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Empty World

John Christopher

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Similar in characterization + relationships

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

Characterization labels used: teen protagonist, orphaned boy, resourceful survivor, stoic protagonist, loner, practical thinker, male teen protagonist, secondary survivors, dangerous survivor

Relationships labels used: family loss, grandparents, found family, survivor tension, romantic rivalry, companionship need, isolation, betrayal, caregiving, peer conflict

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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Please Remain Calm

Courtney Summers · 2015 · This is Not a Test

Separated on the road in a zombie-ravaged world, Rhys must survive long enough to find Sloane and a place to live.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen survivors · traumatized teens · resourceful survivor · determined protagonist · vulnerable characters · realistic teens · morally exhausted · reluctant hero · crude humor

Relationships labels: companionship · separation · reunion attempt · interdependence · protective bond · romantic tension · survival partnership · trust · found family · parent-child

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1187

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This World We Live In

Susan Beth Pfeffer · 2010 · Last Survivors

A teen diarist survives a climate-warped world as two survivor families collide and love, faith, and shortages collide.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · survivor · whiny teen · bratty teen · mature under pressure · protective older brother · overprotective father · stepfamily · newlywed couple · underdeveloped secondary characters · angry male lead · religious character · caregiver role

Relationships labels: family reunion · sibling bond · stepfamily · parent child conflict · romantic tension · instalove · found family · community dependence · caretaking · marriage under stress

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1294

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Sovereign

Jeff Hirsch · 2019

Stranded alone on an alien planet, a teen must survive the wild and uncover a strange presence linked to home.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · middle school protagonist · lonely child · whiny protagonist · angsty teen · resourceful survivor · immature protagonist · determined survivor · coming-of-age

Relationships labels: parent child conflict · family separation · parental ambition · homesickness · friendship from afar · lonely companionship · estranged parents · protective alien

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1340

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Pure

Julianna Baggott · 2012 · Pure

In a nuclear-ravaged world split between Dome-dwellers and mutated survivors, two teens risk everything to find truth.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: survivor · fierce heroine · brave heroine · resourceful teen · isolated boy · controlled upbringing · compassionate outsider · stubborn · pragmatic · morally gray

Relationships labels: father-son conflict · family separation · mother search · grandfather-granddaughter · romantic tension · friendship · loyalty · betrayal · sibling loss · community bonds

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1355

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Reborn

Alex Scarrow · 2017 · Plague Land

Two years after a virus-driven collapse, survivors follow a rescue signal—while the infection evolves into something far stranger.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young survivors · siblings · family separation · adult perspective · infected character · survivor group · power-hungry antagonist · grit · hopeful characters · trust issues · character growth · physically vulnerable protagonists

Relationships labels: sibling bond · parent-child separation · lost family · found family · group solidarity · betrayal · power struggle · community trust · survivor dependence

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1376

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Going Home

A. American · 2012 · The Survivalist

A prepared traveler must cross Florida on foot after an EMP blackout throws society into chaos.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: prepper protagonist · resourceful protagonist · everyman protagonist · survivalist protagonist · military characters · naive college student · ex-military character · stock characters

Relationships labels: family separation · marriage · parent-child bond · travel companionship · found family · temporary alliance · trust under pressure · group survival

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1381

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Nattavaara

Thomas Engström, Margit Richert · 2020 · Nordmark

In a near-future northern Sweden torn by collapse, two survivors fight for safety, belonging, and a way forward.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · adult protagonist · ensemble cast · survivors · political leaders · outcasts · captives · resourceful

Relationships labels: siblings · family loss · parent-child loss · marriage · community exile · captor-captive · power hierarchy · us vs them · forced companionship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1426

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Plastic

Scott Guild · 2024

In a plastic dystopia of VR, surveillance, and eco-terrorism, one grieving woman starts to question her world and her past.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: lonely protagonist · grieving protagonist · traumatized characters · blind character · eco-terrorist · survivor · figurines · nonhuman characters · secretive protagonist

Relationships labels: romance · doomed romance · family loss · sibling conflict · parent-child loss · found connection · community alienation · romantic grief

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1438

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Dry

Neal Shusterman, Jarrod Shusterman · 2018

When California’s water supply suddenly fails, a teen and her family must survive a desperate scramble for water.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonists · siblings · survivalist family · prepper · moral compass · resourceful · desperate · authentic teens · flawed characters · distinct voices · homeless teen · wealthy opportunist · struggling leader · survival-minded parent

Relationships labels: siblings · found family · neighbor bond · romantic tension · unrequited attraction · friendship under pressure · parent-child · family loyalty · community breakdown · temporary alliances · rivalry · protective bonds

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1447

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Drømmen om et tre

Maja Lunde · 2022 · Klimakvartetten

In a climate-ravaged future, a boy guarding a seed vault in Svalbard faces catastrophe as another survivor heads north.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · young adult caretaker · grandmother figure · seed guardian · survivor · parentified child · morally burdened · resilient · stubborn · traumatized · responsible older sibling

Relationships labels: parent child · siblings · grandmother grandchild · family duty · community ties · conflict over survival · caretaking · intergenerational bond

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1450

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The Maze Runner Series

James Dashner · 2010 · The Maze Runner

An amnesiac teen wakes inside a deadly maze with other boys and must survive, uncover the truth, and escape.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonists · male protagonist · memory-wiped characters · rebellious protagonist · reluctant leader · faultless protagonist · underdeveloped characters · flat characters · character death · relatable characters · found family · character growth

Relationships labels: found family · friendship · romance · love interest · group loyalty · betrayal · teamwork · authority conflict · rivalry · parental loss · protective bonds

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1456

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Ashfall

Mike Mullin · 2011 · Ashfall

After Yellowstone erupts, a teen boy treks through ash and violence to find his family, joined by a tough companion.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen boy protagonist · resourceful · immature to mature arc · realistic teen · female co-lead · mechanically skilled girl · survival-trained · complicated survivors · self-centered to responsible

Relationships labels: family reunion · romantic relationship · travel companions · dependency · mutual protection · mentor-like help · trust under pressure

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1456

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