Name: Bria's review of The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
Item: The Ones We're Meant to Find
Rating: 3
Author: Bria

Joan He

A New York Times Bestseller An Indie Bestseller Perfect for fans of Marie Lu and E. Lockhart, The Ones We're Meant to Find is a gripping and heartfelt YA sci-fi with mind-blowing twists. Set in a climate-ravaged future, Joan He's beautifully written novel follows the story of two sisters, separated by an ocean, desperately trying to find each other. Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it’s up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her. In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara lives in an eco-city built for people who protected the planet?and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return. Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But nevertheless, she decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.

The Ones We're Meant to Find

A clever, thrilling YA about two sisters searching for each other and for truth, against a backdrop of environmental disaster.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find

Cassandra 

samantha lias

Bria

3 stars because I was confused for 95% of this read

Moonchild

I was granted a copy of this book by Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.     
I’m one of those people that chose the book by their cover, and it never disappointed me, this cover of it is so beautiful. This book intrigued me enough only by reading the sinopse. It was confusing for my to get into the book and the character’s story, liked the characters and I liked the storyline it was painful. The world building was very well made, a very clever plot, I cannot lie I started this boot 3 times, Joan He it’s way out of my league, I need to grab this book again later and try it with a fresh mindset, sometimes our mental state doesn’t let us enjoy book at their fullest.
The beautiful bond between the sisters, and the love that keeps hope alive.

Tatiana

The Ones We're Meant to Find: 4.25/5


  “People wanted the quickest, easiest solutions. To solve their most immediate problems, they could steal from any future other than their own.”

Premise:
The Ones We're Meant to Find follows two sisters Cee, or Celia, and Kasey. After Cee wakes up on an abandoned island with nothing and no memories except for her sister, she is determined to find her way back to Kasey. Three years pass by, and the island somehow lures Cee back to shore every time she tries to escape until someone unlikely washes up. On the other side of the ocean, Kasey is mourning her long-gone sister while battling climate change, even if that means turning to a solution the eco-cities citizens won't like. As Cee plans another escape and deals with a new member of her one-woman island, Kasey pitches her solution, and the two sisters, together or apart, must forge their path.

Writing & Plot:
Two words for you: Black Mirror. This book is like one long episode of black mirror. Seriously, my jaw was on the floor for the entire second half of the book. First of all, a world ravaged by climate change? PLEASE. The setting and the world were so intriguing I wish the book explored it more. A significant plot point is eco-cities, but the way they were isn't explored, and I found myself confused for most of the book because the setting isn't fleshed out enough.

Another issue I had was that the backstories of Kasey and Celia could have been more profound. We got flashbacks but no context about their parents or their relationships with friends. I wish this book were 50 pages longer, and it explored these pieces because it is all so fascinating that I want to know more.

That said, it all comes from a place of fascination. I want more content about this book because I loved it so much. Not in 100 years could I have predicted the plot twists this book threw at me. When I tell you, I gasped, and my mouth fell open. That was my genuine reaction. This is one of the books I would give anything to read again for the first time. *Chefs Kiss*


  “When I dream of her, it’s in vibrant color, unlike the gradients of gray of my monochrome days. But everything is hazy when I wake. The details merge. The colors fade.”

Characters:
I liked both Kasey and Celia, I believe more background could have been provided, and it would have allowed the reader to connect more deeply with them, but because the plot was so enthralling, I don't mind it. I think I connected more with Celia, whether that was because it was written in the first person, unsure, but I loved her character and her development as she discovers more of herself. I thought the ending for both characters was quite beautiful.

Conclusion:
Gosh, I loved this book. As a massive fan of sci-fi, I thought this was a great book with a phenomenal plot. I wish there were a bit more world-building, but nothing is perfect. Genuinely, I cannot stop thinking about this book. The plot twist was just... SO GOOD! If you're in the mood for a trippy black-mirror-esc book, I highly recommend this!

** spoiler alert **
           4/5

rtc (May 1)

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(edit)

“And I think we have even less choice over the ones we’re meant to find.”

