A review by hellobookbird
The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He

3.0

Alone is an island. It’s an uncrossable sea, being too far from another world, whereas lonely is being too close, in the same house yet separated by walls because we choose to be, and when I fall asleep, the pain of loneliness follows me.

Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it’s up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her.

In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara lives in an eco-city built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return.

Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But nevertheless, she decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.

No one enters this world by choice. If we're lucky, we can choose how we leave.

I was lucky enough to purchase the B&N Hardback Edition with gorgeous pearl cover, stamped case, and inside artwork. Honestly, this book is a thing of beauty.

As far as the novel itself, [b:The Ones We're Meant to Find|44084665|The Ones We're Meant to Find|Joan He|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600354595l/44084665._SY75_.jpg|68554141] is a meandering read that jumps back and forth between the past and the present to weave together what happened then and how it relates to now. You'll be puzzled for almost the entire thing—for good reason—and the twist at the end is delicious.

Because it was possible to love someone without fully understanding them. Possible to love parts of them, and not their whole.

Also, I actually really like that this book takes a look at just how much humans can suck while still being emotionally connective. Joan He challenges you to consider a few questions...and I'm not sorry.

Would people ever willingly give up their freedom for the good of others?

Only recommended for readers that don't need a lot of action.