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thukpa's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent little book that can be read in one sitting. It's Easter and I read a Christmas-time story. It applies any time.
piggygirl_94's review against another edition
4.0
As always I applaud Orson Scott Card. Even his short stories are fantastic.
ultimatumman's review
3.0
Pleasant, easy read. A good short story about Christmas set in the Ender Universe. It's just for fun, so it isn't meant to be as intense as the other Ender novels. Nice lazy afternoon read.
smallness's review against another edition
4.0
I surprised myself, how much I liked this. I'm going to have to re-read Enders Game.
mxmlln's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure what the purpose of this book was. Maybe a bit of insight into new children in Battle School? How religious students coped? Anyway, I am very ready to be done with this long series.
perilous1's review against another edition
4.0
A truly ensnaring, cerebral read.
This novella is a great holiday supplement for fans of Ender, though one needn’t have read any other books involving him to grasp this particular story. (Although, having read at least Ender’s Game would maximize potential enjoyment.)
As it happens, Ender is more of a side character than featured protagonist in this tale. Instead readers are presented with Zeck Morgan—the broken genius son of an abusive, pseudo-Christian cult leader—whom the military has procured for Battle School. Zeck spends his time clinging to piety, passivity, and self-imposed isolation—all in the hopes of being deemed useless enough to be sent home. When two of the Dutch boys in his Army (Dink and Flip) decide to share the inside joke of observing Sinterklaas Day, it sets off a rebellion that pits the students against the adults—religions and cultural traditions against the mandates of a “unified” military force. And for Zeck, it may prove a catalyst for healing.
As unsettling as it sometimes is how young these kids are supposed to be, their in-depth capacity for grasping the human psyche is often gratifying. Dink realizes, for instance, that Zeck has a martyr complex—a perverse desire to entice his own persecution in a sanctimonious effort to make himself feel more “pure.” And instead of giving him what he wants, Dink resolves to NOT treat Zeck the way he’s clearly begging to be treated.
I wasn’t expecting so much religious or cultural introspection, but the handling of it was ultimately both memorable and meaningful. The degree of empathy involved was tremendous—at times cringe-worthy. To say I “enjoyed” the read doesn’t do the experience justice. There were times I hated what Card was putting me through. The emotions and tumult he was able to invoke was nothing short of impressive—particularly given how little space was utilized in the storytelling effort.
If I had any complaints, it would be that I could tell this story was written much more recently. The word choices and even some slang felt a tiny bit off—more modern-day than the impression left by other works in the series. Ender also seemed much more incorporated into the social strata of Battle School than was depicted in Ender’s Game. The counselor-like emotional astuteness he showed felt more fitting to a Speaker For The Dead Ender than an 8-9 year old Andrew Wiggins.
Still, well worth the read—and a minimal demand on your time.
This novella is a great holiday supplement for fans of Ender, though one needn’t have read any other books involving him to grasp this particular story. (Although, having read at least Ender’s Game would maximize potential enjoyment.)
As it happens, Ender is more of a side character than featured protagonist in this tale. Instead readers are presented with Zeck Morgan—the broken genius son of an abusive, pseudo-Christian cult leader—whom the military has procured for Battle School. Zeck spends his time clinging to piety, passivity, and self-imposed isolation—all in the hopes of being deemed useless enough to be sent home. When two of the Dutch boys in his Army (Dink and Flip) decide to share the inside joke of observing Sinterklaas Day, it sets off a rebellion that pits the students against the adults—religions and cultural traditions against the mandates of a “unified” military force. And for Zeck, it may prove a catalyst for healing.
As unsettling as it sometimes is how young these kids are supposed to be, their in-depth capacity for grasping the human psyche is often gratifying. Dink realizes, for instance, that Zeck has a martyr complex—a perverse desire to entice his own persecution in a sanctimonious effort to make himself feel more “pure.” And instead of giving him what he wants, Dink resolves to NOT treat Zeck the way he’s clearly begging to be treated.
I wasn’t expecting so much religious or cultural introspection, but the handling of it was ultimately both memorable and meaningful. The degree of empathy involved was tremendous—at times cringe-worthy. To say I “enjoyed” the read doesn’t do the experience justice. There were times I hated what Card was putting me through. The emotions and tumult he was able to invoke was nothing short of impressive—particularly given how little space was utilized in the storytelling effort.
If I had any complaints, it would be that I could tell this story was written much more recently. The word choices and even some slang felt a tiny bit off—more modern-day than the impression left by other works in the series. Ender also seemed much more incorporated into the social strata of Battle School than was depicted in Ender’s Game. The counselor-like emotional astuteness he showed felt more fitting to a Speaker For The Dead Ender than an 8-9 year old Andrew Wiggins.
Still, well worth the read—and a minimal demand on your time.
adamrshields's review against another edition
3.0
Short Review: This is another okay novella from the Ender universe. I thought the ending was a bit weak, relying on Ender as savior. The middle section that focused on Dink was decent.
But this is a long short story, not a stand alone book. It shouldn't be marketed as a stand alone book. It didn't hold up as a stand alone book. As part of a collection I think it would be fine.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/war-gifts/
But this is a long short story, not a stand alone book. It shouldn't be marketed as a stand alone book. It didn't hold up as a stand alone book. As part of a collection I think it would be fine.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/war-gifts/