Audiobook Awesomeness: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

It feels like an eternity since I last wrote a post about an audiobook doesn’t it? And yet, I have listened to so many things since Ender’s Game. Well at least attempted to listen to anyway. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson was way too long as it took over a month to get only halfway through it (sorry honey it ain’t happenin).  I did listen to Expats by Chris Pavone which was an intriguing spy novel, but not my absolute favorite. Then there was Beauty Queens by Libba Bray which was just so entertaining and Libba Bray even did the narration herself.  At some point I will get around to writing a post about that audiobook, but for now I would like to discuss A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

Summary via goodreads. It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.

"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me be on my way. Speaking of way, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract".

Meg's father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their  journey through space? 

As I pointed out in my last post, this was my husband’s favorite chapter book as a child. Moreover since listening to Cryptonomicon was a complete failure, I decided that A Wrinkle in Time would be a doable replacement.

This Newberry winner should have been a must–read on my list, but I kept putting it off and I just could not get into the book.  It’s not that I am not into science fiction because I am! I love shows like The X-Files, Fringe, Chuck.  I think my original problem was that this book felt like a children’s book which has lots of whimsy and unimaginative names like Beast, or Mrs. Who, or the Man with Red Eyes.  So as I am reading, I just felt it wasn’t descriptive enough to get into.

Then, I thought, what an opportunity to use an audiobook as a medium for reluctant reading. This was a great idea and now I can proudly say that I enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time.

I liked it as the science is not too heavy-handed nor is it too simple for adults and children alike. The story itself is action-packed, not too whimsical like I originally thought, and has an uplifting ending. Although I felt Meg was a little whiny in some cases, her frustration with the adults in the story is understandable and could even be relatable for some tweens.

I was so surprised that Madeleine L’Engle herself did the narration for the audiobook. I hope more authors do this as I find it interesting to see how they read their own work. It gives the audience, I think, an accurate insight into the author’s vision.

That’s all for now peeps! I am currently working on writing a few posts and reading some more books. Like always, I am backed up.

Currently on my shelf to read

I don’t know about some of you, but where I live in North Carolina there has been a ton of snow and ice. I have spent the past few nights curled up in bed or on my couch reading and though I am not close to finishing anything right now, I thought I would keep you all involved with everything I have checked out from the library.

Currently checked out on my library card are the following books/audiobooks:

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. I very briefly talked about this book in my previous post about YA romance novels. I originally thought this book (the first in a series) was similar to the movie Titanic, except that it takes place in a galaxy and uses a luxury cruise space ship. All the signs are there. There is Lilac LaRoux, the daughter of a very wealthy man, and Tarver Merendsen, from more humble beginnings, flirting on the cruise ship. They know that their flirtations are not allowed because of the simple fact that they are in different social classes. Then disaster strikes and they are the last survivors of the cruise ship Icarus and are now trying to survive on a strange planet where their escape pod landed. That’s very similar wouldn't you say? However the more I read, the more I see the TV show Lost appearing in the story. There is a strange planet that no one knows about that potentially caused the crash, there are haunted whispers throughout the forests and mountains, and there are strange animals that do not match the environment that our protagonists are in (think of the polar bears on Lost). I am only halfway through the book, but so far I am enjoying it.

A Wrinkle in Time (Audiobook) by Madeleine L’Engle. This book was my husband’s favorite as a child. I had attempted to read it as an adult a few years ago, but I could not get into it. I see why he liked it. There are physics, space, and high fantasy. I thought it was a little too much fantasy for me personally, BUT I saw that my library has the audiobook and I decided to give it a try. We meet the Murry family who are saddened by the disappearance of their father, a physicist. Meg, the oldest, is having problems dealing in school and is constantly getting into trouble. It’s when her younger brother, Charles Wallace, finds company in three “ladies” (Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which) that we learn more about Meg’s father. He is trapped on a planet somewhere in the universe that is being controlled by “the Black Thing” and only Meg and Charles Wallace can save him.  Along with their new companion, Calvin O’Keefe, they race against time to save Meg’s father and protect the universe from the evil that is quickly consuming all of the planets. I am about halfway through and so far I love this book!

