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A review by chaptersonapage
The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He takes place in a world where climate change has gotten to a critical state. Megaquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters occur all around the Earth, with each disaster killing vast numbers of humans.
Those who have what is deemed a high rank, meaning they were the ones who helped the Earth more, or who were not ones who caused so much of the destruction of it, have the opportunity to live in places called Eco Cities. They’re cities in the sky where humans are safer than on the ground.
In the city lived two sisters, Celia and Kasey. While both sisters are opposites in many ways, they still love one another. Then, one day, Celia goes for a boat ride on the sea and never comes back.
The book picks up after this has happened. In alternating timelines, we see the perspectives of Kasey, taking place 3 months after Celia went missing, and Cee, taking place 3 years after she wakes up on the shore of an island with almost no memories.
The science in this book is a little jarring at first, but it’s also really interesting. We get sort of thrown into it, having to learn about the society as things happen rather than having it described in detail early on, but as I read the book I understood this choice stylistically.
Though this book takes place in such a scientific time in the world, the science comes secondary to the characters. It’s still important to the story, but I felt like this was more of a character study of the two sisters. Who they are, who they were, and who they are going to become. As they learn about themselves and each other, we learn too.
Cee is on an abandoned island, alone for years with only a bot for company. She spends her days building a boat, hoping she can eventually make her way off the island and find her sister, Kay. It’s the thing that keeps her going, day in and day out. She’s a very determined character, driven by her fleeting memories. She’s hardy, having learned to take care of herself since she has no one else to rely on. As her story progresses, you learn more about who she is, and you see how she changes and grows into herself.
Kasey on the other hand is still in the eco city, living life several months after her sister’s disappearance. She’s a very introverted character, one who prefers science over the company of others. She struggles with how she feels towards things, how she reacts differently then other people, but she’s also unapologetically herself. Though she operates differently from others, I feel like she still cared about things, it just came through differently than it would a “normal” person. I found her perspective really interesting to read, she’s different from a lot of characters in books. She’s not instantly likable, but I think that’s what made me like her. She is who she is.
At some points this book was a little confusing to me, especially earlier on. Some of the science stuff went a little over my head, but eventually I got a grasp on it as I learned more about the world and what happened. The beginning can feel a little slow, but some things start to dawn on you as you get closer to the midpoint where everything changes. Once this happens, the story becomes a lot more clear, and I feel like the pace picks up.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and Joan He’s writing. The ending was a little too open ended for my liking, I prefer a more concrete ending, but I also understand why it was left the way it was. It makes you think and reflect on the story and the characters even after reading. This was definitely a unique book, and I think it was a great read.
Those who have what is deemed a high rank, meaning they were the ones who helped the Earth more, or who were not ones who caused so much of the destruction of it, have the opportunity to live in places called Eco Cities. They’re cities in the sky where humans are safer than on the ground.
In the city lived two sisters, Celia and Kasey. While both sisters are opposites in many ways, they still love one another. Then, one day, Celia goes for a boat ride on the sea and never comes back.
The book picks up after this has happened. In alternating timelines, we see the perspectives of Kasey, taking place 3 months after Celia went missing, and Cee, taking place 3 years after she wakes up on the shore of an island with almost no memories.
The science in this book is a little jarring at first, but it’s also really interesting. We get sort of thrown into it, having to learn about the society as things happen rather than having it described in detail early on, but as I read the book I understood this choice stylistically.
Though this book takes place in such a scientific time in the world, the science comes secondary to the characters. It’s still important to the story, but I felt like this was more of a character study of the two sisters. Who they are, who they were, and who they are going to become. As they learn about themselves and each other, we learn too.
Cee is on an abandoned island, alone for years with only a bot for company. She spends her days building a boat, hoping she can eventually make her way off the island and find her sister, Kay. It’s the thing that keeps her going, day in and day out. She’s a very determined character, driven by her fleeting memories. She’s hardy, having learned to take care of herself since she has no one else to rely on. As her story progresses, you learn more about who she is, and you see how she changes and grows into herself.
Kasey on the other hand is still in the eco city, living life several months after her sister’s disappearance. She’s a very introverted character, one who prefers science over the company of others. She struggles with how she feels towards things, how she reacts differently then other people, but she’s also unapologetically herself. Though she operates differently from others, I feel like she still cared about things, it just came through differently than it would a “normal” person. I found her perspective really interesting to read, she’s different from a lot of characters in books. She’s not instantly likable, but I think that’s what made me like her. She is who she is.
At some points this book was a little confusing to me, especially earlier on. Some of the science stuff went a little over my head, but eventually I got a grasp on it as I learned more about the world and what happened. The beginning can feel a little slow, but some things start to dawn on you as you get closer to the midpoint where everything changes. Once this happens, the story becomes a lot more clear, and I feel like the pace picks up.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and Joan He’s writing. The ending was a little too open ended for my liking, I prefer a more concrete ending, but I also understand why it was left the way it was. It makes you think and reflect on the story and the characters even after reading. This was definitely a unique book, and I think it was a great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness