Title: The Ones We're Meant To Find

Author: Joan He

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Duration: 55 chapters

Type: Published novel (released May 4, 2021)

Synopsis: 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.

Reasons for Recommendation (this is a spoiler-free commentary)

Cover: 5/5 - There's something calming and enchanting about the cover. And the interior design matches with the nautical theme of the cover and concept of the story.

Characters: 5/5

     Celia ("Cee") Mizuhara: Celia has that sarcastic sense of humor that makes the reader laugh at. Because the story takes place in a futuristic setting, there are plenty of grim moments. However, Celia's interactions with U-me, a bot designed to answer open-ended questions, helps balance those dark moments with a touch of humor. Throughout the story, we root for Celia and hope she is able to reunite with her sister. It's easy to feel her pain and her confusion as she struggles with living on a desolate island alone. Celia is that strong-willed female protagonist that most of us love reading about.

     Kasey ("Kay") Mizuhara: Kasey, Celia's sister, struggles with the media's attention surrounding her sister's disappearance. Labeled apathetic for announcing her sister dead without any further searches, she's determined to find out what happened to her sister. We won't share what secret she's hiding because you'll have to read to find out, but it's certainly a thrilling cliffhanger that will blow your mind!

Plot: 5/5 - The plot is wholly original as Joan He has crafted a futuristic world so thoroughly. From AIs and stasis pods to a citizen ranking system, Joan's originality will surprise any reader who stumbles upon this book.

It should be noted that Celia's perspective is told from a first person perspective and Kasey's from a third person perspective. Although these perspectives differ, they compliment each other in a variety of ways. We not only get to see what these two sisters go through to try to find each other, we get to see different parts of this created world from their different perspectives.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

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