Matt+Z

=Matt Z's Book Review=




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The human race is known for risking life, limb and the fate of humanity to achieve a goal. Do we do it for peace, for revenge, or for power, or even a mixture of all three. //Ender's Shadow", by Orson Scott Card, fallows the story of a young child named Bean, who is sent from the starving streets of Rotterdam to join the elite in Battle School orbiting the earth. The fate of the world may rest on Ender but one slip up and it comes crashing down on Bean.//

//Ender's Shadow// is an engaging fast paced novel. As the perspective switches from third to first you get a better understanding of what is going on but also what the characters are feeling. Even in the first few pages Card has already given each character a face. They feel like real people and at some point you must remind yourself that it’s just a book. As you enter Bean's (the main character) mind you become aware of every thing he knows, sees and feel. You are taken through the battles he fights, the information he gains and the self doubt that plagues his identity. His character is so complex yet nothing is blurred. Like wise for the others as they all have detail back stories without any plot holes and justified motives for the situations their in.

Bean really brings the whole book together. By being an illegal genetic experiment he is born with extreme intelligences. Being so smart compromises his emotional boundaries. Through out the book it’s hinted that he has and will never feel love. His darker persona brings him to calculate every possible out come no matter how grotesques. It amazes me on how Card brings Bean alive. I could pick him out in a crowd if I just heard him speak. Even though he seems so cold the more I read the more I felt like he is my friend. When he was scarred I felt it and when he was happy I felt it too.

Besides Bean the book consists of quite a few sporting characters. Normally an author would suppress these rolls and focus manly on the main character, but Card didn’t leave anything out. Occasionally the focus of the story would switch to a first person view from that character, letting the important events be looked at from a new set of eyes. This gave better under standing and also noted that Bean was not alone is his struggle.

The premise of the book is the Bugger War. Its have given the book and eerie feeling of constant danger. The war brings humanity together to form a false since of world peace, that Bean figures will only last until the war is over. This ties characters together and gives the whole story a weighted feel. Card does not let one character slide who does not feel the burden. These elements give //Ender's Shadow// a less factious feel. Card does not just write about alien wars and the deep space battles but also how the countries and governments respond. Most books about war will focus on the violent, destructiveness that war entails, but Ender's Shadow goes deeper in and includes the big picture.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone into or curious about science fiction novels. But //Ender’s Shadow// is not just about fighting aliens. Its also has themes of government, religion, teamwork, and self doubt. The book is really more of a philosophy, how the human mind works and what are its limits. What is sacrificed in gaining intelligence? Can one learn love and compassion even with a life that is full of horrible memories? And what makes the human race so different from the Buggers. I recommend the sequels and also the original novel //Ender’s Game//. //Ender’s Shadow// is in the elite group of litterateur, captivating readers and keeping me on the edge of my seat.