If you have been to the local market or managed to ease-drop on a complete stranger’s conversation, it should come as no surprise to hear the words concerning Twilight or The Hunger Games being tossed back-and-forth as if their story were running for political office.

While both Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight Saga, and Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games, have managed to win outstanding awards for their writing, the female protagonist at the heart of each story follows a similar set of traits as well as incredible differences.

Listed below are the titles in the series, their publication dates, and how many copies of the books have been sold for those who have never showed an interest in either series.

The Twilight Saga (42 million): Twilight (2005), New Moon (2006), Eclipse (2007), and Breaking Dawn (2008).

The Hunger Games Trilogy (26 Million): The Hunger Games (2008), Catching Fire (2009), and Mocking jay (2010).

However, it is unlawful to measure a book’s success in terms of numbers; instead, look at the central story and character that is the driving force between these two distinct phenomenon’s.

Let us take Twilight and The Hunger Games at face value: both are young adult stories, predominantly narrated by the female protagonist, and this woman is caught in a love triangle throughout the series and there is a supernatural element at play.

Twilight takes place in a modern setting with a fantastical element at play within it. The

Hunger Games takes place in an apocalyptic setting with the context of the story being the fantastical element.

One of the greatest frustrations with the Twilight Saga is the strength or lack thereof for the female character; however, the Hunger Games seems to have portrayed the opposite in its leading-lady. Bella (Twilight) is portrayed as a typical teenager who has been forced to grow-up before her time. While she is withdrawn and vulnerable, Bella manages to be a person that many readers, primarily adolescent girls, can relate to. Katniss (Hunger Games) is the bread-winner of her family. She is a trained hunter and has dealt with poverty and trauma her entire life.

Interestingly, Bella and Katniss share a common bond. Both have grown-up without a particular strong father-figure. Bella meets Charlie later in life and Katniss lost her father when she was very young. Neither of them have strong maternal figures in their life. And lastly, both are caught between two men.

The Hunger Games is different in that its main focus is on survival and the corruption of humanity where as Twilight is about the benefits and struggles of wanting or being a vampire, however, also