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Combine common axes
These books are ranked using the characterization labels extracted for A Neon Darkness.
Characterization labels used: morally gray, unlikable protagonist, troubled teen, lonely protagonist, manipulative, self-centered, anti-hero, complex villain, tragic backstory, questionable choices, white male privilege
This does not mean the books share the same plot, setting, quality, or difficulty. It means their characterization embeddings are close.
A struggling young woman in near-future Mexico City clings to the dream of Mars while surviving precarious work and heartbreak.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: morally gray · unlikable protagonist · bitter protagonist · depressed protagonist · rootable protagonist · lonely woman · drifting young adult · underemployed · resourceful · self-aware · complex characters · character-driven · female protagonist
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1035
A young peacekeeper in a besieged desert city is sent after a feared enemy and discovers history may be a lie.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: young protagonist · naive protagonist · flawed hero · complex protagonist · stubborn · impulsive · arrogant · idealistic · disillusioned · heroic aspiration · morally gray characters
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1085
![Cover of Red Rising (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Pierce Brown](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1697162849i/199598075.jpg)
An oppressed miner on Mars infiltrates an elite caste and academy to dismantle the society that enslaved his people.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: young protagonist · morally gray · traumatized protagonist · flawed hero · driven by grief · angry protagonist · loyal friend · brutal ruling class
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1092
A stranded teen crew fights sabotage, shifting loyalties, and a power struggle while racing to rescue their captured parents.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: teen protagonists · morally gray characters · flawed characters · traumatized teens · young leaders · religious leader · power-hungry leader · suspicious outsider · redemptive arc · darker character arc
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1121
An 18-year-old death row inmate joins a reality show where America votes on who lives, who dies, and who gets a second chance.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: unlikable protagonist · flawed heroine · teen offenders · morally gray cast · traumatized teen · angry narrator · impulsive · calculating · manipulative · vulnerable · rude · self-centered · sympathetic antagonist · damaged youth · foundational trauma
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1123
In near-future Nigeria, a jaded psychic agent investigates dying sensitives around an alien biodome.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: morally gray protagonist · antihero · unlikable protagonist · flawed protagonist · psychic operative · former thief · government agent · sexist narrator · apathetic protagonist
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1171
A young living goddess hides a demon and claws to keep her throne as priests move to replace her.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: villainess · morally gray heroine · unapologetic antiheroine · ruthless protagonist · ambitious protagonist · self-serving protagonist · paranoid protagonist · desperate protagonist · traumatized protagonist · unreliable narrator · young ruler
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1244
A near-future pandemic makes survivors blissfully content, sparking a battle over happiness, power, and control.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: teen protagonists · young adults · billionaire heir · homeless teen · immune protagonist · alpha spreader · morally gray · morally flexible · depressed character · ambitious executive · villainous elite · flat characters · unlikable characters
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1244
A guilt-ridden heiress joins a secret society where touching objects lets members relive strangers’ deaths—and becomes addicted.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: unlikable protagonist · morally gray protagonist · wealthy socialite · self-destructive woman · damaged protagonist · addiction-driven · guilt-ridden · flawed characters · ultra-rich elites
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1253
A debt-ridden con artist enters a shipboard servitude contract and is remade under a sadistic captain’s control.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: morally gray · morally reprehensible · sadist · emotionally stunted · naive · stupid protagonist · con artist · debt-ridden · cruel · manipulative · unapologetic · unlikable · high-control · low empathy · psychologically broken · gullible · hotheaded · developing confidence
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1253
After a tech-company plane crash, survivors find a high-tech island house whose secrets turn survival into paranoia.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: morally gray protagonist · unlikable characters · female tech worker · eccentric billionaire · tech bro · cold heroine · sociopathic traits · traumatized protagonist · survivor · antihero
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1261
In a ruined future, Tom, Wren, and their allies race through shifting factions and hidden secrets toward one last war-scarred reckoning.
Why this is here
Characterization labels: naive protagonist · morally gray characters · complex villains · flawed characters · traumatized heroine · childlike adults · love-to-hate character · redeemed character · undead/ reanimated character
Semantic match: ranked by characterization
Distance: 0.1288
