Exploring from

Dragonfly Girl: A Spellbinding YA Science Thriller About a Cure for Death and Deadly International Rivalry

Marti Leimbach

Find similar books by

Combine common axes

Similar in characterization

These books are ranked using the characterization labels extracted for Dragonfly Girl: A Spellbinding YA Science Thriller About a Cure for Death and Deadly International Rivalry.

Characterization labels used: science prodigy, genius teen, awkward teen, social outcast, bullied student, caretaker, devoted daughter, financially strained, driven, brilliant, introverted, relatable, quirky, complicated heroine, smart girl, female STEM protagonist, secondary characters

Focused on “female lead” where exact label matches exist.

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

Exclude same author

Max ratings No limit

All Our Yesterdays

Cristin Terrill · 2021

A trapped teen must rewrite a ruined future by traveling into the past to stop the invention that caused it.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonists · young adult protagonists · female lead · future self · younger self · genius boy · science prodigy · resourceful heroine · hardened survivor · insecure girl · privileged girl · strong-willed · morally conflicted · tortured prisoner · ambitious inventor · complex villain · unstable genius · loyal sidekick · character-driven · character growth · transformation arc

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1742

Continue from here

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: 0.1511

Continue from here

Redemption Prep

Samuel Miller · 2020

At an elite remote prep school, a missing girl sparks a web of secrets, suspects, and a mystery that turns strange.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: gifted students · prodigy students · high achievers · creepy stalker · obsessive boy · addicted boyfriend · genius best friend · science-minded student · popular girl · underdeveloped characters · unlikable characters · two-dimensional characters · flat characters · socially awkward character · analytical mind

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1515

Continue from here

Morbid Curiosities

S. Hati · 2026

A scholarship teen at an elite science institute uncovers secret experiments, mutations, and a threat to her own mind.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: ambitious teen · overachiever · scholarship student · gifted student · isolated protagonist · untrusting · prickly protagonist · mysterious girl · cutthroat peers · rich students · scientist characters · complex characters

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1522

Continue from here

Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart, Vol. 1: Riri Williams

Brian Michael Bendis · 2017 · Invincible Iron Man (2016) (Collected Editions)

A teenage engineering prodigy builds a suit, takes on a legacy, and learns heroism with help from Tony Stark’s AI.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teenage genius · super-genius · awkward teen · socially challenged · likable heroine · strong-willed · emotionally guarded · resourceful engineer · self-made hero

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1532

Continue from here

Wake

Robert J. Sawyer · 2009 · WWW

A blind teen’s experimental sight-restoring implant instead reveals the Web—and a new intelligence waking inside it.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teenage girl · math prodigy · blind protagonist · smart teen · genius child · autistic father · Japanese scientist · hacker · research chimpanzee · emergent intelligence · sympathetic protagonist · female protagonist

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1556

Continue from here

Binti

Nnedi Okorafor · 2015 · Binti

A gifted young woman leaves her isolated culture for space university, but a violent alien encounter upends her journey.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · brilliant student · mathematical genius · curious heroine · resourceful · brave · self-doubting · tradition-bound · outsider · first-generation student · strong female lead

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1588

Continue from here

Attack of the 50-Ft. Cupid

Jim Benton · 2005 · Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist

A young mad scientist’s awkward Valentine’s Day turns chaotic when a lab mishap unleashes a giant Cupid.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: mad scientist · quirky girl · strong-willed · misunderstood · spunky · smart · determined · reluctant helper · accident-prone assistant · supportive parent · bemused teacher

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1606

Continue from here

One Word Kill

Mark Lawrence · 2019 · Impossible Times

A teen math prodigy with leukemia and a D&D friend group gets pulled into a time-travel mystery that could save a girl.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: boy genius · math prodigy · social outcast · geeky teens · misfit friends · bullied teen · terminally ill protagonist · supportive friends · psychopathic antagonist · new girl · goth girl · rich kid · awkward teen · lovable characters

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1610

Continue from here

Limited Wish

Mark Lawrence · 2019 · Impossible Times

A teen math prodigy at Cambridge must untangle converging timelines before a paradox destroys his future.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant prodigy · teen genius · awkward hero · introverted protagonist · relatable protagonist · morally serious · smart characters · supportive friends · new characters · villains · bullies · mathematician · time traveler

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1617

Continue from here

A Conspiracy of Stars

Olivia A. Cole · 2018 · Faloiv

A teen aspiring scientist on a stranded alien colony uncovers buried truths about her world, her family, and peace on Faloiv.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: aspiring scientist · teen protagonist · curious heroine · determined heroine · logical characters · competitive students · black girl in STEM · hacker · best friend · scientist parents · extremist leader · character-driven

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1639

Continue from here

Notes on Infinity

Austin Taylor · 2025

Two Harvard students chase an anti-aging breakthrough, then fame, money, and secrets threaten their startup and bond.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: brilliant students · high achievers · flawed characters · competitive · ambitious · naive · driven · genius stereotype · female STEM protagonist · male science counterpart · founder characters · mentorship-seeking

Semantic match: ranked by characterization

Distance: 0.1658

Continue from here