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore. Confession...I really like the reality competition show Top Chef. My husband has been a fan of the show longer than me. In fact he introduced me to it so we have eaten at a few of the contestants’ restaurants across the country. I saw a review of Taste Test in a copy of the School Library Journal and I couldn’t wait for us to get it. I am not too far in it at all, but the main protagonist is from a small town in North Carolina where she works in a barbeque restaurant with her father. The show, called Taste Test, wants her for their next season. This reality show is where teens go to a culinary school and compete for a scholarship to a world-renowned culinary academy. Of course, there is drama, mystery, and a twinge of romance, but again I am only 5 pages into it.

Wake by Lisa McMann.  This is the Michigan selection for my reading challenge. I have not started it at all, but will hopefully get to it by the end of the weekend. The premise of this novel is that a teenage girl, Janie, constantly gets sucked into other people’s dreams. She keeps this power a secret as no one would believe her if she told them and would just think she is crazy. She then gets sucked into a crazy nightmare where she is not watching, but participating. Looks like this one will be a great teen horror book to read? I don’t know, but it looks scary.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. The Massachusetts selection from the reading challenge. This book seems to be a modern version of an ancient Greek myth (probably Helen of Troy). Helen (see!) is having strange dreams of a long journey as well as hallucinating three women who seem to be the Fates from Greek Mythology. She soon learns that these are not just dreams or legend, but in fact they are her ancestry. The question is should she fight against destiny?

Ones I am currently on the waitlist for

Insurgent (Audiobook) by Veronica Roth. I am so close to listening this one. There is a huge waitlist for everything in this series at my library. That being said, I am now #2 in line for audiobook! GAH!

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo. I got on the waitlist for this one as soon as the Newberry Award Winner and Honorable Mentions were announced.  I am #4 on the list.

Ryn the Librarian. Almost a whole year!

Hello my peeps! We are already hitting one year since I started this blog and what a year it has been! I know I have been tailing off the last few months; only writing once or twice a month. During winter I tend to get really lazy and tired, (Seasonal Affective Disorder most likely is the cause) which tends to put me behind on even simple things like exercise, errands, and reading.

The past year has been full of exciting moments. I started off writing this blog as an unemployed research analyst who wanted a full time library job working with children. In less than a month, I was hired at a public library working in the children’s department and it has been amazing. I get to do storytimes, Baby Fun Time (my favorite), and other programs such as Summer Reading and Teen Crafternoons. Though I am still trying to work my way into a professional library position (which requires an MLS) I have enjoyed my experience and will continue to work hard for my kids.

This year has proven how quickly things can and do change.

Now onto my topic for today’s post. Valentine’s Day is coming up so I thought I would do a reading list for Teens and Romance. I made a suggested reading list for this topic last year, but that was before I had the opportunity to be employed in a Children’s/Teen section. Now with more experience, I thought I could update it a little bit including books I have read or have seen on the many YA Literature blogs. I personally love Anna Reads and the staff at Teen Librarian Toolbox.

So without further ado, here are some suggested reads for this Valentine’s Day for the teens in your life, whether you are a parent or YA librarian. In no particular order…

Ones I’ve read and enjoyed/recommend

 

1. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Twilight can be a sore subject among Teen Librarians. We love that it got teens to come in and borrow books (or in my case they occasionally steal them, but that is another story); however, the content and message is debatable among YA fans.  Either way, it is a popular romance series that can be recommended to older teens.
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Come on, you knew I was going to bring it up. Though this book makes you cry, it has one of my favorite romances in YA lit ever!
3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.  Probably my second favorite romance in YA Lit ever. Eleanor and Park live in 1986 and deal with many obstacles that stand in between in their love including school politics, domestic abuse, social pressure, and social class. This book also made me cry at the end.
4. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I enjoyed this book when I read it last year. Jase and Samantha live next door to each other and that is about all they have in common. Jase is one of seven children and lives in a noisy, messy home, while Samantha has one sister and they very much tend to keep to themselves. It’s when Jase starts hanging out with Samantha that they begin to find some common ground. I loved this read and it is perfect for older teens needing a nice love story.
5. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen.  Since I have yet to come close to North Carolina (my home state!) in my reading across the US challenge, I will discuss my favorite Sarah Dessen briefly here.  Remy knows how this works. You begin with dating and end with heartbreak and this is why you should never get attached to anyone. Then there is Dexter. She likes Dexter…a lot, which is scary for her. Can she get over her issues with love to see what’s standing right in front of her? I loved this book and love Sarah Dessen in general. Definitely recommend.
6. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I know I gave this one a hard time, but it is difficult for me to read/listen to books that are really lovey-dovey.  However, for teens this one is a hit and is highly recommended for fans of the Twilight series. Plus Maggie Stiefvater’s description and writing are solid. Shiver is the story of Sam and Grace who fall in love in the cold land of Minnesota. One issue, Sam is a werewolf, but not your mythical kind of werewolf.  He only turns when it’s cold out. Eventually a werewolf shift can be become permanent. Is there anything Grace and Sam can do before their time together runs out?
7. Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I have to put this on here as it is a good YA dystopian romance novel. I personally was not a fan. This series has been requested in our YA Book Club many times, so it is popular. You should buy it for your YA collection despite my personal feelings on it. In a time where love is considered a disease vaccinated by the US government, falling in love can be dangerous. Lena is awaiting her operation, but after meeting Alex she isn’t so sure that the vaccination can solve her love woes.

Ones I would like to read at some point

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. In this teen romance, Anna is less than enthusiastic to be sent off to boarding school in Paris (which automatically baffles me, but ok) until she meets a boy named Etienne St. Clair. This story follows their year in boarding school which may or may not end with their first French kiss. This comes highly recommended from many YA Lit Blogs and is incredibly popular on goodreads; it has a 4.2 out of 5 ranking.
2. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. Hadley is stuck at JFK Airport while awaiting on her flight to London for her father’s SECOND wedding. It is through fate that she meets Oliver who will be sitting in her same row on the flight over. After they land; however, they lose each other in the chaos of Heathrow without getting each other’s contact information. Can fate intervene once more? Sounds pretty cheesy, but could be a great read.Gotta put this one on my list.
3. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. I think this one has some serious promise to it. Jordan Woods is the Captain AND Quarterback of her (that’s right HER) high school football team. She is used to being one of the guys and is working hard to get an athletic scholarship to a great university. Her hardwork would have paid off, if Ty hadn’t come into town. He is an amazing quarterback and, of course, ridiculously good looking. Can Jordan keep her head in the game when so much is on the line? Or does she let it go for a chance for love?
4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman. This is the Oregon selection and I have read nothing but good things about this book. This story takes place after Mia is in an accident and it follows the consequences of that accident. I think that means she is a ghost or spirit watching over her family and friends??? There isn’t a lot of plot summaries to the book on the internet apparently, but it’s supposed to be gut-wrenching.
5. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. After looking at a brief summary of this one, it reminds me a lot of A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies. There are angels and a battle of immortal versus the fallen angels. Could be a great paranormal romance read?
6. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner. Titanic, but in space. DONE!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I decided to give Rowell’s newest book its own well-deserved post. First, the plot summary:

Plot summary via GoodReads.  Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . . But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Rainbow Rowell hits another homerun with her newest YA novel. I could not put this book down, which was pretty perfect since I received it over the holidays. It’s not that the book is action-packed, just that its characters are incredibly engaging and loveable so I became very invested.

