Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (SciFi)

I'm not generally big into reading science fiction books, so I had to ask someone that I know that writes some science fiction what I should read, he recommended Ender's Game. I had been hearing great things about this book, especially since taking this class. I have to say I found this book rather fascinating and thought provoking, but at some points a little weird. But isn't science fiction like that sometimes?

Ender, also known as Andrew, is a little boy who is called a Third. He is the third child born to his parents and is considered special because of that. However, not everyone finds a Third special. Ender has a monitor attached to the back of his neck, a device that is used by I.F. (International Fleet) to monitor children who they might be able to use in the war against the buggers (aliens I'm guessing). Ender gets told that his monitor is going to come off, which to him means he was not chosen by I.F. to be a part of their mission. This scares Ender because having this monitor on protected him from his brother Peter, who was mean to him quite frequently. Now with the monitor off, he did not have the I.F. there to protect him. It left the door open for Peter to hurt Ender and make him feel like he didn't exist. Colonel Graff comes to see Ender, Graff sees something in Ender that no one else does. He believes that Ender is the one that is going to save the world from the buggers. Ender is only 6 years old, he has to decide whether to stay with his family, the only one in his family that he wants to stay for is his sister Valentine who he is close to. Or should he go up into space to learn to become part of saving the world from the buggers. He would not see his family for a very long time. Ender chooses to go, hoping that things will be different up there, however it does not start out that way. Everyone knew when Ender appeared that he was the one that was going to save the world. At such a young age he goes through many trials and tests. I had wondered if he would make it after reading everything he goes through with the other kids there and all the training he endures.

This was a most interesting book and can see why Orson Scott Card won awards for this book, it is truly deserved. He makes you feel as if you are really there experiencing everything that Ender is and feeling bad that such a little child has to go through so much. I'd like to read the other books that Orson Scott Card has written in the Ender Wiggin series.

Recommended Fiction:
I would recommend to read more books in the Ender Wiggin series, such as Ender's Shadow. I'm also recommending a couple other titles to read if you enjoyed Ender's Game...
Dune by Frank Herbert and The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

Recommended non-fiction:
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
Understanding the Book of Mormon by Grant Hardy (I recommend this book because I learned that Orson Scott Card is a devout Mormon, so this might be interesting to learn about his beliefs.