Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein

You see, what happens when I am reading more than one book at the same time is that I tend to finish them in bunches. Actually, this was a replacement book. The second Heinlein novel on my shelf has gone back to the shelf still unread. I think I may have gotten a few more pages than the last time I tried it, but it is still garbage - as someone said, "Wasn't that one after he went crazy?" Yep.

This one, on the other hand, is another of the juvies - and a better one than the first one. The first one (first on my shelf, that is) Between Planets was a predictable little teenage boy adventure story. Our Hero saves the system and gets the girl. This one is a little more complex. Thorby is for most of the story a pawn of powers beyond his control. He first appears as a slave on the auction block. He is such an unappealing wretch that he is auctioned off to a ragged old beggar almost as a joke. The beggar, of course, is more than he appears to be and sets in motion a series of events which end with our slave child in a position of actual power.

The elements of a teenage boy adventure are still there, but Heinlein's causes are making a showing. Between Planets is the fourth of the dozen, this book is the eleventh - definitely a slicker product that the earlier one. Still, one of my favorites has always been Space Cadet, the second book, so I guess simple experience is not the answer. I actually remembered parts of this book - mostly the early stuff. But considering the years since I last reread it, that's not bad.