13 new YA releases that belong on your May reading list
By Lacy Baugher
May 2021 release: The Ones We’re Meant to Find – Joan He
The new novel from Joan He, author of debut Descendant of the Crane, arrives this month and The Ones We’re Meant to Find, and it’s as buzzy as her previous effort, one of the most twisty and engaging page-turner YAs you’ll read this year.
Perfect for fans of Warcross and The 5th Wave, this story follows a 16-year-old STEM prodigy in the wake of manmade disasters rocking the planet, as she decides if she’s ready to use science to help humanity. And in alternating chapters, the novel zeroes in on a young girl marooned on an island with no other humans, with only a single memory: that she has a sister, and that she needs to find her.
The official synopsis describes the story in more detail.
"Cee awoke on an abandoned island three years ago. With no idea of how she was marooned, she only has a rickety house, an old android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her. STEM prodigy Kasey wants escape from the science and home she once trusted. The eco-city—Earth’s last unpolluted place—is meant to be sanctuary for those commited to planetary protection, but it’s populated by people willing to do anything for refuge, even lie. Now, she’ll have to decide if she’s ready to use science to help humanity, even though it failed the people who mattered most."
The Ones We’re Meant to Find is available on May 4.