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Summary: Ender's game is the best!
Review: I don't want to say much, just that you absolutly must read this book, it's absolutely amazing. I haven't read the sequals yet, but I am sure I am going to, after I finish reading this one again.
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Summary: A Wonderful Read with a Twist
Review: This novel was an easy read that was full of inventive military creations as well as science fiction components. The story line was interesting and never gave way to a dull moment. Ender's trials and tribulations were an amazing triumph and the fact that the novel was written about children made it all the more interesting and thought provoking. This story inspires the imagination to think beyond the technological, inferior age and look towards the future in a new light with a new understanding. The ending of Ender's great career implemented a subtle jaw-dropping 'twist' that made the story a complete success. This was more than a science fiction novel, it was more than a coming of age story and it was more than a military strategy story. This literature was a great source of entertainment and edge of the seat action. Orson Scott Card knew what he was doing when he wrote this novel and succeeded in portraying a futuristic militia composed of children rigorously trained in the defeat of the enemy. Ender represents a bit of all humans, he is the embodiment of human flaws and perfections. There is some quality in him that each of us has within and he utilizes every strength and weakness effectively to serve in obtaining his goals. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone seeking a smooth ride of intellectual entertainment. It will leave you wondering about the future and invigorate your imagination in no time at all.
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Summary: Outstanding
Review: This book is an excellent example of the kind of characters Card can draw. I highly recommend it!
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Summary: Struggle for Humanity
Review: Ender's Game is one of the best books I have ever read. I also think that it has particular relevance to today's edge-of-war world. Orson Scott Card tells the story of Andrew Wiggin who is taken from his loving family (minus one monstrous brother) and taught to be a killer. Ender is Andrew's nick name and becomes an extremely appropriate name for this child. He is the third child of his parents and faces his first struggles in life because of his birth. In the earth of this novel couples are allowed only two children. The world has faced an invasion of buggers. These are beings that resemble ants: ants that fly spacecraft and conquer worlds. Earth has survived two of these invasions and is preparing for a third. To prepare for war, the brightest little boys and girls in the world are screened and tested for war training. Children are put into this training program at the age of six. Ender's brother and sister are older and had both washed out of the program. Ender seems to be the last hope for the survival of humanity.
The majority of this story tells of Ender's transition from benevolent genius to the ultimate killer. The touching aspect of this novel is Ender's struggle to maintain his humanity. Many times in this novel the idea that Homo sapiens can be human or animal is quite poignant. These children are being taught to kill through games. Their play is taking them further from the humanity they are striving to protect. How far are we really from the beast behavior of animals? Do not we prove our beast-like nature in every vile and violent act we condone or participate? At one point in the novel Ender's sister comments that when we pretend long enough at being something, we become that thing. The children at the battle school are playing games of war. They become war and destruction. I think that we could apply this philosophy to current events in our world. We have played generations too long at becoming excellent warriors. When will we play games of peace?
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Summary: The Ender Saga: A throughly enjoyable series.
Review: When I first read Ender's Game, in 4th grade, I was hooked from the start. It was recommended to me by a friend, and I became twisted in the enjoyable story of Ender and the Wiggins family. Andrew "Ender" Wiggins is a 6 year old genius. His brother Peter, and his sister Valentine are geniuses as well. The book continues with Ender's acceptance into Battle School, diffuculties with his social interactions, and floating in a battle room with no gravity. Eventually, Ender becomes the hero that the administrators knew he could be. The subplot is spectacularly written as well. This deals with Peter and Valentine. They are nearly opposites in the way that Peter is a "killer" and Valentine is a "lover". For example, Peter can find what a person hates most about themselves and use it against them. Valentine can find what a person likes most about themselves, and compliment them about it. Interested? READ THE BOOK. I reccommend the rest of the saga (Speaker of the Dead, Xenocide...), but a warning: they have more psychological roots than the first novels. Younger readers might not enjoy it (I did, but that's another story- I also understood all of the references to historical figures such as Locke and Demosthenes). Other series, such as the Saga of Pliocene Exile, and the Wheel of Time are also highly reccommmended by myself. Enjoy!
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Summary: Most enjoyable "Sci-Fi" book I've ever read
Review: Ender's game is as much psychological and political as it is a science fiction novel. It is a gripping story with memorable, if somewhat fantastic characters; despite their superhuman brilliance, their struggles are easy to identify with. This is a book I have read over and over again, and enjoyed each time.
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Summary: Captivating!!
