Exploring from

Sanctuary

Paola Mendoza, Abby Sher

Find similar books by

Combine common axes

Similar in characterization + relationships

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

Characterization labels used: teen protagonist, strong heroine, undocumented girl, younger brother, family protector, resilient, traumatized, ordinary teen, forced activist, determined survivor, underdeveloped side characters, complex sibling dynamics

Relationships labels used: sibling bond, family separation, parent-child separation, familial love, found family, caregiving, survival dependence, loss of parents, community support

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

Exclude same author

Max ratings No limit

Anna

Niccolò Ammaniti · 2015

A thirteen-year-old girl crosses a ruined Sicily to save her brother in a world where adulthood is a death sentence.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: tough heroine · resourceful girl · pre-adolescent protagonist · younger sibling · child survivors · feral children · child gangs · protective sibling · courageous heroine · imminent adulthood

Relationships labels: sibling bond · mother-daughter bond · parental loss · protective caretaking · community breakdown · friendship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1124

Continue from here

The Seventh Day

A.E. Watson · 2014 · The Seventh Day

A teen girl must protect her sister and survive a strange zombie outbreak while searching for answers and safety.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen heroine · relatable protagonist · strong heroine · flawed heroine · scared but brave · protective sibling · resourceful survivor · young survivors · supporting ensemble · funny side character

Relationships labels: sibling bond · found family · family protection · parent-child separation · romantic triangle · slow-burn romance · crush dynamic · friends as family · protective friendship · brother's friend · group dependency · community survival

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1209

Continue from here

The Survival Game

Nicky Singer · 2018

In a climate-ravaged future, a teenage refugee must travel north with a silent boy while borders, law, and conscience close in.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen girl protagonist · resourceful heroine · hardened survivor · traumatized protagonist · mature beyond age · strong-willed · pragmatic · emotionally guarded · moral conflict · mute child · silent companion · young refugee · illegal immigrant · grandmother · fearful but brave · self-preserving

Relationships labels: found family · sibling-like bond · caretaking · protective bond · companionship · grandmother relationship · parent-child loss · mutual dependency · trust under pressure · survival alliance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1219

Continue from here

Stranger Things: Runaway Max

Brenna Yovanoff · 2019 · Stranger Things

Max Mayfield revisits her pre-Hawkins past and season 2 events through her own eyes, deepening the family trauma.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: strong-willed heroine · spunky heroine · teen girl · brooding teen · abusive brother · abusive stepfather · difficult mother · absent father · complicated sibling · character study · emotional depth · relatable struggles · rebel teen · protective friend · bullied protagonist

Relationships labels: sibling abuse · sibling rivalry · family trauma · found family · friendship bond · romantic tension · first crush · mother daughter · father daughter · stepfamily conflict · protective friendship · peer group

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1270

Continue from here

Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold

Umar Turaki · 2022

A quarantined village’s children, spared by a color-draining plague, struggle to survive, reunite, and find hope.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: siblings · juvenile survivors · children and teens · young adults · orphaned children · resilient characters · frightened survivors · brave characters · character ensemble · coming-of-age · matured fast

Relationships labels: sibling bonds · found family · family separation · family reunion · friendship · community bonds · caregiving · dependence · chosen family · parent loss

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1281

Continue from here

Arena One: Slaverunners

Morgan Rice · 2012 · The Survival Trilogy

In a shattered future New York, a teen races through a brutal wasteland to rescue her kidnapped sister from death arenas.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: strong heroine · resourceful teen · older sister · younger sister · survival-trained · military-trained · fierce protector · male ally · broody love interest · mysterious survivor · violent antagonists · superhuman protagonist

Relationships labels: sibling bond · sister rescue · romantic tension · love triangle · found ally · male rivalry · family duty · protective older sibling · parental influence · mentor child

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1307

Continue from here

Please Remain Calm

Courtney Summers · 2015 · This is Not a Test

Separated on the road in a zombie-ravaged world, Rhys must survive long enough to find Sloane and a place to live.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen survivors · traumatized teens · resourceful survivor · determined protagonist · vulnerable characters · realistic teens · morally exhausted · reluctant hero · crude humor

Relationships labels: companionship · separation · reunion attempt · interdependence · protective bond · romantic tension · survival partnership · trust · found family · parent-child

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1310

Continue from here

Die Wolke

Gudrun Pausewang · 1997

A 14-year-old girl fights to survive after a nuclear reactor disaster turns her country into a panic-stricken ruin.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen girl · young survivor · traumatized protagonist · strong female character · ordinary civilians · authorities · politicians · children

Relationships labels: siblings · parent-child · family separation · community under stress · authority conflict · caretaking

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1317

Continue from here

Nowhere on Earth

Nick Lake · 2019

After a plane crash in Alaska, a teen girl must keep her “brother” safe while mysterious men hunt them.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen girl · younger brother · alien in human form · pilot · outdoorsy teen · angsty teen · resourceful heroine · strong female lead · survival-trained · misunderstood teen · protective sibling · injured adult · parental presence

Relationships labels: sibling bond · found family · parent-child conflict · family reconciliation · non-romantic love · mentor-like pilot · protective care · trust under pressure · dependency · caregiving

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1336

Continue from here

Swarm

Jennifer D. Lyle · 2023

When giant butterfly-like creatures swarm her town, an anxious teen must help her siblings and friends survive at home.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: anxious protagonist · capable heroine · teen survivors · siblings · toddler caregiver · resourceful teens · capable under pressure · traumatized youth · ordinary teens

Relationships labels: sibling bond · found family · friend group · romance subplot · best friends · protective caregiving · family separation · loyalty under stress

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1339

Continue from here

Plague Land

Alex Scarrow · 2017 · Plague Land

A teen and his family flee a fast-moving plague that melts living things—and seems to think for itself.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · younger sister · protective mother · absent father · resourceful hero · reluctant leader · survivor group · bullied outsider · rebellious girl · jerk antagonist · cynical adult

Relationships labels: siblings · mother-son · mother-daughter · divorced parents · father-child distance · found family · romantic tension · romance subplot · survivor community · power struggle · guardian role

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1362

Continue from here

The Cats We Meet Along the Way

Nadia Mikail · 2022

A grieving teen joins a Malaysian road trip to find her estranged sister before an unavoidable apocalypse arrives.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · angry protagonist · grieving protagonist · estranged sister · single mother · supportive boyfriend · boyfriend's parents · loving family · emotionally unavailable mother · deceased father · stray cat

Relationships labels: mother-daughter bond · sibling estrangement · romantic relationship · family reconciliation · parent-child grief · in-law family · community care

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1389

Continue from here