Rating: 
Summary: Sci-Fi With a Surprise
Review: This was another book club selection. It was a quick, easy read - but left no real impact. A pure pleasure read - if you're into science fiction, that is. I thought the end was overly contrived...too cute. It was almost as is Card was getting as tired of the battle room as I was. Then, as if to suddenly try to redeem the book as more than just a video game fantasy, he rapidly ages his characters and gives them conscience struggles. All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book. It's harmless, and there are worse books to read - but there are so many better ones out there, why waste the time? I'm just glad that I didn't shell out any money for my copy!
Rating: 
Summary: If you want to win don't play the enemies game
Review: The experiences of Ender Wiggins hallmarks the strategy concepts surrounding decisive warfare wins; through out the book Ender wins against Stilson, Bonzo, the teachers, and the buggers; early in Ender's young life, ender learns how to kill; Ender's circumstances of killing were observed by the I.F, who did not intervene to prevent the homicides; instead the I.F learned Ender's isolation, desire to win, and creativity could be harnessed for their own purposes. Nevertheless, Ender is a killer, a dark character, darker than Peter. The buggers view humans as not intelligent and excessively brutal and violent. The Buggers attack earth and start a war. The buggers could have originated from earth, are mentally connected, and travel the space distance faster than the speed of light. Peter is the antagonist. However, Peter never kills, he manipulates, threats, and twists both Valentine and Ender to conform with his plots. It is Ender's desire to receive Peter's love. Peter and Ender divide as brothers with Ender becoming a great general and Peter the controlling political force of earth. Peter becomes Locke and Valentine, Demosthenes using their father citizen key to gain access to the nets. Locke and Demosthenes are recognized as great political writers controlling the minds of people of the earth; Locke supports the Warsaw pact and Demosthene a moderate view appealing to the common man for the war. After Ender destroys the buggers, Locke ostracizes Ender to the Bugger world. In the last effort repudiation of Peter, Valentine leaves with Ender to the Bugger world. Ender will arrive at the bugger world in two years, realize familiar scene from the desktop, find a the queen hive, and desire to restore the buggers. Interestingly Ender never realizes, he has killed both Stilson and Bonzo, instead he believes his victories are a product of superior intelligence, remorse is never a part of the experience; the I.F carefully controls Ender to produce an objective killing machine. So, Ender believes pain is good and pain can be used to control or defeat enemies. Even after being betrayed by the I.F, Ender realized he was glad too be a survivior and rejoices in not being killed by the buggers with his friends. Ender's soldier revered him as their commander. General Pace and Colonel Graf careful protected Ender and manipulated him into becoming the supreme commander of the I.F forces against the buggers. Ender training forms him into a fanastic commander, order intricate battle advancements, sacrifices, and surprising offensive tactics. Ender learns to always win, sometimes breaking the rules to win, but always winning. The game becomes reality. Ender learns from Maser Rankham the first bugger victory came when Rankam surprised the buggers by attacking the queen ship, apparently the bugger never thought such an attempt could be done and once the queen was dead the drones were helpless because the collective mind links were useless and so they eventual all died. The supreme command had to be young. Ender was young, seven when he entered the academy and twelve when he lead the I.F forces against the buggers. Youth allowed Ender's inhibitions to act too remain at a minimum; he was willing to take risks and adapt with creative strategies and attack patterns; the result being defeat of all the training armies in the school: fatique odds matching him unevenly against multiple armies, unfair advantages, and eventually 1000 to 1 game scenerios were all part of the game. Ender learns the Greek warfare lesson, "if you want to win, don't play the enemies games." In the case of 300 Spartians depending a narrow pass against hundreds of thousands of Persians with kill ratios around 15,000 men to one Spartian. Decisive victories with limited resources, this is the brillance of Ender Wiggin. Ender's grooming by Maser Rankham and taught him how to use the Dr Device weapon, a weapon that can cause molecules to disperse, a weapon used to destroy the home of the buggers. Ender realized the game was real, Ender realized he did not want to destroy the buggers, Ender realized the system used him to eradicate all the buggers, and in the end just one soldier in the war, his opinions didn't matter. The true power remained in the hands of the politicians and Peter controlled the politicians.
