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Summary: He was so young, yet so talented...
Review: Your mission today is simple. Kill the buggers before they kill you. All you will have to do is defeat the ten thousand alien spacecraft with your fleet of eighty ships. Ender Wiggin is the earth's last hope...and he is only eleven years old.
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Summary: Ender's Game is a great read!
Review: I would never put myself in the category of a sci-fi or sci-fantasy fan. This book was recommended by a book clerk who promised it was accessible, interesting and challenging. All true. I fell in love with the characters, their adventures, and their dilemmas. A wonderfully spun tale that compelled me to question my definition of humanity. Bravo Orson Scott Card.
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Summary: Card Is The Master!
Review: If I had to pick my top three authors, Card would defintently be one of them. I have just recently finished Speaker for the Dead and Ender's Shadow, and though EXTREMALLY well writen, they can not compare to Ender's Game.I could not put Ender's Game down for a moment, it had me glued to my chair. When I was finished, I was still not satisfied, knowing that Card had written more novels, and I had not read them. So if you're looking for a book, you've come to the right place.Here is a summary of what Ender's Game is about: Ender is a extremally bright young boy who is teased mercilessly by his peers, and his older brother Peter. He lives in a universe of little hope, scince space wars continue to rage against the Buggers(aliens) up above. When uniformed men come to take him away to the battle school in space, his only fear is losing his only friend, his sister Valentine. Battle School is a school for only the brightest children. He finds himself trapped in a world full of hatred and anger, not much difference from earth, excpet fpr the fact that the fate of mankind now lies in his hands. (please excuse all grammer, usage, and spelling mistakes)
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Summary: Best Book of Alltime
Review: How could anyone not like Ender's Game? I'm a 13 yr old girl and I must have read Ender's Game and its sequels (the best is Ender's Shadow) at least 20 times. Not kidding. How could anyone not like the characters- children who have had to grow up way before childhood was over, or had even begun, the description of the battleroom, emotions, and tribulations that 6 year olds had to accomplish? Everyone I have recommended this book to has loved it. I cherish this book along with all my other favorite novels.
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Summary: The best book I have ever read
Review: In this book, it is 2250 AD and world has changed. The governments of the world have formed the World Government, and their are two parts, the Hegomony (Communist) and the Polemarch(Democrocy/Theocracy), and they have formed the Warshaw Pact, a document that insures peace in the world. They have done this because the buggers, an alien race, has twice tried to colonize earth, but we have beaten them - for now. Now to insure that earth wins again, the World Government has taken to breeding military geniuses, and then training them Also, population control has been inforced, so no more than two children are allowed, unless permited by the government. One such family, the Wiggins, were permited to have a Third, and his name is Ender Wiggen.Ender is a genius, and the government takes him, and all the other geniuses of the world, to Battle School, a place where they train them to become commanders and Admirals of the worlds International Fleet, or Space command. At Battle School, the boys are trained through "games" against each other. Ender Wiggen is the genius among geniuses; he wins all games, and now he is their only hope to save the world from the buggers. Now that time is running out he must move on the Command School. He is their only hope. Even while at Battle School, Ender's brother (Peter) and sister (Valentine) have turned the world against it's government. Together they create new identity's through the internet, Locke, and Demonothese. They then mass e-mail their ideas to the world, exposing the Hegomony in their effort to take control over the world, and in time become Earth's leaders. This book is really good, and I would tell you more about it but that would ruin the entire book. Trust me - I don't read that much, but after reading this book, I bought the whole series. Orson Card does a great job of entering and revealing the human mind and all of the feeling inside of it. The games played are written fierce and exciting, even though played by kids of twelve. The characters are very memorable, and the massive amount of stratedy left me reading this book the whole night. This book is recomended to those kids that love to read, and even to those who hate it. It shines through to every person, even if your not a Sci-Fi fan, this book is a must-read, and after your done reading this book, you'll start loving to read.
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Summary: Worthy of the Hugo & Nebula
Review: When I began reading this, a friend told me it was a "kid's book". If so, I like kid's books. While the story may center around child characters, albeit incredibly intelligent children, it has a depth to appeal to all ages. Ender's tactics and novel solutions to problems that stop most of his peers were intriguing. My favorite aspects were the family themes played out inside Ender. Is he more like Peter? Is he more like Valentine? In the end, we discover that the three of them each contain a bit of the others. The Demosthenes/Locke sub-plot was also a pleasant surprise and change in pace from the Training School. I was reminded of the Japenese manga "Sanctuary" - where two friends sought to return their homeland to a safe place, free of corruption but used different avenues - one through politics & intrigue, the other through the underworld and violence. Card also has a knack for drawing your attention to the motivations of the characters. Each must be judged in the context of their situation and background. The Buggers, Peter, even the Xenocide are understood differently as we learn more about each of them. The last few chapters result in a very interesting change in momentum and closure to one life while opening the doors to a new one. Although, by traditional standards, he remains a child throughout most of the book, Ender is given his adult life through his experiences on Earth and in the training school.
