Rating: 
Summary: Amazing
Review: I've read thousands of books... and this is definitely in the top 10. It was so incredible that I devoured it within hours of getting it (even though I had a paper due the next day). I completely identified with Ender as a brilliant, isolated child. The things he goes through are not only exciting to read about, they make you think. Somehow Card has hit upon human truths that people normally don't realize.I was also very happy that someone has finally understood how intelligent children are. Adults seem to think that kids are quite innocent and ignorant, whereas they have many of the same problems and emotions, and often feel things even more strongly. I am rendered speechless by how wonderful this book was. I will just say that it could change your life. You'll be so glad you bought it. [Warning: the next 3 books in the Ender series are very unlike this one. They're more about ethical dilemmas than action.]
Rating:
Summary: Examination of militaristic thinking, power and genuis
Review: I got this novel as a gift from a friend about a year ago. I started reading it and I have to say that initially, I was not incredibly impressed with it. Then, I picked it up again and finished it off. The introduction was powerful (apparently, the novel is used in some military schools and several child prodigies have thoroughly identified with Ender) and there was an element in me that just wanted to read the novel to find out if all the hype was true; in large part, it is true. The background of the novel is that humanity has withstood two alien invasions (by the "buggers") and has temporally united to fight them again. I liked that fact that this was another utopian world government; there is still political friction on Earth despite the war. Due to the fact that humanity is overwhelmingly outgunned and outnumbered, a genetic engineering program has been implemented to produce an ideal military commander. One family, the Wiggins, have had three children altered for the program. Peter is manipulative, cruel and destructive. Valentine is wise but lacks the hardness that a successful commander needs. The third and youngest, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the family's last hope. When he is only very young (around 6), the military recruits him for military school. Following this is Ender's journey to become a commander. He is pushed very hard to succeed. He is manipulated, put into fights, and just plain pressured to do well. Ender is then propelled through military school at an unheard of pace, but he learns to be innovative, how to trust his commanders and how to be a good leader. However, Ender's brother and sister are busy with other plans. Together, they become influential on Earth's networks, writing columns and slowly becoming powerful. Eventually, Peter becomes Hegemon (this is position is similar to the US Presidency but with much more territory) and Valentine leaves Earth with Ender to found human colonies on the former bugger worlds. One of the ways in which I measure novels is the way I feel after I finish it. I had a very satisfied feeling upon finishing and I immediately went out to buy the sequel, "Speaker for the Dead" (which according to the author, can also be read as a stand-alone novel) and plan to read it soon. Throughout the novel, there is great commentary on the nature of power and what military training can do to a person. In addition it is fascinating to see that when a society feels threatened it will do anything to preserve itself. In this novel, that means a genetic engineering program and putting young children (6-18) into military training and thence battle. Indeed, after the final victory in the novel, the adults say that only children could win the battles as adult response time and other factors would be too slow and adults would be over cautious. This is one highly recommended novel and you need not be a science fiction reader to enjoy it. The characterization and motivations of the characters alone make the novel worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Mind Blowing
Review: This is, perhaps, the best book I've ever read in my entire life. It touched me in a way that no other book has. Though it never really hits you with an emotion you can attach a name to, I remained emotional almost thoughout the entire book. I found myself begging to make time in my day to read this book. I finished it in three days, and never felt so empty as I did after finishing. It lives in my dreams and in my thoughts now. I recommend this book to anyone with the ability to read, as you will be unable to put it down from the first moment you crack it open. Very, very excellent book.
Rating: 
Summary: Ender's game is stunning!
Review: Ender (Andrew Wiggin)is getting the shaft from just about everyone he knows. His older brother (Peter) has about as much compassion as a rock. He is a cold blooded killer, and his sister (Valentine) is a pacifist. Ender gets the nickname because his sister could not pronounce the name Andrew, and it came out Ender. Ender almost kills another boy at school, With his willingness to fight, and his genius like abilities; he is taken from his home and family to battle school. where he and other children are trained in tactics so when they are older they can join in the battle against the "buggers" (original huh?). Part of these tactics is a computer game (in Enders mind) in mock battle against the buggers. What is really happening; is that his playing the game is directing real soldiers in real battle against the buggers, and Ender is unaware that he is indirectly responsible for the death of millions on both sides of the war. After Ender learns what he has done, he starts a new philosophy or religion that he calls "Speaker for the dead". As a speaker foe the dead; he is asked to come to a planet (which if he lands; he will have to spend the rest of his life there because of the Descolada virus that causes lifeforms to mutate into symbiotic lifeforms, and any person trying to leave the surface will be destroyed because the hegemony will not allow this contaigion to spread to other planets) to speak on behalf of two humans that were killed by the Pequienos (an indiginous sentient lifeform that looks like a mixture between pig and man. I like the second volume "Speaker for the dead" much better. A friend had both books in one volume called "Ender's War". I have no idea where he bought it, or if it is still available. Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Adventure
Review: I'm not a huge science fiction fan, but I was hooked by Ender's Game right away. Card managed to suspend any disbelief on my part that kids Ender's age could carry out such courageous and calculated acts by reminding us that Ender really was human, and a child at that. Ender just wanted friends, people he could trust, rely on, and love. Instead, his personal well-being (and sanity!) was sacrificed for the military objectives of human kind. It's a tragedy that a big-hearted kid like Ender is turned into a killing machine, but it's a joy to read his triumphs and finally his ability to start a somewhat normal life in the end. Kids saving the human race, kids ruling the planet ... as fantastic as it may seem, and is, it made for a compelling story. Five out of five stars.
Rating:
Summary: I'm not a sci-fi lover but i loved this book
Review: Ender's Game is a science fiction book about a little genius boy named Ender Wiggins, and the world of military training and 'games' that he finds himself thrown into. This was recommended to me by a friend, and though I was hesitant at first, once i started it I couldn't put it down. Orson Scott Card's style of writing captivates the reader, and you feel yourself being drawn to Ender, and experiencing events the way he does. The ending is terrific - I won't give it away - but it dosen't ruin the book when you're reading it for the 2nd or 3rd time. I highly recommend Ender's Game, and i'm not normally a person who's a fan of science fiction or fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: A true original.
Review: This book is a sheer joy from start to finish. In fact all his Ender series are difficult to put down. This is an original concept that is well written. A true classic. Every adult and every student I've recommended this book to has loved it.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: I hadn't heard of Ender's Game when I first read it, but the moment I finished it, I made certain that all my friends heard of it. This was the one of the best books I have ever read. I know people who hate reading, and even they love it. It's as though you can hear Ender's mind thinking out his every move. It's brilliantly written. Ender is an intriguing character-he's a likable hero and a screwed up kid at the same time. This isn't just a book for sci-fi readers, either. It has enough aspects besides the futuristic aliens and such to make it interesting to most anyone. I, and everyone I know who had read it, highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books ever.
Review: I doesnt whether you like Science fiction or fantasy you will like this book. It is very easy to understand it. The characters minds are very complex and will go deep into their minds. My description of the book would be : In the future there was a war in space against an alien race. and it is over but for the world to be prepared it is taking in young children who have good minds who could someday be the commanders if there is a war again, they are put up in space and the children are split up into different groups called armys. They play a game where thier commander leads them into battle against another army. Then one day a new boy is brought up ther and his name is Andrew Wiggin or know as Ender and he is very good at the game and others are mad and thats were trouble arises. I would reccomend this book to ages 13 and up.
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Summary: Great Military Sci-Fi with a haunting message of peace
Review: There are a lot of books out there trying to write compelling military science fiction. Some of it's pretty good, too (see Jerry Pournelle's stories about John Falkenberg). However, not many have the ability to tell a gripping story of interstellar warfare and convey such a deep philosophical message at the same time. The setting of this story is earth of the future, where children are bred for warfare through a series of 'war games'. In this way, earth's leaders hope to find a way to defeat a powerful alien race that has already attacked several of earth's spacecraft, destroying them completely. The story begins with the main character (Ender), leaving home at a tender young age after the government has determined him to be a strong candidate for their military training program. As usual, he is a boy that doesn't fit in like the others, but has a true genius for strategy. Ender leaves his family and his few friends behind and enlists in the military, quickly becoming the master of the school of War Games where he ends up. In my opinion, this part of the book was the best. You get to see what it might be like to have children treated as young soldiers, forcing them to become warriors when they should still be watching children's programs after their elementary school classes. Their simulated wargames are indeed some of the most engaging I've read. Of course, factions among the boys develop, and internal rivalries are inevitable. While reading about these, I got the feel that the author really remembered what it was like to be young. It was great. Once Ender graduates from the military school, he ends up on a far off military base hidden on a barren asteroid. There, his war games take on a completely new dimension as he is made to simulate combat with the actual aliens using a command console and a variety of simulated combat scenarios. Without going further, I can say that the ending to this book is spectacular and totally unexpected. For those who love military science fiction, this will be a real treat. But, in an odd twist, those who are advocates for peace will also feel very vindicated by the end to this story. All I can say here is that the ending has haunted me ever since I read it. If nothing else, it makes one sit back and think about the meaning of war, why we do it and what it's potential consequences are. This book is so good that it's now required reading in many high schools. It has excellent narrative and dialog, the story moves along at a nice, crisp pace, and there is never a moment when you feel like putting the book down to attend to other things. Read this book for entertainment. Remember it for the rest of your life as a powerful statement on war and the need for peace and understanding.
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