Book Review: Ender's Game

Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
Winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards
Ender is a tortured genius, deliberately isolated from his peers by cunning military officers. He is forced to use his gifts to defeat others in a series of increasingly difficult war games - if they can indeed be called games. To Ender, the game is all there is, for he is a child, taken from his home to plan Earth’s defense against an impending alien invasion. This novel was written for adults, and is intensely brutal. It opens with Ender facing a gang of bullies. He knew that if he beat one in a fair fight now, the others would come after him later. So, he beats the leader half to death (the author reveals later that the boy, Stilson, was in fact unwittingly killed by Ender) not out of malice, but in order to win the "war" against the other boys. Their fear would keep him safe in the future. Is this how the mind of a six year boy works? Some adults may have trouble accepting Ender and the other children as real, believable characters. For young adults, these characters will seem much more real, as they still live a school environment. Battle School, as harsh as it seems, reflects the all too real mindset of adolescent angst. Readers will either love Ender’s Game, or hate it -perhaps a little of both. One way or the other, this novel will reach readers of all ages. -Adult Circulation Staff