Ender's Game

Orson Scott Card

Average Rating 9/10 (3 Reviews)

When humanity is under threat from an alien race, Ender Wiggin, at the age of six, leaves his family on Earth to journey to the Belt. There he enters Battle School, where his life is strictly disciplined by mind games and computer mock-battles fought in deadly earnest. Instinct, compassion and genius make Ender unequalled. But while he trains, the invasion approaches fast. And Ender will be pushed to the limits of endurance, for he is a unique destiny

Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards.

'The Ender saga stands as one of the very few serious moral tales set among the stars... enthralling... an extraordinary talented author.'

'Full of surprises... Intense is the word for Ender's Game.'

'Every volume of the Ender saga comprises some of the most hauntingly brilliant writing of the decade.'

Review by Tina (170707) Rating (10/10) Star Book
Review by Vex (010602) Rating (9/10)
Review by Nigel (010202) Rating (8/10)

Review by Tina
Rating 10/10
Ender's Game is an amazing, fast paced book, with some surprising events that come later in the novel. The story takes place in the future where kids are very smart and strong enough to go to an Army school. What happens to Ender makes me compare him to high school, where he has to learn to get along with others when he doesn't want to. Also, going to where he gets a commander and an army, he has to learn to overcome the obstacles that are thrown at him. The author has created a world that needed only one child to defend it from going into a massive war. His general idea was that only one genius can take all of the glory by defeating earth's worst enemy.

The author set up for Ender always remembering his beloved sister Valentine. In the end Ender is not the same Ender when he left Valentine for Battle School. At the same time Valentine also changes, she becomes close with her other sibling, Peter, who was a bully to Valentine and Ender when they were young. Having their paths come across each other as Valentine and Peter try to influence the world while Ender tries to save it.
The literary techniques were very good and everything went smoothly when it came to the war events. Although keeping up with the characters could be a challenge as when going deeper into the story you can get lost and forget who the early participants are.

I've been comparing it with Starship Troopers, a science fiction movie that was filmed in 1997. The detailed war compared with the 20th century film, it shows that instead of adults fighting, they're teenagers fighting big bugs that want to take over the universe.

The book's audience could be to anyone, but it would be best suited to teenagers and adults who could handle the drama and pacing of the novel. Younger children should be watched over by an adult due to the use of some profound language. I wouldn't recommend it without parental approval.
Tina (17th July 2007)

Review by Vex
Rating 9/10
When I first picked it up and read the introduction I wasn't impressed. There seemed to be a lot of hype, mentions of awards and so forth. Generally this is a bad sign, it usually means the book is nothing special, and they're trying to do the 'hard sell'.

I don't claim to be a great Science Fiction aficionado, but I did think I had heard of most of the famous authors in this genre, however, I'd never heard this guy, but it seems he is pretty famous so I obviously need to broaden my reading spectrum...

So, the book? Is it any good?

It's brilliant! From start to finish the story doesn't drag, it brings you into the world straight away, and doesn't let you out.

The story is about a boy, called Ender, who goes to battle school, where he and many others are trained to be the best soldiers mankind can produce, they are needed to save the world from the Bugger menace.

This really is a great story, and I've now gone out and bought most of the others in the series. I made the mistake of recommending this book to Nigel, who then went out, bought it, read it, reviewed it, bought the others, and read and reviewed them, before I got around to writing this one review! Swine!
Vex (1st June 2002)

Review by Nigel
Rating 8/10
This book was recommended to me by Vex and a good recommendation it was too!

Ender's Game is basically the story of mankind trying to find the perfect battle commander to lead Earth's fleet to destroy the Bugger menace. The Buggers are an alien race of insect like creatures that fought mankind in the past and were only barely beaten. Rather than wait for the next invasion a fleet has been sent on the long journey to the Bugger home system to destroy them. Before they get there however, a commander has to be trained who can control the fleet in such a way as to beat the aliens hive mentality... to have a group response.

This is done by careful genetic manipulation and the choice of the right candidates for Battle School. Ender is such a candidate and the majority of the book concerns his training. I can't really say much more without spoiling an excellent novel that has many levels.

The novel flows nicely and you don't notice you are reading at all, which I think makes a good book. This, however, has been a criticism raised by others saying the novel is too 'simple'. The introduction by the author tries to address this issue and has some very good points to make. Because a book is straightforward and flows nicely is it bad literature? They say J.K. Rowling's work is brilliant and since it is for children the simplicity of the plot structure is accepted... does this alone make a book bad or good? I don't think so. Surely a book is good or bad if you enjoy it. If you are taken along with the author on the journey that has been created, without seeing the words, and at the end feel like you have experienced what has just be told, surely this is a good story... simple or not!
Nigel (1st February 2002)