ENDER”S GAME by
Orson Scott Card
This young adult book has been out for some time, but I had
never read it before. The premise is a
child (Ender, age 6) is a genius at war games on the computer and the adults
will use him to win a war against the “buggers.” It will soon be a major motion
picture. I felt that the story could
have been told as a Western or other genre as easily as Sci-fi. The battle scenes were exciting while the
psychological scenes were boring and mercifully brief. The book was interesting as a war/battle
story but I was disappointed as I was looking for a classic, memorable tale.
Ender is a fully developed character and the reader is
allowed to see how his mind is developed and manipulated as the story proceeds
and Ender ages from 6 to 15 years or so.
The brother and sister are less well developed, the brother only seen
through the eyes (mind) of Ender and the sister. Several adult characters also appear in one
dimensional form. They serve to guide (or manipulate) Ender through the intricacies
of the “game” meant to train him for the coming war.
The end will not be a surprise to the adult reader. Book groups will want to discuss the psychology
and manipulation of children. Morality and violence may also be topics as well
as fear of others different from the norm.
3 of 5 stars.
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