I can completely relate to Cath as a fellow introvert just trying to make it in the new, unchartered world of college. She is a huge fan of Simon Snow (it’s pretty much Harry Potter) and can’t stop talking about it which in turn affects how she lives her life. She writes fan-fiction and is actually a prominent author on the Simon Snow forums. If you take Cath and replace Simon Snow with The X-Files or Star Wars or Harry Potter, you get me.

I could even at times relate to Cath’s twin sister, Wren; someone who is more than ready to move on with life and experience new things. It was refreshing to see Wren develop towards the end and try to have a happy medium of experiencing new things, but not be embarrassed by the things you loved as a teen. Trust me; in high school I was too embarrassed to admit that I loved The X-Files or Star Wars.

In addition, Rowell provides a wonderful romance story and, as always, an interesting portrayal of family dynamics. Unlike Eleanor and Park, Cath and Wren’s home life did not devastate me as much, but was still just as powerful.  I am beginning to enjoy books where the siblings and the family have positive relations or have a happy understanding towards the end (see Going Vintage).  Also, the ending to Fangirl did not make me weep like Eleanor and Park.

This does not mean that I think books shouldn’t feature homes with broken families for readers to enjoy. I loved Eleanor and Park and feel it portrays a population of youth that we don’t normally see in YA Literature. I try to stress that relatable characters are important when reading YA fiction. It’s unfortunate that many of our teens come from violent homes and though books can be used as an escape, we should offer material to our teens that can also help them cope – materials that express that they are not alone by having characters that are in similar situations. This can provide an outlook of hope rather than just escape.

Sorry my peeps. I didn’t mean to go on a little tangent there, but it needed to be said.  Apparently, a few Parent groups and organizations around the country want the book Eleanor and Park banned from schools and I just wanted to put my two cents in as to why Eleanor and Park is important for teens.

Back to Fangirl, you should get it for your YA collection as Rowell has put together a fantastic read with a great protagonist and a beautifully written plot. After two such wonderful masterpieces I may need to read her adult novel Attachments.

Ryn the Librarian's 2013 Faves

Oh peeps. It has been a long year hasn’t it? To think, I started off 2013 unemployed and lost on my career.  Now, I have an awesome job working with children and teens at a local public library. I know towards the end I was not posting as often as I had hoped, but sometimes personal/family emergencies do happen and there is nothing you can do about it.

To end the year of 2013, I wanted to share my personal favorite reads of the year. Out of the dozens upon dozens of books I have read this year (yeah I couldn’t even try to count them it was so many) these are ones that I felt need mentioning.  Not all of these are YA related, but I do read other things besides books to extend my career. So here we go in no particular order!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. See my post here. This book is the latest from the greatest modern YA author, John Green.  A very powerful read filled with romance, thought-provoking philosophy, literature, and some hilarious cancer puns. The movie comes out over the summer and I may have to see it. Get tissues ready.

Eleanor and Park plus Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. In fact Rainbow Rowell in general. See my Eleanor and Park post here. I just finished Fangirl which was released in September of this year.  Rainbow Rowell is THE next John Green. Her characters and stories are interwoven beautifully and she demonstrates exactly how rough some teens really do have it. Eleanor, in particular, had me devastated throughout the entire book. I did relate to Cath more (from Fangirl) as she is a fellow introvert dealing with Freshman year of college. I feel like Rowell knows how to tug at my heart strings. She better write more!

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan. I actually read this very early in the year – pre-dating this blog. I loved Atonement and was excited to read McEwan’s newest work. Sweet Tooth takes place in the 1960s-1970s Cold War England and deals with a different kind of spying from MI-6. I loved this story and it wasn’t as depressing an ending like Atonement. Recommend for those who love books where the main character is lover of literature.

