The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
Humanitarianism at Large: A Review of Joan He’s The Ones We’re Meant to Find
by Abby N. Lewis.
In a world that is increasingly overpopulated and polarized on matters of global warming and the state of the planet, dystopian novels have become more eco-conscious, painting worlds in which humans have left Earth to ruin and set out for potential new life on another planet; worlds where humanity largely died out and only small groups remain alive; and worlds that ride the line between, documenting the critical moment before everything changes: should we stay or should we go? Joan He creates a future world that rides that line: Earth is dying. The wealthiest humanitarians, who have documented proof of their contribution to making Earth a more sustainable planet, are part of the rare few who live above the harsh climates and toxic environment of Earth in self-sustaining, floating eco-cities.
Cee has been stranded on an island for three years with nothing more than U-me, a bot that can only define words and express agreement or disagreement to direct statements, for company. Cee can hardly remember her life before the island, but she knows one thing: she has a sister who needs saving. Kasey, a scientist savant who lives in an eco-city—a concept reminiscent of a Grimm’s fairytale version of the castle in Hayao Miyazaki’s film Castle in the Sky—is grappling with the mysterious disappearance of her sister and the increasingly uninhabitable environment of her planet. In her investigation into her sister’s vanishing, Kasey meets Actinium, a boy who wants to help but who is hiding more than Kasey realizes.
Told in alternating chapters between Cee and Kasey, He continually tests the reader’s conception of what is real and what is fabricated. The science fiction aspect of the novel focuses on the eco-consequences of pollution on a futuristic Earth and the quest for a solution that can save humanity; however, the real theme of the novel revolves around identity, and how family ties shape an individual. Who is Kasey without her sister to remind her of her humanity, and who is Cee without a past to remember and a sister to protect? “The ones we’re meant to find?” writes He in a bonus annotated chapter at the end of the novel, “That’s ourselves.”
He asks the hard-hitting questions about a perennial Earth in this novel while also challenging assumption on the importance of family and the place of artificial intelligence in society. Kasey’s scientifically-honed mind and seeming lack of emotion compared to Cee’s empathetic approach to life create a whirlpool that tugs the reader in various directions. The alternating chapters, with such distinct voices, work to keep the reader off balance, unsure who to root for. Who is the bad guy here, and who is the good guy? To Kasey and Actinium, humans are poison for Earth. For Cee, contact with a human being is one of the most important parts of living.
This seemingly innocent YA novel starts out slow, but a massive twist halfway through sets the tone for the remainder of the book. Several years ago, Kasey was banned from conducting research and scientific experiments and almost banished from her eco-city because of her current research. Forced to live without the outlet of science, and then to live with the mystery of her sister’s disappearance, Kasey spends her time blending into the background. To the outside observer, Kasey seems like an uncaring sister. She’s dodged the media for years, unwilling to offer a statement on her sister’s vanishing. Many believe Kasey to be heartless. In reality, Kasey
doesn’t know what to feel, and she is even more baffled by the thought of what people want her to feel.
Meanwhile, Cee finds herself remembering more and more about her sister as she gets closer to completing a boat she can use to escape the island. Each day, the sea’s pull grows stronger. She feels the demanding tug in the air, the words Find me whispered on the breeze. Cee cannot remember much of her life before the island, but she remembers her sister’s face, and the need to find her grows so strong that Cee finds herself sleepwalking to the ocean on more than one occasion. But when her initial escape plan fails, Cee is forced to consider the questions, what if she never makes it off the island? What if she’s too late to save her sister? What if her mission
isn’t a mission at all, but a delusion?
The Ones We’re Meant to Find is not a simple YA sci-fi novel. Worldbuilding takes second seat to the story of families and what happens when the ones we love are taken from us too soon. Like Miyazaki, He places her characters at the forefront of her work, and the possibility of a utopia on Earth becomes less important than the story of two sisters finding their true place in the midst of it all.
by Abby N. Lewis.
