Genre: Science Fiction/ YA
ISBN: 978-0812550702
Amazon link/BN.com link/Google Books
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Quick synopsis from Goodreads: In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.
My Review: I've seen this book many times in the bookshops I've frequented through the years, and have picked it up once or twice to buy it, always putting it back down. I'm glad that I've finally read it. This is a classic book that should be a must-read for everyone, along with Madeliene L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. This book is amazing, and heartbreaking. In the beginning, Ender is six years old. I have a 6 year old and I watched her as I read it. I couldn't imagine putting my 6 year old through some of that book. On the other hand, Ender is so far advanced, at such a genius level, so beyond the word "gifted", that its easy to believe you're reading about a much older child or teen. The way the adults in the book manipulate the children is cruel and heartless...understandable given the situation, but heartless and cruel noetheless. I enjoyed reading about Ender, and how he kept his humanity throughout the book, instead of becoming callous and unfeeling. The end had me in tears and wanting to read the next book immediately, Speaker for the Dead.
Ender's Game was pretty amazing wasn't it? The first book of the spin-off serires, Ender's Shadow was pretty fantastic too. The rest of the books in both series aren't bad...but they got a bit old for me after a while. So you should at the very least try out Ender's Shadow
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