A friend of mine recommended this book to me a long time ago, but I've only read it now. It's a shame, because the book is so good. It's deep, has lots of action, and fast paced. Exactly the kind of book I've been looking for.
The story is based in a future earth where over population is rampant and families must petition the government for a permit to have a child. A second child is uncommon, and a third child is completely unheard of. But Ender is a third child. His older brother and sister had shown incredible genius and aptitude for military command. But his older brother had shown signs that he was a sociopath, and his sister was considered too empathetic to be a military leader. So the government allows his family to have Ender, a third. This emphasis for a perfect leader is the result an alien invasion that occurred years ago, by a race known as the buggers. Earth has lived in fear of the alien's return and has created the circumstances necessary to defeat the alien invaders, should they come again.
So Ender is drafted into the military at the age of 6. He begins a grueling career where every odd is intentionally thrown against him in order to make him the perfect commanding officer. They want him to win, and he does his best to survive. By the end of the novel, he is able to do exactly what they trained him for but at the expense of his mind. When he leads the human armada against the bugger world, he is only 12.
The story is all I've said and more. There are so many ideas in it that are still relevant, and I imagine will be relevant for a long time to come. I'm surprised this book isn't studied at school.
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