The Giver vs The Maze Runner: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Dystopias, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Children's fiction, Fiction
The Giver
“It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened.”
At the age of twelve, Jonas, a young boy from a seemingly utopian, futuristic world, is singled out to receive special training from The Giver, who alone holds the memories of the true joys and pain of life.
1 film adaptation
vs
The Maze Runner
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Giver is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 6 for The Maze Runner.
- The Giver has the widest readership — 2894834 ratings behind its score.
- The Maze Runner runs the darker storyline; The Giver stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Giver | The Maze Runner | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (2894834) | 4.1 (1742797) |
| Hardcover | 5.0 (1) | 3.7 (1686) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (9) | 4.0 (14) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (453) | 4.5 (6172) |
Reception
| The Giver | The Maze Runner | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2894834 | 1742797 |
| Editions | 106 | 21 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 842935 | 830947 |
| Reading it now | 34935 | 37923 |
| Written reviews | 92254 | 73401 |
| Wikipedia attention | 30970 | 8869 |
| Pages | 221 | 375 |