Ender's Game

Rating:
Summary: I don't read sci-fi
Review: I am not a sci-fi fan. Not at all. However, I had to read Ender's Game for my book group (all mom's/homemakers). My 13 year old also wanted me to read it. Honestly, I didn't like it at first. I was often angry at Ender's parents. I didn't like the high-tech aspect nor the political edge. Then came "that part"! I was totally hooked. I loved the way the author kept the book moving sooo quickly that I was always surprised by what would happen next. It is intense, sad and happy, anguished yet so peaceful. I can't say that I want to read more sci-fi, but I do want to read more in this series.

Rating:
Summary: Fun for the entire family
Review: I would rate this as one of the best of hundreds, or thousands,of sci-fi books I have read. Start it on a Friday night as you will not put it down until done, really. The more you reread it, the more you see in the book. The personalities, philosophies and feelings of the characters are superbly created and Card lets them grow. This book is right up there with 'Stranger in a Strange Land'. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent, although predictable, book
Review: Ender's Game excels in several ways, but its greatest strength may be character development. Each of the characters has depth, especially Valentine and Peter. The author was also exceptionally forward thinking in predicting future use of computer chat rooms, relatively unheard of when the book was first published, as potential means of swaying public opinion and influencing government policy. Other details of this futuristic world are equally interesting. The story is set in a future reminiscent of Huxley's Brave New World trimmed with Orwellian political overtones where religious practices are discouraged and family sizes are strictly enforced.

The book's only real faults are its predictability and the unreasonably young ages of its main characters. While reading the novel I foresaw its "plot twists" well ahead of their unveilings. This book will mostly appeal to self-perceived child geniuses who will see reflections of themselves in Ender. Readers with fond memories of being gifted children will swallow easily the possibility of an 8-year old trained soldier. But all of us, even the smartest among us, have a tendency to exaggerate our childhood accomplishments. As a military veteran, I find the concept of a fully trained soldier of Ender's age difficult to accept.

Overall, this was still an excellent book, even for those who don't normally read science fiction. Having said that I personally have no desire to read any sequels to Ender's Game.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent, though sometimes predictable, novel.
Review: Ender's Game excels in several ways, but its greatest strength may be character development. Each of the characters have depth, especially Valentine and Peter. The author was also exceptionally forward-thinking in predicting future use of computer chat rooms, relatively unheard of when the book was first published, as potential means of swaying public opinion and influencing government policy. Other details of this futuristic world are equally interesting. The story is set in a future reminiscent of Huxley's Brave New World trimmed with Orwellian political overtones where religious practices are discouraged and family sizes are strictly enforced.

The book's only real faults are its predictability and the unreasonably young ages of its main characters. While reading the novel I foresaw its "plot twists" well ahead of their unveilings. This book will mostly appeal to self-perceived child geniuses who will see reflections of themselves in Ender. Readers with fond memories of being gifted children will swallow easily the possibilty of an 8-year old trained soldier. But all of us, even the smartest among us, have a tendancy to exaggerate our childhood accomplishments. As a military veteran, I find the concept of a fully trained soldier of Ender's age difficult to accept.

Overall, this was still an excellent book, even for those who don't normally read science fiction. Having said that I personally have no desire to read any sequels to Ender's Game.

Rating:
Summary: The finest science fiction novel of the last quarter-century
Review: "Ender's Game" is the novel that brought me back to science fiction. After an adolescence spent reading every last word of science fiction and fantasy I could get my hands on, I went off to college, became an English major, and discovered I had terrible taste. I stopped reading the genre for almost a decade, until a friend of mine shoved a copy of "Ender's Game" into my hands and told me to remember what reading was all about. And "Ender's Game" is an all-out page-turning, idea-laden, exciting read with the best surprise ending of almost any novel I can think of offhand. Although Orson Scott Card denies ever having read Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers," the novel is an almost point-by-point refutation of Heinlein's closely argued paean to the morality of war. I adore Heinlein's book, even though I disagree with most of his arguments; Orson Scott Card's plea for tolerance and rational discourse before violence strikes my post-Vietnam mindset as far more valid. But I go back to "Starship Troopers" just to keep my mind sharp; a part of me thinks Heinlein knew what he's talking about. In short, "Ender's Game" and "Starship Troopers" are the bookends to any discussion about the future of the military and our species' proper stance when the (hopefully) inevitable contact with extraterrestrials takes place some day. And until then, I will always be grateful to Card for waking me up from my snobbery and sending me back to my roots. "Ender's Game" is a novel that needs to be read by everyone, both for its ideas and its sheer, fierce joy. I've taught it now for four years, and few students can keep themselves from finishing it the first night they start it.

Rating:
Summary: Just the Best
Review: Quite simply my favorite book ever.

Rating:
Summary: A Great, great book... easily the best Sci-Fi Novel ever.
Review: This is an excellent, excellent, excellent book. But before I start with the review, I want to point out why I even took the time to read this book.

I read this book because I was depressed. I felt that I had to drop out of school and that my life had no meaning. I told a friend of mine. He told me to read this book... and it absolutely changed my life around. It made me feel like just because I was being pushed around by my teachers (who are still jerks), that I could still be the best student I could be. I loved this book so much that I plan to buy a hardcover version.

This is the story of Ender Wiggin, the brother of a person who kills squirrels for fun and the brother of a girl who has a heart of gold. Then, he sent of to 'Battle School' to learn to fight against 'The Buggers', the alien enemy of the story. Most of the book is spent explaining what happens to Ender during Battle School: his experiences, feelings, 'battles'.

This is an absolutely excellent book and you'll either love it or hate it... I hear that adults (especially parents) hate this book... but if you're a rebellious kid... you'll love this... just as I do.

ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT! :-) ENJOY!

A.A.

Rating:
Summary: A wretched novel
Review: I bought this book wanting to like it. Given the awards it has won, I fully expected to like it. But I was completely disappointed. The reason for the book's popularity is clear: it panders to a very common personality flaw among young, intellectual males: a belief in one's own intellectual superiority, the notion that one is rejected simply because one is so much "smarter" than others of the same age. The way the characters talk about their own "smartness" is totally juvenile and ridiculous. This theme of the intellectually superior adolescent is also hackneyed beyond belief. It turns up over and over again, especially in science fiction; and no doubt this happens at least partly because the author knows it will sell to the cadres of geeks who imagine themselves geniuses. For a mature person, this sort of stuff is simply tiresome.

Rating:
Summary: 25 Hours
Review: After I picked up this book, I could not put it down. It only took me 25 hours to finish reading this book, and now I am on my way to get the second book "Speaker of the dead".

The story was told with very simple word, but the story itself is not simple at all. I specifically liked the twist at the ending. It's marvelous work! It really made me think hard about human nature, ethics and a lot more.

I give it five stars and I highly recommend this book to all of you!

Rating:
Summary: A definate must read.
Review: Great book. No need to go into real details here, as mostly everybody has sung the praises of this book time and time again. Though it involves an alien war and space battles, this should not be classified as just a Sci-Fi novel. This book basically goes through Ender's very unique upbringing and schooling, and how it fits with the future of mankind. This should be read by everyone, not just hard core science fiction readers.

I enjoyed every aspect of this book, from the intriguing side story of Ender's brother and sister, the struggle of Ender trying to survive in cruel conditions for a child, to the alien civilization that threatens humanity's existence. I hate to sound cliched, but this book works on so many levels.