Rating:
Summary: An unchallenged masterpiece
Review: When I first found that book I wasn't sure if I should actually buy it or not. The abstract of Ender's Game reads more like a military sci-fi story which I usually don't like. However, having read incredible good reviews of this book I decided to give it a chance. The story is set in the future when humans had already fought their first war with an extraterrestrial species called the Buggers. Constant fear of another Bugger attack forces the world government to develop a strong military scheme which identifies and trains highly talented and intelligent young kids to be the military commanders of the future. Deprived of their childhood, these kids are put into battle games to improve their tactical and analytical skill sets. Ender Wiggin is the genius among the youngsters. He wins all the battle games and gets ready for the final encounter with the Buggers. This book is one of the best sci-fi books I have ever read and definitely plays in the same league as Ubik by Philip K. Dick or other master pieces. The book is rich of character development which is kind of unusual in the sci-fi space. In fact, Orscon Scott also published a textbook on character and viewpoint for novel writers. Ender's game delivers such great insights into the psyche of these highly talented kids and also doesn't fail to deliver great story twists and suspense. I have also recommended the book to non-sci-fi friends of mine and they all loved it. However the only drawback I noticed is the rather awkward integration of the 'speaker of the dead' character. I am very sure that Orson Scott did that to have a smooth transition to the sequel of this book. He may have even added that part after the book was finished. In my opinion, this particular bit of the book doesn't work out properly.
Rating: 
Summary: The proverbial "page-turner," but could have been more.
Review: 3 stars is the lowest rating I have ever assigned, and although admittedly I have only written 11 reviews, I still feel guilty. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, was engaging and more than adequate as science-fiction fodder...and although I'm sure there are some obtuse reviewers here who wrote something along the lines of "if you didn't see the ending coming you're a moron!" I concede that I did not see the ending coming, although I felt I should have guessed it.
In any case, the novel Ender's Game focuses around Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, an extremely precocious child who is sent to Battle School alongside other bright children. The setting of the book is the future, as with so many sci-fi novels, and aliens known as "Buggers" for their insectoid features (This would later be changed by Card in one of his later novels to "Formic," a more intelligent, less juvenile name...but that is neither here nor there) have invaded Earth twice. The second invasion was barely stopped, and the Battle School is now being utilized to train new commanders for the next encounter.
Battle School revolves around a game which essentially translates to zero-gravity laser tag, although far more complex. The teachers and staff use the battle room to gauge the pupils' leadership ability and command skills- here Ender finds his calling. Despite being small and initially ridiculed, Ender works his way to the top.....but Battle School is just the beginning.
This book did not make me want to hole up in my room and read it all in one day, but it certainly was an engaging story...however, it is certainly not without flaws. For one, Ender is not terribly likeable, and also some of his actions in the novel are understandable, they merely serve to make us like Ender less. Moreover, Card juxtaposes Ender's story with the story of his sister and brother on earth, manipulating people on the home planet to go to war with Russia. Not only is the cold-war paranoia (in 1979) misplaced and ill-addressed in a book concerning mankind's battle with aliens, but the scenes are poorly paced and bring the narrative to a halt. The reader craves more time in the battle room with Ender. Lastly (ironically enough) the ending is absolutely abysmal, the only thing worthy of praise being that Card somehow, someway manages to go from a Deus Ex Machina to a feel-good ending to a Deus Ex Machina to a sappy, ham-handed attempt at social commentary. He should be commended for pulling off such a bile-inducing conclusion.
Despite my complaints, I still recommend this book...although more for a long plane ride then for an evening at home.
