Review: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Title: Ender’s Game
Author: Orson Scott Card

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Publishing Information: 324 pages; January 1^st, 1985 by Tor Science Fiction

Series: Ender’s Saga #1

Where I got it: Border’s liquidation sale

One sentence: When child genius six-year-old Ender Wiggin is recruited by the government as defense for a hostile alien race’s next attack, his life changes forever in ways he could never imagine.

Themes: Space, battle, war, kids, aliens, saving the world,

Main character: 4/5

Ender was a fascinating, well-rounded character. He consistently felt older to me than his age, but because it had been thoroughly explained earlier in the novel, it was nothing that significantly turned me off. I particularly enjoyed Ender’s struggle with his situation and his emotions and actions seemed reasonable and realistic. Ender is one of those characters who continue to be sympathetic, despite the fact that he is undoubtedly supposed to be a character whose smarts and abilities place him in a different league than most children.

Secondary characters: 4/5

I especially loved the secondary characters because they were almost more human than Ender was. Petra was cute and bad-ass at the same time, Alai was sweet and I loved how he befriended Ender, and I adored Bean, who was spunky and an absolute riot. The struggles that Ender had making friends made those relationships even more fantastic and heart-warming.

Writing style: 4/5

Card’s writing style was built for a movie remake- the action scenes are intense and heart-stopping, the sentences short and quick to the point. I was slightly disappointed by the choppy sentences and the slightly juvenile style, but it seemed to move along well and I was rarely jolted out of the book.

Plot: 5/5

Absolutely fantastic! I was a little nervous about the premise, but Card executed it brilliantly. I absolutely adored the battle tactics and politics in the system, which was complex and entertaining- exactly the sort of thing I love to read. Further, there are such deeper questions brought up by the ending that challenged my opinions and thoughts on the entire novel.

Ending: 4.5/5

What a shocker. Honestly, the climax was so fantastic and shocking, but the final ending was something on its own. It brought up so many more questions and discussions that just brought a further level to the novel.

Best scene: The climactic scene was just phenomenal- wow.

Positives: Strong, compelling characters, fantastic plot, ending!!!!

Negatives: A few weak characterizations, sometimes the writing was childish.

First Line: I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one.

Cover: A little retro- I wanted something a little more modern and mysterious.

Verdict: So good! I really don’t know what else to say. Even if you don’t like science-fiction, definitely try this novel out.

Rating: 8.6 / 10