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Cover of Joshua Dread by Lee Bacon
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Joshua Dread

Lee Bacon

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Similar in characterization

These books are ranked using the characterization labels extracted for Joshua Dread.

Characterization labels used: awkward kid, outsider, good kid, mysterious girl, best friend, supervillain parents, hero father, comic relief, morally ambiguous adults, developing powers, self-deprecating protagonist

This does not mean the books share the same plot, setting, quality, or difficulty. It means their characterization embeddings are close.

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Cover of A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Hope Larson

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel

Hope Larson, Madeleine L'Engle · 2012

A girl, her brother, and a friend cross space and time to find her missing father and face a cosmic darkness.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: awkward heroine · whiny protagonist · headstrong protagonist · solitary girl · child prodigy · precocious child · super-empathic child · mysterious adults · protective family · know-it-all sibling · misunderstood outsider · stubborn heroine · courage under fear

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1248

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Cover of The Girl and the Glim by India Swift

The Girl and the Glim

India Swift · 2017

A shy new kid at school discovers only she can see mysterious creatures tied to fear, friendship, and danger.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: awkward protagonist · anxious protagonist · shy protagonist · small-for-age protagonist · outcast · brave protagonist · spunky protagonist · relatable protagonist · bully target · well-meaning parents · distinct side characters

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1470

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Cover of The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein

The Smartest Kid in the Universe

Chris Grabenstein · 2020 · The Smartest Kid in the Universe

A lazy middle schooler accidentally eats knowledge pills and must use his new genius to save his school.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: lazy protagonist · average student · relatable kid · genius kid · best friend sidekick · smart crush · fun villain · scheming principal · quirky scientist · supportive family · responsible arc · matured protagonist

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1485

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Cover of Boom! by Mark Haddon

Boom!

Mark Haddon · 1993

Two schoolboys uncover a bizarre secret about their teachers and tumble into a fast, funny alien adventure.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: average kid · gullible protagonist · daredevil friend · likeable boy · resourceful sister · rebel teenager · unemployed father · high-powered mother · useless adults · comic relief adults · thinly developed characters · active child protagonists

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1506

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Cover of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L'Engle · 2017 · Time Quintet

A bullied girl, her gifted brother, and a friend cross space-time to rescue a missing father from cosmic evil.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: awkward girl · gifted child · child prodigy · brilliant but flawed · moody heroine · socially awkward · popular boy · scientist parent · missing father · eccentric mentors · precocious child · relatable heroine · outcast child · supportive friend · fallible adults

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1514

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Cover of Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Jungle Tales of Tarzan

Edgar Rice Burroughs · 1963 · Tarzan

A young Tarzan’s jungle adolescence unfolds in linked tales of love, survival, curiosity, and brutal self-discovery.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teenage protagonist · wild child · outsider · trickster · practical joker · curious mind · introspective hero · morally undeveloped protagonist · lonely protagonist

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1523

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Cover of The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

The Other Valley

Scott Alexander Howard · 2024

A quiet teen in a guarded valley learns a forbidden visit signals a friend’s death and must choose between duty and love.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: awkward teen · quiet protagonist · female protagonist · lonely protagonist · obedient daughter · logical thinker · rule follower · competent student · unlikely dissenter · adult protagonist · melancholic narrator · brilliant boy · kind love interest · strict mother · moral agent

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1547

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Cover of The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson

The Lost Code

Kevin Emerson · 2012 · The Atlanteans

In a sun-scorched future, a teen at a dome camp uncovers a hidden Atlantis-linked heritage and a dangerous secret.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: awkward teen · outsider · bullied protagonist · reluctant hero · self-conscious · coming-of-age · brave · matured protagonist · smart girl · love interest · bully · mentor figure · villain · secretly special · everyboy

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1560

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Cover of The Town with No Mirrors by Christina Collins

The Town with No Mirrors

Christina Collins · 2023

In a mirrorless town, a curious girl secretly draws faces and uncovers the truth behind her community.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: curious protagonist · rebellious child · artist protagonist · naive narrator · sympathetic protagonist · secretive protagonist · morally conflicted · authoritarian leader · well-intentioned adults

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1560

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Cover of Made in Korea by Jeremy Holt

