Some time in the future, humanity encounters an alien race known as "buggers" and faces two disastrous wars. In preparation for an anticipated third attack, mankind decides to pick the very best of its youngest, and train them to become perfectly unbeatable militia. Orson Scott Card tells us the story of such a time period and its inhabitants - and of one boy genius in particular - Ender Wiggin - who rose the ranks, out-maneuvering computer games and zero gravity battle simulations.
Quite possibly the best part about this story was the plausibility of the main protagonist. A hero is not presented to us to accept without question. We see a weak boy stand up to a sadistic older brother and a class bully. We see a small boy fight a mean classmate and a cruel commander. We see a strategic boy use everything from a common enemy to an appeal for help to make friends in a strange world. And at every step of the way, we are allowed to follow his most private thoughts and reasoning for his behaviour, as every breath becomes a small fight for survival till the next breath comes along.
I was captivated by how this story constantly shifted tones and presented the characters, sometimes as helpless 6-year olds plucked out of their homes, and sometimes as brilliant individuals that all of mankind is right to pin its final hopes on. Every boy goes through a heartbreaking moment of homesickness like Bean. Every boy goes through a glorious moment of victory like Alai.
I also really liked the sub plot of Peter and Valentine as Locke and Demosthenes; a political story, that runs its arc and meets its counterpart military story of Ender in the end.
The final days on the mysterious planet Eros bring together, in a grand conclusion, the epic tale of Mazer Rackham, the much dreaded Third Invasion, and a secret message at The End of the World. From ages 6 to about 11, this is the story of Andrew "Ender" Wiggin; the greatest battle commander; the "Speaker for the Dead".
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