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We Could Be Heroes

Mike Chen

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Similar in characterization + relationships

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

Characterization labels used: misfits, antiheroes, flawed heroes, reluctant heroes, vigilante, bank robber, memory manipulator, planner, impulsive, quirky, goofball, cat person, hard-drinking, endearing, sympathetic, broken people

Relationships labels used: platonic friendship, unlikely friendship, enemies to friends, male-female friendship, team-up, trust, dependency, support group, friendship over romance, no romantic tension, bonding, found connection

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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Network Effect

Martha Wells · 2020 · The Murderbot Diaries

A rogue SecUnit faces kidnapping, alien threats, and an unexpected AI reunion while trying to keep its humans alive.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: introverted · sarcastic · snarky · grumpy · paranoid · hyper-competent · reluctant protector · emotionally guarded · nonhuman personhood · traumatized · awkward · self-aware · media-obsessed · protective · stubborn · cynical

Relationships labels: found family · friendship · AI friendship · complicated bond · protective caregiving · work relationship · co-dependence · rivalry · banter · pseudo-romance · team dynamics

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1667

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Moongarden

Michelle A. Barry · 2022 · Plotting the Stars

A lonely moon-school student uncovers a hidden garden, secret magic, and a conspiracy tied to Earth’s toxic past.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: misfit · outcast · underdog · reluctant student · brave heroine · curious protagonist · defiant protagonist · socially anxious · prickly · morally gray · determined · strong-willed · awkward · lonely · popular boy · robot sidekick · clone character · elite parents · pressure to succeed · coming-of-age protagonist

Relationships labels: friendship · unlikely friends · platonic friendship · found family · parent-child pressure · parental expectations · peer support · mentor relationship · school hierarchy · romance-free · teamwork · loyalty

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1682

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Zero Sum Game

S.L. Huang · 2014 · Russell's Attic

A math-savvy mercenary is pulled into a mind-control conspiracy that leaves her unsure which thoughts are hers.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: math genius · antiheroine · mercenary · retriever · assassin · private investigator · psychopath · ethical cop · moral compass · loner · standoffish · hypercompetent · morally ambiguous · damaged · prickly · dry voice

Relationships labels: team-up · frictional alliance · trust issues · mentor relationship · friendship · found team · moral foil · not-quite-friend · power imbalance · no romance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1720

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Zero Sum Game

S.L. Huang · 2018 · Cas Russell

A math-genius mercenary is pulled into a conspiracy involving mind control, violent allies, and a threat to her own autonomy.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: antiheroine · morally gray · ruthless · hotheaded · sarcastic · antisocial · loner · overpowered · competent · math genius · psychopath · sociopath · hacker · private investigator · mercenary · retrieval expert · female lead · woman of color · disabled supporting character · black PI

Relationships labels: found family · platonic friendship · uneasy alliance · mentor-protector · trust issues · rivalry · team dynamic · male-female friendship · loyalty · dependency

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1757

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Firebreak

Nicole Kornher-Stace · 2021 · Firebreak

An aroace streamer in a corporate dystopia stumbles onto a deadly secret hidden inside a VR war game.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: orphan · streamer · gamer · introvert · antisocial · ethical · kind · reluctant leader · flawed protagonist · nonromantic · solitary

Relationships labels: friendship · best friends · platonic love · found family · loyalty · trust · no romance · friend crush · teammates · roommates

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1774

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Titans

Victoria Scott · 2016

A Detroit teen risks a deadly mechanical-horse derby to save her family, her friend’s future, and her own dreams.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: strong heroine · fierce heroine · stubborn protagonist · determined protagonist · math genius · mechanically minded · animal lover · underdog heroine · loyal friend · grumpy mentor · supportive side characters · crotchety old man · working-class teen · family caretaker · gambler father · messy family

Relationships labels: female friendship · best friends · platonic bond · mentor-protege · girl and horse · father-daughter tension · family loyalty · sister relationship · found family · friendship under pressure · class barrier · supportive team

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1805

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White Gold Wielder

Stephen R. Donaldson · 1983 · The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

A guilt-ridden anti-hero returns to a ravaged fantasy world for one last, costly showdown with evil.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: anti-hero · flawed protagonist · guilt-ridden · self-loathing · brooding · tragic figure · damaged characters · character-driven · unlikely hero · morally compromised

Relationships labels: companionship · love relationship · romantic tension · loyalty · group quest · friendship · conflict between companions · leader-follower

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1816

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Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind

Molly McGhee · 2023

A debt-ridden man takes a dream-auditing job that promises relief, but work, morality, and reality start to blur.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: naive protagonist · debt-ridden protagonist · people pleaser · anxious protagonist · passive protagonist · unreliable protagonist · likable loser · ordinary man · frustrating protagonist · flawed hero · bumbling idiot · earnest protagonist · self-deluding

Relationships labels: neighbor relationship · romantic tension · family debt · workplace hierarchy · boss-subordinate · community belonging · complicated relationships · loneliness · connection · dependence

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1819

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The Exiled Fleet

J.S. Dewes · 2021 · The Divide

Marooned at the universe’s edge, a ragtag Sentinel crew races to get home before starvation, enemies, and politics finish them off.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: misfits · outcasts · criminals · soldiers · engineer · reluctant leader · competent crew · sarcastic character · anxious character · self-sacrificing hero · flawed leader · found family cast · displaced fighters · vulnerable protagonist · rival-turned-ally

Relationships labels: found family · friendship · command dynamic · mentor relationship · crew bonds · platonic chemistry · loyalty · mutual support · team trust · family conflict · estranged family · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1847

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Haven

Claire Kent · 2021 · Kindled

In a ruined near-future world, two community leaders on a fortified farm must confront hidden feelings as survival grows personal.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: grumpy hero · protective hero · stoic hero · brooding hero · competent heroine · strong heroine · emotionally unavailable heroine · oblivious heroine · young adult leads · community leaders · survivors · caretakers · hardworking characters · pragmatic characters · grit under pressure

Relationships labels: friends with benefits · friends to lovers · protective pairing · secret relationship · unspoken attraction · mutual dependency · leadership partnership · found family · caregiver bond

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1866

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The Worldship Humility

R.R. Haywood · 2019 · The Code Trilogy

A bored shipboard hacker and a desperate thief get pulled into a fleetwide conspiracy over a habitable world.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: misfits · unlikely heroes · lovable cast · stock characters · character-driven · quirky characters · hacker · thief · detective · corrupt officials · organized crime · shy protagonist · awkward nerd · female lead · ensemble cast · flawed characters

Relationships labels: unlikely partnership · romantic tension · budding romance · found family · gang dynamic · rivalry · power imbalance · class antagonism · friendship · dependence

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1869

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The Boys, Volume 12: The Bloody Doors Off

Garth Ennis · 2012 · The Boys (Trade Paperbacks)

In a brutal finale, Hughie and the Boys confront Butcher’s final plans as old loyalties, truths, and revenge collide.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: antihero · broken people · compelling weirdo · manipulative leader · sociopath · unhinged · morally gray · character growth · character arc · expressive faces · troubled protagonist · foil

Relationships labels: male friendship · brotherhood · romance · couple closure · team loyalty · betrayal · dependency · family ties · mentor-protege · rivalry

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1871

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