Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Ender's Game (Book Review)

Author: Orson Scott Card
Year: 1985
Genre: Science fiction
Reading Level: Adult (though I have frequently seen it shelved in young adult)

Series: First in the Ender's Quintet series

Literary Awards: 
Hugo Award for Best Novel (1986), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1985)

Plot Summary: Ender Wiggin was just your typical six-year-old boy genius, terrorized by his brother, beloved by his sister and smarter than both.  Renewed war with the alien buggers is on the horizon when Ender is enrolled in the elite Battle School.  There Ender outsmarts his opponents with his creative and brilliant battle tactics, but what about the people he left behind on Earth?  And, more importantly, what about those buggers?


Red Flags: Language, immature humor, some violence

My Rating: B-
I know my opinion will not be a popular one, but I just never really got into this book.  Partly I blame the fact that I had to read several other books in the middle of this one, due to library due dates.  But mostly I just was so BORED.  Bored bored bored!  There, I said it.  I was bored.  The battles should have been exciting but the description of the action was just boring.  I can't decide if it was overly descriptive, with the swiveling hips and pushing off whatever wall, or not descriptive enough, since I couldn't really picture any of it.  

I mean, I can get the appeal of it, and I by no means hated it or anything.  I have read and liked plenty of sci fi before also so that's not the problem.  But I didn't really care about Ender, I didn't love the writing and oh, I was bored.  I should also note that the ending was spoiled for me some years ago so that came as no surprise--bummer.  

Anyway.  I can appreciate Orson Scott Card's imagination and scope.  I can, I suppose, see why people enjoy this book.  But I will happily never read another one in this series.  

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