Made in Korea

Jeremy Holt · 2022 · Made in Korea

An adopted AI child in a near-future world confronts identity, family, and control as her strange origins unravel.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: socially awkward · precocious child · voracious learner · naive · misunderstood · self-aware · identity-seeking · sympathetic protagonist · cardboard cutouts · rogue scientist

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1585

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Cover of The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

The First State of Being

Erin Entrada Kelly · 2024

In 1999, an anxious boy meets a teen time traveler and gets pulled into a race between future knowledge and present life.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: anxious protagonist · shy boy · parentified child · single mother · maintenance man · older babysitter · time traveler · carefree teen · supportive adults · flawed characters · likeable characters · lonely child · socially awkward

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1607

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Cover of Leonard by Carlie Sorosiak

Leonard

Carlie Sorosiak · 2021

An alien meant to spend a month as a human on Earth accidentally lands in a cat’s body and finds a friend.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: quirky protagonist · socially awkward girl · animal lover · empathetic friend · alien scholar · immortal being · hive mind · lonely child · supportive grandmother · lovable side character · weird kid · outsider · rescuer · curious observer · catlike behavior

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1624

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Cover of Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky

Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres and the Methods of Rationality

Eliezer Yudkowsky · 2015 · Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

An alternate-universe Harry Potter uses science and rationality to probe magic, challenge Hogwarts, and remake his fate.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: child prodigy · rationalist · smart protagonist · annoying genius · arrogant protagonist · self-centered protagonist · overly mature child · relatable flaws · dark lord aspiration · logical villain · over-the-top characterization · female characters weak

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1633

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Cover of Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin

Gifts

Ursula K. Le Guin · 2006 · Annals of the Western Shore

A gifted boy in a feuding upland society blinds himself to keep his dangerous power from harming others.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant hero · gifted child · blindfolded protagonist · quiet protagonist · passive protagonist · stoic father · strong-willed girl · difficult parent · rival clan leaders · young adult protagonists · maturing boy

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1644

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Cover of Smaragdgrün by Kerstin Gier

Smaragdgrün

Kerstin Gier · 2010 · Edelstein-Trilogie

A teen time traveler races to expose a centuries-old secret and survive a tangled final mission with her unreliable partner.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: awkward heroine · whiny heroine · relatable teen · arrogant hero · charming hero · male love interest · spunky best friend · comic relief character · mysterious villain · creepy antagonist · young heroine · teen protagonist · supportive friend · mentor figure

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1654

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Cover of The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

The Compound

S.A. Bodeen · 2008 · The Compound

A teen trapped in a luxurious underground bunker starts uncovering lies that make him question his father, his family, and survival itself.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: selfish protagonist · whiny protagonist · sullen teen · antisocial teen · loner teen · suspicious father · controlling father · genius father · terrifying father · mentally unstable parent · develops maturity

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1656

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Cover of Superman: American Alien by Max Landis

Superman: American Alien

Max Landis · 2016 · Superman: American Alien (Single Issues)

Seven connected snapshots follow Clark Kent from uncertain kid to emerging hero, with each chapter showing a different stage.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: relatable hero · awkward teen · fearful child · young adult · humanized protagonist · morally earnest · self-doubting · naif · brash · party boy · journalist · aspiring hero · hyper-intelligent villain · supportive parents · loyal friends · layered characterizations

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1658

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Cover of Зазирни у мої сни by Max Kidruk

Зазирни у мої сни

Max Kidruk, Макс Кідрук · 2016

After a child returns from clinical death changed, his father pursues a chilling link between dreams, science, and danger.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: infantile protagonist · passive protagonist · protective father · troubled parents · morally flawed adults · naive authorities · nonhuman antagonist

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1677

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Cover of The Owl Keeper by Christine Brodien-Jones

The Owl Keeper

Christine Brodien-Jones · 2010

In a ruined future, a sun-shy boy and a bold girl chase a hidden prophecy and the last silver owls.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young protagonist · sickly child · passive protagonist · naive protagonist · brave growth · spunky girl · fiery girl · runaway girl · underdeveloped characters · odd and quirky villains

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1686

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Cover of The Experiment by Rebecca Stead

The Experiment

Rebecca Stead · 2025

A sixth grader hiding his alien identity must face a strange change, a vanishing friend group, and a hidden truth.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: sixth grader · tween protagonist · curious hero · empathetic protagonist · rebellious child · supportive parents · best friend · first crush · mysterious villain · controlling parent · resourceful kid

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1695

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