Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Title: Ender's Game
Author: Orson Scott Card
ISBN: 0812550706
352 pages
Tor Science Fiction, 1994 edition

Upon hearing about this assignment for my LIBR 264 class, one of my close friends demanded that I read this book as part of my reviewing process. Being one of his favorites when he was a kid, I decided to give it a shot (I had heard about it before, but had not gotten around to reading it). I do not think it is a specifically 'tween' title but the protagonist is roughly that age and I know it is popular among the younger teen age group.

Description:

Ender is a Third, the third child in his family (which is a much maligned position to be in). Ender is child prodigy, like his older brother Peter, who has been trained from a very young age in the arts of war. He has a microchip in his head, called his 'monitor', through which the government can watch his every move. Ender soon shows a level of prowess higher than that of any of the other children, much to the chagrin of his older brother Peter. When Ender is sent away to a sort of space-pilot's academy, he begins to display a level of skill and intuition far above his peers. All before the age of 10, Ender has already gained himself a battalion of soldiers under his command and has become renowned throughout the military. Peter, back on Earth, fueled by his inferiority to and hatred toward his brother, starts a plot to take control. Between Ender and his brother, the fate of the world rests in the balance.

Review:

A really good book; now I understand my friends vigilance in supporting the title. However, the level of violence and complexity of the book may not make it the ideal 'tween' title. There is one scene very close to the beginning of the title in which Ender is forced to fight with the leader of a group of bullies. The scene is described in vivid detail and shocked me with its graphic violence. The majority of the book focuses on wars and battles (mostly set in space) in which Ender is involved. War is a constant; a theme that dominates the book. So, with an older 'tween' or one who has displayed a level of maturity with regards to reading and the watching of movies, this book may end up being a life-long favorite (as in the case of my friend). Nonetheless, this book (which has won the two most coveted awards in sci-fi, the Hugo and Nebula awards) is very well written and a great read, but the violence and subject matter may make it a little too much for some readers.