Another masterpiece from Joan He. Such an interesting take in post-apocalyptic earth where people couldn't inhabit our lovely planet anymore and have to create some sort of eco-cities filled with artificial intelligence. Beside the heart wrenching story about two sisters that got separated because the cruel fate of the universe, this book is a great critic to environmental and class problem. I think all of sci-fi geeks out there should get their hands on The Ones We're Meant to Find and read it as soon as possible. And personally, I think this book should be a mandatory read for school and discussed in book clubs.

Laurianne

"You'll save the world someday."
"The world doesn't need saving."
"Trust me, it will."

This book is about two sisters and the strong bond shared between them. One was missing, meanwhile the other was trying to save humanity from earth's destruction.

I doubt I have the capability to phrase my amazement of this book right now. It's just so different from what I am used to, as I haven't read many sci-fi books to compare with, and I was drawn into it almost immediately. It made me think, "to what extent would you sacrifice for the sake of others? For humanity?" This book was painful and gave me so many new perspective of life. Now excuse me while I stare at the ceiling, cry, and absorb what I had learnt from it.

debre

"Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it’s up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her."

When I first saw the cover of The Ones We're Meant to Find, I found it extremely gorgeous, and yes, I'm one of these girls that get interested with a book for the cover, sometimes! I'm only human, after all. So I was very excited when I got the ARC for this one.

But when I started reading it, I found it very difficult to get into the book at all. I thought it was extremely confusing, to begin with, and I didn't connect with the characters and the story itself. I really think this one wasn't for me.

I do think the author's writing has a lot of potential, though, so I'll try out the previous book she wrote to see if I like it. 

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Bilge Ince

As a person who believes the grade filter way ahead of us, who has huge respect for science, believes in zero waste living philosophy, the book seems like a hit for me. Yet, I couldn’t feel attached to the story; a huge possibility is my expectation was high. But I got bored with the chapters about island and Cee and many blank topics that I didn’t see any satisfying answer.

cher elle

Nessa Luna

Thank you NetGalley and Text Publishing for the review copy!

3.5 stars. Oh wow this book was both weird and very intriguing. I read the latter half of it in one day because I just could not stop reading and I needed to know how it ended. While I predicted a couple of things, some reveal still surprised me and overall I really enjoyed my reading experience. (view spoiler)[It's just that at some points I was just kind of confused about what I just read and found myself rereading passages. And the ending just kind of pissed me off (sorry not sorry but I just hate open endings. Sure it's nice to speculate on what happened but ahhhhhhhhhhh. (hide spoiler)]

Also this is solely a fault of the ARC and nothing to do with the actual book, but the formatting was off and sometimes I found it difficult to know who was saying what. I might one day get myself a finished copy (if only to have that beautiful cover on my shelves) and reread it, but honestly the formatting had nothing to do with my rating!

Gillian Rose

4.25 stars

I really loved the whole premise of this book and the back and forth between these sisters. Unfortunately, I felt the plot drag a bit toward the middle, but thankfully it got back to where it had been and ended in a solid, but depressing manner. It was pretty thought-provoking about the environment and the importance of choices.

Aishling

Wow. That was good.

Considering the fact that this book falls into the genres of YA, sci-fi and dystopia, all of which I haven’t read or cared for much lately, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The mystery’s and plot twists were amazing, and definitely kept me hooked throughout. The parallels that connected each chapter were really well thought through, and you can tell so much effort went into making this book what it is. 

The only fault I could find in this book is wanting just one or two extra chapters at the end, but other than that I had no complaints at all. The characters were great, the settings were unique, and the plot was just spectacular. I think anyone would enjoy this book no matter what age or reading preferences, and I would definitely recommend it.

Moon Child

Ashley Wendt

I literally sat there for some time after finishing this book trying to sort the my feelings, the ending, the messages. I read some other Goodreads reviews to try to understand some other readers feelings on it too. It was as I was putting on my Read shelf that I realized that I really did enjoy this story. It was an interesting, sometimes confusing, sometimes beautiful, read. And the more I think about the ending, the more I understand the choice the author gave us in that ending.

