2.5 stars

As one of my most anticipated of the year, from an author whose debut I loved, this was unfortunately a let down for me. I certainly see the appeal in the story, and Joan He is great at worldbuilding but half of the character stuff fell flat for me. There's one POV that I just found uninteresting and despite being the more emotional character I found the emotions in those chapters really lacking and not in tune with the better writing in the other POV. There's a moral dilemma posed that due to my feelings on that character didn't feel like much of a dilemma at all so the last third in particular really dragged for me. It was a case of the stakes being really high - but not feeling that in the writing.

Ultimately a tale about the bond between two sisters, a post-climate crisis world, a futuristic floating city, and the morality of artificial intelligence, The Ones We're Meant To Find is clever and complex.

I found this book difficult to follow to start with - there are two narratives, and you spend a lot of time at the start trying to puzzle-solve how they fit together, and work out how they relate to each other. It gets a bit confusing. Every new chapter takes you in a different direction to what you're expecting, which isn't a bad thing, but can be tough on your concentration. About halfway in it started to knit together and then I found it hard to put down.

The first narrative comes from Cee trapped on an island with a robot, and a boat named Hubert that she is trying to rebuild to cross the ocean. Her only memory is of her sister Kay who she is desperate to find. Cee makes the attempt to leave the island, gets caught in a storm and expects to die, but mysteriously returns to the island unharmed..

The second narrative is Kasey - a 16 year old STEM prodigy, daughter of scientists who have helped save part of humanity. She feels isolated and that she doesn't fit with humanity, as she is clinical and detached. Kasey lives in an floating eco-city in a post- (and ongoing) climate crisis. She's desperate for answers about her sister Celia who is missing, believed dead.

How do Cee and Kasey's stories fit together? That is what will keep you guessing throughout the book, and I was quite pleased with the way the story twisted.

This novel is quite unique in the way it unfolds. It has a really strong dystopian quality and is very relatable in terms of the climate issues and possibilities we currently face. There's quite a lot of scientific and technological jargon in the world-building that made my head spin a little bit, but I enjoyed the questioning of ethics around A.I., and Cee's part of the story. I didn't really enjoy Kasey's part in the book, although I can see it wouldn't have worked so well had she been more connected or emotional.

However, I think this is a book I am going to be mulling over a lot in future.

I was really excited for this book and I was a little disappointed. The start of the story had me hooked but as it went on I began to loose interest as I got confused. There wasn't much character development which is something I really enjoy. I did take the bot aspect and how technology was such a big part, advanced technology is always interesting to read about in my opinion. I also liked how the book was about saving the planet and being more eco friendly and how they used technology to aid them with this. Hero was my favourite character as he was the only one with a good amount of development. I did want more from the ending as I have no idea what actuary happened. I did enjoy reading Cee on the island and trying to get to her sister, survival is always interesting to me. The book was a low 3 stars. If my expectations weren’t so high it could have gotten a higher rating.

Sisters and secrets– two of my favorite things in a book! I had been hearing about this book online for a long time, and could not resist reading it. The story, like the back cover copy suggests, gives each sister’s point of view. In Kasey’s point of view, we see the past, things that happened months before Cee begins telling her story.

I loved both girls’ characters so much. I also loved U-me, the dictionary and questionnaire rating robot. It might not seem like a bot that follows Cee around defining words and rating her declarative statements on a scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree would add a huge amount to the story, but it really does! U-me is the best.

As the description promises, this is a story with twists and turns, the kind where you have to keep going back and reevaluating things you took for granted earlier in the book. Where new information changes your perception of what’s already happened. I love stories like that. It’s also a story that explores relationships and secrets and how some secrets can destroy a relationship if you let them.

I really enjoyed THE ONES WE’RE MEANT TO FIND. I loves its layers and the pull between the two sisters. Readers who enjoyed WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart or FRAGILE REMEDY by Maria Ingrande Mora should check this one out.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Joan He, you absolute genius... wow. Literally unlike anything I had ever read before, like Black Mirror by way of The Martian, literally, SO GOOD.

I have seen this book floating around the blogosphere for a while now. It just released, but the hype around it had been as high as the waves on the cover and in the story itself. I must say that I am not in the group that loved the book. I have a tentative relationship with Sci-fi, but usually, I like them. Some things worked in this story (even for me), while others seemed more complicated than was required.
First, I should say the concept itself was pretty great. Once the twists and revelations occurred, I had to hand it to the author for having created a tight enough storyline and for building on a theory successfully. We have two sisters, separated by more than distance as they grapple with the other's absence and try to make sense of the world they live in. I must also admit that I never expected things to go the way they did. The characters all live in a dystopian utopia in the future, and we are informed of the rules of this world in parts.
We can feel the melancholy on the sisters' parts as well as the drive to figure things out. I somehow found the execution too cumbersome. I agree that a degree of confusion is required to let the story pan out the way it did, but it felt too confusing. I spent more energy decoding the facts given than I should have. The writing taken by itself was good, put together at a story, I felt like I was working too hard.
I also did not buy the sisterly bond ( I have a warm relationship with my sister myself, even if we are also not overtly touchy-feely nice to each other). Even though they kept trying to find each other, I did not 'get' it.
It may sound like I am talking the book down a lot, but that is not it. I am just mentioning why it did not work for me in particular. The concept and the hidden depths of the book are interesting enough to entertain lovers of this genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley, the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this book.

