Guest Blog Post--Ender's Game

Hey 1000 Bookies:

In our next installment of 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, we view Ender's Game.  My friend and our Guest Blogger, Jon Hanson reviews the story.  IF you have any comments please list them below.  Without further ado:

Enders Game, A Review
By Jonathan Hanson

I first read Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card when I was 14 and was instantly taken with this book. It’s a coming-of-age story with a twist. Imagine being a child and being saddled with the task of saving humanity. Think you can handle the pressure?

In the future, Earth has twice fought an alien race known as the Formics and barely survived both wars. To ensure the survival of the human race, Earth has begun to breed military geniuses and training them in the arts of war. Earth has a “two child” policy to limit overpopulation, but if a family has a third child, they become the property of the Earth government and trained to be soldiers.

Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is a Third who displays an aptitude for military strategy so he is sent to the orbiting Battle School where he will be trained to be a leader. The earliest form of training is a series of games where students are assigned to armies that engage in mock battles. Despite his youth, Ender demonstrates why he was selected for Battle School.

This book, at 324 pages, is not that long. I read the book over the course of one week, mostly because I just could not put it down. I was very interested in reading about Ender’s mindset as he approaches different problems. Orson Scott Card had to write this book from the mindset of a genius so the reader gets immersed in Ender’s mental and emotional state as his days on Earth and in Battle School move forward.

Card explores Ender’s love for his family and his responsibility to duty while seeing how stress physically and mentally affects the individual. Ender has to grow up among strangers in a strange environment and he needs to grow up fast because the planet is depending on him……..no pressure.

Keep reading!