Rating: 
Summary: More done to than doing
Review: Sorry I can't agree with the enthusiastic reviews of "Citizen of the Galaxy." The protagonist, Thorby, is altogether too much of a "passive hero": he never actually seems to _do_ anything, he just bounces around the galaxy like a pinball. If the story goes anywhere at all, it's because others do things to him or for him. After the story first appeared, as a serial in Astounding Science Fiction, editor John W. Campbell admitted that, in hindsight, he considered the characterization a major flaw and wished he had discussed it with the author. Of course, if you're a Heinlein fan, you should definitely add "Citizen of the Galaxy" to your collection. Even if Heinlein's writing is uneven, his strong point is in developing fascinating ideas and situations.
Rating: 
Summary: It's Rudyard Kipling's "Kim" set in the far future.
Review: A great space adventure tale by the master, Robert Heinlein. A small boy captured by space pirates is purchased by an old, legless beggar on a backwater planet. But as he grows, he is given more and more complex tasks by his loving "father" (who refuses to accept that he "owns" the boy). Bit by bit the boy becomes aware of the Great Game (to borrow Kipling's term) he's been playing without even knowing it. Soon, with the help of his "father's" friends, he is on his own until he is recalled to Earth to meet his long-lost family. This is great science fiction, a great tale. I read it as an early teenager and a number of times since. Highly recommended for any sci-fi, Heinlein, or good, space-adventure fans.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it, Loved it, Loved it!
Review: I have re-read this book 4 times so far. It is by far, one of the best Sci-Fi books I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable but Heavy-Handed
Review:
Although less straightforwardly political as Starship Troopers, still Heinlein insinuates his ideology into every page. As his view is not one I take in many instances, his over-the-top rhetoric can get tiresome quickly. That being said, the book was a quick, fun read, and certainly transported me away from upstate New York for a little while. The author research and thoroughness shine throughout the novel, and his extrapolations (i.e. the Sargonese from Sanskrit transformation) are simply wonderful. One other complaint, however, Heinlein tries to do too much in such a short book. It's almost as if they are 3 novels in 1; which is fine for anthologies, but a little difficult to swallow in this setting. Overall, it was fun, but I doubt I'll re-read it.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the better kids/adults novels from RAH's golden age
Review: Inspired by Kipling's "Kim," it's not Kim's equivalent as a literary masterpiece because Heinlein wasn't quite a wizard with language like Kipling, but it might be a more enjoyable read. Less technological than most of Heinlein's novels, it's set in a distant, vaguely medieval future of empires, aristocrats, and slaves. Yet, the last section of the book changes gears exhiliaratingly when the poor slave boy Thorby arrives on Earth and plunges into a proxy fight to take control of a major corporation
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Book
Review: One of the master's best work. I highly recommend it. It is a great 2-3 hour book with many commentaries on social evils as well as social "norms."
Rating:
Summary: Best First Book by Heinlein to Read.
Review: If you have never read a Book by Robert A. Heinlein and have heard about him and want to try him out. Then this is the book I recommend you start with. IMHO this is his greatest book.
I say this knowing that other people think that Starship Troopers is his best. But I do not think this is a great book to discover Heinlein by. In Starship Troopers he was making some blantant political statements, so people might be put off because of this. In Citizen of the Galaxy his messages are more subtle, without being obtuse.
I first read it as a young teenager and the worlds it transported me to, still in thrall me.
The main characters are typical Heinlein strong individualists, this is typical for both the males and females.
I have reread this book many times and the rich texture of the prose always transports me from the smell at the slave markets. To the sizzling power in the board rooms on Earth.
A must read, page turner.
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Summary: Heinlein's Best: An exploration of freedom & responsibility
Review: This is Heinlein at his best: a science fiction novel that explores the meaning of freedom and responsibility both for individuals and for cultures. Many of Heinlein's best novels were written for a young audience, but with levels of subtlety for all ages. "Citizen of the Galaxy" does this through the story of Thorby, a young boy found in a slave market on a human planet that had long since split off from Earth. Without giving away too much of the plot, Thorby moves through four different cultures, in each case playing a very different role in society and becoming part of a different "family." Thorby's dilemmas and decisions make this a proper text for any college ethics class. "Citizen of the Galaxy" was certainly an important influence in my adolescence.
Rating:
Summary: Every time it gets better
Review: I've read this at least four times over the course of the past 15 years. Every time, I think I see something new, understand a little more, and it gets better.
Rating:
Summary: One of Heinlein's best.
Review: Capsule Description: A young orphan with no memory of his past is sold as a slave, and becomes embroiled in more and more complex situations while travelling from world to world. One of Heinlein's "Juveniles", possibly the best of that category, and a fun read. Review: Often described as a space-age version of "Kim", Citizen of the Galaxy introduces us to the already world-weary and cynical, animalistically-paranoid Thorby, a boy of maybe ten years of age, who is being put on the auction block and sold. Through an odd sequence of events, the boy ends up being purchased by a beggar... who may be more than he appears. Subsequent events end up propelling him through the Galaxy as a number of things -- refugee, trader, military man -- while searching for the truth behind his unknown past. Heinlein wrote several "juvenile" books, ones targeted at what today would be called the Young Adult market (mostly teenagers), but despite the label his stories were always written in a mature manner that assumed his readers were as intelligent as he was. This is one of the very best of the juveniles, all of which were good SF reads. An excellent "starter" book for a young person who'd like to try some classic SF but is daunted by the prospect of either larger books or ones so old that the language itself becomes a barrier.
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