Read More: Ender's Game

UPDATE: Now I have read Ender's game too! It's funny--I never heard about this book before the Kygers started talking about it, but when people saw me reading it when I was out and about a lot of people spoke up and said they were big fans. I liked the book a lot for the most part, couldn't put it down. Except for the end! There was a big surprise, I won't say what it was and spoil things. But after the big surprise, I thought the way the author wrapped things up was a little bit corny. One of my friends told me there are eight books in this series. I'm curious about what the others one are about!


This book kind of reminded me of Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, in that it brings back all the strong feelings of childhood. By putting Ender in real life or death situations, the author is able to call up memories from childhood situations that we must all have--memories of events that, in reality, were probably very insignificant in the big scheme of things but which felt like life or death, times at which we felt threatened, or lonely, or the joys of a first friend. I think it must be really hard for an adult writer to write about kids in a way that isn't gimmicky or fake, so I'm always impressed when somebody pulls it off.

-Kristin


When my cousin Cate learned that I had eagerly been reading about fantastical wizard worlds, she informed me that Harry Potter was a gateway drug to science fiction and placed Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card into my hands to start me on my way. I think the only science fiction I've ever read was The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but I was still a bit dubious about Cate's choice. It was a small book, though, and it was a good idea to start branching out into different genres, so I thought "Why the hell not?" And thus I began.

As you would guess, this being a science fiction book, it takes place in an overpopulated future where Earth has been attacked by an alien race called The Buggers. Ender, a teeny little boy, has been chosen to lead Earth's invasion to destroy the Bugger colony so the Earthlings can rest easy and get back to warring with each other. The book follows Ender's life as he is sequestered with other promising children in a space station where he is trained to become Earth's savior. They believe Ender is 'the one' and put him through some intense, psychologically stressful situations to help catapult him into being what they need him to be.

It may not sound very interesting, but it was! I was never bored for a moment, and since it was light reading it was perfect on the train where I get distracted easily. Evidently this is the first in a series and I've been told from one person not to bother with the rest and from another that it was the best series he's ever read. I'm torn on whether to continue or not! I trust the judgement of both!

- Megan Leigh