Review: The Ones We’re Meant To Find, Joan He

The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
Published by Roaring Brook Press on May 4, 2021
Genres: young adult
Format: ARC
Source: Macmillan INTL, Edelweiss
Buy on Amazon, Book Depository, Wordery, Barnes & Noble, Publisher, Bookshop, Blackwell's
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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. Determined to find her, Cee devotes her days to building a boat from junk parts scavenged inland, doing everything in her power to survive until the day she gets off the island and reunites with her sister.
In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara is also living a life of isolation. The eco-city she calls home is one of eight levitating around the world, 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 as the public decries her stance, she starts to second guess herself and 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.
One of the most twisty, surprising, engaging page-turner YAs you’ll read this year—We Were Liars meets Black Mirror, with a dash of Studio Ghibli.

I received this book for free from Macmillan INTL, Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

☂️ TRIGGER WARNINGS:

terminal illness, suicide, violence (including choking), death, death of parent (off page), vomiting, large scale natural disasters and mass casualties, some gore.

☂️ DIVERSITY:East-Asian main characters

There are no spoilers in this review.

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I ENJOYED…

☂️

• I’m very tempted to write my review of The Ones We’re Meant To Find with: What the f*** did I just read and leave it at that. That would be both very terrible of me and unfair, too, because such few words can’t even begin to convey the feelings I had about this book.
• I find it so hard to explain the book without spoiling anything, but I will do my best. Still, I think that this is one of the stories that’s best experienced than read about, so I can only eagerly encourage you to read it as soon as you can. And scream with me about it afterwards.
• Told in two different point of views, The Ones We’re Meant to Find follows two sisters, Kasey and Cee. Kasey’s a STEM prodigy, living in one of the few eco-cities around the world. She’s looking for her sister who has disappeared. Cee’s stranded on a deserted island and she knows nothing, except for the fact that she has a sister and that she needs to find her.
• The world-building in this book is absolutely mind-blowing. Everything about the way the eco-cities are built to the way they’re managed, how technologies work, how messed-up the world is, is so believable and well-done, I felt immediately immersed into the story and SO intrigued by everything. Honestly, ask my sister: I was captivated I kept on texting her saying: what am I reading H E L P.

• Both Kasey and Cee won my heart. Cee got to it a little quicker and easier, the strong pull she felt towards reaching out for her sister made me want to bawl my eyes out. It took me a little more time to warm up to Kasey, but I ended up really loving her, too and I just loved seeing her grow, as well. I just wanted them to be okay, to find each other and to.. well. I need a moment to cry. Excuse me.
• I was hanging onto this book like a buoy in the middle of the ocean, really. I couldn’t stop reading, had a mighty NEED to know what would happen next. I gasped, screamed, angry-texted my sister. Tears rolled down my face as I read. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, really. The twists and turns, oh god I wasn’t ready for this.
• Joan’s writing is beautiful. That’s all.
• I have A LOT OF EMOTIONS OKAY.

OVERALL

☂️

When I picked up The Ones We’re Meant To Find, it had been a while since a book really blew me away and, damn. I’m still shook just thinking about it. I rarely re-read books, but mark my words, this one will be re-read as soon as my copy arrives. I hope you will add it to your TBR and fall for it just like I did. This is a stunning, unforgettable read and one of my favorite books of all times.

FINAL RATING : It’s a hurricane!

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📚 Books similar to The Ones We’re Meant To Find that I’d recommend:

• For more of Joan He’s signature plot twists and turns, read Descendant of the Crane.

Did you read The Ones We’re Meant To Find or do you want to? What’s the latest YA book with strong friendships you read and enjoyed? Let me know in comments!

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