Stand by for Mars! vs Z: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction

Cover of Stand by for Mars!

Stand by for Mars! Carey Rockwell · 1952 ★★★★☆ 3.8 162 pages · ≈ 3 h 00 m · Light Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Z

Z Michael Thomas Ford · 2010 ★★★★☆ 3.6 290 pages · ≈ 5 h 22 m · Easy Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.8 vs 3.6 — either is a safe pick by score.
Stand by for Mars! is the quicker read — about 3 hours vs 5 for Z.
Z is the easier read (Easy), Stand by for Mars! more demanding (Light).

Side by side