not too short for a stormtrooper

I suspect part of my love for this series has to do with starting it back in junior high (and then waiting way too many years for the third book). If you read it for the first time when your older, it's probably a lot easier to see what's wrong with it. But it's interesting, and reasonably well written (as far as I remember), so it's worth finishing even if you don't love it (especially since my favorite character isn't introduced until the next book).