trigger warning
<spoiler> memory loss, terminal illness, trauma, mention of natural desasters</spoiler>

A young woman without memories has been trapped for three years on an abandoned island, and has been trying to scavenge the necessary parts to make a boat. She knows this: She has to find her sister.

We have two timelimes, one on the abandoned island and one with said sister who needs to be found.
The relation in which those lines stand to each other was not what I expected. The whole plot of this was not what I expected.

I find it hard to give a concluding summary of my thoughts here; I started the book on monday and didn't read on tuesday, but found my thoughts constanlty drifting back to it. I can only assume that this will go on, despite having finished the novel, and that it will need to marinade in my brain for a bit.

All the generic stuff I could say feel stale - yes, the characters are three dimensional, the pacing is superb, the setting is interesting and makes you want more, but I kind of don't care about that at all. I need to think about this, without being able to tell you how long it'll take me.

If you look for a book for asian heritage month or something for a readathon that either says dark or thought-provoking, this would fit in nicely.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

Beautifully written and captivating, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The cross narratives of sisters separated by so many factors heightened the emotions and raised the stakes as they fought to be reunited.

What seems a simple matter of distance between sisters becomes more complex as details are revealed with emotional gut punches over and over again. The world becomes more twisted, utopia crumbles into dystopia, and hope disappears.

Even the writing style of the different perspectives match the storyteller. Cee is descriptive and flowing, her narrative revolves around colours and memories and dreams.

"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."

The writing is lyrical and strong, reflecting her emotions and surroundings and the task at hand. Kasey, on the other hand, is logical to a fault and the writing feels clipped and insensitive.

"None of us live without consequence. Our personal preferences are not truly personal. One person’s needs will deny another’s. Our privileges can harm ourselves and others."

At one point she begins to show signs of weakening and the narrative reflects this but quickly straightens out as she gets a handle on herself and her decision.

The ending ran a little long for me after the final reveal; I kept waiting for something else to happen which made it a little anticlimactic, but in no way ruins the story or my overall enjoyment. I would highly recommend The Ones We're Meant to Find to any Black Mirror fans - the style is very similar. Everything is not as it first appears in this sure to be incredibly popular sci-fi story.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find follows two sisters trying to find their way back to each other. Cee wakes up on a deserted beach with almost no memory of her past except that she has a sister and she must get back to her. Kasie has spent 3 years mourning the disappearance and presumed death of her older sister. Set on a future earth beset by the terrible consequences of climate change where people spend most of their life in a virtual “holo” world to minimize energy use, the world building is original yet unsettlingly close to a possible future Earth. This poignant and atmospheric sci-fi thriller is perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld (Uglies) and Neal Shusterman (Scythe).

I find this book to be polarizing. I thought it was phenomenally written. Truly beautiful prose. And I think the ideas He presented us with were fantastic- the dual timelines, the world in which climate change has caused so much decimation and human innovation is to blame but also their only way out, characters who I found really compelling, and a robot who only defined things yet I loved.

But the plot? I just didn’t really get it. What’s in the synopsis I felt was sort of not what really happened, I felt like I was sold a tale of sisters making their way back to each other but that’s not what this book is. I didn’t understand a huge majority of what actually occurred or the purpose of it. And at the end when all was said and done, and you’ve learned what happens to everyone, I just shrugged. I think this will appeal to many people, I just was not the right reader for this book.

Cece is desperately trying to return to her sister, Stranded on an island that she can't escape, it seems all hope is lost. Meanwhile, her sister Kasey mourns her loss but needs to turn her attention to try to help humanity survive Earth's environmental collapse.

With gentle, beautiful prose, this book rips out your heart. At first it didn't feel very science fiction to me, but that quickly changes with a lot of technical parts that went over my head somewhat, but didn't actually spoil my enjoyment, Overall, I'm actually having real trouble deciding whether I liked this book or not. It was certainly worth a read though!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

I was so unexpectedly impressed by Descendant of the Crane when I got it from NetGalley a few years ago that I was so excited to see what Joan He put out next. And she’s provided a wonderful testament to her versatility by coming from a sprawling epic mystery set in historical China to a futuristic sci-if thriller with a deserted island, A.I. and humans with in-built technology monitoring them night and day.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find was very clever, well paced and meticulously structured. Like Descendant of the Crane, the story winds itself very deliberately and twists in several different directions as it progresses that you wouldn’t expect at the start - and all perfectly convincingly.

