I received this digital copy in exchange for an honest review, thanks Text Publishing!

This book is undeniably odd and the marketing team are not wrong when they say it has major Black Mirror vibes. The Ones We’re Meant to Find is twisty and so beautifully written, and just like Descendant of the Crane it takes a while to get going but that last third is so worth it.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find explores life after we’ve destroyed the ecosystem with most of the population living a third of their lives in a VR style stasis, and you explore it through the eyes of two very different girls. The ocean is toxic, the earth is plagued by earthquakes and a myriad of other natural disasters, so I’d stay away from this one if you suffer with climate anxiety, but it is a fascinating look at how the human race responds to a situation like this.

The two perspectives that you’ll be following are very different, but I loved the contrast between Cee’s survival story and Kay’s more technical sci-fi chapters inside the eco-city. I did end up loving Cee’s chapters more, I think this was probably intended though as Kay often talks about how well-loved her sister is, but it was also an escape from the rather confusing technology in Kay’s chapters. This is a book you’ll need to be paying attention to, it’s twisty, mysterious, and not to use the metaphor from Shrek but this book is a bit like an onion…it has layers. It might take you a while to get into the rhythm of it all but this mystery is so worth uncovering and a fantastic example of an intricate slow-burn thriller with an ending that will leave you wanting.

There are a few negatives though and first up is that slow pace in the first half or so of the book as it definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and this paired with the complex world-building happening makes the first 50% a challenging read. It can also be a rather confusing read at times with a whole heap of new technology being dumped on you at once, alongside the understandable element of confusion that comes along with an unravelling mystery.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find is a challenging read but for your hard work, you’ll get a complex thriller filled with tragedy and clever twists. Joan He is the master of the morally grey and the second half of this novel is so engrossing that I’ll definitely be picking this up for a reread at some point.

Recommend: If you’re a lover of a slow burn sci-fi thriller or enjoyed Joan He’s masterful debut novel Descendant of the Crane then this one’s for you.

I cannot stop thinking about it. I cannot stop rereading passages, searching for things I may have missed, gasping at the sheer cleverness.

I won’t discuss much because this story is meant to be discovered, not prepared for but if you like Ghibli, stories of sisters, questioning morality, compelling plots, dystopian worlds, unputdownable stories, the ocean, books that break your heart and mind—you need to put this on your tbr.

Even my partner won’t let me tell him about this book because it “sounds too good” and wants to read it for himself.

As someone who loves watching sci-fi films/shows, I have never enjoyed reading sci-fi books. So you cannot imagine how excited I was to learn Joan He(!!!) was writing a sci-fi/dystopian book because that meant I was finally going to get a SF book to love. (And I was right!)

That’s all for now. Order this book! Request your local library to preorder! Put it on your tbr!

And then prepare your heart and mind to be broken.

Jumping into this book, I had read the summary when I first found out about it, but my goldfish brain had forgotten by the time I picked it up and I have to admit, I’m glad for once. Going into this one blind just feels like the best way to enjoy this one.

Told in two perspectives, Celia and Kay, right off the bat, the reader can feel something is off, but is unclear how exactly. He does a wonderful job of dropping hints to keep the reader interested in what is going on and eager to keep reading. This is even more impressive to me considering that it is a multi-POV book as I was invested in both POVs and not wanting one to end so I could get back to the other one.

I had been told that this is really a book about sisterhood. Now, while it is, it is not as prominent as I thought it would be. There is a lot about Kasey and Celia and their relationship and I loved seeing it. I love a good family relationship and seeing on here warmed my heart. Please give me more close family relationships.

But I feel like the true focus is on environmental issues. The world-building here is really exceptional and thought provoking. It was fascinating to dive into this world where there are eco-cities that protect the residents from natural disasters. But, that alone truly had me thinking as there was a ranking system of the residents (the discussion on privilege was also prevalent).

There was so much mystery to this book. I was hooked trying to put all the pieces together. It does make the beginning a little confusing, but nonetheless, it’s entirely captivating.

It’s really hard to talk about this book without giving too much away, but I suggest giving it a chance. It’s a beautiful story about sisters, about the environment and what we need to do for it. It’ll hurt. It’ll make you made. It’ll make you think and it’s all worth it.

