tl;dr we were liars meets black mirror WOW amazing stunning beautiful
Premise
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.
Rating
4/5 stars
Review
I'm writing this review with tears streaming down my face. I am completely in shock and questioning my entire existence at the same time.
I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this -- it's sci-fi that delves into the topics of climate change, morality, humanity, and privilege, and it's a book that makes you look inwards at your impact on the world. You vs the world. You vs the people you care about. I love how at its heart, this book tells the stories of two sisters and emphasizes the connection between the two as well as their evolving relationship. Joan He's writing style is simply beautiful -- it's so captivating and lyrical, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I loved the split POVs and it was so interesting to me how everything came back full circle. I think Cee is a fascinating character because she's gritty, determined, and would travel to the end of the earth for her sister; she's also multi-dimensional and not at all perfect, and I relate to her a lot. I also loved hearing Kay's story with her development, and I think she's a character that many can relate to in situations such as how she deals with grief and how she handles social situations. Actinium is a fascinating character as well, and I think I have a soft spot in my heart for Hero because he reminds me of Archer from "The Reader" by Traci Chee. Hero and Archer have similar backstories (especially with their names), and they're lovers, not fighters, even though the world meant for them to be fighters. They both also have that boyish quality to them, and I just want to give both of them a hug because they deserve better.
Let's not forget the plot twists because those had me speechless. I didn't see any of them coming, which meant that this book went in a completely different direction than I thought it would (which is a good thing!). I definitely screamed at my computer in shock.
The only reasons this book isn't a full 5-star read for me are that I wasn't quite engaged with some of the intermediary plot points and I was confused about the worldbuilding/the situation both sisters were in (specifically, time-wise but there's a reason for that) for the first 20% of the book. Addressing the latter point, however, it was very satisfying when the timelines finally shifted into place and everything clicked together.
Other Info
Standalone
14+
CW: death, violence
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Ones-Were-Meant-Find/dp/1250258561
Would I Recommend?
Absolutely.
Similar Books
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
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