The Ones We're Meant to Find

I’m not gonna lie I definitely brought this book for its cover but what’s inside definitely did not disappoint. Set in a world where humans have all but destroyed the planet the story follows two sisters Cee and Kasey who are worlds away from each other. Both Cee and Kasey’s POV’s are present in the book and I loved the contrast between the two as well as how the two interlinked.Although this is classed as sci-fi the story isn’t heavily sci-fi and is rather a story within a sci-if/dystopian setting. The story does include tech which is similar to that of TV shows Black Mirror and Brave New World. So definitely don’t let it this being within the sci-fi category put you of if it’s not your usual genre!This book was just so beautifully written and gives off this amazing soft image when imagining the world. The story twists and turns were completely unexpected and left me wanting more.

I found the ending a let down and just wasn’t overall that impressed by this book.

Sin duda el mejor libro que he leído en mucho tiempo

I've waited a little bit after finishing The Ones We're Meant to Find hoping some coherent thoughts would find their way into my brain and it's just not happening. This book has left me speechless. It's no secret that I loved Joan' first novel, Descendant of the Crane and this book is just as good (maybe better but don't tell Hesina!) The genre is a bit different, more of dystopian sci-fi setting but there's still the classic Joan plot twists that left me screaming and some super sad scenes that brought out all of my tears.This is primarily a book about sisters, Celia and Kasey. Cee has been stuck on an abandoned island with only an outdated robot for company. She's lost most of her memory but knows that she has a sister out in the world and is trying her best to get back to her. Kasey back home in eco-city, a floating metropolis designed to protect people from the decaying planet, has no idea what happened to her sister after a camera records her taking a boat out to sea more than three months prior. Kasey rules her life by logic and science and logic says that Celia should have died of dehydration or drowning after being missing for so long but she can't stop the hope that Celia will be found. Celia is the only one who could break through Kasey's stoicism. I loved the sisters so much, their relationship and characterization was so much more complex than the initial assumption of social butterfly and stoic loner.Someone else said this book reminded them of a Studio Ghibli film and I could not agree more. A lot of Ghibli films focus on themes of environmentalism. In The Ones We're Meant to Find humanity has destroyed the planet, mega quakes are common occurrences, the water has become incredibly polluted, even the air is filled with toxic gas. The lucky few managed to make it to an eco-city, floating above most of the horrors that now plague the Earth. Space is tight in the eco-cities and there's simply not enough room for everyone on Earth, the governing bodies of the eco-cities have become desperate for ideas on how to save humanity. I was fascinated by all the examples of how what's currently being done to the planet can turn into these mega-disasters if nothing is done to course correct. Ghibli films also have beautiful quiet moments that let the larger story breathe. I found those same moments in this book, more so in the beginning before the twists get really crazy and start propelling the story but they were still there in a couple of scenes toward the end. This was a truly beautiful book.

The One’s We’re Meant to Find by Joan He left me emotional and pensive once I finished it. It’s a beautiful tale of two sisters, one who’s trapped on an island with no memory of who she is (only that she has to find her sister). The other is a prodigy living in an “eco-city”, called upon to help protect the future of the human race from the mega-disasters continuously occurring. They are both searching for each other, but I don’t think either was prepared for what they would discover in the process.The story is set in a post-climate apocalypse where humanity has damaged the planet beyond recovery and lucky survivors live in the eco-cities (with anyone who’s unlucky forced to still live on land). The most eco-friendly person you’ve ever met? Doesn’t matter one bit if one of their ancestors just happened to work with chemicals. It will immediately disqualify you from citizenship to the eco-cities. The cities are designed in such a way to minimize further human impact on the environment and protect the inhabitants from earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms. While this is definitely a work of fiction, I think it’s important to note that something like this happening in the future is completely possible if people don’t start addressing climate change now.Having a sister myself, I completely understand how easy it is to have a complicated relationship yet still care immensely about the other person. Despite their messy relationship, the love between the two is undeniable. I was rooting for Cee and Kay to reunite, but things did NOT turn out the way I was anticipating. Cee’s point of view was much easier to follow than Kay’s. I think it’s because it’s easier to relate to Cee’s quest to survive on the island than everything sciencey Kay is doing in the eco-city. Things can get confusing when switching back and forth, but with taking a couple of notes here and there I was able to follow along successfully.The One’s We’re Meant to Find would appeal to a wide range of audiences. It is primarily marketed towards teenagers (being in the young adult book category) but I think that the commentary on climate change, the dual point of view, the plot twists, and the very imaginative, futuristic technology featured in the book will entice older readers as well. If you’re a fan of thought-provoking science fiction reads with a bit of mystery thrown in, then I highly recommend you give this book a chance.CW: Gore, Violence, Death of a Loved One, Terminal Illness (Cancer), Drowning, Choking, Mass Death, Grief, Natural Disasters