Sam Strives For 55 - Week Fourteen

Here is week 14 of Sam's reading journey, the metrics and first week can be found here

Ender's Game (Ender's Saga #1) by Orson Scott Card
 

1. Intrigue 
   1. Take a young boy, have him be a prodigy, the one everyone has been looking for, and you’ve got the gist of Ender’s Game. EXCEPT the end makes it a glorious version of whatever the above sentence is. Ender’s Game is a wonderful book for any young person interested in the complexity of war. It’s message is really one of the pacifist, but the way the book gets there is what makes this book exceptional. 
2. Writing style
   1. This book is an exemplar of writing for young people that doesn’t get bogged down in the overuse of adjectives and adverbs. It uses enough physical detail for young people that it doesn’t bore them, but also teaches an appropriate way to paint with words. 
   2. Juicy quote: 
      1. “Perhaps it's impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.”
3. Flow of Storytelling
   1. If I hadn’t read this for the first time as an adult, this would have probably been one of my favorite books. For me the story got a bit bogged down by the adolescent aggression and prototypical youth troubles that exist in young people literature. However I don’t want to count that against this book. If you love protege vs. the masses then this book won’t be an issue for you. 
4. Re-readability 
   1. It’s such a simple, touching story, it’s difficult to even come up with a reason why someone wouldn’t want to reread this book. The ending of this book transforms the narrative on the reread. Moments of triumph suddenly are moments of tragedy, and it makes the ending all the stronger. 
5. TESS
   1. The twist at the end is so heartfelt and turns this book from a war protege’s expose to a tale of deep sadness and remorse. It’s a beautiful ending and it really makes this story glow. 

Final Rating: ★★★★

J. Sam Williams is an illustrious black-tailed hawk, longing to eat as many vegan mice as possible. In his human form, he is a High School English Teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives with his wife, one dog and two cats. A somewhat retired breakdancing teacher, he is now a co-host on the Alohomora Podcast! He has been published on Lunch Ticket, immix: a journal for justice, Mugglenet, and a slew of small sports journalism publications. You can find him on twitter @Jabbernator.