Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Bonnie

Earth has survived two invasions by aliens they call Buggers, and are
preparing children to fight in the Third Invasion. Children who show
promise are sent to Battle School to learn and practice fighting. Ender
Wiggin is one such child, is really the child that they are looking for
to fight the aliens. He is the third child (it is against society to
have more than two children - any more and they're not really supported -
public education, etc) in a family of geniuses with an older brother
Peter who is cold hearted, and an older sister Valentine who is gentle
and thoughtful. Ender is the combination of the two. He is sent to
Battle School at the age of six, where he is singled out by a leader
which causes everyone to hate him.



Ender learns quickly by observing, and quickly outshines the older
students. The students are organized into armies and they fight each
other in zero gravity battle rooms. Ender has a genius mind, and starts
playing the game as it has never been played before. To challenge him
the leaders change the rules, assign him multiple battles in a day, give
him an army of misfits, and still he shines. He graduates Battle School
at the early age of twelve and ends up at Commander School. The end of
the book is the Third Invasion, and I'll leave you to find out what
happens.



This book is intriguing, and one that is hard to put down. In some ways
it is hard to imagine a six year old saying and doing some of the things
that Ender does, but that is what he was made for - to fight off the
buggers. There is humor - Ender writing on the desks claiming they come
from "God", and there are disturbing moments where Ender hurts and kills
people. You sympathize with him as he is growing up in an environment
where he has no real friends, and doesn't get an opportunity to be a
child. I really enjoy reading this book and recommend it to anyone who
likes science fiction.