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Summary: Thank the Hegemon
Review: I'm not much of a sci-fi reader; when I do delve into the genre, it's usually into cyberpunk type stuff. That said, after all the praise I'd seen heaped upon "Ender's Game," I figured I'd give it a go... And thank the Hegemon I did! (You'll find out what the Hegemon is in the book.) The book is set in a future society where human beings live in constant fear of being invaded by the Buggers, who in a previous invasion nearly wiped out humanity forever if it hadn't been for the skilled Mazer Rackham. Years later, the government has taken to breeding children and monitoring them to see which ones have potential as military leaders and pilots; those who fit the bill get shipped off to Battle School. Ender is one of these prodigies, but it quickly becomes apparant that he's not like the others. He advances quickly through the grades and learns even quicker how to take care of himself as he's put through hell at the hands of both his jealous schoolmates and the government officers (portrayed at the beginning of each chapter in a very cold dialogue, adding a "big brother" feeling to Ender's situation) who wish to test him to his very limits. Much of the novel is spent showing Ender performing in the Battle School. The game they play is a fascinating one, sort of a futuristic, zero gravity laser tag game. Watching Ender as he plays the game is fascinating and exciting and exhilirating. It's narrative action at its best and in and of itself makes the book a pleasant read. But where "Ender's Game" really impresses is in its portrayal of society and in Ender's internal struggle with his desire for peace and kindness, but his talent for violence. There is a much celebrated ending that really twists the entire novel around on its head in a fascinating and shocking way. The concluding chapter is a beautiful and compelling one which paves way perfectly for the books in the series to follow. While "Ender's Game" sticks pretty consistantly to Ender's story as he progresses through his military schooling, there is a side story that arises concerning Ender's brother and sister. The side story is a pretty interesting one: they become anonymous political activists when they're adolescents! Nonetheless, it feels a little bit tacked on in the midst of the book, and while it does wrap up pretty nicely by the end of the novel, the side story seems more important to the series of Ender books as a whole, rather than just a well developed subplot in this self-contained novel. Nonetheless, I can only wholeheartedly recommend "Ender's Game" to anybody interested in reading something very, very good.
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Summary: The Best! Nothing else like it!
Review: I have always liked science fiction. Ender's Game, however, is more than just science fiction. Ender is someone that most people can relate to in a lot of different ways. If anyone has ever felt out of place, like a giraffe in a herd a mice, or even a little bit, like sewer rats in a herd a mice, most people can relate to him. I think that the suscess of the book is partially because of this fact. Read it!
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Summary: Ender's Game
Review: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is the story of Ender Wiggin, child genius, who has been chosen to save the earth in its third war against an alien race known as "buggers." At Battle School where Ender and other gifted children are trained as commanders by engaging in mock battles in zero gravity, Ender makes loyal friends, encounters intimidating bullies, and unfair teachers. There he is recognized, not only for his intelligence, but also for his leadership skills. It is Ender's extraordinary compassion and his ability to empathize that enables him to be successful both at outwitting the aliens as well as earning him the respect of his teachers, his followers, and even his enemies. Ender Wiggin is a hero in every sense of the word-he is smart and courageous, sensitive, and selfless. This book was one of my favorites ever. Card did a great job of combining action, suspense, drama, and a clever and twisting plot. In addition, the characters and the relationships among them are complex and realistic. Ender's story offers so many insights about life-from the dangers of the inability to communicate, through the power of compassion, to the lesson that children are people deserving to be heard. This book is gripping and impossible to put down from start to finish. I loved Ender's Game for many of the same reasons that I loved the Harry Potter's series. Both Ender Wiggin and Harry Potter are extremely believable characters. Though gifted and unique, each is also vulnerable and sometimes insecure. They are heroic yet human with weaknesses and that makes them easy to like as well as identify with. In addition, both books are about the contrasting resourcefulness and yet powerlessness of children. Also, both Ender's Game and the Harry Potter series contain involving and dramatic scenes about competitive contests (quidditch on flying broomsticks in Harry Potter and mock battles in zero gravity in Ender's Game). Both books pit extraordinary children against insensitive teachers, mean siblings, intimidating bullies, and sometimes the characters' own overwhelming fears. And finally, both Ender Wiggin and Harry Potter illustrate what real heroes are made of-not merely physical strength or brilliance, but sensitivity and compassion. Ender's Game will appeal to people of all ages for many different reasons. As an eleven year old I appreciated the fact that the author completely understood the perspective of children and that children's feelings and ideas are as real and important as those of adults. But the author's insights are not merely limited to children. Card also writes about what it is like for people of any age to feel vulnerable and powerless and lacking of all control over their own lives. There are important lessons in Ender's Game-lessons about how destructive violence, jealousy, and misunderstanding can be, and lessons about the positive impact of empathy. While this book is brimming with important messages, it is not at all preachy. Rather the messages are subtle and interwoven in a story that is entirely involving. It was impossible not to get drawn into Ender's story because it was really about all of our stories-about so many experiences we all can identify with-feeling lonely and alone, needing to be accepted and to fit in, and yet wanting to be true to ourselves.
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Summary: 5-star stupidity
Review: Suggested Reading: Tales of Pirx the Pilot, by Stanislaw Lem. In this book or its sequel, find out what a real writer can do with stories about a space cadet. What can account for the popularity of Ender's Game? Card's prose is mushy and numb, his dialogue fake-sounding. The book gets off to not a bad start, but things quickly get worse rather than better. The pace is slow enuf to kill a horse, especially the interminable middle section in which Ender masters the stupid "battle room," or whatever it is called. The climactic moment is anything but. The denoument,in which Ender rockets away to the stars with his ripe and comely sister is total, horrible crap, bringing to a close one of the mostest dumbest books I've readed in years. I would guess this thing is most popular with people who not only do not normally read science fiction books, but who normally do not read books. It may also appeal to disgruntled adolescents or psychologically-damaged adults who got the stuffing beat out of them a lot as kids; now they read Ender and imagine they're beating out other people's stuffing as a little 8-year-old soldier. What does this book teach the talented but misguided 10-year-olds who wrote most of the 1,200 reviews? All of the meaningless crap-work, all of the emotional and physical abuse, all the boredom, all the stupidity from authority figures -- there's actually a good reason for all of it. You're fighting the buggers, kid (speaking of that, the only enjoyable part of reading this was ferreting out the dozens of latent yet sexy gay references-woohoo!).
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