The Ones We're Meant to Find

March 15, 2021
An apocalyptic future tests the bonds of love between sisters. In this future world, climate change and other disasters have brought people together from different countries into eco-cities that levitate above their regions. Sixteen-year-old Kasey Mizuhara disassociates herself from people, moving through the world like an alien or ghost, observing her human companions. She prefers the cool comfort of logic, and the only one she loves and looks to for direction is Celia, her older sister. Cee, on the other hand, loves too much, continually pushing boundaries and breaking rules. Yet the sisters admire each other for their complementary strengths. As the world crumbles around them due to human-made disasters, Kasey strives to uncover the mystery surrounding Cee's disappearance while Cee survives, marooned on an island and driven to search for Kasey through her wavering memories. While the science-fiction setting often does not feel fully realized enough to anchor readers in this world where the residents of the floating eco-cities carry out most of their nonessential activities in holographic mode, the story is a compelling exploration of humanity and its tendency toward selfishness and self-destruction. The pacing is maddeningly slow at first, but midway through, the action accelerates, racing to a breathless end. Readers who puzzle through this world will find a curious struggle that may answer the question of whether humanity is worth saving. An intriguing foray into a devastating future--and yet one where hope abides. (Science fiction. 14-18)

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May 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-If you tossed Lost, Black Mirror, and The 100 in a blender, you'd pour out something similar to He's sophomore novel. This science-fiction thriller pits the deep love of a sibling bond against the high stakes of Earth's impending climate disaster. Stranded on an ominously abandoned island for three years with a strange case of amnesia, Cee sleepwalks every other night closer and closer to the sea-and her sister. She knows Kay is on the other side of the ocean, if only she can find a way to cross it. Kasey lives in an eco-city, one of eight clean energy bastions against the environmental disasters that plague the landlocked territories, leaving her stasis pod only when necessary and living primarily through the virtual reality of her Intraface. While Cee fights for a way free of the island, Kasey grapples with the politics of the sky-built eco-cities and the ranking system that brings refugees in from the toxic land below. At turns whimsical and gut-wrenching, He's writing drives home the high stakes and unreliability of our narrators, setting the stage for a tense and twisting plot. Her characters are crafted with distinct voices and arcs, and must confront the best and worst of the human condition. Kasey and Cee are Asian, with more diversity included in supporting characters. VERDICT A first purchase for library collections. He grafts deep moral and ethical questions to a page-turning premise, making this sci-fi standalone an excellent book club selection.-Emmy Neal, Lake Forest Lib., IL

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 In He's exhilarating and heartbreaking novel, Cee has been stranded on an island for three years with only one goal: find her sister. Meanwhile, Kasey is a young woman who wants to change the world. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of the two girls, luring readers into the mystery of Cee and her sister while exploring a civilization that is suffering from the effects of climate change. Cee's island home is shrouded in mystery and often feels claustrophobic, as her only company is a house, a stranger's wardrobe, and spare parts that can be used to construct a boat. Kasey, on the other hand, lives in a futuristic society where hologram parties and built-in AI are a part of everyday life. He spools out small details related to the worlds that slowly unravel the relationship between Cee on her island and Kasey in the eco-city. While the sparse details might frustrate those who want more background information, the desire to uncover the underlying mystery will keep readers invested. This fast-paced sf tale is sure to linger.

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