Ceux qu'il nous faut retrouver

Constance Chédot

Les thèmes principaux de ce livre sont majoritairement: le réchauffement climatique, l’amour, la relation entre soeurs et l’égoïsme humain. 
Je trouve que l’autrice a eu une super idée d’intrigue, c’était très intelligent de sa part. Malgré tout, je n’ai pas aimé ses personnages. Les relations amoureuses des deux sœurs étaient trop superficielles à mon goût et parfois, on se perdait dans l’histoire. Quelqu’un disait quelque chose avec un double sens, je comprenais pas et après, je me rendais compte que c’était un moment clé de l’histoire. Ça m’est arrivé dans les moments les plus importants et je pense que ce n’était pas anodin. 
C’est bizarre mais je n’ai pas grand chose à dire sur ce livre. Je ne suis pas rentrée dedans mais l’idée était bien. Je ne le recommanderai quand même pas parce que j’ai trouvé mal développés plusieurs points.

Dee B. 

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.

sydney

i enjoyed this but it was really confusing and i still don’t think i understood it

Lia Yuliana

Update 05/05/2021

Find me review on :  An Ode to Fiction
Official Release Date : 4th May 2021
Buy the book :
 Amazon |  Book Depository

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⭐ 4/5 ⭐
Thank you to the author, Xpresso Book Tours, and TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with a free ARC of this book as part of my participation in these tours.

ARC provided by the publisher Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


  
    “My real home waits for me across the sea.”
  


A haunting story about the bond shared by two sisters that spans through time as they try to reunite crossing the ocean of memories, diving deep into the depths humanity, whilst discovering one’s purpose and meaning in life.

First and foremost I would like to thank Xpresso Book Tours for choosing me as one of the many amazing book bloggers for The Ones We’re Meant to Find tour from May 3rd to May 7th. Thank you as well to the author and publisher Roaring Brook Press for providing an ARC (Advance Readers Copy) as part of this blog tour. For those who are interested in getting their hands on a copy there is a tour wide giveaway for everyone to join near the end of this review.


  
    “Before, I was both. Incomplete and still searching. But now— Tears, hot in my eyes. They blur my vision. Still, I see her. I see her as clearly as I do in my dreams. Clearer. Because this isn’t a dream.”
  


The Ones We’re Meant to Find is the second published book by one of YA’s leading voices Joan He. Following up the monumental success of Descendant of the Crane, Joan He is back with a sci-fi fantasy story marketed as a combination of We We’re Liars and Black Mirror, this book truly lived up and even exceeds my expectations as one of the most terrifyingly beautiful YA books I’ve read this year. Don’t let the visuals fool you by thinking it’s gonna be pretty tame for a young adult book because it’s not. Before I read this book, I’ve seen a couple of my friends on Twitter raving about it saying how good it is. I knew nothing about the book besides that its a dystopian with two sisters and emanates Studi Ghibli vibes. The cover itself is gorgeous beyond measure with Kasey and Celia in the ocean waves done by the talented Aykut Aydoğdu. I can just look at the cover forever because it’s so damn stunning. If you joined the preorder campaign you can feast your eyes on more art of the book done by Paulina Klime and Eduardo Vargas. After finishing the book, I looked up the pre order campaign art and I was reeling. The story seems much more haunting with the illustrations. Who knew as someone that doesn’t flinch from reading bloody battle scenes can shiver from seeing art of characters from this book.

The story takes place on the dying earth as humans are driven to live in eco cities escaping from the inhabitable lands and oceans. As the last sanctuary for humans on earth these eco cities are only accessible for a few chosen individuals of privilege. A caste system is established to simplify the process of picking who can live there, the smaller the number the higher their placement in society. Joan He adopted a Black Mirror-esque vibe to reflect the imminent dread and desperation as humans clung to their last chance in survival. With astounding descriptive writing He transports readers to a world full of convenience, tech, and stream lined efficiency. Though the world itself seems advance but it created a trench of void that disconnects any human relationship.