This is the most beautiful cover I've ever seen. I enjoyed so many aspects of this story, but ultimately it was more high sci-fi than I was expecting and parts of the story and narrative style lost me. I loved the sister relationship, but I was somewhat detached during the whole story. I think people who read more sci fi will really love this story.

OH MY GOD!!! THIS BOOK???? IT'S PERFECT???? I genuinely don't think there are many books currently in existence that had the effect "The Ones We're Meant to Find" did.
Usually, in my reviews, I follow a specific structure: I dedicate a paragraph to writing, one to plot, one to characters, and so on, but with this book, I feel like I don't have what to say because IT WAS ALL. SO. GOOD. There's always criticism or a small thing that bothered me in the book, in each section, but I really can't think of anything that I would've liked more had it been different except for the slow-ish start. Instead of my usual review-outline-situation, I'm going to point out *very specific* things that I loved about this book!
1. THE 2 POINTS OF VIEW AND HOW WELL THEY WERE SET APART;
We follow two sisters in the novel, and each girl has their own chapters from their own point of view. Now, the thing that makes this book special is the fact that YOU CAN TELL THEM APART. You may be thinking: "Isn't that the point of a dual-pov book?" and yes, you're right. However (unfortunately), often you can't tell one character's chapter from the others' by anything but the names at the beginning of each chapter. In "The Ones We're Meant to Find" that isn't the case. Their voices are distinctive.
2. THE PLOT TWISTS?????;
The ending of this book was absolutely shocking, in a how-could-the-author-even-COME-UP-with-this-level-of-insanity-shocking. There were also so many twists along the way, and the way they all came together was *perfection*.
3. THE ROMANCE???!!!??!?!?;
That's all I will say on this subject. It was just *chef's kiss*.
4. THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING;
They're very well fleshed out, very different from each other (in the best way possible), and I got *very* attached.
5. THE WRITING???;
It was so beautiful and detailed, but not in a "This is boring" way, it's detailed in an "I can smell the ocean from here!" way.
6. The whole concept is beyond creative;
The eco-cities, dystopian, sci-fi feel of the books embeds an impending sense of doom onto the page and unavoidably into your stomach.
7. It made me cry;
I will not elaborate, but if a book makes me cry, it instantly gets five stars.

I think that about sums it up. In conclusion, I'm obsessed with this book. I've already forced about ten people to read it (they also loved it!!), SO YOU SHOULD GET YOURSELF A COPY TOO!

Thank you so much for granting my request for this title. Unfortunately I am struggling to get into this book. I have decided to not finish it at this time. I will not be be reviewing this work because of this. I think that many younger readers will enjoy this book and I do wish it all the best.

Kind regards,

Brittney

The Ones We’re Meant to Find took me completely by surprise; what began as a story of two sisters separated by the sea quickly became something so much more. Joan He seamlessly combines classic elements of science fiction, fantasy and thriller to create what is an undeniably striking and unique tale, gripping from start to finish.

It’s been three years since Cee washed up on the shore of a deserted island, with nothing more than an android to keep her company and a wooden shack to reside in. Her only memory is that she has a sister, the person she needs to find.
Kasey lives in a skydome—the last unpolluted place on earth, meant to shelter those dedicated to protecting the planet. It’s been years since the quiet disappearance of her sister, though Kasey is convinced that she isn’t really dead like everyone says.

Joan He made several interesting stylistic choices that did wonders for this story. Cee’s perspective is told in first person, while Kasey’s is told in second—an insignificant detail at first, though it becomes brilliant in light of the revelations that come. The writing is a large part of what made this such a well crafted novel; it was so easy to fall into He’s strange world (which is no small feat considering its bizarre constructs).

Kasey’s perspective is probably my only complaint about The One’s We’re Meant to Find. It was hard to sympathize with her in the first half, mainly due to her closed off and almost apathetic personality. I found Cee’s fight to escape the island far more enticing, especially when paired with her eccentric and odd charisma. The romance was near perfect, I was so charmed by the love interest’s interactions with Cee.

The One’s We’re Meant to Find was nothing like I expected (which was, to say, a fairly typical young adult fantasy). Joan He’s wordbuilding is immaculate, and her storyline is evidently planned with careful attention to detail. By the halfway mark, it was plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. My head was spinning with the shock. This book will leave you entertained, that’s for sure! Definitely a release to keep on your radar!

