Okay all you tween-book-lovin’-closet-readers, I’ve got another INCREDIBLE book to add to your list, that is, if you haven’t already tackled this latest novel and stashed it under your bed next to the latest Twilight book! I recently wrapped up the Sci-Fi masterpiece, 'Ender’s Game', by Orson Scott Card, and I AM IN LOVE! Again, I typically don’t go for the Sci-Fi or Fantasy Fiction reads; however, my good friend Karen got me this book for Christmas after I forced her to read 'The Hunger Games', and a friend of her mentioned this book would fit perfectly into that genre of reading.
After hearing a few people had read Ender’s Game and really liked it, I was willing to give it a try. As expected, it’s a relatively easy read as it’s targeted to a young adult audience, similar in vein to The Hunger Games, in it’s storyline development, and focus on young characters as the pro- and antagonists. The different between Card’s work, and that of Suzanne Collins (of the Hunger Games trilogy) is the deeper meaning and life lessons infused throughout the tale, more along the line of Orwell’s 1984. There is a continual reference to all living beings having a connection to one another throughout the story, spanning outside of Earth’s atmosphere to include the entire universe. A notion I found incredibly interesting, and perfectly captured in the book.
Ender’s Game focuses on a young boy, Ender Wiggin, who undergoes a series of tests and training as a young boy, to determine if he is to be one of the few select children intelligent enough to be included in a unique space program. The book takes place in the near future, after two Alien attacks have plagued Earth, sending modern day society into the oblivion and a new model of governance taking the helm. The new laws require all families to limit their offspring to two children, both of whom must be given up for assessment immediately after birth. All humans must agree to give up their children prior to being allowed to reproduce, in an effort to establish the strongest and most intelligent space fleet possible, to ward off another Alien attack. Even typing out that synopsis is blowing my mind and makes me want to re-read the story all over again!
As indicated on the cover of the book, and therefore no surprise to anyone thinking of reading it, Ender has what it takes at an incredibly young age to join the elite group of children to be put through a series of tests and training for future space travel and battle. Ender is torn between a life with his family, his two parents, sister loving and protective sister Valentine, and his horrific and tortuous brother, Petra or giving up that life for one of space travel. If you haven’t figured it out, Ender was the third child in the family, which is extreme frowned upon in the eyes of the law and only allowed for the sole purpose of growing Earth’s protective arms. This is huge burden to carry as a child, as you’ll learn when you read the book.
I could literally go on and on about this story; however, any further and I truly believe I’ll be spoiling the plot for anyone yet to read the book. I will say, every scene described in this book is done with the utmost detail, and the training scenarios and space fleet are like nothing I’ve ever read (or imagined) before. Ender’s Game does an incredibly job of taking the reader on a journey into outer space, yet creating an unbelievable connection between each character and living being within the stories parameters.
This book will be the number one book I give out this year as the next book that everyone MUST read â€" that is, for those who haven’t done so already! I realize I may be a bit behind on this book, as it was originally published in 1977!
Also, I have recently purchased the next book in the series, Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card, which I can’t WAIT to start reading.
Since the book itself doesn’t have a website, nor does the author, I thought Wikipedia is the next best place for those interested to learn more about both.
Happy Reading!