  
    “The sea was a trillion strands of hair, infinitely tangled on the surface and infinitely dense beneath. It distorted time: Minutes passed like hours and hours passed like minutes out there. It distorted space, made the horizon seem within reach. And it was the perfect place for hiding secrets.”
  


In all honesty, I had a hard time immersing myself into the world because it took a while for me to familiarize with the jargon used in the story describing the scientific notions of the world He has created. I’ll say it early on that dystopian sci-fi isn’t a genre adherent to my taste in stories. Alas this did not hinder me from enjoying the thrilling aspect of an impending doom for humanity. Joan He created the perfect world for the story as the world became the very thing that takes intensity and stakes even higher for the characters to ponder upon. The amount of research He has done is evident within the pages as seen in the well detailed descriptions of the world and in the data reports Kasey receives in the story. What makes this story so haunting is how realistic and near to true life the world is, I seriously can see a possibility the world He created becoming a reality. He didn’t guide us into understanding the world at all, readers are thrusted into a world full of orderly chaos and dread, similar to being thrown into the ocean with no life vest. He also did a masterful job at layering the symbolisms adding further depth into story the closer you get to the truth. I can’t say it enough that the closer I got to the ending the more haunted and shell shocked I became. (And I am still haunted btw.)


  
    “I can’t stop the pain, but I can stop myself from bending to its will.”
  


To top it all of there are reoccurring themes explored in The Ones We’re Meant to Find such as : grief, family, connection, and humanity. How ones grief can either destroy their connection to their humanity drowning them in an ocean of anger and sadness. How one can find meaning in surviving, living, and being human against the circumstances and ones already defined purpose in life. I liked that Joan He uses the ocean as a tool for foreshadowing the whole narrative. He’s prose is magnetic, calm, and efficient in delivering hauntingly breathtaking moments to the point I was rendered empty as I unbox the emotions in each chapter. The complexity of emotion in the story is as strong as the tide, as wave after wave slowly drown and pull you under into the darkest depths of human emotion. It is rare for a book to ruin me this bad by consistently jabbing on my feelings. What makes it even more astounding is that it is condensed within 384 pages, making The Ones We’re Meant to Find as a book that packs a smashing emotional punch. To sell this book even further is the consistent and concise writing. This book has single handedly set the standard for future books to come because the level of quality Joan He presents is beyond excellent.


  
    “Some secrets were best left at sea, between sisters.”
  


The anchor for The Ones We’re Meant to Find is it’s characters. There isn’t a big cast of characters for readers to follow as the story is more focused on two paralleling perspectives. First is Cee, a girl stranded on an abandoned island with only fragments of her memories. For three years she has been stuck on the island with U-Me, a robot that recites the dictionary. As Cee grows weary of living on the island that is slowly becoming a prison, she manages to construct a boat that will be her one way ticket in escaping it’s clutches. After Cee’s desperate first attempt an unlikely person washed ashore that might turn the tides in her plans. For Cee’s perspective Joan He gives us first hand accounts of Cee’s experiences by writing in first person. The writing in Cee’s chapters can be described as full of longing, confusion, and desperation. Without spoiling anything the dread is prominent mostly in Cee’s chapters as it bleeds through the page pulling readers into the depths of her desperation to flee the island and find her sister. Cee’s arc is my favorite arc in the whole story more than Kasey’s. There is simplicity in the plot yet it evokes complex feelings that doesn’t happen often in the YA books I’ve read.


  
    “Between them, they shared an ocean of loss. It was under their chins, threatening to drown them the moment they sank. And Kasey chose to sink. The world was ending. People were dying. But how many others were consuming more than their fair share when Celia could taste no more?”
  


Second, we follow Kasey Mizuhara, youngest daughter of the Mizuhara family and science prodigy. Kasey is mourning the lost of her sister, Celia, after their sudden disappearance. All the while the world is facing a massive crisis as the humans have stretched the earth’s resources thin to the point of imminent natural catastrophe. Knowing this, it is up to Kasey to help humanity by using her gift to secure a better future for the world by finding a solution, one that the people might not want to hear. Kasey as a character seems detached from the reality that she is living in since the lost of Celia. The grief of losing her sister is felt through the page as Kasey slowly comes to terms with her feelings by confronting them to find closure. As Kasey traces Celia’s steps to the moments before she disappeared she stumbles upon a boy that can help her find her answers. Kasey’s perspective is interestingly written in second person which made me think for a good chunk of the story. I later understood the implications of why He decided to write her perspective in second person is to add another layer of important nuance to an already brain heavy story.