I've slowly been trying out more sci-fi books because I don't read them often, and I'm so glad I got to read this one! I absolutely loved the concept of this book, the gorgeous cover, the amazing plot twist (!!!), and the fact that this book will get you questioning themes of consciousness and humanity. Further, I thought the world-building and plot were very well done. I liked learning more and more about the world throughout the book and having the feeling of puzzle pieces slowly starting to fit together. My main reason for rating this book 3 stars is because I had difficulty understanding Kay's chapters in this book. The book has a dual POV (Kay and Cee), which I really liked, but Kay's POV included a lot of technical terms which I had to reread and look up multiple times in order to understand. All in all, I'm glad I read this and will definitely be looking forward to reading some more sci-fi books in the near future!

Thank you to Text Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc. This did not affect the honesty of my review in any way.

Sadly this one wasn't for me. I found it boring and chaotic at the same time, with the two parallel stories obviously not lining up, but both being too far fetched for me to believe or be interested in. The plot twist was the only part I actually enjoyed.

I first got an interest in this book because of the reactions I saw from people talking about it on twitter, yet nothing I read could've prepared me for what I went through when I actually sat down and read it myself. I adored this book.

Firstly, a huge thank you to Text Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Last year I read He’s debut Descendant of the Crane and was in awe of the way she is able to carefully craft the characters in her story and write so beautifully, even if the plot could be dark and heavy at times. Whilst The Ones We’re Meant To Find is very different from her debut, I was still eager to read it and be immersed in He’s writing once again, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

The novel focuses on two sisters, Kasey (Kay) and Ceila (Cee) in a dual narrative where they are both determined to find out what has happened to the other. I adored being able to see the different perspectives of the sisters, not only did this allow us to learn more about them as individuals as well as a sister unit but it also helped enrich our understanding of the girls through seeing them through their sister’s eyes too. In the beginning when we’re first introduced to them, I thought they were incredibly similar, so much so that I would sometimes forget whose perspective I was reading. However, the more I spent time with the characters, the more I could see how different they were and how unique they were, not just in comparison to each other but to everyone else around them too.

The dual narrative also ensured that this novel was perfectly paced, just as you thought you were beginning to figure something out for one sister, the perspective would change. I also loved the way that I didn’t figure out what was going on until the exact moment you’re supposed to put the pieces together, mere pages for the reveal itself. This was incredibly satisfying for me and also a testament to He’s writing talent for being able to carefully control this from the page. Having the dual narrative beautifully illustrated the parallels in the lives of the sisters, from figuring out how to find their way apart to the introduction to new characters in their lives. Not only do the new characters of Actinum and the unnamed boy bring great contrast to Kay and Cee and highlight how differently the sisters interact with others; but they are wonderful additions as characters in their own right. I found myself caring about them just as much as the sisters.

This novel is set in a future where the world has been ravaged by climate change and humans have had to adapt in all kinds of ways to be able to live in a world that is becoming incredibly inhabitable. I was fascinated with the idea of the eco cities and the different ways that people have turned to technology in order to carry on living a somewhat normal life (eg. virtual travel rather than actual travel). The whole world and concept was so beautifully crafted that I was simply captivated by it all. So much care and attention was put into every aspect of this novel and it’s something that I really appreciated. He’s descriptions of the world were beautiful and yet they were also bittersweet at times which felt very poignant.

Overall, in case you couldn’t tell, I adored everything about this novel. Plot, setting and characters all came together and complemented each other so perfectly and I loved the strong image of the sea that flowed through the novel. Like the sea, The Ones We’re Meant to Find had moments of beautiful calm as well as powerful and tumultuous conflicts and revelations. This is most definitely a must read.

This book didn't work for me but I'm sure another reader will absolutely connect with it in a way that I didn't.

