2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, the first book of the Ender's Saga series.


Pages: 324 pages


Length: 1 Month (March)


Participants: Bibliophile, Sinisa, Sebastian.


Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I've read this book, so I'm going to be joining this discussion. Hopefully, you guys like it!

Thanks for the thread, SarahKat!

Looking forward to getting Enders Game started on April 1st, everyone!

If I may join you, I should have a copy by mid-April.

Lynn wrote: "If I may join you, I should have a copy by mid-April."
Sounds good! That's about when I was planning on starting.

I liked this book as well as Ender's Shadow (but of course, we're only discussing this one), which are quite different than the other original books, apparently.

I just started reading this today. Lengthy introduction by the author in my edition.

Mine didn't have that about author. I finished earlier this month and I really liked it. It was interesting set up plot wise. It had few flaws and without spoilers my biggest critique is that I wish some parts (that I really liked and thought were pretty promising) were longer.

I must admit that until the last 50 pages I kept wondering why my former Borders coworkers kept telling me I would like this book! I mean war and battles, "soldiering," etc. are not my jam. And bullying. But in those last 50 pages I was definitely won over! I particularly appreciated the link between the (view spoiler)[the buggers and Fairyland. That was so cool! The book wouldn't have been nearly as interesting to me without that... (hide spoiler)]
I will definitely plan to read the series.

I just think ending was rushed and it hurt the book. It all happen so fast and in so little pages especially in contrast to rest of novel where you have a feeling of things being dragged out a bit and kind of predictable and repetitive. I mean I didn't mind that first part at all but I understand some people critique. I loved Ender's siblings side story too and that part I would love to be longer.

Sinisa wrote: "I just think ending was rushed and it hurt the book. It all happen so fast and in so little pages especially in contrast to rest of novel where you have a feeling of things being dragged out a bit ..."
Have you read others in the series? Perhaps they expound upon some of these aspects?

Lynn wrote: "Sinisa wrote: "I just think ending was rushed and it hurt the book. It all happen so fast and in so little pages especially in contrast to rest of novel where you have a feeling of things being dra..."

No I haven't read the rest but I think I saw someone suggested second book for July if I am not mistaken. I might join that buddy read. I hope they explore more on that subject but I still think it could have been done here and worked great.
(view spoiler)[
I really liked the idea of Locke and Demosthenes, how they switched characters to write as other one, I liked how they become popular (basically a concept of social network influencers now) but then I feel we forgot them. There is huge missing part and then we come back and they are the biggest thing ever and then after that again huge gap and we have basically tied up their story with time jump. It looked such an interesting concept and could have used more of it instead of Ender doing same thing over and over again.
(hide spoiler)]

Ender's Shadow tells this story from Bean's perspective, so includes a fair bit of stuff not found in this book.

The other books in the series are quite different, more philosophical, etc., and even though I read philosophy (usually arguing with much of it in my head as I read, because it varies so much) I don't always care for it in fiction. I won't be reading any other than this two books :)