One of Heinlein's early YA books, it's about 2 young boys who wind up on an adventure on Mars. This is a Mars with water (frozen) in its canals, oxygen, but not enough for a human to breath unassisted. So if you like your SF with the latest science in place, this isn't for you. Heinlien's young heroes are boy scouts, good kids with good intentions who buck the odds to do the right thing. They make discoveries beyond what the adults have done & face danger. They tough it out & make good, though. Happy ending! I'd recommend it for any adult, but also for any young boy, maybe 3d grade reading level & up. (I'm probably wrong about 3d grade, get another opinion.) The language & ideas are pretty simple, but equally engaging for young & old. There is a moral to the story; be brave, resourceful and - damn the consequences - do the RIGHT thing. I've seen worse messages in books, this one is pretty typical of all his YA books. ( )

Ohh, Willis! How little we know about you and your fellow Martians! I read this story through in one sitting. It's that good. The only hint at Heinlein's future explosive perversity in the book are the two clergymen that share a house. His readers will find the allusion entertaining. The characters are beautifully and simply woven. The antiquarians will find the boys manner of speaking quite retronique. Doc MacRae is my favorite character; and I believe Heinlein has shown the most of himself in this character. Solipsism is a beautiful philosophy. You will find Doc's hatred of "progression" to be most eloquently stated. The story is about 2 boys who hail from a Martian colony--the head of which is one of them's father. Bureaucratic Earth is struggling for control over these untamed revolutionaries who have taken a "manifest destiny" approach to Mars. Think of them as the blaster wielding Libertarians of the future. They share the mostly unexplored-as-of-yet Mars with various native creatures--the most interesting being the mysterious giant tripodal Martians who dwell deep within their ancient and emptied cities, and strange fluff-ball creatures called "bouncers". By the end of the book Heinlein has shown us an extrordinary alien civilization, an emancipated Human-Martian colony, and the fall of the corrupt incestual elite powers of Earth. Inbetween is a grand adventure. ( )

Not a bad read, but there are other Heinlein young adult novels that are a bit better. ( )

http://www.amazon.com/review/R249ZLI0... ( )

Another juvenile that I keep coming back to as an adult. This one is set on Mars and how a young man learns about growing up from his friend, a martian. ( )