We begin with two sisters: Cee and Kay, one is stuck on an abandoned island and the other lives on a floating city built to withstand the world falling apart. (For any Ghibli fans, I'm sure you'd appreciate the 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky' vibes). Through out the book, we see the two sisters working towards finding one another, and also discover some twisted secrets along the way..
_

I was not prepared for this book.
The plot twists, the characters, the state of the world that feels eerily similar to our own - or atleast how it might be in a couple of years time👀.. I enjoyed all of it! Trying to uncover the truth alongside these characters was such a thrilling experience, and I was so emotionally attached to these sisters by the end. 😢

Speaking of the ending (well we can't because spoilers), but it left me feeling some kind of way I won't lie. 😭 All I can say is that if you enjoy twisty-YAs then you need to pick this up!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Text Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Was excited about this because I saw a lot of good reviews but I ended up DNFing at 25% as I wasn’t gelling with the writing style and found the beginning rather repetitive

I was lucky enough to get an eARC of The Ones We’re Meant to Find. I apologize for the delay in this review due to a reading slump.
When a girl with no memory washes up on an island only to find she’s completely alone. But one name does come back to her. Kay. Kay, a sister she left behind and finds this drive to try and find her at all costs. Not far off Kasey, a STEM Prodigy is attempting to finally say goodbye to her sister who has been missing for months. No one knows what happened to her, but plenty of people are speculating. When Kasey is given the chance to find answers about her sister, she takes it. After all, it’s not like she can study science as she once did anyways.
This story makes you think that it’s one thing only for it to twist everything on its head. You start to guess what’s happening only to get some of it correct only to miss other pieces. The atmosphere of this book is different than what you expect coming from a dystopian book, which might be why I was able to actually get through this book, even if it took me longer than I would have liked it to. Despite not having answers, I didn’t feel much draw or connection to these characters, which surprised me. And not just because Kasey appearing to be neurodiverse, when I normally relate to such characters a lot seeing as I’m also neurodiverse. Even with the small taste of Studio Ghibli (Which this book does have at first, but by the end I wasn’t feeling it). I do believe this is a great book, that it had a lot to offer and told an interested and twisted story about what comes next for us as humans when we damage the planet too far to recover from. But at a time when there’s very little hope for most of us, it just wasn’t time to read it for me. I’m hoping to come back to this book later in hopes of liking it more, but right now this book is only a three star book at this time. There was one plot twist I didn’t see coming completely, so that was a nice surprise. The rest you just start having a gut feeling that it could happen and it does.

I picked up this book because of the cover... and I'm not disappointed I did! It was so unique and different from what I was expecting. The twists and turns had me addicted, not wanting to put the book down. Both sisters were so complex and I loved seeing their characters. This book honestly made me pretty sad, it was about longing and pining, and it pulled on my heart like nothing else. It was so beautifully written and I would recommend this to everyone.

The Ones We're Meant to Find is a tale of two halves - the first half was paced super slow, with nothing much happening, while the second half was paced too quickly, with nonstop twists. I unfortunately found the change in pace a little too late - since I didn't connect with our characters early on, I didn't really care for how everything turned out.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought it would, though I appreciate He tackling important topics.

I wanted to love this book unconditionally as so many had, but I didn’t. Even though I enjoy science, sci-fi is a hard genre for me to get into, and this book felt extra confusing to me. More than half of the book was slow and honestly a bit boring, so it was hard for me to keep up and be interested. I enjoyed Cee’s point of view more than Kasey’s since I liked her more. The revelation at approximately 60% gave it the needed twist for me not to classify it as DNF, but I was left a bit confused at the end. It was confirmed it was an open ending so I guess I should have seen it coming. Nevertheless, the topics discussed in it, like climate change and capitalism, were handled amazingly. I cannot say I don’t recommend this book, because so many people loved it, but it was not for me. If you enjoy books with sci-fi, slow build-up, and an open ending, plus beautiful prose and the various shades of sisterhood, then this book is for you.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find is a captivating story, with evocative prose and filled with memorable quotes. While it is a story about two sisters, their respective chapters contrast and complement each other, although they may seem a bit trope-y. The themes drag the reader into a science fiction which has some themes that – perhaps awfully so – are reminding of our world, making it an engaging read. While some of the worldbuilding was lacking, and the info-dumps at times distracting, the novel itself is overall a solid stand-alone adventure, and I would highly recommend it! I would also like to draw attention to the cover: it is one of the most stunning covers I have seen in a while, and caught my intention immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of this book, although I thought it was slow. Then we get to the twist, and I just did not like it. After that, things got too weird for me. The writing was lyrical and beautiful but I had to force myself to finish. However, I think that is just a matter of personal preference - some people I think may love the twist, but it wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.