Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card | Teen Ink

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card MAG

November 18, 2009
By Kavishg BRONZE, Newton, Massachusetts
Kavishg BRONZE, Newton, Massachusetts
2 articles 0 photos 39 comments

No words can do justice to Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. Card has created another amazing masterpiece, even ­rivaling Pastwatch, his greatest novel, in my opinion. Suspenseful and eerily realistic, Ender's Game brings a whole new perspective to science fiction. A combination of strategy, horror, and interpretations of human character, Ender's Game a spellbinding, heart-stopping book about the simple concept of alien invasion.

Ender's Game follows the life of Andrew Wiggin, nicknamed Ender. At first, Ender is struggling to survive as his maniacal brother, Peter, repeatedly threatens to kill him, while his sister, Valentine, tries to protect him. Lonely and frightened, Ender is on the edge of insanity until Colonel Graff, an official in the International Fleet (a space program developed to fight an alien race that threatens to destroy Earth) comes to his house to take him to the Battle School. This is a school for precocious children who will eventually direct the International Fleet ships in the final battle against the aliens, the Buggers.

At Battle School, Graff purposefully sets Ender apart to see if he can gain the respect of other boys. Ender does find a group of friends, and progresses through the school faster than any other student. He moves on to Command School (which usually takes children ages 16 and up) at the age of 12. There, he begins studying with a genius strategist who won the first Bugger war for the I.F., preparing for the final battle with the Buggers, which will be entirely under Ender's control.

Published in 1985, Ender's Game was hugely popular. It won the Nebula and Hugo Awards for science fiction, and was nominated for the Locus Award. Card's ingenious resolution combines a symbolic ending with a slight touch of horror, leaving the reader satisfied, yet hungry for another book.

Ender's Game is one of the only young adult books that I would recommend to all readers. Adults will find the plot interesting and the ending significantly suspenseful. Children of all ages will love the idea that children can control the fate of the Earth, and will be touched by the book's deeper meaning. Though it is not a quick read, Ender's Game is a compelling tale of stunning originality.


The author's comments:
I wish to recommend this book to humans of all ages.

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This article has 10 comments.


on Mar. 6 2014 at 12:56 am
JesusandHisLawyers SILVER, Austin, Texas
7 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
"who the fuck has a favorite personal quote what does that even mean" - me, just now.

Let me start by making something clear: I'm sort of biased here. I loathe Orson Scott Card with a firey passion. I think he's a deplorabe human being who should probably be sent to cold, desolate corner of the Earth where he can't bother anybody. I wasn't impressed with Ender's Game. It wasn't terrible, it wasn't Twilight or Hunger Games levels of awful, but it wasn't anything special. Our main character is a boring, obnoxious, and underdeveloped child who saves the day, but also messes things up in a "shocking" twist ending that most of us (or at least me) guessed from about chapter V. Our story has the worst pacing I have ever seen in a published novel, period. Nothing happens for four-ish chapters, months pass within three chapters, etc. Our only interesting characters, Valentine and Peter, are shoved off to the side and virtually ignored despite being the only redeeming quaility in this mess. I will never understand the praise this book receives. It probably needed another three rounds with an editor, or perhaps just a good rewriting.
  Ender's Game is my first and only foray into Card, because frankly, I never want to have to waste my time thinking about him ever again.

on Feb. 8 2014 at 8:49 pm
Horror-Mistress DIAMOND, Waco, Texas
69 articles 8 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
There is always someone that has it worse than you

Dad read the books as a kid, told me i'd enjoy it. I LOVED IT!!!! just got some of the newer books that my dad never read. can't wait to read them!!!

AisuP SILVER said...
on Jan. 7 2013 at 9:19 pm
AisuP SILVER, Los Angeles, California
6 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
I broke the shackles that I built myself, because I didn't feel like wearing them anymore.

As a huge Ender's Game fan I was very pleased to see that this review was printed in the magazine (maybe now people would stop thinking it's a copy of The Hunger Games (which makes no sense because Ender's Game came out before)). I am lost for words. Good job. :)

anniers SILVER said...
on Mar. 26 2011 at 7:59 pm
anniers SILVER, Newton, Massachusetts
8 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Excellent review for an excellent book. Keep up the good work!

KandyMay said...
on Jul. 21 2010 at 7:28 pm
KandyMay, Central Point, Oregon
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit"

This book was amazing. Well written, well plotted, and thought provoking. I loved it! You should all read this masterpiece by Orson Card.

amachii GOLD said...
on Jan. 15 2010 at 2:55 pm
amachii GOLD, Schenectady, New York
11 articles 0 photos 205 comments

Favorite Quote:
"ganbaranakutemo ee nende!" (It's okay even if you didn't do your best!) -Smileage/Tsunku

Nice article! I'll have to read that. By the way, great screen name, Haddixrules.

Kavishg BRONZE said...
on Dec. 1 2009 at 1:22 pm
Kavishg BRONZE, Newton, Massachusetts
2 articles 0 photos 39 comments
ty i will check out your stuff

on Nov. 30 2009 at 8:34 pm
I loved it :) Check out some of my stuff too. I'm no Orson Scott Card but I hope you enjoy....

Kavishg BRONZE said...
on Nov. 23 2009 at 6:56 pm
Kavishg BRONZE, Newton, Massachusetts
2 articles 0 photos 39 comments
Thanks are you the same person that responded on my among the hidden thing?

Haddixrules said...
on Nov. 20 2009 at 7:28 pm
Wow GREAT review!!!!!!