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Are You Happy Now

Hanna Jameson

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Similar in characterization + relationships

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

Characterization labels used: flawed characters, young adults, millennials, self-destructive, unlikeable characters, ambitious journalist, struggling musician, professor, ballet student, self-doubting, cynical, emotionally guarded

Relationships labels used: romantic relationships, friendship, workplace relationships, family pressure, queer relationships, dating, friendship-to-romance, intimacy, relationship drama

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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Bolero

Wyatt Kennedy · 2022 · Bolero

A heartbroken queer woman gets a key to multiple universes and chases a reset, but each jump forces deeper self-confrontation.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: heartbroken protagonist · messy characters · flawed characters · unlikable protagonist · self-destructive · self-sabotaging · addictive personality · recovering addict · relatable mess · toxic adults · aimless dropout · struggling millennial · college dropout · aspiring artist · aimless young adult · emotionally damaged

Relationships labels: breakup · ex relationship · WLW relationship · toxic relationship · cheating · marriage pressure · friendship · family conflict · parent-child conflict · romantic obsession · supportive friendship · relationship drama · queer romance · intimate betrayal

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1517

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Moxyland

Lauren Beukes · 2008

In near-future Cape Town, four young adults are swept into a corporate-dominated system of surveillance, branding, and revolt.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young adults · flawed characters · unlikeable characters · morally ambiguous · antiheroic · artist · photographer · programmer · activist · blogger · DJ · corporate climber · spoiled rich kid · addict · revolutionary · corporate insider · charmer · ruthless · ambitious · cynical · idealistic · naive · self-absorbed

Relationships labels: friends · frenemies · romantic entanglement · friends with benefits · family estrangement · mother-child conflict · corporate loyalty · betrayal · collaboration · interpersonal dependency

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1545

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World Departed

Sarah Lyons Fleming · 2020 · The Cascadia Series

A zombie outbreak on the West Coast forces a mismatched group of ordinary survivors to protect family, love, and each other.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: flawed characters · relatable characters · ordinary people · middle-aged protagonist · adult children · self-doubt · character growth · redemption arc · anxious character · rule-bound character

Relationships labels: found family · family bonds · friendship · marriage strain · romantic tension · budding romance · parent-child relationship · sibling relationship · community bonds

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1595

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Ruins

Orson Scott Card · 2012 · Pathfinder

A group of time-shifting teens cross into new wallfolds and race to stop Garden’s destruction while trust frays.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: whiny teens · genius children · reluctant leader · mature adults · squabbling group · philosophical characters · flawed protagonists · insecure characters

Relationships labels: friend group · sibling relationship · trust breakdown · leadership conflict · romantic tension · rivalry · power struggle · loyalty · betrayal · dependency

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1606

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Circular Motion

Alex Foster · 2025

As Earth’s days shorten, a runaway transport system, corporate denial, and activist rage pull two lives toward collision.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young man · teen activist · closeted gay man · outcast teen · corporate worker · science communicator · executive class · religious zealots · damaged characters · morally compromised · restless protagonist · disillusioned youth · traumatized character · self-harming character

Relationships labels: romance · same-sex romance · boyfriend · coworker romance · family estrangement · community ties · mentor relationship · friendship · romantic tension · intersecting lives

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1646

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Terminal Boredom: Stories

Izumi Suzuki · 2021

Seven bleak, prescient sci-fi stories trace alienation, gender, and numbness in futures that feel eerily present.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: disaffected youth · apathetic protagonists · alienated characters · emotionally numb · nihilistic · detached · addicts · loners · antiheroes · restless adolescents · cynical characters · listless drifters · queer characters · female-led ensemble

Relationships labels: queer relationships · lesbian relationships · romantic estrangement · familial tension · interpersonal disconnect · friendship rupture · gendered power dynamics · interplanetary romance · toxic friendship · community alienation

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1655

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An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Hank Green · 2018 · The Carls

A young woman’s viral video of a strange sculpture thrusts her into global fame and a worldwide first-contact mystery.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: flawed protagonist · unlikable protagonist · messy · self-centered · ambitious · attention-seeking · snarky · relatable · human · female narrator · young adult protagonist · supporting cast thin · scientist character · best friend

Relationships labels: friendship · romantic relationship · love triangle · girlfriend · best friend · sabotaged relationships · community · global cooperation

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1670

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The Compound

Aisling Rawle · 2025

A reality TV contestant enters a desert compound where luxury, survival, and desire are all on the line.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: vapid protagonist · unlikable characters · antiheroine · passive heroine · shallow cast · young adults · beautiful contestants · vain characters · materialistic · cutthroat

Relationships labels: romantic competition · forced coupling · group rivalry · jealousy · power dynamics · alliances · betrayal · intimacy under pressure · heterosexual pairing · cohabitation

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1686

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Feed

M.T. Anderson · 2004

A teen’s moon vacation turns into a close-up look at a brain-implanted media system, a collapsing world, and a fragile romance.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: immature teen · self-absorbed youth · alienated narrator · more aware girl · brainwashed peers · shallow characters · thoughtful outsider · unlikable protagonist · complicated characters · static character arc

Relationships labels: teen romance · star-crossed lovers · peer pressure · friend group · family strain · dependence · social conformity · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1698

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Girlfriend on Mars

Deborah Willis · 2023

A long-term couple is split apart when one enters a reality show for a one-way trip to Mars and the other watches from Earth.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: flawed protagonists · unlikeable characters · co-dependent couple · slacker boyfriend · driven woman · wannabe influencer · ex-athlete · former gymnast · lapsed evangelical · stoned character · grief-stricken character · self-absorbed character · nihilistic character · ambitious character · listless character · underemployed actor · tech-bro billionaire · side characters as archetypes

Relationships labels: long-term relationship · breakup · codependency · infidelity · love triangle · boyfriend girlfriend · exes · romantic rivalry · parent-child baggage · complicated couple · relationship deterioration · dependence · attraction tension

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1701

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Always Human

Ari North · 2020 · Always Human

In a near-future world of body-changing tech, two young women begin a sweet, queer romance while navigating difference and trust.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young women · queer leads · disabled protagonist · chronically ill protagonist · fashion-forward · anxious · overachiever · flawed characters · emotionally complex · growth arc · supportive side characters · supportive adults · relatable characters

Relationships labels: wlw relationship · sapphic couple · dating · romantic courtship · healthy relationship · supportive relationship · family relationships · friendship · polyamorous relationship · queer friendship · communication · mutual respect

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1706

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Swarm

Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti · 2016 · Zeroes

A teen superhero team opens an illegal club to test powers, then faces a deadly crowd-controlling enemy.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonists · flawed heroes · morally conflicted · self-doubt · angsty teens · self-loathing · cautious moralist · charismatic leader · isolated outsider

Relationships labels: found family · team dynamics · romance subplot · queer romance · family loyalty · sibling relationship · friend group · rivalry · team fracture

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1710

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