It’s no secret that I’ve read a whole lot of books. It started with the Twilight series ten years ago and I haven’t stopped since. I’ve read books from numerous authors and different genres which have shown me so many different writing styles. Within all these differences though, there have been some surprising similarities. Stories that made me think of another book by a different author, wondering how they can be so similar but come from different people, and be written at such different times.

If You Liked The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins, Then You’ll Like….

The Red Queen Series By Victoria Aveyard

I’ve talked about this series before and what I’ve liked and didn’t like about it. The series on a whole was great to read and it was really well written. It took me a while to actually decide to read it but once I started I could tell why everyone loved it. It pulls you in and keeps you there.

Similarities:

Both series deal with a dystopian setting where there is some sort of injustice being shown. For The Hunger games, it was the fact that there were hunger games, for The Red Queen series it was how a particular race within the society was treated. They both have a strong female lead that is the face of the rebellion and funny enough, both of them have to choose between two possible love interests. Neither protagonist wanted or tried to start the rebellion but once given that responsibility they grew into that role. Their normal actions simply sparked something within others that brings out the same in others. Family is also a large factor in both of these series. No matter what move is made, the family of the protagonist is always thought of and how to keep them safe is paramount.

Differences:

A big difference between these books how the protagonist is thrown into the story. Katniss volunteers to save her sister but Mare was just going about her business when she’s discovered. The story lines of both series take their different paths and both have their different endings and reasons for their endings. The journeys to get there are also quite different. Mare is captured and lives quite some time behind enemy lines whereas in the Hunger Games it as Peta that was captured. This changes how decisions are made.

If You Liked The More Than Series by Jay McLean, Then You’ll Like….

Wait For You By J. Lynn (Jennifer Armentrout)

I’ve raved about the More Than series by Jay McLean numerous times. This series has become such a comfort for me when I just need to reset my brain after reading a tough series. The way it’s written and the style is incredibly similar to the Wait for You Series by J. Lynn.

Similarities

So both of these series deal with a college aged girl that is added to an already established group of friends. Both girls have to put aside their past and whatever is haunting them to learn to accept friends and love again. What is also interesting about these two series is that each subsequent book in the series focuses on a different friend in the group. It’s odd to find more than one series that does this but I’ve somehow found it. The style of writing is also very similar with how they describe settings as well as people.

Differences

Obviously the circumstances for the protagonist in the first book of each series is different. The reason they’re thrust into the group of friends is different but the outcome is the same, they make amazing friends when they need them most. Honestly I find the More Than series a bit darker than the Wait for You Series. More Than had me crying in the first two chapters so there’s your warning. Wait for You yes has its own brand of darkness but it’s not revealed immediately. There’s a bit more mystery in how the story is presented whereas for More Than, you’ve been given a lot of the information upfront (for the first book at least).

If You Liked Harry Potter by J.K Rowling, Then You’ll Like…

The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore

I know its very brave to compare any book or series to the greatness of Harry Potter but hear me out. There are quite a lot of books out there that have tried to match what J.K. Rowling was able to do and I believe Pittacus Lore was able to match elements of what she created.

Similarities

Both authors manage to create a world that has so many different elements and characters. Essentially they’ve created an entirely new race, J.K. Rowling with wizards and witches, Pittacus Lore with aliens. They both deal with how these newly introduced races interact with humans, or muggles. Both main characters are inserted into a world that they don’t know much about but are seen as leaders and someone to depend on. We’re able to see the main character grow up in the series as they deal with the pressure put on them from the role they never asked for. Of course there is a rebellion and a war but the sacrifices given to win the war are the same, lives.

Differences

Well an obvious one is that Harry is a wizard and Four/John is an alien. Another difference that can somewhat been seen as a similarity is that both protagonists are being hunted or targeted by one of their kind. I know the enemy in the Lorien Legacies isn’t exactly the same race as Four and the others but from the perspective of humans, they’re both aliens. The thing that I loved about the Lorien Legacies is what the Harry Potter series didn’t suffer from. The Lorien Legacies was written by multiple people. I’m not sure if this is why the more recent books seemed more mature than others or if that was intentional to show the growth of the main character. The themes in the later books are more mature and a bit darker.