It’s characters are grey and complex, explored in a thoughtful, well-planned way. This book, at its heart, is a character study that isn’t over-indulgent in the time it gives to expanding each character, but necessary to letting the story play out in a way that immerses the reader to fully understand the reality of what their choices mean in this world. He also doesn’t enforce complete sympathy; many individuals are deeply morally conflicted, and everyone acts in fear or spite at some point, and we as the audience are allowed to doubt them and their motives. Which makes choosing to root for them all the more personal.

My one reservation is that I was left feeling... strange. I admire the grey characters and open ends but it leaves me feeling strange. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; it uprooted my expectations and assumptions in many ways, and challenged me to look at the situations differently - how many book actually leave you thinking when you put them down?

Sci-fi novels have never been my thing, but there was still a lot for me to enjoy in this book. I think Joan He is one of the most intelligent and imaginative young writers on offer at the moment, and I, again, can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Beautifully written, amazing plot, amazing characters, amazing setting, what more can I say? This book delivered, it was everything I needed it to be and even though I don't think it'll be a top favorite for me, it is definitely worth picking up and I'm so glad I read it.

The story felt so original, it didn't feel like anything I had read before, it didn't feel cliché at all and I actually didn't see anything coming, which I think it's hard these days.

I particularly loved the sisters' relationship and I think I could really relate to Kay as a younger sister but also as the least social one, I could see her suffering and it hit some nerves.

Overall I really recommend it, especially for those YA readers that are tired of always reading the same story, this is new, this is fresh and it's good.

The premise of this book was so good but unfortunately, I didn't like it as much as wanted. I like the dual timeline and I understand why the author chose to use 3rd person for Kasey. The worldbuilding was very confusing too. I'd like to read more about the city or other places. Overall, I enjoyed but it was not the story that I was expected. But I must say that the book cover is gorgeous.

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.

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

This was more than just a stunning cover. It was beautifully written and exquisitely lush. A slow burning dive into sisterly bonds, climate change, and the effect that our carbon footprint has on the earth. This story was equal parts thought provoking and emotionally challenging. It honestly blew my mind a bit. I had no idea what was really going on and I loved the different turns it took. I will say I strongly preferred Cee's chapters over Kay's. Kay's chapters are very technical, almost to the point where I'm still not sure if I understand everything, but both sisters are worth reading about and I loved how their POVs connected.

I found myself struggling through the first half of the story as it's quite slow in pacing, however if you stick with it the second half more than makes up for the time spent in the first. Once you hit between 50%-60%, the plot twists multiply, one after the other. I read the last 40% in a single sitting as I could NOT put it down. I actually found myself not seeing the main twist and it blew me away. 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.

I also loved how both characters are written in a different perspective. I personally felt that having Cee's chapters in first person really helped to connect with her, whilst having Kay's in third made me feel more removed from her. This was GENIUS. Especially with everything that unfolded. If you like sci-fi/dystopian books with fun twists, you should definitely give this a try. I look forward to reading more from Joan He!

I thought this was a fantasy book when I started it, my bad for not looking into it before reading it. I really enjoyed the book it just isn't one of the best scifi that I've read. This is also a very heavy book to read, with a lot of talk about global warming and the effects it could have on out planet. The cover is also the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

The premise of this sounded interesting, but this book was actually too complicated for me. The fact that one chapter was in first person and the other in second person also confused me and it didn't keep my attention. Some world-building facts were also confusing to follow as everything was not explained to the same extent. I can recognize the sister bonds, isolation and the scientific part of this story, but all in all, it wasn't that good as a whole.

Told from the perspectives of Kasey and Cee, sisters, one trying to save the world and one lost in the world, The Ones We’re Meant to Find truly feels like it asks you to simply hold its hand while it runs head first into the ocean during the middle of a storm and tells you it will all be fine (its lying).

This was absolutely stunning from beginning to end. Joan He has created such a beautiful and realistic world here with her unique writing style, (genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if we humans found ourselves in this situation in the future) and I at once felt attached to the characters that inhabit it. All of the sci fi elements are simple and fitting so that element doesn't make it hard to follow or grasp if you’re not usually a sci fi reader. For me it essentially reads as a futuristic contemporary so please don’t let those elements stop you from picking up this beautiful book.

The twist? Oh, the heartbreaking twist I was not ready for. I don’t think I’ve ever moved through pages as fast as I did as that moment was unfolding. The truth of it hurt so much because it made sense but also Joan He has made you feel so much for these characters in such a short amount of time that it really felt like I had been dunked by a sudden wave and you’re floundering for a second searching for the surface (sorry for all the ocean references but it truly feels like this and it just makes sense okay?).

As an anticipated read, from the moment I saw that cover to the moment I finished that last page, I can happily say I have not been disappointed.

I am so sad to say that I did not like this book at all and stopped reading it at about 30% in. I couldn't get into the story, writing, or characters and I found myself bored. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book though. The cover is absolutely stunning!