Rating: 
Summary: An adult book, cleverly disguised as a book for kids!
Review: "The Star Beast" is the first science fiction book I read, when I was twelve years old...I even remember where I was sitting on a bench outside my building in New York while I was reading it. I recently bought it for my twelve-year old daughter, to "get her started," and on my way home from a business trip, I read it again myself. I am amazed to think I was able to read this book when I was a kid, and how much I must have missed. It is sophisticated, gently satirical, often very funny, and often wise; the usual warm characters and ear for speech that one expects from Heinlein, but with a no-nonsense intolerance for racial bigotry, and a feisty, competant teen-age girl who's got wit and courage. All told, to my considerable surprise, it's one of the better books I've read in the last few years! My highest recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: An adult book, cleverly disguised as a book for kids!
Review: "The Star Beast" is the first science fiction book I read, when I was twelve years old...I even remember where I was sitting on a bench outside my building in New York while I was reading it. I recently bought it for my twelve-year old daughter, to "get her started," and on my way home from a business trip, I read it again myself. I am amazed to think I was able to read this book when I was a kid, and how much I must have missed. It is sophisticated, gently satirical, often very funny, and often wise; the usual warm characters and ear for speech that one expects from Heinlein, but with a no-nonsense intolerance for racial bigotry, and a feisty, competant teen-age girl who's got wit and courage. All told, to my considerable surprise, it's one of the better books I've read in the last few years! My highest recommendation.
Rating: 
Summary: Heinlein does it again -- a "juvenile" for the adults too
Review: Another juvenile adventure story from the first Grand Master of Science Fiction. As usual, it has a strong appeal for adult readers as well. Heinlein never wrote down to his younger readers or lightened his realistic approach to soceity and politics in his future settings. Sometimes this works against him, and in Star Beast he gets too deep lengthy discussions between bureaucrats sitting in offices talking about intergalactic politics and the workings of the justice system. The central premise, however, thrills: a teen boy's 'pet,' a saurian alien named Lummox, becomes a focal point in negotiations with a powerful alien race, while misguided humans search for a legal loophole to allow them to kill the alien beast. The sequence involving John Thomas's escape with Lummox to avoid an order to destroy the alien is the novel's best. If you are interested in reading more Heinlein juveniles, _Starman Jones_ and _Have Space Suit-Will Travel_ are even better, with plenty of more action and adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Light entertainment
Review: Definitely not a book if you're looking for some highbrow cutting statement on current affairs or the human race as a whole, this is mostly just a fun little novel for young adults that Heinlein wrote and if you approach it with that thought in mind there won't be any trouble at all. What we have here is young John Thomas (which oddly enough is British slang for something I can't mention here) who has been raising an animal from the stars that his grandfather brought back . . . it talks in a little girl voice, eats everything in sight and is fairly docile, the perfect pet so to speak. Except things aren't that simple and when Lummox (the cute critter's name) goes on a bit of a walkabout, the town gets upset, the local interplantary authority gets involved and then things start getting strange . . . the book does a sudden shift over to intergalactic politics, the machinations of which probably went way over kids' heads but were exciting enough to read anyway . . . aliens show up, the fate of the planet almost comes in jeopardy and a fine time is had by all. The characters here seem a bit more obnoxious than usual, most are either totally full of themselves in how right they are (most of the women are utterly annoying either being simpering wimps like Thomas' mother or irritating know-it-alls like his quasi-girlfriend Betty) and even the men get into the act as well, which can get on your nerves depending on your mood at the time. The widening of the scope of the book and focusing more on the government stuff was a smart idea, John Thomas' town is too full of simpleminded and one dimensional people to be that interesting, if you get past about the first half of the book, then you're all set and the rest should be easy. A quick read, probably not worth the six bucks you'd pay for it these days, but fun enough and a good way to get a younger kid interested in SF, or even if you're on a nostalgia trip, since it holds up fairly well over time.
