Daily Dose of Awesome: Ender's Game

I had heard good things about this science fiction tale. It's been said that this should be required reading in school. My roommate at college cited it as one of his favorite books.

So, I decided to check it out. I went in with moderate expectations. Hype can be a killer in some cases so I didn't want my expectations going in to be so high that it ruined the book for me. While it took a while to get into, the book really is that good.

While the book is marketed towards young adults, it's a book that can be enjoyed at any age. It doesn't talk down to the reader and it does everything a good book should. It's gripping, it has a strong story, the characters are all developed, and it keeps you interested in what's going to happen next. It is also full of symbolism and material to discuss as to character motivations and interpretations. Like Lord of the Flies, the book doesn't bury itself in useless themes or symbolism. The story works incredibly well without those things. Rather, they serve to augment the story and make it rich without sacrificing a good yarn.

Yes, this book should be required reading in school. If kids were reading this as opposed to The Scarlet Letter, I suspect more people would be enthusiastic about reading.

As far as length goes, it's that perfect length where it's not too short, but not so lengthy that it begins to drag. This is especially admirable given the fairly epic nature of the story. It's an alternate future where humanity is at war with a race of alien bugs. It's not known how long the war has gone on, but it's gotten to the point where young children are drafted into a sort of boot camp.

The focus is on young Ender Biggins, a boy who gets recruited into said camp. As it turns out, he may be the last hope of humanity. His is a character of pathos, you can't help but feel for the kid as the school masters put him through one hell after another in order to prepare him. You start to see the toll it takes on him as the novel progresses.

I couldn't help but smirk every time Ender just owned his competition in "the games". For an 8 year old, the kid sure was a master strategist, he ranks up there with Batman, no joke.

Even minor characters like Ender's sister Valentine get fully fleshed out, even with a relative lack of page time.

It's ironic how many who read this say it should be required reading for school. On the one hand, I get it, the book is really good and a bonafide classic, but the whole theme of the book is that school in and of itself is a nightmare. Yeah, the circumstances for Ender are a bit different, but that's the general undertone of the book. I don't know, maybe it's just me, I find it amusing that a book decrying school is often advocated as necessary reading in school.

If you haven't read this book, you really should. I highly recommend it. Whether you're young or old, I have a feeling you will find reading this is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.