All the Pretty Horses vs The Sweet Far Thing

The main characters of these novels share many similiar qualities and conflicts in each book respectively. They both experience forbidden love affairs, ones which wrap their minds with thoughts of their lovers, and would risk life and limb for them to be happy (Kartik and Alejandra). They both follow the basic hero quest pattern, both are also the hero/heroine in the novel. On their excursions, they both lose a beloved friend, which temporarily slows the pace but does not stop the hero from their quest. In both trips, the hero gets seperated from their friends and has to perservere alone, but in both books they got reunited. Sacrifice is evident in each book, to return to their lover they must both make critical decisions, and they both decided that it's the loved one that wins that choice. For both characters, their parents have a drug/alcohol problem, causing distress and turmoil internally for John Grady and Gemma. These parental issues cause the hero/heroine to take up the quest, compelling them to build the characters they had in the end. The obstacles that they encountered made them considerably stronger, learning how to master their weaknesses and improve their strengths.