Books for the Ages 13 to 16 Set

The Integral Trees Book Cover

by Larry Niven

This book describes life in a free fall (weightless) environment. It describes how the human race has adapted to live there. There are tribes of humans that struggle for control of a star stuff relic, a small space craft.

I liked the development of the different characters and the sub-plots that ran through the book (of which there were many). I didn't find anything aggravating or less than my expectations.

I would recommend it for the avid science fiction reader or anyone interested in a good story.

Bookcase in lieu of book cover image

The Smoke Ring

by Larry Niven

This book is the sequel to The Integral Trees. The plot centers around the return of Kendy, the checker, and his plans to civilize the smoke ring. The main characters are the descendants of the main characters in The Integral Trees. In their travels they discover a mass of two thousand people centered in an area called "the clump."

I liked how this book flowed consistently from the first book into this one without a break in the story line. The only thing I didn't like was the introduction of too many new characters. But, other than that, it was very good.

Again, I would recommend this book for the avid science fiction reader or anyone interested in a good story.

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