Anyway, once again Heinlein changes tack with these juveniles, and this one is quite different from the others I have read. The plot takes place entirely on Earth (no space adventures this time). The teenage main character (John Thomas) doesn't achieve things through hard work and matures as he takes in his new experiences. He is different from other Heinlein boy protagonists. He doesn't show the same drive and independent spirit. Instead, he mostly reacts to the crazy things that happen to him. Actually, he plays the naive "straight man" in a comedy, because that's what The Star Beast is: it is without a doubt the funniest of the Heinlein juveniles I have read, although the humor is not based on gags or jokes, but on the situations the characters find themselves in. Since the story doesn't depend so much on technology, this one struck me as less dated than the other Heinlein juveniles I have read so far.

Lummox is the best character of the book. He is a "shy harmless animal", from John Thomas' point of view, while others see him as a ravaging, huge and dangerous beast. The situation there reminded me of Hagrid and his pets in the Harry Potter series (although John Thomas is less far from the truth here: it's just his naive inability to understand how people see "Lummie" that's funny). I really enjoyed it when Heinlein allowed us a glimpse of Lummox's thought process, which was both alien and childlike. Heinlein seems to like the idea of "cute", relatively intelligent alien pets, but here the idea is the basis of the novel.

Mr. Kiku was also an interesting character. (Heinlein was ahead of his time here, depicting a black man as the most senior and capable government official, and making his Kenian cultural roots important to him). However, his part in the novel, while necessary for the story, was probably not the most interesting for most readers, since diplomatic wrangling is not as exciting as action. Betty, Johnnie's girlfriend, is much more competent and ambitious than Johnie himself (who, let's face it, is not the brightest bulb in the box).

I found the story very enjoyable, but it is true that humor may work for some people and not work for others, depending on personality and mood at the time of reading, so this one may not be for everybody. It's a funny, "The Prince and the Pauper" type of tale. There's not much action or deep ideas (but then, deep ideas are not the point of these juveniles, it's just telling a good yarn set in the future, with space colonization, aliens and a youthful protagonist). ( )

It's probably been 25 years or more since the previous time I read this book, but something compelled me to pick it up again the other day. I was naturally expecting that it wouldn't be as good as I remembered, but if anything it's better! A completely fun jaunt through Heinlein's future, most of it just background to the story, which is about a small-town lad and his pet, an alien critter that had been smuggled back to Earth a hundred years back by his great great grandfather. The other characters in the book are interesting and well drawn, and the mother is sufficiently annoying that it's obvious the target audience of the book was teens and young adults. This read confirms the book's place as my very favorite of Heinlein's juvenile titles. ( )

A classic Heinlein juvenile, one of the few with a strong female character. The full-cast audio version is extremely well done.

It's not a traditional YA novel. There's a diplomatic crisis and a courtroom drama in the novel. There's not really any action, but there's a lot of excellent character interaction, especially the YA leads, Betty and John Thomas with "The Star Beast" named Lummox.

Many of the characters aren't as fleshed out as they could be (e.g., John Thomas's mother), but I love the young leads and the overall story. The full-cast audio adds an extra dimension to a good story. ( )

The star beast is the story of Lummox, the pet of John Thomas Stuart XI, whose great-grandfather brought Lummie back from one of his space jaunts. One day, Lummie decides to eat the roses in a neighbor's garden and things escalate. Bring in the Department of Spatial Affairs, a missing alien, a court trial and things get out of control quickly.

This is one of the novels for young readers that Robert Heinlein wrote in the 1950s. The advances in technology today have outpaced what was even imagined at that time. Computers for the Department of Spatial Affairs take up a whole building and there are no cell phones. But the story itself is endearing and the ending is not quite what one expects. ( )

Uneven and disappointing, for while there were interesting interactions, the inconsistency of his message with respect to non-terrestrial beings was irritating, and his social flaws more so. Yes, product of the times...heard it.

I read one review that said this book had Heinlein's first strong female character. Maybe, but when that character has "very nearly as good a head on her as a man, and pretty to boot"? Much work to do as a progressive human, Mr. Heinlein.

Asimov wasn't a fraction of the sexist that Heinlein was. Nor as preachy. The first third of the book read like "look what I know about trial procedures."

As I read through Heinlein in mostly publication order, I am still waiting to see what set him apart as the first grandmaster, let alone one of the Big Three. ( )