In a world that is increasingly overpopulated and polarized on matters of global warming and the state of the planet, dystopian novels have become more eco-conscious, painting worlds in which humans have left Earth to ruin and set out for potential new life on another planet; worlds where humanity largely died out and only small groups remain alive; and worlds that ride the line between, documenting the critical moment before everything changes: should we stay or should we go? Joan He creates a future world that rides that line: Earth is dying. The wealthiest humanitarians, who have documented proof of their contribution to making Earth a more sustainable planet, are part of the rare few who live above the harsh climates and toxic environment of Earth in self-sustaining, floating eco-cities.
Cee has been stranded on an island for three years with nothing more than U-me, a bot that can only define words and express agreement or disagreement to direct statements, for company. Cee can hardly remember her life before the island, but she knows one thing: she has a sister who needs saving. Kasey, a scientist savant who lives in an eco-city—a concept reminiscent of a Grimm’s fairytale version of the castle in Hayao Miyazaki’s film Castle in the Sky—is grappling with the mysterious disappearance of her sister and the increasingly uninhabitable environment of her planet. In her investigation into her sister’s vanishing, Kasey meets Actinium, a boy who wants to help but who is hiding more than Kasey realizes.
Told in alternating chapters between Cee and Kasey, He continually tests the reader’s conception of what is real and what is fabricated. The science fiction aspect of the novel focuses on the eco-consequences of pollution on a futuristic Earth and the quest for a solution that can save humanity; however, the real theme of the novel revolves around identity, and how family ties shape an individual. Who is Kasey without her sister to remind her of her humanity, and who is Cee without a past to remember and a sister to protect? “The ones we’re meant to find?” writes He in a bonus annotated chapter at the end of the novel, “That’s ourselves.”
He asks the hard-hitting questions about a perennial Earth in this novel while also challenging assumption on the importance of family and the place of artificial intelligence in society. Kasey’s scientifically-honed mind and seeming lack of emotion compared to Cee’s empathetic approach to life create a whirlpool that tugs the reader in various directions. The alternating chapters, with such distinct voices, work to keep the reader off balance, unsure who to root for. Who is the bad guy here, and who is the good guy? To Kasey and Actinium, humans are poison for Earth. For Cee, contact with a human being is one of the most important parts of living.
This seemingly innocent YA novel starts out slow, but a massive twist halfway through sets the tone for the remainder of the book. Several years ago, Kasey was banned from conducting research and scientific experiments and almost banished from her eco-city because of her current research. Forced to live without the outlet of science, and then to live with the mystery of her sister’s disappearance, Kasey spends her time blending into the background. To the outside observer, Kasey seems like an uncaring sister. She’s dodged the media for years, unwilling to offer a statement on her sister’s vanishing. Many believe Kasey to be heartless. In reality, Kasey
doesn’t know what to feel, and she is even more baffled by the thought of what people want her to feel.
Meanwhile, Cee finds herself remembering more and more about her sister as she gets closer to completing a boat she can use to escape the island. Each day, the sea’s pull grows stronger. She feels the demanding tug in the air, the words Find me whispered on the breeze. Cee cannot remember much of her life before the island, but she remembers her sister’s face, and the need to find her grows so strong that Cee finds herself sleepwalking to the ocean on more than one occasion. But when her initial escape plan fails, Cee is forced to consider the questions, what if she never makes it off the island? What if she’s too late to save her sister? What if her mission
isn’t a mission at all, but a delusion?
The Ones We’re Meant to Find is not a simple YA sci-fi novel. Worldbuilding takes second seat to the story of families and what happens when the ones we love are taken from us too soon. Like Miyazaki, He places her characters at the forefront of her work, and the possibility of a utopia on Earth becomes less important than the story of two sisters finding their true place in the midst of it all.
Abby N. Lewis is a poet from Dandridge, Tennessee. She is the author of the chapbook This Fluid Journey (Finishing Line Press, 2018) and the poetry collection Reticent (Grateful Steps, 2016). Her work has appeared in Timber, Black Moon Magazine, The Allegheny Review, Sanctuary, and elsewhere. She has a master's degree in English and another in Communication & Storytelling Studies. You can keep up with her on her website freeairforfish.com.
