Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Synopsis:

Aliens have attacked earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses-- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games'... Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games... He is smart enough to know that time is running out. but is he smart enough to save the planet?

My Rating: 10/10

My Thoughts:

Honestly this book blows my mind. I like science fiction, but I actually don't read very much of it. This however is a major exception. It's exciting and intelligent and keeps me addicted every time I read it. And if you go to Amazon and check out other reviews, you can see that I'm not the only one who thinks this.

In fact, there is nothing to hate about his book. The characters are insanely smart, and all the decisions they make are cool and calculated. Every action is observed and analyzed. And everything happens for a reason. I love how you understand the exact psychological reasoning behind every character's choices.

Besides the characters, the game itself is spectacular. Basically teams are created amongst the kids of the school and battles are fought in a room with no gravity using suits that freeze when they are hit by the guns the boys carry. It's all designed to train these kids for war in space. But the game itself is fascinating, and the obstacles Ender faces are harsh.

However, despite my love for it, this is not a feel good book. At times it can be brutal and cruel. There is no love story, in fact there are hardly any female characters at all. But despite this it is one of the best books I've ever read. Check it out, if you haven't already.