Review: Riveting from the beginning, Ender's Game is an excellent read. Orson Scott Card captures the reader's attention with his innovative style. Card sets the pace of the characters in chapter one; there is not a dull moment in the story. He uses the wisdom and common sense of child geniuses to save the world from an alien invasion that adults fear. The child "soldiers" are merely puppets for the adult characters to manipulate, until they bring in one child who can outwit the best of them. In the beginning, the protagonist Ender Wiggin plays the "game" exceptionally well, too well in fact for his peers to accept. But, like all true heroes, Ender wins over some of the "soldiers" with his strong will, fierce ambition and exceptional leadership. As expected, a few of the "soldiers" will fight Ender to the bitter end. Eventually, the novel takes a twist and Ender begins to doubt himself and quits the "game." Card brings the reader in deeper as he weaves the relationship between Ender and several of the characters around feelings that are not allowed to surface. Card takes the reader on a journey as Ender struggles with his emotions and choosing between right and wrong. Ender wants to impress the adults and his comrades, but he does not want to play the game any longer. Can he have it both ways and still be happy with himself? I am anxious to see where Card takes Ender in the rest of the series. It most certainly will not be back to the childhood that evaded the prodigy.
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Summary: The Epitome of Science Fiction
Review: This was a book recommended to me by a friend who also happened to tell me the ending before I read it. Remind me to give him a nasty stare!Anyway, this book starts off with a rather long introduction which the author wrote himself about his influences and motivation for writing Ender's Game. The author has had the idea of a Battle Room since he was sixteen. Only much later did he piece together the story of Ender and his mission to save the earth. Ender Wiggin is a special boy. He is the youngest (6 yrs old when the story starts) of a family of child geniuses (Peter being the eldest, then Valentine). This story is set in the future where aliens (called Buggers because of their physical and mental traits) have tried to invade the earth twice. Twice the Earth defeated them, but at great cost. The government is scrambling to make sure this never happens again by training the next set of star fleet commanders from childhood. In this futuristic world, only the government could sanction the birth of a third child (for population control reasons). In a way, Ender was born for a purpose. Peter and Valentine were both tested for giftedness and they both possessed it; however, he was ruthless and evil, and she was too soft and kind. Ender was a perfect balance of decisiveness and innocence, and so chosen from the beginning to go through Battle School. It is in Battle School that Ender learns military strategy and the history of wars between the Earth and the Buggers. It is also in Battle School that Ender makes friends and molds the perfect platoon leaders. What's really unique about this story is that Ender is forced to grow up so quickly by the "adults." The teachers of the school and high government officials all have one thought in their minds. And that is to eliminate the alien threat at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing the health and sanity of a child. Ender is subjected to so much isolation and abuse throughout the story, that I felt really bad for him. He has to learn to think like an adult through the eyes of a child. His biggest fear is becoming like his brother Peter (who, in Ender's eyes, is a cold blooded killer -- keep in mind that we're talking about the thoughts of a child who hasn't even reached puberty) is slowly becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy as he matures. The ending of this story is just amazing. I will not give it away! I recommended this book to a 13 year old boy before having finished the book. Now I'm thinking twice about my recommendation. Although this book's main characters are children and centers around the premise that child geniuses will save the world, there are a lot of adult themes and references to ancient history that probably only an adult would appreciate. I believe references to the Warsaw Pact, the League of Nations, Locke and Demosthenes will confuse the younger readers. Also the themes of murder, deception, isolation, rules of engagement in battle might be viewed as inappropriate by parents for their kids. With this in mind, I urge the reader to consider the maturity of the intended audience before recommending this book even though this is a terrific story.
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Summary: one word... GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Ok. To start off if I don't like a book I won't read it unless I'm forced to by a teacher which I then tell them how much I hated it. That's why most of them like me, but anyway... About a month ago my Intro Chem. & Phys. Teacher said she would be reading us one of her favorite books on every thursday. She was going at a pace of one chapter per week, but I liked it (except the kids were a little too teenagerish to be 6 years old) so I checked out the book in the school library when I finally found it on the shelf. I heard someone ask Mrs. Collett about the second book and she was explaining that ender was time traveling so when I got to the part about lightspeed travel I decide what was going to happen but to my supprise it was ending tottally diffirent than I expected. I figured that he would finish traing and go to fight the war, I was somewaht way, way off. Right now I'm in Ch. 15 Speaker For The Dead, and I only have half a chapter to read. Hope you read the book, I loved it you will too.
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Summary: Intense!
Review: They say that this is the sci fi book for people who don't like science fiction. There's a reason for this. This book, like anything else by Orson Scott Card, is character-based, instead of plot-based like most speculative fiction. This means that it is intensely interesting. The characters are realistic. They feel things like you and I. They are each influenced by many things which shape their descisions. Ender's Game, incidently, is used by the marines. They study to learn about leadership. Born in a family with a genius brother and sister, Ender (Andrew) Wiggins is also a child genius. But his spirit, originality, and good soul make him the prime candidate for Battle School, a government space station school for gifted kids who are potential military commanders. This is vital because Earth has been invaded by the alien buggers. There is an epic sense to the book, though it never loses touch with the real issues, the ones inside the character's heads. There is much more to this book than can be explained by the simple plot. It is like Survivor meets ET meets Wizard's Hall meets the history of our planet Earth. Great Stuff.
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