Besides these two sisters there are two other supporting characters that also fuels the plot and became important figures in the story. This character’s revelation and corruption didn’t translate well to me. Personally for me I had a hard time connecting their motivation and their intent. Which left me feeling scatter brained trying to understand this character. Joan He laid the foundations well for them to carry out their intent to become a tremendous plot twist, but I ended up feeling overwhelmed. On the other hand, the other character carried the ending of the story and amplified the impact of the emotion for readers nearing the end. I can’t say which scene but when you read the book you’ll know. Because what this character did became the catalyst to trigger the final reaction so that the main character can finally make their decision. And oh wow! I was shivering when I read it. Joan He executed it beautifully!


  
    “I don’t think either of us came here by choice.”
  


  
    “And I think we have even less choice over the ones we’re meant to find.”
  


Final thoughts, The Ones We’re Meant to Find is a thrilling sci-fi dystopian ride. Presented with an aesthetically beautiful cover that can temp any reader; complete with Joan He’s captivating world building, emotion heavy prose, detailed and consistent symbolism, and haunting foreshadowing it solidifies this book as stand out amongst the young adult releases of 2021. If you’re looking for a short stand alone young adult book that packs complex story telling about reuniting and closure set in a dying world with emotions as deep as the ocean, high quality writing, and soul-stirring twists; this book is for you.

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Virág 

This book is an extremely special book for me and had a huge impact on me. Since I have been studying IT and programming for the last few years I could relate a lot to Kasey and understand the way she saw the world. 

The way the author shows which POV are we currently reading just with how the numbers are on the top of the chapters, or even how the text is written. All of the descriptions were so vivid and it felt so real. This book is one of my favourites this year and I am so happy that I read this book.

I recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a really special story about two sisters in a world where climate change is getting unbearable and all we can count on is the technical machines.

marie

The only place Kasey still found Celia was in her dreams. Her sister would be waiting every night, no matter how long it took for Kasey’s mind to release her. Together they would go down to the sea on a ladder. They would float for days under the sun, never pruning, and Kasey would reel up the words from the bottom of her heart: 

I love you. And even if you failed me, I’d never replace you.It's the yearning and loneliness in Joan He's words for me. Happy book birthday to this haunting yet beautiful novel.

4.75 ☆

Rachel Kelt

Kiandra Rodgers 

3.75 stars. This one really kept me guessing! I didn’t guess any of the plot twists, and had no idea what would happen next, which I really appreciate in a mystery-esque story. The only thing holding it back from a higher rating for me was the characters. I just really didn’t feel connected to Cee or Kasey, and though they were interesting that wasn’t enough to make me truly care for their separation. 
The environmental crisis storyline was super engaging. I thought it was very engaging and the structure was unique.

Emi Gilmore 

Cee's story is the only reason I'm giving this three stars. But it only barely managed to get the three stars too. 

Perhaps if I understood anything that happened in Kasey's story, I would have liked this book a lot more.

Leia Douglas

I’m sad I didn’t like this, but I was bored and confused the whole time.

Alexa Jade

i’m so disappointed right now. I had 5 star expectations from this book and I think I got way too invested because of the cover, unfortunately. 

I felt this book was very choppy. almost like in the editing process too many important pieces were cut out and we lost a lot of important information. I also feel like this book should and could have been a duology and not a stand-alone that way certain aspects could be more fleshed out and have that room to breathe and let the reader process it. 

I will say I love the cover, I love books with sisters and that loyalty and dedication to your loved one, I loved the castaway vibes I was getting from cee with that hint of cinder. I also loved the conversation on the earth and it’s health and how we are killing it and humankind. all of this would’ve worked out so much better if this wasn’t a standalone I think.

samantha lias &
The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He

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