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D.A.

Connie Willis

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Similar in characterization + relationships

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

Characterization labels used: teenage girl, unwilling protagonist, hacker sidekick, plucky heroine, rebel student, likable protagonist, frustrated cadet, unenthusiastic student

Relationships labels used: best friends, student-teacher power gap, peer pressure, classmate rivalry, parental pressure, institutional control

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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My Teacher Is an Alien

Bruce Coville · 2005 · My Teacher Is an Alien

A sixth-grader discovers her substitute teacher is an alien and races to stop his secret plan.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: smart girl · science fiction lover · class brain · bully · strict teacher · suspicious student · relatable tween · clear motivations

Relationships labels: unlikely friends · student-teacher conflict · friendship duo · class rivalry · peer support · protective friendship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1370

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Persephone

Lev Grossman · 2022

A bullied teen’s buried grief cracks open a hidden power and pulls her toward a secret world she barely understands.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teenage girl protagonist · loner · outsider · whiny teen · snarky teen · emotionally repressed · angsty · pessimistic · special powers · gifted teen

Relationships labels: absent father · dead parent · friendship · new ally · peer bullying · teacher-student power · social alienation

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1432

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The Rithmatist

Brandon Sanderson · 2014 · Rithmatist

A chalk-based magic-school mystery follows a boy who can’t do the magic but knows it better than anyone.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: underdog · obsessive learner · nonmagical protagonist · quirky heroine · mentor figure · ambitious student · social outsider · flawed protagonist

Relationships labels: friendship · mentor-student · rivalry · found friendship · class divide · peer partnership

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1443

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The Thief and the Sword

Mike Maihack · 2015 · Cleopatra in Space

A future-school thief, a stolen sword, and a prophecy push Cleopatra into a fast-paced space quest.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: female protagonist · fierce heroine · celebrity student · stubborn protagonist · reckless heroine · mysterious thief · rival character · supportive friends · talking cat teacher · mysterious antagonist · character development · realistic characters

Relationships labels: friendship · roommate relationship · school peer dynamics · student-teacher conflict · possible romance · rivalry · group teamwork · family-like friends · jealousy

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1466

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Erebos

Ursula Poznanski · 2010 · Erebos

A secretive game spreads through a school, pulling a teen into a world where virtual quests spill into real life.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · ordinary student · basketball player · popular kid · curious protagonist · addicted player · immature teens · game avatar · strong-willed girls

Relationships labels: friendship · best friends · school peers · crush · romance subplot · peer pressure · secretive group · parent-child distance · rivalry · manipulation

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1474

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Dragon Head, Volume 1

Minetarō Mochizuki · 2006 · ドラゴンヘッド [Dragon Head]

A school train trip turns into a nightmare when a tunnel collapse traps three teens underground with no clear way out.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonists · school students · fragile sanity · protective lead · unhinged survivor · helpless victim · reactive character · survival instincts · psychological deterioration · flat characters

Relationships labels: classmates · peer conflict · group survival · protective bond · dependency · gendered power dynamics · friendship under stress · betrayal risk · rivalry

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1491

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Variant

Robison Wells · 2011 · Variant

A foster teen wins a scholarship to a secluded boarding school and discovers it’s really a locked-down prison with deadly rules.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant hero · foster child · teen boy protagonist · determined protagonist · impulsive protagonist · flat supporting cast · student leaders · group-aligned characters · outsider newcomer

Relationships labels: peer groups · group rivalry · student hierarchy · trust issues · friendship under pressure · power imbalance · community under threat

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1520

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Léviathan, tome 1

Shiro Kuroi · 2022 · リバイアサン [Leviathan]

A school trip in space turns deadly after a shipwreck, and salvagers later uncover a journal that reveals why.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonists · students · teachers · salvagers · maintenance robot · panicked survivors · paranoid characters · morally compromised characters

Relationships labels: student-teacher conflict · peer rivalry · group paranoia · survival alliance · betrayal · power struggle · class hierarchy · secret keeping · us-vs-them · dependence on authority · isolation

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1529

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A Medicine for Melancholy and Other Stories

Ray Bradbury · 1998

A short story collection centered on Bradbury’s haunting, lyrical tales of memory, loneliness, wonder, and human cruelty.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: timid child · bullied girl · jealous children · fragile protagonist · classroom children · outsider protagonist · immature children

Relationships labels: bullying · peer cruelty · teacher-student dynamic · classroom hierarchy · group ostracism · childhood jealousy · community exclusion

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1531

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Thief!

Malorie Blackman · 2004

After being framed at school, a bullied girl is hurled into a bleak future where her choices have changed everything.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young female protagonist · new girl · little brother · bullied child · likeable protagonist · vulnerable protagonist · framed victim · tyrant · queen bee · heroic child · bitter future self · corrupted future self

Relationships labels: sibling bond · friendship · peer pressure · bullying · school clique · betrayal · family support · friendship fallout · community hostility · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1571

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Nine

Zach Hines · 2018

In a world where people have nine lives, a teen who refuses to burn them uncovers a hidden conspiracy.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant protagonist · teen rebel · peer pressured teen · manipulative leader · dysfunctional family · caregiver pressure · popular kids · dissenters · student investigator · morally ambiguous characters · character growth

Relationships labels: mother son · siblings · best friends · peer pressure · family pressure · student rivalry · group loyalty · manipulation · community pressure

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1573

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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

Relationships labels: friendship · unlikely friendship · mentor-student tension · rivalry · family change · adoptive family · found family · student-teacher conflict · power imbalance · uncertain friendship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1626

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