The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He -- Restarting July 12th 2021

[Jenn]

One of the most twisty, surprising, engaging page-turner YAs you’ll read this year—We Were Liars meets Black Mirror, with a dash of Studio Ghibli.

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. Determined to find her, Cee devotes her days to building a boat from junk parts scavenged inland, doing everything in her power to survive until the day she gets off the island and reunites with her sister.

In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara is also living a life of isolation. The eco-city she calls home is one of eight levitating around the world, 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 as the public decries her stance, she starts to second guess herself and 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.

[matty]

Starting tomorrow!

[Dannii]

So shall I be :)

[Jenn]

Starting this one now :)

[Jenn]

Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[ Not sure how I'm feeling about this book so far. It's an interesting world that He is describing but I do find it hard to visualize the eco cities. I am curious about how the passing of time seems different from sister to sister. I have a lot of questions so hopefully they get answered. And just who is this guy who washed up on the shore with Cee? (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Chapter 19: (view spoiler)[ ok what is even going on? I'm starting to think there's some time travel crap going on at this point. Cee is remembering things, having attachments to names but has been on the island for 3 years. Kay has been missing her sister for what? 3 months. Something weird is going on and I'm trying to put my finger on it (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Chapter 41: (view spoiler)[ so Cee is a bot almost 900 years in the future. This is some iRobot shit going on with bots learning to feel on their own and wanting lives. It's interesting but I'm not quite sure how it's going to end (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ so Cee was Kay's bot creation and Hero was most definitely the boys creation. I did like the way the author discussed how our global footprint will affect the future. It's a hot and important topic. But I did have issues with the world visualization. And I also didn't really feel anything from Kay during her chapters. But overall an interesting book (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

I'm so sorry but I've fallen so far behind on my BRs and don't think I'm going to be able to squeeze this one into this month. I shall make it a priority for the first few days of July, though.

[Dannii]

First quarter - (view spoiler)[I'm loving this one, so far. It is so interesting to see the sad and subdued Cee on the island, compared to the vibrant centre of attention that she is in her sister's memories. I wonder why she left their eco-city and if it was her aim to never return? I wonder why her memories and ability to see colour have been taken too. So many questions!! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Jenn wrote: "Chapter 9: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I struggled to visualise the city too. I pictured it like a giant skyscraper like in The Thousandth Floor series, although I doubt that is right lol. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Dannii wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Chapter 9: [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

I'm glad I wasn't the only one hahah. Yeah I had some weird floating city ala Star Wars in my mind

[Dannii]

Second quarter - (view spoiler)[I'm feeling a little less connected to the story, at this point, but can't quite figure out why. More details about Cee's disappearance have been uncovered and her sister has learned about her untreatable illness. It isn't yet proven that this was why she set sail and left her home, though. Nor has it been explained why she has not yet died. I'm starting to question of the island is even a real place at all, or merely a sort of purgatory/heaven/spiritual realm? The boy who washed up on the shore is still a huge mystery too, as is why Cee's ability to see colour suddenly returned. (hide spoiler)]

Third quarter - (view spoiler)[Cee is an AI? Created by her sister? 1,000 years ago? I did not see that coming!!! The mystery for who Actinium really was, and why he didn't appear in any of her sister's memories when he claimed to be so close to her was just as compelling as all previous ones. The discovery that he was Andre Cole and a bot took his place on the plane ride that was supposed to take his life was shocking and only led to yet more questions being formed. (hide spoiler)]

Fourth quarter - (view spoiler)[It was sad to learnt that the ocean had been poisoned a fortnight before Cee and Kacey visited it and the true results covered up, causing her sister's death.

The mysteries compelled me to keep reading and I didn't foresee any of the twists but I struggled to really visualise most of the scenes, which distanced me from what was occurring. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Jenn wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

These were all my thoughts exactly. (view spoiler)[I thought the plot was pretty unique but I couldn't really immerse myself in all that occurring when it felt like each scene was a little half-formed with no background scenery to orientate the reader. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

I agree with all of your points Dannii. It was a very interesting concept, but really struggled on the visualization.

[Dannii]

Jenn wrote: "I agree with all of your points Dannii. It was a very interesting concept, but really struggled on the visualization."

It's such a shame as the author's debut, Descendant of the Crane, is one of my favourite YA fantasy books.

[Jenn]

I have that book in one of my piles lol. I need to read it.

[Dannii]

Jenn wrote: "I have that book in one of my piles lol. I need to read it."

I hope you enjoy it more than this book :)

[Dr. Andy]

Gonna jump onto this one as well!

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting July 12th 2021. Happy Reading ☺

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[Jenn]

Andy wrote: "Gonna jump onto this one as well!"

Can't wait to see what you think Andy!

[Dr. Andy]

Jenn wrote: "Andy wrote: "Gonna jump onto this one as well!"

Can't wait to see what you think Andy!"

I feel like I'm going to be confused forever lmao

[Jenn]

I mean I was for a lot of it so you may be right haha

[Dr. Andy]

36% (view spoiler)[This is weird but interesting I guess. I'm not sure how I feel. Cee's POV feels like Sim's castaway and I'm getting bored lmao. i'm curious why Kasey feels so different and thinks there's something wrong with her. I'm curious about seeing more of Celia's memories and how she disappeared exactly. (hide spoiler)]

58% (view spoiler)[wait is Cee an android!?! Was Celia even a real person or is she just something Kasey made!? (hide spoiler)]

80% (view spoiler)[ Holy cow. I feel like my brain is just exploding from every revelation and how this whole story is connected!? It makes sense that Kasey is 20 when she comes out from the pod now. But like damn, that was a lot of work to make the planet okay again. (hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

Andy wrote: "36% [spoilers removed]
(view spoiler)[ I like it but don't love it so far. (hide spoiler)]

58% [spoilers removed]
(view spoiler)[ OMG I think you came to this realization earlier than I did lmao. I was very confused. I kept thinking Celia survived somehow. Ugh. (hide spoiler)]

80% [spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[ OMG the twists! I love the twists! (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Okay I ended up really liking this because I loved the ending. I am such a fan of climate scifi honestly! (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Melanie wrote: "Andy wrote: "58% [spoilers removed]
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I was highly suspicious the whole time. lol (hide spoiler)]