2.5 star

Yes the beautiful cover got me again.

This was very disappointing especially when the dust jacket dropped big names like Black Mirror and Studio Ghibli. The Black Mirror reference I got but beyond that there was a loosely based concept of some dystopian Ghibli films. Except without the blurb I would have never sensed the connection on my own. Even though I still have to strongly disagree with that backing. Studio Ghibli is well known for its whimsical detailed worlds and unforgettable complex characters. Unfortunately this story had neither.

The world building and character definitions left a lot to be desired. Honestly without the drawing on the inside of the cover, I wouldn't know what the floating city looked like. The interior infrastructure too still eludes me. Lets talk about side characters, absolutely one dimensional. You would be lucky if you even knew their hair color. Some reviews say this story could be shorter but what it actually needs is a trade. Like some more character depth and world growth to replace the endless scientific jargon that never gets explained.

The first to third person prospective was strange in the beginning but does hold some significants later on. Kasey's third person pov seems to make her feel more detached and logical but without the insight into her thoughts it also made Kasey's chapters a chore to read. I can't put my finger on it but there was something about the writing style that had me confused often. I would have to reread many times and still ending up no better than I began. Again mostly in Kasey's perspective which made the story fall flat.

The two protagonist where your typical YA sisters. One smart, doesn't fit in. The other beautiful, loved by all. Cee was the easiest to read, her character more warm and relatable even with the memory loss. Kasey's pov again was often confusing and read like I was suppose to know everything already. Also the sisters stories didn't develop at the same pace which threw me off as well.

The love interest was by far my favorite. So beautiful, unexpected, strange, and lovely. I could feel the desperate connection between them. And the strange fear that not all was as it seemed. But the two needed each other without knowing until they met. It was deliberately slow with a soft sweetness.

To me so much of the story was held back that I felt disconnected. Things got a lot more interesting 200 pages in but before that I contemplated to dnf. Also there was conflicting views which turned friends into enemies but the author didn't challenge the reader to pick a side. Seriously I could keep going. But I didn't hate this book. Cee's half of the story was interesting but Kasey's half was not good from a readers standpoint. In the end the book, though difficult to read, still had promise and intrigue.

The Ones We're Meant to Find - Likewise Book Reviews

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