I have never met anyone who has read "Ender's Game" and hasn't liked it. For some it is just another novel with an interesting storyline, fascinating characters and original ideas. For others, reading "Ender's Game" can be a life changing experience. I know that sounds like rhetoric or exaggeration, but it's all true.

The basic plot sounds like just another sci fi book/movie/video game. Genius Ender Wiggin is a student at an orbiting Battle School, training to become one of the soldiers who will defend Earth from invaders. However, Ender is only six when the government plucks him from his home and begins to shape him into the commander they need. He is placed in stressful, challenging situations meant to test his abilities and character. Ender is not an action hero; he is not traditionally charismatic or brave or good looking or rich. Instead, this young genius is very much a hero in the ways that count; he keeps a sense of humanity and compassion even when faced with a bleak future and hostility from those around him. Parts of the book seem almost like watching a mental breakdown slowly happen without any way to stop it.

Ender is not the only well-crafted character, nor is he the most interesting. His classmates, both the good and the bad, show different ways of coping with situations similar to, but less difficult than, Ender's. Though they, too, are brilliant, they each deal with pressure in different ways; some attack those around them while others resist passively or simply accept their life without trying to change it. Petra, Bean, Alai and the others become foils for Ender; by watching them, we see how remarkable or fallible Ender really is.

In my opinion, one of the central attractions of "Ender's Game" is the way it displays how cruel kids can be to their peers. Ender's utter brilliance and the abuse he receives from other children because of it strikes a chord with many - children, teenagers, and adults alike. Although the vast majority of us are nowhere near his level of intelligence and never experience such cruelties, we nonetheless empathize deeply with him as he struggles not to become like his attackers. We, too, know what it's like to be a victim; everyone, from the most talented athlete to the geekiest hacker, has been taunted at some time by his or her peers.

Therefore, "Ender's Game" can be, for some, a ray of light: we suddenly realize that not only are our own troubles not that important but also that we can handle them. Though Ender and his struggles are on a much larger scale, they are an extension of more down-to-earth situations. Not surprisingly, this book seems to be especially popular with those who were "gifted kids," as the taunting they receive is much more widespread and culturally acceptable than that of others.

Though it is a book mostly about children, and can be read by most teenagers and some pre-teens, "Ender's Game" is an adult book; I've found that as the years pass, each time I reread it I find a new perspective. I also very much enjoyed the second book in this series, "Speaker for the Dead." While "Ender's Game" is a more enjoyable novel - filled with action, suspense, and well-written dialogue among other things - "Speaker" is a much better book. It is more challenging, thought-provoking, and insightful (and still has well-written dialogue) than "Ender's Game." The other two sequels, "Xenocide" and "Children of the Mind," are still good but sometimes formulaic and slow; they introduce very few new characters or ideas. I have not yet read "Ender's Shadow," the newest addition to the series, but it has received very positive reviews.

This book will make you think and might change your perspective on the world. Even if it doesn't, it's a wonderful read and well worth the money and time you spend on it.



Recommended: Yes