When searching for a book, I usually find new releases or best sellers. But, as I logged on to my Amazon.com account, one of the recommended books caught my eye.
Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, held my attention as I read the summary on my Kindle, and, although first published in 1985, I didn’t hesitate to buy it and begin reading within minutes.
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, the main character, is undoubtedly the smartest person in his school and family. Because of his intellect, he has been isolated from the other people. Though he may be the smartest, he is not the biggest in his class. He is only six, and a small six-year-old at that.
Ender lives on a futuristic Earth, which is involved in a conflict with another, insect-like life form called the Buggers. With war raging onward, all the countries on Earth are at peace and are working together to save the human race.
In children, the leaders place monitors on the backs of their heads to pick out the best candidates to be soldiers in the future. When children’s monitors are removed, they hold a sign indicating that they have failed to reach the requirements of a soldier. When Ender’s is removed, not only is he disappointed, but he also feels unprotected. The monitor had got him out of a lot of bullying because violence was not tolerated by the government. But now, with no monitor, he has to fend for himself.
When the class bullies find out about the removal of his monitor, they immediately take the opportunity to prove to Ender that he is not better than them anymore. When Ender hurts one of the boys badly, it lands him in a meeting with a government official.
The official, whose name is Graff, simply asks Ender why he had had to hurt Stilston, one of the bullies, even after he had stopped hitting Ender. With both of his parents metaphorically looking down on him, he answers: “I had to hurt him bad enough that he would never hurt me again.” Graff is pleased by Ender’s response, and informs him and his parents that he did not fail the qualifications to become the soldier and that taking the monitor out was just another test.
Ender agrees to attend Battle School, a training ground for the future leaders of Earth, and finds himself traveling to his training destination, a six-month journey to the planet Eros. Upon arrival, Ender takes note that this new planet was recently a host to the Bugger population, as all the buildings are underground in tunnels.
Soon, Ender discovers the only joy the Battle School holds: The Game, which is a mini war between the different armies, which are made up of different varieties of students. Ender starts at the bottom of the food chain in his group, and works his way up until he is Commander of Dragon Army.
The Game has always been about rules and fairness, but this soon changes due to the success of Ender’s leadership. Ender’s army is put up against unbeatable odds like fighting two armies at once, or having to fight more than one battle a day. He is once again pushed to his limits.
Sooner than anyone else has ever achieved, Ender receives his new assignment to Command School, without even attending Pre-Command School. From there, Ender is forced into circumstances that push his morals and ethics. Ender has the weight of the world — well, the human race — on his shoulders.
Although this story revolves outwardly around aliens and war, I loved it. Even though the main character starts the story at only six years old, he is relatable to me. I loved the mind games and the stress that he experiences, because Card explains it so vividly.
Even the time Ender spends in Battle School winning The Game allowed me to enjoy an aspect not usually seen in books. The strategy that he teaches his soldiers and the trust he puts in the toon leaders showed me how military trust is created within an army. And then he beats the odds by outsmarting the other commanders.
This science fiction novel kept my mind moving and searching for ways that Ender could beat the odds before he figures it out for himself. I see the characters in the book in the people around me, from the bullies in Ender’s school to his big sister Valentine.
The only negative aspect of the book is that it starts so abruptly that it takes at least three chapters to figure out what is really going on. When I first heard of the Buggers, coming from a six-year-old perspective, I thought it was a game on the playground. In fact, however, the Buggers are an alien race trying to destroy the Earth.
Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone. Those of a younger age might have difficulty understanding it at first, but it is a great book for high school students and adults. I have already convinced multiple people to read Ender’s Game, and I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
Ender’s Game, spanning about 350 pages, is available at Amazon.com and at most local bookstores for about $7 paperback and $10 hardcover. The novel is the first in the Ender’s Game series, which contains six books to date.
For more book reviews, read the March 4 article, ‘This Present Darkness’ provides enticing read.