Heist Society series by Ally Carter. See my posts here and here. This was my guilty YA pleasure series of the year. In all honesty I do not know why I am in love with this series. Each book is the exact same, the character development is meh, and the plot is almost exactly like the Ocean’s Eleven movies. HOWEVER, Ally Carter presents us with a fun group of books with fun characters. They were action-packed and mysterious as well as perfect books for tweens and teens who are reluctant readers. The real travesty is that Carter probably will not write another Heist Society for a while, ARGH!

 

 

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt. See my post here. I read the School Library Journal review for this book back in June(?) and I thought it sounded cute. It had its moments of cheese, but overall a great, easy read. What I loved about this book was the family dynamics and the love between the sisters (Cath and Wren in Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl also have a great relationship). (SPOILER ALERT)Additionally, I loved that Mallory, our main protagonist, did not just get together with the next guy she likes for a rebound, but she actually decided to not date right away.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I read this in the beginning of the year for an adult book club I attend. I just can’t explain my feelings for this book. It’s like this…I hate Amy AND Nick so much that I only kept reading to see what horrible things were going to ensue next. My mind said this, “I HATE YOU BOTH, NOW LET’s KEEP GOING TO SEE WHAT YOU DO TO EACH OTHER!”

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte the Audiobook. See post here. This was probably my favorite of all the audiobooks I listened to this year. I have listened to A LOT. The narrator’s distinguishing character voices as well as the love between Catherine and Heathcliff’s and its destruction on humanity made this a great read.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray the Audiobook. I just finished this audiobook before the holidays and I haven’t had the chance to write about it, but you should know that it was hilarious! An awesome satire for teens who are just learning about satire (as the satire is pretty obvious). I loved that Libba Bray did the narration herself and it was just perfect. I recommend this book to teens who have graduated from the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison. 

Ashfall by Mike Mullin. See my post here. Never has there been a book that has terrified me as much as this one did. Supervolcanoes are super scary motherf*#@as! I have yet had the chance to finish the series, but I may need to rectify that soon. Seriously this book scared my poopless.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. See my post here. Some romance books are too over-the-top for me, but this romance was fun to read. What I really appreciated about Fitzpatrick’s work is that she addresses feelings teens have and the uneasiness that comes in talking about sexual feelings. Samantha and Jase’s awkward discussion about virginity and the next step felt relatable.

There are of course some honorable mentions. Golden by Jessi Kirby (finished that 2 weeks ago), The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black, Zombies vs. Unicorns, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, and Everybody Sees the Ants by AS King.

I look forward to talking to you guys in 2014! Happy New Year!

What I've Been Doing So Far

Well I guess I should at least point out that I have done some reading and listening to audiobooks since the last September post (Maryland). Listed below are my accomplishments followed by those on my To-Read List.

HAVE READ:

Audiobook: The Expats by Chris Pavone. An adult spy novel, but not necessarily a thriller. This book has lots of double crossing, betrayal, suspicion, and intrigue. It’s just slow in a few spots, but this is easy to overcome as you will want to solve the mystery. This was for the adult book club.

Book: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. The Jungle Book, but with ghosts. Neil Gaiman has said that this work was inspired by his love of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. This Newberry winner deserved its medal as it is a wonderful, whimsical read filled with horror, fantasy, and action. Definitely recommend for tween and teen readers. We did this with my Tween book club last month.

Book: This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers. Not your average zombie tale. This book looks at the zombie apocalypse through conditions of humanity. It is not cheesy or funny. We meet a young girl who after years of parental abuse and after a sister’s abandonment, has lost her will to live. Then, the zombie apocalypse happens. While other characters focus on survival, Sloane awaits for her moment to leave our world and be at peace. This book was amazing and I highly recommend for older teens.

Book: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. Traditional Vampires, but awesome. This book has vampires, which shouldn’t be exciting considering all the vampire fiction that has come out in the past 10 years (Thanks Twilight) BUT this is the famous Holly Black. She is pretty great with dark, twisted tales. I truly loved this book, but it took a little too long to get into. It had lots of action, some romance, and a kick ass female character. Highly Recommend!

