Exploring from

The Here and Now

Ann Brashares

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Similar in characterization + relationships

These books are ranked using the characterization + relationships labels extracted for The Here and Now. Books rank higher when they are close on every selected axis.

Characterization labels used: teen heroine, rebellious heroine, smart heroine, resourceful heroine, bland heroine, brainy love interest, devoted love interest, homeless mentor, authoritarian leader, controlled community

Relationships labels used: forbidden romance, teen attraction, parent-child, community loyalty, mentor role, power imbalance, secret bonding, community surveillance

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

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self/less

Aviva · 2021 · self/less

In a surveilled walled city where self-expression is outlawed, a teen uncovers a hidden underground and a fight for freedom.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · female protagonist · outcast · brainwashed citizen · privileged protagonist · reluctant rebel · character growth · leader arc

Relationships labels: forbidden romance · love interest · friendship · rivalry · betrayal · parent-child · family secrets · community bonds · power struggle

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1276

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Golden Blood

Melissa Pearl · 2012 · Time Spirit Trilogy

A secretive teen time traveler falls for a normal boy, risking her family’s rules, safety, and the past itself.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: shy heroine · socially isolated · loner · kick-butt heroine · strong heroine · awkward teen · protective family · persistent hero · loyal hero · charming hero · secretive parents · close siblings · overcontrolled teen · fighting skills · coming of age

Relationships labels: forbidden love · teen romance · family loyalty · parent-child conflict · siblings bond · star-crossed couple · secret relationship · romantic pursuit · protective family · love versus duty

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1305

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Rubinrot

Kerstin Gier · 2009 · Edelstein-Trilogie

A teen girl discovers she's the real time-travel heir in a secret family line and is swept into a hidden London intrigue.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen heroine · awkward heroine · naive protagonist · relatable heroine · brave heroine · clever heroine · immature protagonist · arrogant love interest · bossy love interest · mysterious love interest · secretive mother · perfect cousin · loyal best friend · mischievous friend · icy grandmother · protective family

Relationships labels: best friends · female friendship · cousin rivalry · family secrets · forbidden romance · insta-love · forced partnership · mentor tension · parent-child secrecy · family loyalty

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1343

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Until We Meet Again

Renee Collins · 2015

A bored teen and a boy from 1925 meet on one beach, uncover a mystery, and race to save their impossible love.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: angsty teen · rebellious teen · spoiled rich girl · resourceful heroine · clever heroine · matured character arc · dreamy love interest · poetic love interest · brooding love interest · gentlemanly · sensitive hero · hero material · controlled by family · ambitious writer

Relationships labels: forbidden romance · cross-temporal romance · mother-daughter · stepfather relationship · family pressure · first love · supportive parents · friendship · family obligation

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1353

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Hazards of Time Travel

Joyce Carol Oates · 2018

A punished teen from a surveilled future is exiled to 1950s Wisconsin, where identity, love, and reality blur.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · naive heroine · curious student · meek protagonist · passive protagonist · outsider · rebellious student · intelligent girl · controlled subject · love interest · authority figure · psychology instructor · exiled student

Relationships labels: forbidden love · power imbalance · student-teacher relationship · romance under surveillance · familial separation · state coercion · parent-child separation · unrequited devotion · dependency

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1374

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Hungry

H.A. Swain · 2014

In a foodless future, a privileged teen begins feeling hunger and joins a hidden fight to bring real food back.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: privileged protagonist · teen heroine · hacker · rebellious girl · naive protagonist · young love interest · unreliable love interest · privileged love interest · rebel leader · scientist parents · best friend support · grandmother mentor

Relationships labels: forbidden romance · insta-love · love-hate dynamic · parent-child conflict · family loyalty · friendship · mentor-grandchild · rebellion alliance · class divide romance · betrayal · dependency · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1416

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Delirium

Lauren Oliver · 2012 · Delirium

In a world where love is treated like a disease, a waiting-for-the-cure teen falls for the one boy she should avoid.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: naive heroine · reluctant conformist · mysterious boy · love interest · best friend character · passive protagonist · growth arc · weak heroine

Relationships labels: forbidden romance · best friendship · family conflict · parent-child estrangement · arranged marriage · romantic pairing · community surveillance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1420

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Chill Factor

Rachel Caine · 2005 · Weather Warden

A weather-controlling heroine races to Las Vegas to stop a power-drunk teen, while rival factions and hidden agendas close in.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: snarky heroine · strong heroine · reactive protagonist · determined protagonist · resourceful heroine · overmatched heroine · troubled teen · mysterious ally · morally compromised leaders · corrupt authority · protective love interest · martyr complex · tenacious heroine · emotionally battered protagonist

Relationships labels: romantic tension · forbidden trust · betrayal · manipulation · dependency · power imbalance · secret alliance · conflicted loyalty

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1429

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Awaken

Katie Kacvinsky · 2011 · Awaken

In a near-future digital society, a sheltered teen is drawn toward real-world connection and rebellion.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen heroine · rebellious teen · controlled daughter · intelligent heroine · strong-willed heroine · romantic hero · mentor figure · authoritarian father · powerful father · outsider boy · charismatic love interest · idealistic rebel · secretive boy · caring mother · likable side characters

Relationships labels: forbidden romance · parent-child conflict · father-daughter conflict · romantic tension · family loyalty · trust issues · mentor romance · rebellion network · emotional dependency · power imbalance · star-crossed lovers

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1443

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Crewel

Gennifer Albin · 2012 · Crewel World

A teen with a secret talent for weaving reality is forced into a controlled elite caste and fights to escape.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: feisty heroine · sassy heroine · rebellious heroine · feisty protagonist · naive protagonist · impulsive protagonist · smart heroine · strong female lead · special talent · reluctant chosen one · tortured love interest · mysterious love interest · mean girl · elite female · male authority figure

Relationships labels: family separation · protective parents · sister bond · love triangle · forbidden romance · romantic rivalry · mentor-protégé · male-female segregation · authority vs individual · hostage leverage · betrayal

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1454

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Article 5

Kristen Simmons · 2012 · Article 5

In a post-war America ruled by Moral Statutes, a teen girl flees to save her mother—with her first love now on the other side.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen heroine · rebellious mother · brooding soldier · tortured love interest · impulsive protagonist · naive protagonist · strong heroine · survivor · protective hero · moralistic authority figures

Relationships labels: mother-daughter relationship · childhood sweethearts · forbidden romance · exes to lovers · trust issues · love-hate relationship · protective relationship · romantic tension

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1459

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Die Welt wird brennen

Lena Kiefer · 2019 · Ophelia Scale

A tech-loving rebel infiltrates a royal court in a future anti-technology regime and falls for the enemy’s brother.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: female rebel · strong heroine · kick-ass heroine · naive protagonist · sarcastic protagonist · intelligent protagonist · mutable protagonist · manipulative protagonist · book boyfriend · charming love interest · mysterious love interest

Relationships labels: forbidden romance · resistance bonds · trust issues · loyalty conflict · betrayal · family rivalry

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1459

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