A Review: Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Genre: Science-Fiction 

Summary from the back: "Intense is the word for Ender's Game. Aliens have attacked 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?"

I heard a lot about this book and have wanted to read it for a long time. And now that I graduated college, I have the time :). I haven't read a lot of sci-fi books, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this novel, and it wasn't  what I thought it would be like. But according to the author's supposed plan (I read his intro), the book is excellent and his story-writing skills are superb. 

I found the way the children are trained fascinating and the sad way that they are treated true even in our world today, albeit to a lesser degree. The harsh treatment of the children and the idea of war as a 'game' reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games, although this novel is completely different in many ways from that series. The author knows much about how power and leaders work and this was very enlightening. I came to know and love Ender, the main character, and could see parts of myself in him, which I believe is the trait of a good creator: to show a reader him/herself in the characters to that she can come out of the novel changed. 

I'm a visual person; I like descriptions and clear images when I read, and there wasn't much of that in this novel. So it was difficult at times to picture the ships and rooms that the soldiers live in. I was also confused at times about what was happening politically on earth. Orson Scott Card could have explained some of these things more clearly for the reader. 

Overall though, the novel was well-written, thought-provoking, and interesting, so I give it a 3.5 out of 5. I recommend it to 16 year-olds and above because there is some language and graphic images. With every book that becomes a movie, I advocate reading the book before watching the movie, so you can truly comprehend/understand what is happening. But that might just because I love books so much. This novel is also a series, I believe, and I most definitely want to check out the others. You can learn more about this author and his books at his website here. 

What I learned: War/fighting is most definitely not a game. An important quote that's made me think about love and hatred (don't worry, it's not a spoiler) that I'm still chewing on: "In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves." What do you think about this idea?

Merry Christmas, by the way! Let us remember the truest, greatest story of all this season!

I

Happy Memorial Day!

In honor of our soldiers and veterans, here is a poem about how we often take their lives for granted: 

Buttons
by Carl Sandburg

I have been watching the war map slammed up for advertising in front of the newspaper office.
Buttons-red and yellow buttons-blue and black buttons-are shoved back and forth across the map.

A laughing young man, sunny with freckles,
Climbs a ladder, yells a joke to somebody in the crowd,
And then fixes a yellow button one inch west
And follows the yellow button with a black button one inch west.

(Ten thousand men and boys twist on their bodies in a red soak along a river edge,
Gasping of wounds, calling for water, some rattling death in their throats.)
Who would guess what it cost to move two buttons one inch on the war map here in front of the  
         newspapter office where the freckle-faced young man is laughing to us?

A Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Genre: Dystopian, Adventure, YA

Incerpt from the back of the novel: "When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open,Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers weren't expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up-the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home... wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable. And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers-if he can only find  way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind."

So, I have been wanting to read this novel for a long time because it's dystopian, and for some reason, I really like end-of-the-world, not-everything-is-as-it seems books. And be forewarned, this novel is a series, and you have to keep reading them to understand everything. I liked how it pulls you into the world pretty quickly, and there is a lot of action to keep you hooked to the story.

It was a little frustrating, however, that there are so many things that the characters, and thus, the reader, doesn't know. I spent most of the book asking what was happening, just like Thomas. But there are some answers toward the end, although only enough for the reader to feel a little satisfied, and nothing is fully answered in this first novel.

The plot reminds me a lot of The Hunger Games because other people are playing with the characters' lives, except that these characters know nothing about what's going on. I felt sorry for them because such horrible things were happening to them and they didn't know why, but it's amazing how tough they are and how much they long to survive. I give it a 3 and recommend it to highschool age and up and for anyone who likes action and dystopian novels.

And check out James Dashner's website. It's really cool.

What I learned: Humans have a strong sense of survival, and true loyalty and love is being willing to lay down your life for a friend (which sounds a lot like what Jesus did).