THE ONES WE'RE MEANT TO FIND | Joan He

 

PUBLISHING DATE: 4 May 2021

What I thought was a simple story about two sisters trying to find each other after being separated is actually so much more than that. I am blown away.

The Ones We're Meant to Find is a climate/science fiction novel set some indeterminate time in the future, and follows two sisters: the first, Cee, washed up on an island three years ago, with few memories of her past and an inability to see in colour. Here she has lived, gathering materials and biding her time until she can get back to the sister she remembers. Kasey, who lives in an eco-city high above the climate-ravaged earth, lost her sister. Like, actually lost her. Security cameras watched Celia take a boat into the ocean three months ago, and she hasn't been seen or heard from since. Kasey is on a mission to find out what happened.

I don't know what I was expecting from this story, but it far and away exceeded those expectations. I can't go into much detail, because anything beyond the basic synopsis is a massive spoiler, but just know that this book had me guessing and second-guessing all the way through. It's wonderfully written - Joan He knows what she is doing, and the shift in writing style between the two stories was masterfully done. From the dreamy, disconnected, floaty quality of Cee's chapters to the solid, clear writing in Kasey's, He has crafted a truly immersive experience.

It's a thinker, too. What is moral and immoral, and how does that change when lives are at stake? What lengths would we go to to save the earth? What lengths to save humanity? Are the sins of our forebearers ours to carry?

The Ones We're Meant to Find is brilliant. Highly, highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Text Publishing for providing me with this ARC.