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Ender's Game

Ender's Game

List Price: $6.99
Your Price: $6.29
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: not just for kids
Review: it's a book about kids (and specifically, one in particular), but the meaning, the truths, the larger ideas, go far beyond that of books written for kids. this is a novel that adults will enjoy just as much, and maybe more so, than kids will. because while it focuses on children, the concepts of the book include such "adult" themes as war, superior intelligence, social interaction, inner-turmoil, and moral confliction.

"ender's game" is the story of ender wiggin, a child genius who, like so many other child geniuses, is raised and trained for one sole purpose: to defeat an alien species who would otherwise destroy earth and all of humanity.

without going into too much plot detail (for this is a story that's best "discovered" as you read, and not to be given away at all), ender is one of thousands of children who are hand-picked as being the brightest children humanity has to offer. these children, at ages as young as five, are sent to the outer space battle school, where they spend several years training to weed out "just the best," so that the "best of the best" may continue their education to find the one who will someday become the supreme commander in the war against "the buggers." training consists of mock battles in a huge, zero gravity "battle room," where armies face off against each other.

but this story is SO much more than kids and war games. ender wiggins is one of the most complex characters a book has been centered on. and he's a kid, for goodness sake! what is it about ender that makes him stand above his genius peers? what does he possess, that many others don't? and how will he fare when the administrators of the battle school, who see so much in him, put more responsibility on his shoulders than any human being, let alone one who's only a child, should ever have to endure?

the writing is fantastic. the characters are fleshed out extremely well. multiple plot lines are given their due justice, and woven together in a way that advaces the central plot, and makes sense to the whole of the book. this is truly one of those books that's hard to put down- it just keeps climaxing and climaxing, and with a stellar, super-surprise ending, leaves you satisfied and wishing for more.

"ender's game" is not just sci-fi. it's a study of human psychology. of war. of love and hate. of survival. it's an outstanding read that i can highly reccomend to anyone, regardless of age or reading interests. the best praise i can give this book is that, i feel i've just wasted 10 minutes of my life trying to review it, because words cannot do it justice... and one more thing: just read it. it is a fantastic story, and you WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED. this is definately one for the ages.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My first Sci Fi novel.
Review: This book was truly amazing .Card understands the human condition as Gene Wolffe said ,and it's true .Card also has an extensive form of creativity ,which I truly enjoyed .He also has a different form war ,not good and evil ,but mere misunderstanding between races .However,it is very disturbing ,in many ways .Here is the basic plot :Earth as been raided twice by the buggers (aliens)and the second time the human race was nearly wiped out .The I.F.(international fleet) wants to prevent this as much as possible ,so they are training children in a battle school at the Asteroid Belt .Ender(Andrew)Wiggin has been observed by the I.F. for six years,and is accepted into the school .He is brilliant ,and many of the students dislike him .But his talent will bring him from Battle School to battl with the buggers.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Too much hype for sure!
Review: Geez, I was told that this book was so amazing and it was compared to Dan Simmons and his Hyperion series. PLease, please, please! This book could have been read in 3rd grade!
This was such easy reading and I never really felt "there" in this book. It lacks depth in character and environment. It was, however, entertaining to read. I continued to read the next three books and they seem to be written by a completely different person! They are much better written but they still are not totally engrossing. Good book(s). Not great.
Those of you that truly want to be challenged on a totally magnificant level while being amazed at the story, read Hyperion! Sorry Orson.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Pure Genius.
Review: I'm completely and utterly gobsmacked. It's been a long, long time since I've read a book I couldn't put down, even to sleep or to work or to think, and this book is a book like this. It completely engrossed me. I had read more adult Orson Scott Card and it had been good, but this was better than good. It was incredible, frightening, exciting, uplifling, depressing and marvellous. Ender WAS Ender, and nobody else. The ending must have been terrible to write; it ends in the only way it can. This book is brilliant; it makes you want to be a genius and fear being a genius. Pure Genius, from almost beginning to end.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: childish
Review: Having an eleven year old defeat an alien
civilization is a little implausible even
for science fiction. On top of that the
writing seldom rises beyond the level of
a young adult novel. All in all a pretty
grim and unrewarding read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Haunting tale of lost youth in a military age
Review: Ender Wiggin is a Third. In an era in which human population controls limit families to only two children, Ender was a government authorized birth of a third child. The reason for allowing the exception was the increase the chances of finding viable candidates to attend the military's Battle School to help win an interstellar war against an alien insectoid species referred to as Buggers. The Wiggin family already had two children, Peter and then Valentine. Each one demonstrated some of the characteristics the military was looking for. Peter had the ruthless nature and ambition while Valentine had the tempered knowledge and compassion. Combined, those traits would be exactly what the Battle School was looking for. Hence, the government authorized Ender's birth in hopes that this 'third' would be the perfect candidate. If so, he would be taken from the family at age 5 for Battle School training. If not, the Wiggin family would count their blessings of having another child of their own. Various secretive tests seemed to indicate that Ender might not be the chosen one until one day, he stands up to a bully who had been tormenting him all year. Ender brutally attacked the bully leaving him prostrate on the ground. He hated having to resort to violence, but he felt he had no other choice but to hurt him enough so that he wouldn't try to hurt Ender again. That rationale proved that Ender was the answer the military's wishes. A child with his vast capacity for knowledge and his conflicted temperament would be the perfect child to train to one day lead troops in victorious battle against the Buggers.

Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" is one of legendary works of modern science fiction. A winner of both the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, "Ender's Game" has found its way on to numerous school reading lists and in the heart of every science fiction fan. Ender Wiggin is one of the more memorable characters created in sci-fi. Ripped from his home life at a very young age to become the next great military genius, Ender struggles mightily with his motivations to continue going and with the various tests the Battle School administrators have foisted upon him to see if he truly is the chosen leader. Ender is emotional torn regarding his family. He doesn't particularly miss his parents because he knows that they have already accepted that they will never see him again and have moved on. He doesn't miss Peter because he was another violent bully in Ender's life. He does long for the companionship of his sister Valentine because she was one of the few people he talk to and who would stand up for him. In Battle School, Ender overcomes early difficulties and resentments to earn the respect of his fellow young soldiers through brilliant displays of leadership. But, just as soon as he feels comfortable with his fellow comrades, he is yanked from that army and thrust into a completely new situation with older soldiers and new sets of hostilities to overcome. All this is designed to see if Ender will end up being able to lead the full military armada that is massing for a final attack at the Bugger homeworld and will be emerging from its hyperspace journey in just a few shorts years. Ender seeks solace in a virtual reality video game, mentorship from Mazer Rackham (the hero of an earlier Bugger War), and any number of ways avoid reaching the mental breaking point that he is careening towards. Can he complete the training and lead the fleet in a mission to save humanity? Are the military's objectives as clear as they would like them to seem? In the end, will any of what Ender does, matter? All of these questions drive Ender and provide the fuel for this spectacular story.

The Battle School is a finely realized setting for Ender's struggles. One wonders what it would be like to enter battle training arena. The propaganda put forth by the government and military elements harkens back to the propaganda of World War II and some of the themes in Robert Heinlein novels. "Ender's Game" stands alone as a spectacular literary achievement and also serves as the start of the remarkable Ender's series of books. "Ender's Game" is book to be read once and then read again and again. Few novels have that quality.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ender's Game
Review: Andrew (Ender) Wiggin is a Third, a third child to his parents. Population restrictions forbid this, but Ender is special. Battle School needs him, so they allowed his parents to have him. Born into the world with his hateful older brother Peter Wiggin, who always seems to hate him. To see the worst that isn't there, to manipulate everything Ender and everyone does against them. And to his loving and caring sister Valentine, who protects him. Who cherishes his very existence. But Ender is a mix, a mix of the compassion of his sister, and the brutality of his brother. His siblings are geniuses, as is he. He has had a monitor on for all six years of his life, the monitor that records every single thing he does, how he feels, everything about him. Until one day it is taken out, and he must face the other children of his school not only as a Third, but also as a failure. Then, after a fight, he is taken. Taken to Battle School, a Space Station in space, training geniuses and children to be Battle Commanders, the Formic Wars are not over, Buggers (Bug-like Aliens) have attacked twice before, and the human race must be prepared for the third attack. Or will there be another? Them or us is the motto. And the IF (International Fleet) is not expecting to lose. Ender is brought up at Battle School as the best, he is the best. He has the brains, the leadership, and the ability to command. Can he overcome the Buggers, and if he does, will it be the right thing?

When I first read Ender's Game, it was by recommendation by a friend. I didn't have a clue as to how it would be so great. Orson Scott Card captures the reader's attention in this thrilling science fiction book. Since that first time I read Ender's Game I must've read it a dozen times more, and bought some of the sequels. Yes, Card doesn't leave you dangling wanting more, he follows Ender with Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind. And while he does this he has also written the happenings of Ender's origin in books such as Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemony, Shadow Puppets. A lot of Shadows, but a lot of good time spent reading. So try this book out, if you like science fiction, this is a perfect book for you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: extremely suprising
Review: First of all, i want to say I HATE SCI-FI! Well at least i thought i did... Ender's Game proved me wrong.

Ender's Game is about a boy (Ender) who was born to be a brilliant stategist. He is put into the military to train at the age of 6 and is expected to defeat a race of aliens the "buggers". Ender struggles throughout his military training disgusted with the tactics the adults use to make him the best officer ever.

Ender's Game was a great read. My favorite parts were the ones about the battle room in which Ender has to use strategy to win games. I recommend this to anyone. Even fantasy readers who find sci-fi distasteful (me) will find this book to be excellent.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Full of truth
Review: This wonderful story of children is full of moral lessons for adults. Although it is a science fiction novel, it really deals with realationships more than hard science. Card draws out character in the most enjoyable way. A must read for readers of all ages. I really can't imagine the person who would not love this story -- perhaps fools who feast exclusively on Romance novels.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: What a cruel and nasty world this is
Review: Made me feel depressed, desperate, and depersonalized. No thanks.


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