating. I didn't feel like the two sisters the story revolves around were special, in any way. while I did feel some connection to Celia, I couldn't feel any compassion, or empathy, for Kasey, until the very end. I preferred Cee, because she was easier to understand.

characters aside, I found Cee's plot-line to be much more compelling, and interesting, than her sister's. I absolutely loved Hero and his relationship with Celia, up until a certain point, when it started feeling empty, and forced.

like I'd already mentioned, this book was very complicated. it demanded my whole attention, to be able to keep up with the plot, and, yet, it still left me with so many questions. maybe it wasn’t meant for readers like me, who prefer simple, easy to read works, but I still feel like a lot more could have been clarified, by going more in depth. especially on the more important points in the story, like the plot-twists, or the ending.

that being said, I still think this book was beautiful. From Joan He’s ability to create a beautiful, eerie atmosphere of surroundings, to the sole relationship between Celia and Kasey, it was all stunning. the beauty of The Ones We’re Meant to Find is probably why, in the end, I’d decided to give it the rating that I did, and not less. I’m completely certain this book does have an audience, that’ll be completely awed by it, but, unfortunately, that’s not me.

if you like complex, intricately woven stories that leave you mystified, I feel like you definitely could enjoy this!

4.5/5

I was stunned by the beautiful portrayal of human corruption and selfishness in this science fiction YA as we get to explore two dynamics, opposite in every way.

As we explore this futuristic world we are introduced to two sisters living in a world where the environmental crisis has escalated.

The story is told through short critical moments in Kasey and Celia’s lives, jumping from past to present. Kasey’s point of view is in second person, while Celia’s is told in first person.

While the story is enthralling and has the reader on their toes, the world building is a little difficult to understand at first. I did have to reread a few parts several times to try and comprehend the world building, but it doesn’t take away from the story itself. It ends off at an interesting moment. At a point you know what has happened, but you are still left wondering as it isn’t wrapped up in a neat and tidy bow. But I wouldn’t have expected anything different from Cee or Kasey’s story.

Through the discovery of love, loss, truths and lie we just might stumble upon the ones we’re meant to find.

Favourite: I can’t share my exact favourite part without spoiling it, but their was a huge plot twist that I did not see coming and it was both shocking and devastating. I get the same emotions the character did, my heart is still healing.

Least favourite: I usually find books to be too long, but in this case it’s the complete opposite. I feel like it may have benefited the story to have the book be a bit longer. I would have liked to see more moments between Kasey and Actinium.

This book is everything I love about dystopian fiction.
The worldbuilding, the eco-cities, the futuristic technology, it was all so greatly written. I loved all the science behind the book, the Intraface, the holo-ing, the statis pod, the bots, the floating cities. Some parts reminded me a little of the series Uglies which is my all time favourite dystopian/sci-fi series.
On top of that the characters were marvellous. The dual POVs between Cee and Kasey added so much to the story, and the switch between first and third person was so interesting. I instantly loved Cee, she felt so true, so real, so full of emotions, and I just love emotional characters. It took me some time to warm up to Kasey, who's the polar opposite of Cee, all about facts and data, not so much about emotions and feelings, but she was driven, goal oriented, and I liked that.
Characters and world-building are what makes a great book for me, and these aspects were amazing in TOWMTF but on top of that there was also a wonderful plot! So many twists, so many surprises! I knew this book was full of twists so I tried guessing some of them, I was often on the right track but I could never guess the whole extent of the twist! And some of them I had absolutely not anticipated at all! It was fantastic!

This book is about family, about sisters, about morals and the grey areas between right and wrong, about the environment and saving the world, about being true to yourself.

What can I say except that the vibes in this book were absolutely phenomenal and go very well with the stunning cover.

The Ones We're Meant to Find is a YA dystopian that is unlike anything I've ever read. We follow two perspectives: Cee who mysteriously found herself on a deserted island 3 years prior and is determined to find her sister, and Kasey, a citizen of an eco-city trying to help the world cope with the devastating effects of climate change.

What I loved:
- Cee's storyline. Absolutely everything about it. The pacing, the setting, the characters on the island (U-me has my whole heart), her finding out about her past, everything. Someone transport me to a desert island where I live off taro and vibe amongst robots.
- Seeing all the pieces of the story fall together was just so cool and so damn satisfying. Joan He does an incredible job at giving you bits of information at just the right times so that you are never confused while still maintaining a hint of mystery that keeps you turning the pages.
- The worldbuilding was just so cool and very well done so as to not be confusing at all
- The characters were so easy to get attached to yet also flawed and nuanced in the best ways possible. I loved the exploration of sisterhood and seeing Kasey and Cee grapple with difficult decisions they were faced with.

A few things I struggled with:
- The pacing in Kasey's storyline felt a little off to me and I wasn't as interested in her parts of the story as I was with Cee's, especially towards the end of the book.
- I wasn't fully invested in the romances? But that might just be a me problem and I am also glad that the story wasn't too romance-centred so... Is that really even a negative thing?