Rating:
Summary: An Original Classic
Review: Ender's Game is probably one of the most acclaimed Science Fiction books ever written. It also somehow manages to evade a large amount of readers, mainly because of 2 misconceptions. The first, and most common, is that this is a children's book. Some schools have even picked up on this, choosing it for 7th or 8th grade classrooms. Many people choose not to read it because of this, without realizing that it was never meant to be a children's book. Yes, the main character is a child, but the characters and subject matter are much more suitable for an adult novel, and the writing style is clearly more adult oriented, without the simple plotlines most carry. The existential undertones also bring this out of the realm of children's books. Unfortunately, many people don't realize and just say "Eh, it's a kids book, why bother?" The second main reason people don't read this book is because "It's Sci-Fi, and I don't like Sci-Fi." What they don't realize is, yes, it's sci-fi, but it's more than that. A very little bit of science fiction is actually in this book. It is, for the most part, an examination of childhood innocence, the true meanings of right and wrong, and the mental struggles of pressure. This book is much more psychological than Science Fiction, as the emphasis is constantly put on the mental state of Ender Wiggin, other than alien killing and the usual Science Fiction fare. In all honestly, this book would be just as effective if it weren't science fiction at all. The idea of simulated wars and children being trained as soldiers could be set in modern times or the past just as well. I would challenge anyone who doesn't like Science Fiction to read this and not like it. Once you get past those two misconceptions, you get to see what a wonderful book Ender's Game really is. The concept is intriguing, the characters, especially the main character, are superbly developed. The ideas about war, peace, existance and willpower will certainly get you thinking, and the ending will leave you wanting more. Thankfully, there are plenty of sequels. One last note, if you read this book, I would highly reccomend you read Ender's Shadow as well. It gives valuable background information and character development which can make the original all the more enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Cute story
Review: This book will keep you reading, the story of the space war is not new but is kind of different, the way that the Generals made that Ender fight the war and the way they trained him is excellent, it has many things that doesn't have to be written, for example that 6 years old kids didn't wanted to be naked, I think that it doesn't have to be any kind of nudity in this book, another thing is that even if Ender and everybody in that school were geniuses I think that they couldn't work so hard with any mental illness after that work.
The book is predictable in many parts, so if you read this book only to have a good time, like watching toons is ok, if you expect anything else, just skip it.
The end of the book is a little bit long.
Rating:
Summary: Man This One Blew Me Away!
Review: I read this novel for a college class in young adult literature, and when I began it, I wasn't just thrilled. I thought this was the basic science fiction novel that I had read dozens of times before. There wasn't going to be anything special here. But, I went on, and it didn't take very long to convert me. This is a special book that captivates you, and if you look deep enough, has the power to change you. The plot centers around Ender, a child genious charges with the task of developing his mental abilities into military skills to defeat an alien race who had attacked the earth years before. This novel presents his years in school, playing inventive warrior games in space, and his attempt to save the world. He struggles with relationships with the other students (since he is a genious), with the powers trying to manipulate him, and with the intense need to succeed at war games. The plot is so exciting and entertaining, but the novel also raises a lot of questions. There are the ethical questions about war and power, and there is a strong message about love and empathy. The novel also examines the life of children who are smarter than their peers, and it roles of teachers in students life. There is also an insightful discussion about "games" and reality. Lastly, there is Ender's struggle to obtain freedom from the forces manipulating him. His sister Valentine makes the claim that he can't obtain true freedom except by accepting the roles offered to him by the people who love him. He does choose to serve the people he loves and gains some purpose and happiness. I thought it was a powerful message from a truly wonderful novel.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable book
