maggiefan
Written on Apr 28, 2022
Perfect for fans of Rick Yancey and Marie Lu, this sci-fi fantasy with mind-blowing twists is ready to burst onto the YA scene.
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 Metropolis—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.
- ISBN10 1250258561
- ISBN13 9781250258564
- Publish Date 4 May 2021
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint Roaring Brook Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 384
- Language English
Reviews
herseriallife
Written on Aug 3, 2021
It's a good YA dystopian / sci-fi Summer read.
Detailed review coming soon.
riv @dearrivarie
Written on Jul 26, 2021
The Ones We're Meant to Find is powerful, beautiful, and a sense of confusion that morphs itself into wonder. It's been a good month since I've finished this story and my brain still struggles to fully comprehend all that Joan He has packed into this novel. For a story that's set in the future where humanity has destroyed the earth and must live in floating eco-cities, its themes are incredibly timeless. Cee woke up on an abandoned island with no memory except that she needed to find her sister whereas Kasey lives in the sky and the last clue she has to her sister's disappearance is a washed-up boat.
The ocean plays such a powerful role in its imagery throughout the novel and Joan He masterfully leaves these crumbs that slowly connect as the characters themselves are coming to their own conclusions. Reading this was one of the most immersive experiences ever because the characters' exploration of the world, the societal structure, the relationship dynamics around them, become part of your own.
The relationship between Kasey and Cee is so dynamic that I don't think words could quite capture it fully. While Kasey is reserved and analytical, Cee is friendly and full of hope, but they are both driven by a strong sense of determination to do what they think is the right next step. Cee's character fits the more likable YA protagonist and that makes her storyline more interesting to read about at first, but Kasey's personality reflects that rational and ambitious drive that is part of every individual. As you learn more about the sisters' relationship with each other, there's almost a sense of self-discovery as the reader because you cannot leave this novel without finding something new about yourself through either Kasey or Cee's journey.
It's truly best to go in knowing as little as possible because no expectations can quite prepare you for what happens in this novel. Just keep in mind that your ideas of climate change, the future of society, the definition of loyalty to one's family - it will all be challenged and expanded.
originally posted on dearrivarie
Quirky Cat
Written on May 31, 2021
Add The Ones We're Meant to Find to the top of my books read in 2021, please! It's a brilliant novel, one that I cannot recommend enough. Written by Joan He, it promises to be a blend of We Were Liars, Black Mirror, and Studio Ghibli.
That being said, I want to throw my own addition into that mix. There were so many elements in this novel that reminded me of The Uglies. And I loved every second of it. So fans of that original trilogy should seriously consider checking it out.
Cee has been trapped and alone on an island for years. Well, mostly alone. She does have a bot to keep her company. So, that's something. But in reality, all Cee wants to do is get off the island and find her sister, Kay. She knows that Kay is out there somewhere, waiting for her.
Meanwhile, Kay, aka Kasey Mizuhara, is living a very different life. She's safely inside an eco-city, one built by people like her parents. She doesn't understand why her sister went missing or what she can do to bring her back. So you can imagine how quickly she jumps at the chance to find the truth when presented to her.
"The problem with oceans? They always seem smaller from the shore."
Words cannot express how much I loved this book. It was amazing, intense, rich, and so painfully human at times. It is everything I could have asked for in a futuristic novel. Cee and Kay were amazing leading characters, showcasing the complexity that has come with their world.
This novel was somehow very bleak at times and yet had such strong solarpunk themes. There was a real sense of hope – at times – for the future and what humanity could do to repair the damage done.
Naturally, that brings up one of the points I loved about this book. It opened up room for conversation. Not just about pollution and conservation efforts, but how humanity tends to regard these efforts. We seem to always be bouncing back and forth, from one extreme to the next, and that was beautifully captured here.
"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 two different narratives in this tale, Cee and Kay's, couldn't have been more different if you tried. And yet, they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. As the story progressed, it began to make more sense of how these two characters came to such different points.
I adored every moment of their journey, and part of me felt broken when it all came to an end. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not to either of them, but especially not to Cee, who found a way to write a story directly into my heart.
This is one of those novels that seemed to project imagery right into my head. Because of this, it has left me feeling rather desperate to see an adaptation of it. I don't know how likely that is; I just know that I would love to see a movie version of it.
As I sit down to write this review, I see that The Ones We're Meant to Find is hovering just below a 4-star rating. While I know that this isn't a bad rating, it does make me feel like it's already underrated. That's clearly my bias showing, and I'm only bringing it up to make it clear just how much I loved this book.
I can see the ending being somewhat divisive. Personally, I feel like the ending was every bit the ending we deserved. By we, I mean the characters and the readers. No more, no less.
Thanks to Roaring Brook and #BookishFirst for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
alindstadtcorbeax
Written on May 16, 2021
So as much as i hate sort of open endings like that... the rest of the book was, WOW, nothing short of incredible !
Okay, wow. Wowwowwow. I am... breathless. I just... this YA "utopian"/dystopian, apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, Sci-Fi, just absolute work of art, was so completely phenomenal that I have no words. This was BEAUTIFUL & poignant & just AGHHHH ALL THE THINGS! What a TWIST!
More RTC when I find my bearings!