Rating:
Summary: A Great, Quick Read
Review: Don't be turned off by this book's "juvenile" tag or it's "cute" cover, this is a great, great read that you will highly enjoy no matter what your age. Unlike in later books, Heinlein doesn't use this book as a pulpit, but rather as sheer entertainment. Thus, this book is a good read for teenagers, and is a great book to start someone on science fiction. However, I suspect adults will actually enjoy this book more... the meat of the plot, in fact, is an intergalactic political conflict, featuring lots of behind-the-scenes manuevering and some highly entertaining courtroom scenes. A lot of this may go over the head of a younger reader. The Star Beast is well written, and reads VERY smoothly... you'll be tempted to read it in one setting, as I very nearly did. It's hard to put down. A highly enjoyable read. This is a very good Heinlein that doesn't get much recognition... pick it up.
Rating:
Summary: Will be a clasic some day
Review: Heinlein, at his best, was probably the best pure storyteller of the twentieth century, and he is at his best here. The characters are delightful, especially Lummox, and the story just flows. You want to read it in one sitting, and sometimes I do. Heinlein, at his worst, was an annoying ideologue, and he avoids that here, simply letting the story tell itself. That is not to say there's no lesson here. Oh, no! You leave this book thoughtful. About pride, pretension, and the folly of underestimating those who aren't "like us", among other things. But don't be scared off by that. This is "juvenile" Heinlein at his best, which means it's juvenile only insofar as its protagonists are young. People will be reading this (willingly!) When his "adult" fiction is forgotten. My highest recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Will be a clasic some day
Review: Heinlein, at his best, was probably the best pure storyteller of the twentieth century, and he is at his best here. The characters are delightful, especially Lummox, and the story just flows. You want to read it in one sitting, and sometimes I do. Heinlein, at his worst, was an annoying ideologue, and he avoids that here, simply letting the story tell itself. That is not to say there's no lesson here. Oh, no! You leave this book thoughtful. About pride, pretension, and the folly of underestimating those who aren't "like us", among other things. But don't be scared off by that. This is "juvenile" Heinlein at his best, which means it's juvenile only insofar as its protagonists are young. People will be reading this (willingly!) When his "adult" fiction is forgotten. My highest recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: A funny Heinlein
Review: I don't remember Robert Heinlein ever being known for a sense of
humor, but he certainly shows one in this novel. At least in
the beginning. After that, it sort of peters out. Still, it's
nice to know that he could get off of his soapbox, as he did in
the surreal _Starship Troopers,_ and have some fun with a sort of a dinosaur alien (a baby) that eats mean dogs and cars. This book is listed as a "juvenile," but even an adult could enjoy it. Since it is a juvenile, the hero is a teenage boy. Unfortunately, he has an overbearing martyr of a mother and and
overbearing brat of a girlfriend. His baby alien is the most
pleasant character in the book, even though he/she is half the
size of a house and armored to the point of invulnerability (that's my kind of pet). The book is an easy read, and can be
zipped through in a day. Not one of Heinlein's best, but far
from his worst. At least, unlike _Rocket Ship Galileo,_ it's not about Nazis on the Moon.
Rating:
Summary: Science Fiction of and for the Golden Age
Review: I once attended a panel discussion on what was the Golden Age of science fiction (the 50s being one of the periods offered). One of the panelist came up with the best answer; "The Golden Age of science fiction is 12." I know this to be true, for that is when I first encountered THE STAR BEAST. I can't imagine a better book to introduce a young mind to science fiction. The characters have real motives and feelings. The plot hold up. The images engage the imagination without bogging it down. The humor makes it a delight to read. If you know a twelve year old who is ready to enter their Golden Age, give them this book. Neither of you will regret it.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to intro kids to SF & great authors.
Review: I read this book when I was about 11. I feel in love with Science Fiction because of this book and the writings of Asimov. I also have managed to read every Heinlein book written, because this one was so wonderful. I now give a copy to my kids when they reach about 9 years old. My youngest son who just turned 10 is in the middle of it now and is enjoying it as much as I did. It's a cute story with an interesting story line and surprise ending. I would also recommend it to adults as a fun read. Give it to a child that has begun reading. It would make a great kids movie. Give it to an adult that needs a break from Real Life.
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