REVIEW #7 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

TITLE: Ender's Game

AUTHOR: Orson Scott Card

GENRE: sci-fi, dystopian

PUBLICATION DATE: April 1st 2010 (first published 1985)

SYNOPSIS:

Ender Wiggin is a very bright young boy with a powerful skill. One of a group of children bred to be military geniuses and save Earth from an inevitable attack by aliens, known here as "buggers," Ender becomes unbeatable in war games and seems poised to lead Earth to triumph over the buggers. Meanwhile, his brother and sister plot to wrest power from Ender.

REVIEW:

Cover

It's the newest edition of Ender's Game and by far the prettiest. I'm a  fan of good graphics when it comes to covers (I know some readers dislike them). So it's quite satisfying. And I love Ender's image - his eyes look much older than his actual age, which fits the book perfectly.

Plot

That was crazy. Totally psychotic, mad, good kind of crazy. Ender is six years old and he's supposed to save the world, taking over his brother and sister, who weren't able to do so. He's taken to a military school, where he trains, levels up quicker than anybody and leads a very, very lonely life.
It's a story with an breathtaking plot and gruesome intrigue, it's dark and totally engrossing. More than anything though, it's a story about a boy and how his own fate, chosen for him by other people, destroys him. It's utterly beautiful and terrifying.

Characters

Genius six-year-old kids - I had to take the idea with a pinch of salt, because it takes a lot to believe in a kid that speaks like a 40-year-old university professor. Despite that, the characters felt very alive. I felt real, raw emotions when I was reading about what Ender had to endure - it only happened to me once, and it was during my Chaos Walking trilogy read. Ender wasn't necessary a likable character, because in spite of his deep wisdom he was still a kid - a bit egoistic at times, but a broken, devastated even kid. I think I even shed a tear or two because of him.
Other characters were well written too - Valentine, Alai, Bean, even the "villains".
The most fascinating character was Peter though, Ender's older brother. I'm not spoiling anything about him, so read the book to find out!

Writing

I missed 3rd person point of view so much! It felt refreshing. The story was gripping and well paced, the dialogues flowing nicely. I actually read the book in Polish and I'm so used to reading in English it was a bit awkward. But the translation was quite good, from what I can tell.

Overall

The book has been recommended to me on a few occasions. It's been called a 'classic of the genre' and now I have nothing to add, just merely agree. It's the most amazing book I've read in a while. In fact, I don't think anything wow-ed me this much since I read Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. Absolutely breathtaking. I can't praise it enough, everybody and I mean it, EVERYBODY should read it!

Rating

5 stars out of 5 and I would give more.!