Ender’s Game

Dear Ender’s Game,

I love you, that’s all.

With Love,
Hannah

P.S. Book Details
Book Length: 324 pages
Series: 1 out of 5
Book Genre: Science-Fiction
Publication Date: 1985
Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1986), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1985), Nébula (1985), Margaret A. Edwards Award (2008)
Synopsis: Andrew “Ender” Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.

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As an adolescent, I was obsessed with space. When I say obsessed, I mean I made up a song and dance to memorize the parts of a space shuttle… for fun. So, when my Dad shared this book with me in middle school, I fell in love with the world and the characters and the story. Every year I read Ender’s Game (sometimes twice). I realized in Out of the Silent Planet review I stated I enjoyed Fantasy more than Sci-Fi, this is one of the big exceptions.

Through the years, my relationship with Ender’s Game has evolved. It began with a young girl reading a book about space AND super cool soldiers. My takeaway was: I wish this was real and I could do it. Over the next couple years and navigating moving schools three times/going into high school, I related to Ender’s character and found a literary buddy to walk through life with me. Orson Scott Card does a great job highlighting Ender’s motivations, feelings, and thought processes. I believe this is what makes the book so excellent and re-readable. Now, as an adult reading the book, I observe both the leadership in Ender and Colonel Graff. I never really noticed his character prior to recent years, however I have taken a greater interest in his approach to life.

There are many reasons to love this book. The main critique I have heard from the book is the repetition or the cyclical nature of events. Ender’s story is built on a lot of repetition. I can understand how this may be frustrating for some readers. Either because I have such a deep connection with the book or I simply enjoy the style (probably both), the cyclical element didn’t bother me. Quite the contrary, I think the repetition pulled me into each level with greater investment. Ender’s Game is an easy read. It highlights elements of leaderships, childhood, war, conditioning, space, and so much more. I recommend this book to everybody, no exceptions. Ender’s Game is a book which I will continue to reread for continued insight and the simple joy of reading a book that has done life with me.

GoodReads | Author Site

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