Just finished the Orson Scott Card's first novel. With great expectations come great disappointments. I had heard nothing but good about the book, and while it does a great job of building tension up unto the end, it suffers from a one major flaw. Unlike Lord of the Flies, I never believed that I was dealing with children. Even though they were supposed to be uber-smart, they were all apparently uber-mature as well. It never played well that Ender was a eleven at the time of his great victory. The great victory was a cop-out as well. A rehash of another part of the book that somehow works out in the end. Peter and Valentine also change the whole course of world events at 13 and 16... it just begins to get old that these kids are so young and can handle it all so maturely.
It never makes sense how the Formics (ridiculously called buggers throughout the WHOLE novel) can touch Enders mind but cannot learn how to beat him, even with the simple strategy he used in the end, which is never made exactly clear as to how he does it, it just works. Also, the ansibel that can communicate faster than time, there seems to be a bit of a space/time issue with how it works when put with the fact that the ships in the distance are traveling at near light speed. The age difference between Peter and his siblings is understood, but the communication factor seems too handy.
The novel is saved by the bittersweet and emotionally charged prologue: The Speaker for the Dead. A beautiful end to a dissapointing novel, though I did like how Ender becomes an outcast after his great victory. But the epilogue stands alone as the best part of the novel.
Ender's Game: 80... C
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