Book review by Abby Chambless, Dunwoody High School Book Club
For the month of January, the Dunwoody High Book Club decided to read Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Andrew Wiggin, aka Ender, is a young boy who was sent to a training academy in space to learn how to battle an alien race known as “Buggers”. The government has been searching for the perfect leader who will lead the Earth to victory against the Buggers and end the war that has lasted for hundreds of years, but as they became more desperate, they began to train and test children from an extremely young age. Ender, among hundreds of other kids, has to learn how to defend the Earth against a full scale invasion from the Buggers, and he is prepared by war games that are played on the computer and also in real time combat practice in the Battle Room. Ender excels in his training but becomes lonely from being apart from his family. He struggles through many internal conflicts, such as the fear of becoming like his cruel older brother Peter and the desire to stay devoted to his beloved older sister Valentine. Throughout the book, the three children simultaneously battle their own demons and the Buggers that threaten their existence. We rated the novel a four out of five, because of its unpredictability and action packed plot. We especially recommend Ender’s Game for readers 12 years or older who are interested in science fiction, but it is a fantastic read no matter your genre preference.
