Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Awesome)

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This review is adapted from a book review I did for school so it will be formatted a little differently than most of my posts. Basically, this is a classic book that was so much better than I could have ever possibly hoped!
Here we go:


Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is a futuristic science fiction novel that follows the story of a young boy, Ender, as he is chosen to go to Battle School. Once there, he learns how to lead armies into battle against alien invaders. At Battle School, he faces many obstacles, from jealous bullies to the complex plans for the upcoming mock battles. If Ender does not succeed in becoming the commander that his superiors expect him to be, mankind will surely become a doomed race. Orson Scott Card uses Ender’s struggles to highlight the intelligence of youth, the effect of isolation from others, and the difficulties and responsibilities of leadership. He also shows the importance of unity against all types of foes.

Orson Scott Card told Ender’s story in a comprehensive and concise fashion. The book’s voice was the perfect balance of formal and informal, not so formal that it detracts from the story and not so informal that the plot does not come across. The author’s writing style helps the book even more because it is aimed at young adults, who are more likely to read a book that does not include long, boring descriptions. While there still were descriptions, they did not play as large of a role in Ender’s Game as in other books which made the novel a quick and easy read.

The book is told through the eyes of the main character, Ender, who was very relatable. Despite being in his unique position, Ender was a very understandable character.  It was impossible not to be on his side. All of his issues became the reader’s issues as they read along with him.  The supporting characters were also very realistic. Even if they were not likable, the reader could understand their motives and actions.  The author of this book was very gifted at creating characters whom could have easily been real, and he was skilled about making the reader care about what happens to them. This attribute made the story very engaging and increased the enjoyability of the book.

Ender’s Game’s storyline was very fast paced and intriguing, which made the whole book very exciting for the reader; therefore, it went by quickly. It kept the readers on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what would happen to the characters next. Twists and turns were peppered throughout this story.  There was a new shocking discovery in every chapter. This contributed to the story being surprising and fresh.  Despite being published in the mid eighties, it is a timeless story. It felt as if it could happen anywhere from two to two thousand years in the future. This added to the realistic quality of the work and helped the book connect with its readers.

Even though it is set in the future, this book was very easy to relate to because it includes themes that we all experience in day to day life. For example, loneliness and responsibility play big roles. Ender’s Game is a classical science fiction novel that all people should read, regardless of their age. It is one of the few books that I believe deserves the awards that decorate its cover. It has all of the qualities that make it an instant favorite to all those who read it.  This book was a superbly written story that will positively affect every person who reads it. I would, without a doubt, recommend Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game.

*End of Official Book Review*

Phrase:
"Oh, Bugger off!"

Thanks for reading!

The Final Warning by James Patterson (Somewhere between Bad and Okay)

This is the fourth book in the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson.

Background on the earlier books in the series:
The books are light reads with hilarious characters. The plot always flows well from one scene to the next. The characters are well written. All in all, worth a read if you have some time.

My thoughts on The Final Warning:
Without a doubt, this is the worst book in this series by far. It was as if the funny, plot driven author died a few pages in and a awful, intent-to-teach-to-readers author took over a few pages in. I realize I am older than the target demographic (I am 14) but I read all the previous books recently and all of them had a voice to them that made me feel fine reading it. The characters spent at least a hundred pages doing nothing exciting or interesting. They just talked about how bad global warming is and played with penguins. And they did not lecture about global warming subtly either. MAYBE younger kids wouldn't notice, yet I doubt it. In my opinion after reading hundreds of books, the MOST annoying thing a writer can do is try to teach the readers a lesson. (If it is implied or during the last few pages of a book, it's fine, for the record.). 
Either way, I spent the majority of this book slogging through long descriptions of global warming which, guess what, I already knew! It was insanely frustrating and might've ruined the entire series for me. I doubt whether I'll even decide to borrow the next book from the library, let alone buy it. 
I feel as if I could've skipped the entire middle of this book and have been better off.

Final Warning contradicted everything else already said in this series. Max must continue her destiny, to save the world, which only she can do. From what you may ask? The evil scientist? Aliens? No. It's from Global Warming! It does not fit with the rest of the series. And I blame James Patterson. 
Personally, I really am not a fan of Patterson, for a number of small reasons. For example, he has TV commercials (which author's should not have). He will co-author a book with another author and then on the cover, his name will be bigger than the title if the book and the other guy's name is written microscopically in the corner. (For a longer rant see my review of The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. )

I wouldn't even recommend someone to read this book if they had read ever other one in the series. It damaged the entire Maximum Ride series in my mind. 

Phrase:
-What do you do of you get stuck in the ice?
-You just fly out. 

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

A brief summary: 
A disease has seized the world causing a zombie-like state in all the adults and older children.  The kids are alone to find food, survive, and avoid being made a snack by some hungry grown-ups.  They must team up with each other to find the best chance of survival against all the possible odds. 

My thoughts:
I read the first couple of pages of this book online, decided I would like it, and then borrowed it from the library a few days later. 
It was disappointing. The first pages were great. The next chunk were slightly less exciting but still good. Then, the only character that was worth caring about (positively or negatively) died. It was all downhill from there. 
The book had positives, of course. I read it in three days because it had a fast moving and exciting plot. The story in and of itself was decent. 
However, the characters were seriously lacking in every category.  I didn't care about the characters at all. Each person had no distinction from the next person. The author just threw a bunch of names down and gave them zombies to fight. The only character that seemed to have an actual personality died thirty pages into the book. There was no character development. Mainly because the characters barely existed. 
All in all, this book had a nice story that was not quickly evident because of its awful characters. 
The last note I need to make was on the ending. That was, without a doubt, the WORST ending I've ever read. The last chapter was a mix of random phrases that did not go together well. It was not clear how it ended. Was that supposed to be an opening for a sequel? Or maybe it was a normal open ended book? I wouldn't know because it did not make sense. Usually, the ending makes a mediocre book good, but this ending made this mediocre book frustrating and terrible. 
I would not recommend this book. It was alright, but there are so many books that are much, much better than The Enemy  by Charlie Higson. 

Phrase:
Grown-ups EVERYWHERE!!!

I hoped this helps you out! Thanks for reading!