ON MY PLATE:

Audiobook: Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. ??????? My husband is a big Neal Stephenson fan so I thought I would give this a try as an audiobook. The problem is that it is LONG. 102 chapters long. The other problem is that even though I am halfway through it, I can’t tell you where it is going or what it is about so far. I am pretty sure it involves the development of cryptography and data havens?

Book: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. I have not started, but this is for my Tween book club in a week. It seems like it will be awesome to read. Two sisters who follow in their ancestors footsteps to solve fairy tale crimes? Sounds amazing!

Book: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. This Massachusetts on the United States of YA reading list. I have not started…in fact I haven’t even checked it out at the library yet.

So LOTS to do peeps! I gotta get going!

Audiobook Awesomeness: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

SUBTITLE: Where in the world is Ryn the Librarian?

Sorry folks, I know I have been absent. I’ve had vacation, family emergencies, and just a case of laziness. It has taken several weeks for me to realize I have not written a post about anything at all. Despite not writing, I have indeed been active with audiobooks and other works.

Back in late August, when I was feeling down about YA, I used the search tool Novelist to locate a recommended adult novel for those who love The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.  With that as my base, Novelist popped out The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. This novel seemed promising, though a little longer than I would like in a book. I know it’s lame, but I really don’t like books longer than 450 pages. Harry Potter, The Historian, Twilight, all these titles were enough in the length department for one life time. BUT with an audiobook, I could make The Gargoyle work for me (I have a one hour and 20 minute daily commute). As soon I finished disc 16, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card came in (I was fifth on the waitlist back in June) and I knew I would need to start right away.

Now what is my point with all of this? Why am I not writing about The Gargoyle? This is primarily because The Gargoyle is truly an adult book. In fact, I can’t even really describe it as there are some seemingly, scandalous points about it that would need discussing. So I am just going to stick with Ender’s Game, as it features a young boy protagonist.

Plot via goodreads. Government drafts genius child Andrew "Ender" Wiggin to defend against alien Buggers, but rejects sadistic brother Peter and beloved sister Valentine. In orbiting Battle School, rigorous military training, skill and natural leadership elevates boy to isolated position, respected by jealous rivals, pressured by teachers, afraid of invasion. 

This military science fiction title was first published in 1985, but has remained a classic and favorite among science fiction readers. With talk of the movie coming out, I knew I should investigate this story to be able to recommend to readers of YA or adult fiction.

First, I loved this story in many ways. The action and military strategy were entertaining as well as the dynamics between Ender and his fellow students. The Battle School was especially interesting because even though all these kids are geniuses and are the best, they still had petty kid problems such as bullying and then bigger adult-like problems such as murder.

Also, I enjoyed the subplot on Earth with Peter and Valentine and their plan to take over the world. This subplot interested me because it demonstrated that even though our Earth had an alien enemy, of which we as human beings need to work together to destroy, there would always be imminent war among the Earthlings. Believe it or not, just because we are getting attacked by bug aliens does not mean everything will be “hunky-dorey” or “buddy-buddy.” It just means we will put aside our petty differences while we destroy this foe, but secretly plot to destroy one another once that task is complete. I do not know why I enjoyed that, but it is probably because that would be, let’s face it, realistic.

All that being said, I found the fact that little Ender was six years old when the military training began, quite disturbing.  All the terrible things the military personnel allowed to happen to him, the pressure of being the best, wanting him to break. This led to multiple times my shouting in my car, “He’s a KID!”. The fact that they were not at all fazed by Ender’s killings just made the circumstances even more off-putting. 

This book is a classic and you will inevitably get it for your collection, albeit probably the adult collection. I would recommend this book to young adult science fiction fans, but I never realized how young Ender was until listening to it. It has me thinking that Orson Scott Card is twisted some how.