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The Golden Compass

Philip Pullman

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Similar in characterization + relationships

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

Characterization labels used: young heroine, child protagonist, orphan, wild child, liar, clever heroine, brave heroine, curious heroine, flawed protagonist, independent child, schemer, mischievous, determined, morally complex adults, villainous parents, authoritarian adults, supporting cast

Relationships labels used: best friends, parent-child, absent parents, guardian dynamic, betrayal, mentor figures, human-animal bond, friendship, found allies

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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The Owl Keeper

Christine Brodien-Jones · 2010

In a ruined future, a sun-shy boy and a bold girl chase a hidden prophecy and the last silver owls.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young protagonist · sickly child · passive protagonist · naive protagonist · brave growth · spunky girl · fiery girl · runaway girl · underdeveloped characters · odd and quirky villains

Relationships labels: childhood friendship · found friendship · grandmother bond · guardian relationship · parental absence · best friends · loyal friendship · power imbalance · human-animal bond · mistrust of caregivers

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1226

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His Dark Materials

Philip Pullman · 2007 · His Dark Materials

A child from one world and a boy from another are swept into a multiverse quest shaped by Dust, daemons, and authority.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: clever heroine · brave child · liar · schemer · street-smart · headstrong · resourceful · precocious · mature beyond age · moral ambiguity · mystery woman · intimidating patriarch · armored bear ally · witch characters · children in peril · adult antagonists · flawed protagonists

Relationships labels: friendship · child companionship · mentor-like ally · guardian tension · family separation · romance · first love · loyalty · betrayal · found family · parent-child conflict · power imbalance · community bonds

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1267

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The Subtle Knife

Philip Pullman · 2018 · His Dark Materials

Two children from different worlds join forces to survive, uncover Dust, and wield a knife that can cut between realities.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: precocious child · brave heroine · street-smart child · mature for age · protective child · troubled boy · child carer · absent parents · new protagonist · morally conflicted characters · authority figures

Relationships labels: child friendship · protective bond · parent-child absence · missing father · caregiving · trust building · friendship under pressure · family trauma · mentor-like figures · rivalry with authority

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1384

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Moonlocket

Peter Bunzl · 2017 · The Cogheart Adventures

In steampunk Victorian London, Lily, Robert, and a mechanical fox race an escaped criminal to a mysterious locket.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: child protagonists · brave children · smart protagonists · flawed protagonists · spunky heroine · determined heroine · curious boy · emotionally wounded · grief-stricken · searching for belonging · mechanical fox companion · sarcastic companion · ruthless villain · criminal mastermind · escapologist · orphaned child · overprotected child · character growth · coming of age · strong female lead

Relationships labels: friendship · best friends · found family · biological family · family secrets · parent child bond · mother absence · father loss · loyalty · trust · protectiveness · sibling like bond

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1421

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Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein

Pádraig Kenny · 2025

A gentle gothic retelling of Frankenstein follows a created boy who leaves his castle home to save his friend and learn what makes a person.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: kind protagonist · innocent protagonist · naive protagonist · literal-minded protagonist · curious protagonist · empathetic protagonist · loyal friend · clumsy side character · scientist villain · wicked nephew · shunned outsider · assistant ally · childlike characters · monstrous-looking but good

Relationships labels: friendship · found family · loyalty · companionship · mentor-creator bond · protector dynamic · allyship · betrayal by guardian figure · pursuit of friend

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1433

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The House of the Scorpion

Nancy Farmer · 2002 · Matteo Alacran

A cloned boy raised as property in a drug lord’s future borderland must confront what makes him human.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: clone protagonist · child protagonist · coming of age · isolated child · sympathetic protagonist · morally complex characters · villainous ruler · caretaker figure · bodyguard mentor · love interest · antagonistic family

Relationships labels: found family · caretaker bond · mentor relationship · guardian relationship · romantic tension · power imbalance · loyalty conflict · betrayal · parent-child dynamic · friendship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1477

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Wizard for Hire

Obert Skye · 2018 · Wizard for Hire

A lonely boy hires a questionable wizard to help find his kidnapped parents, and the quest gets stranger from there.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: resourceful child · naive protagonist · lonely child · resilient protagonist · quirky wizard · eccentric adult · talkative sidekick · sarcastic sidekick · sentient machine · smart kid · kind girl · mysterious mentor · self-proclaimed wizard · possible con artist

Relationships labels: parent-child bond · found family · friendship · companionship · mentor-protege · crush · trust · dependency · teamwork

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1510

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The Trouble with Perfect

Helena Duggan · 2019 · Perfect

When stolen children and a framed friend threaten her town, Violet must uncover who is behind the new trouble.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: brave heroine · child detective · best friend · framed boy · mischievous child · stubborn heroine · protective mother · sinister twins · supportive side characters · children act like children

Relationships labels: friendship · best friends · family conflict · siblings · mother-son · community trust · betrayal · adult-child tension

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1511

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D

Michel Faber · 2020

A girl who alone notices the letter D vanishing must cross into a strange winter world to restore language.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young heroine · observant child · orphan · outsider · adopted child · resourceful heroine · witty heroine · morally brave heroine · shape-shifting companion · authoritarian ruler · mysterious teacher · minor depth

Relationships labels: adoptive family · mentor-student · companion bond · friendship · outsider status · protector role · community pressure · power and oppression

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1521

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The Fever Code

James Dashner · 2016 · The Maze Runner

A prequel tracing Thomas and the others inside WICKED, where a maze is built and loyalties begin to shift.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: child protagonists · young cast · selected subject · test subject · brainwashed · naive protagonist · gullible protagonist · smart protagonist · manipulative authority · loyalty divided · character backstory · character development · troubled character · morally ambiguous character

Relationships labels: friendship · found family · rivalry · betrayal · loyalty · romance · siblings · authority control · team bond · friend group

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1521

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A Tale of Time City

Diana Wynne Jones · 2002

A WWII evacuee is abducted into Time City, where she must help repair history before both her home and the city unravel.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young heroine · ordinary girl · plucky child · headstrong · competent child · smart child · child genius · annoying boy · overconfident boy · adult incompetence · adult detachment · android character · mythic figure · mystery villain · cautious planner · bratty child · strong female lead

Relationships labels: kidnapping · mistaken identity · found family · sibling-like trio · child alliances · child-adult tension · parent separation · home longing · rivalry · dependency · protective friendship · teamwork · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1531

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Lettres perdues

Jim Bishop · 2021

A boy hunts for a missing letter in a vivid island world, getting tangled in a strange city quest, mafia trouble, and grief.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: naive protagonist · child protagonist · excentric characters · attachable side characters · impulsive characters · incompetent authority · morally mixed cast · passive protagonist · emotionally wounded characters

Relationships labels: mother-child · absent parent · family loss · found family · friendship · unlikely alliance · protective bond · companionship · isolation · community conflict

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1549

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