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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this continuation of Ender's Game, Card takes the story in a different direction and explores questions of spirituality and inter-cultural conflict and survival. Great characterization, intricate plotting, and thought-provoking ideas.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know why, but there is something in this book that makes me love it so much. I haven’t even read the first book, this second book is such a standalone that I don’t think you’d need to read any of the others to enjoy this.
I love Ender, even though he is almost too beloved and too good at his job, that makes it almost unrealistic, but I love all of his quotes and his sassy attitude and the way he looks at life.
I love the cast of characters that are all hugely flawed in their own way yet you can understand their reasoning for everything. I love the points made about religion, philosophy, and, most importantly, anthropology. The piggies are such a great humanoid people and I loved getting to learn all about their way of being.
Now I only wish that humans could have a third life, to end life as trees sounds magical.
I love Ender, even though he is almost too beloved and too good at his job, that makes it almost unrealistic, but I love all of his quotes and his sassy attitude and the way he looks at life.
I love the cast of characters that are all hugely flawed in their own way yet you can understand their reasoning for everything. I love the points made about religion, philosophy, and, most importantly, anthropology. The piggies are such a great humanoid people and I loved getting to learn all about their way of being.
Now I only wish that humans could have a third life, to end life as trees sounds magical.
An incredible book with loads of insight and an excellent understanding of human nature, the fog of war, and the unnecessary but inevitable conflict between different cultures with no real communication. This is my new favorite book!
On some days I think this book is the best of the series and on other days I think it's Ender's Game. This book explores some philosophical ideas in ways that Ender's Game never does. The speech Ender gives as Speaker for Marcao still brings me to tears every time. However, Ender is a bit too perfect. He just walks into a room and instantly analyzes every person perfectly and immediately says the exact right words to changes the hearts and minds of those around him. I still love this book, but just like its predecessor, Ender's Game, I no longer hold with quite the same level of reverence.
This book starts very different from Ender's Game. A new planet, new aliens. Ender's environment and thus himself have changed enough, and barely any other characters return in Speaker for the Dead. That is wonderful. Even better are the new characters, whose secrets Ender sets out to reveal. Ender's relationship with members of the Ribeira family through revealing the secrets they kept from one another is the best introduction to a cast one can wish for. Every scene is full of conflict, and still, Card convinced me that the Ribeira family needs and loves Ender. Card writing is easy to read and shows a very detailed view of his character's minds.
It would have been a five star rating, but the ending wasn't nearly as strong. After the Ribeira family came to love Ender, all resistance to him and his plan was gone. The 3 figures of the authorities of Lusitania who caused conflict up until his speaking of Marco decided Ender was a hero from there on. Even the Piggies, who were the antagonists to the humans, loved Ender before they met him.
Card so desperately wanted Ender to be the hero for this book, he didn't let Ender make any difficult decisions, left conflict out of the final third of the book, and ruined the climax.
It should have ended with at least one party opposing Ender's plan to rebel against the rest of humanity, and at least one party that would try to keep Ender from reviving the Buggers. Instead we got a stale we love Ender chant.
It would have been a five star rating, but the ending wasn't nearly as strong. After the Ribeira family came to love Ender, all resistance to him and his plan was gone. The 3 figures of the authorities of Lusitania who caused conflict up until his speaking of Marco decided Ender was a hero from there on. Even the Piggies, who were the antagonists to the humans, loved Ender before they met him.
Card so desperately wanted Ender to be the hero for this book, he didn't let Ender make any difficult decisions, left conflict out of the final third of the book, and ruined the climax.
It should have ended with at least one party opposing Ender's plan to rebel against the rest of humanity, and at least one party that would try to keep Ender from reviving the Buggers. Instead we got a stale we love Ender chant.
It says next in the series but you just spent time learning to love all of the characters around Ender, and then have to learn all new ones from the start of this one. Just didn’t grab me.
medium-paced