Review: Being new to the sci-fi genre (this is really the first sci-fi book I have read, if you don't count C. S. Lewis's Narnia series) I write this review with the knowledge that there are probably many things I don't get in this story. Therefore, this review will probably lack some of the depth that could come from a more knowledgeable reader. However, maybe as an "outsider" to the sci-fi genre I'll have a few worthwhile thoughts. Ender Wiggin is a tormented child genius, charged with saving the earth from alien invaders. The book tells the story of how Ender is recognized as the potential "savior of the earth", how he is trained and how he ultimately defeats the alien invaders. The plot is a good one, but the development of the character of Ender is the highlight of the book. When we first meet him, he is the kid who gets picked on by his evil older brother and the bullies in the neighborhood. Ender is a sensitive kid who doesn't want to hurt anyone. However, throughout the book he is put into positions where he has to defend himself. When he does defend himself he doesn't merely defeat his enemy, he destroys him. Then he feels guilty about it afterward. The rulers of the earth monitor Ender and notice this, along with his brilliance in computer simulated war games. The earth has been attacked twice by alien invaders and nearly wiped out each time. The powers that be expect another alien invasion and so they conscript Ender into leading them in battle against these aliens. While Ender is whisked away into outer space to be trained to save the earth, back on earth his evil brother Peter concocts a plan to rule the earth, and he conscripts his and Ender's sister, Valentine to join him in this. Peter and Valentine take on cyber identities of Locke and Demosthenes and interject themselves and their opinions into the affairs of the day, and eventually grow to wield great power on the earth. There is a sense in which this is a psychological thriller because much of the story has to do with what is going on in Ender's head. Here he is, the sensitive young boy (did I mention he is only 10?) who is being taught to destroy others and eventually destroy an entire alien race. His interior wrestlings with this dominate the book. We also see him agonize with fears of becomgin like his brother Peter, and deal with the fact that the world leaders are using him. The fact that the author chose the names Demosthenes and Locke for two of the main supporting characters is interesting. Demosthenes is an ancient Greek writer known for his orations against Phillip of Macedon and Locke is known for his anti-authoritarian views. Since I don't know what was going on in the head of Orson Scott Card when he was writing I can only speculate why he chose these names. As Demosthenes and Locke, Valentine and Phillip do, over time, undermine the existing authorities and raise themselves to levels of power. This hints at one of the subtle messages of the book, which is certainly seen in the case of Ender - you can't trust the authorities. In this book, the authorities can't be trusted. Demosthenes and Locke undermine authority, and Ender grates against the way he is used by the authorities. There is a religious element to the book, albeit a subdued element. It appears that at the time of the story, religion has either been outlawed or done away with. Ender's mother secretly prayed, and if memory serves me correctly, may have even had the kids baptized or dedicated as small children. Rather than having faith, Ender is an object of faith in this book. In that sense, he is a kind of Christ figure, but only in a loose sense. He is the savior of the world. And, in fact, at the end of the book, he becomes the founder of a new religion. There is even a place in the book where, when wrestling with deeds he has done, he confesses to a real love for his enemies, which is a very Christian theme. At the end of the book, he finds that he is unable to return to earth, and goes off to colonize another world - his kingdom is "not of this earth," again a very Christian theme. I admit these religious elements are only there in a loose sense, I am not arguing that Orson Scott Card was operating from any Christian or religous presuppositions, but it is still fascinating to me to see potential connections. The story has a great and unexpected ending - I wouldn't have expected it. Overall, its an enjoyable book - probably good enough to make me want to read the next one. Who knows, maybe I'll become a sci-fi aficionado.
Rating:
Summary: OH MY GOSH!
Review: this is the greatest book of all time. I'm not really into science fiction, but this book took my breath away! it is science fiction, but it isn't just shoot em up, it has feeling.I would definetally read this, Even if you don't like the review, you have to give this book a chance, it will suck you right in!
Rating:
Summary: Great short science fiction novel
Review: This is the story of an exceptionally gifted child and how he is trained to fly and command battle fleets, and the things he learns as the consequence of his actions. This is an extremely enjoyable science fiction story that blends future politics, warfare, alien first-contact, relativistic space travel and computer technology. The main character learns important lessons about might vs. right. It also shows us how extermely brilliant people can be manipulated by less gifted, powerhungry political forces. Ender's Game is fast paced, easy to read and extremely fun. It's also interesting to see how Card wrote about things like electronic bulletin boards that would not emerge for many more years. Maybe he is prescient about other aspects as well? Some of the sequels are good as well, although none quite stand up to the sparkle of the original. This is a story that you'll compare to many others for years to come.
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