Green Where You Water It

This is not a book I would have picked out on my own. And for most of the novel, I hated it. It was so gruesome and graphic, and these were kids battling like adults. The only reason I made it through to the end was because it was required reading for English class.

I am so grateful it was.

This was one of the most profound books I’ve read my entire life. It easily takes first place in sci-fi category. (Romantasy was of course ACOTAR, Fantasy is Harry Potter, etc.). If I was being honest, it might even be first place across the board.

Why? Just because the ending was everything. Everything. So much so that I am going to break my own unspoken rule of sharing the entire plot so the reader goes in fully aware and purposely leave out the ending for this. I know point #10 states the ending somewhat, but you won’t really know, you won’t have really experienced it exactly until you’ve read the book in its entirety.

The way Card was able to bring in the plot twist in the end, without it being obvious but at the same time, not leaving the reader feeling blindsided or wondering where it came from was nothing short of genius. And the ending itself, to go through all that, all that and then discover the truth, and how it was discovered was—well—genius. I can’t rave about it enough. Sorry, I’m fangirling so hard on this. But if I could grab hold of your shoulders, shake you fiercely, and tell you to read anything in the world, it would be this.

Full disclosure though, those are my impressions from when I read it back in middle school (so about 100 years ago, give or take a few years). I have not gone back to reread yet. It has just been on my mind lately, but if I get around to rereading it again, I will probably do another post to see if there was a change in opinion from then and now. I just….if the gloriousness of it all was just in my head, I don’t want to ruin it. So I hope you’ll forgive me if I push it off until I am ready to sacrifice the perfection that exists in my mind. I might reread it on my death bed. I think that’d be a good time to find out if the young me was just delirious.

Anyway, enough rambling, on with the show:

Ender’s Game – 10 Key Points

1. Earth is preparing for another alien invasion. Humanity previously survived two attacks from an insect-like species called the Formics (also known as “Buggers”) and is desperate to prevent a third.
2. Children are recruited and trained as military commanders. The government believes only young minds—flexible, intuitive, and ruthless—can outthink the Formics.
3. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is selected for his rare psychological profile. He is compassionate enough to understand enemies but capable of extreme strategic aggression. This balance makes him uniquely dangerous.
4. Ender is isolated to shape him into a leader. At Battle School, commanders deliberately keep him lonely and under pressure so he learns self-reliance and innovation.
5. The Battle Room trains strategy through zero-gravity war games. Ender revolutionizes combat tactics by rejecting conventional formations and thinking three-dimensionally.
6. He forms a fiercely loyal team. Though manipulated, Ender inspires devotion in peers like Petra and Bean, building Dragon Army into the most successful unit.
7. Psychological pressure escalates. Ender is constantly tested, overworked, and denied emotional support to push him toward tactical brilliance.
8. He unknowingly fights a real war. In Command School, what Ender believes are simulations are actually real-time battles against the Formics.
9. Ender destroys the Formic homeworld. Thinking it is just a final test, he annihilates their planet—committing xenocide without knowing it was real.
10. He becomes “Speaker for the Dead.” Devastated by guilt, Ender learns the Formics were not inherently malicious. He dedicates his life to telling their story truthfully and preserving the last surviving Formic queen.

Fav Scene

I debated whether or not I should give some context before I shared the scene, and decided it might be best just so you’re not completely lost. But to keep things still shrouded in some mystery (and because I can’t be sure if I’m 100% accurate since it’s been a while), I’ll keep it brief: it’s a game Ender had access to, possibly as part of his training, that possibly acted as a psychological monitoring tool.

Side note: searching for this section again to share & rereading it made me realize that nope, young me was not wrong at all. This book was every bit as fantastic as I remember it. I might just reread it this year, deathbed be damned.

The Giant’s Drink

It led to a clearing, with a well in the middle, and a sign that said, “Drink, Traveler.” Ender went forward and looked at the well. Almost at once, he heard a snarl. Out of the woods emerged a dozen slavering wolves with human faces. Ender recognized them—they were the children from the playground. Only now their teeth could tear; Ender, weaponless, was quickly devoured.

His next figure appeared, as usual, in the same spot, and was eaten again, though Ender tried to climb down into the well.

The next appearance, though, was at the playground. Again the children laughed at him. Laugh all you like, Ender thought. I know what you are. He pushed one of them. She followed him, angry. Ender led her up the slide. Of course he fell through; but this time, following so closely behind him, she also fell through. When she hit the ground, she turned into a wolf and lay there, dead or stunned.

One by one Ender led each of the others into a trap. But before he had finished off the last of them, the wolves began reviving, and were no longer children. Ender was torn apart again.

This time, shaking and sweating, Ender found his figure revived on the Giant’s table. I should quit, he told himself. I should go to my new army.

But instead he made his figure drop down from the table and walk around the Giant’s body to the playground.

This time, as soon as a child hit the ground and turned into a wolf, Ender dragged the body to the brook and pulled it in. Each time, the body sizzled as though the water were acid; the wolf was consumed, and a dark cloud of smoke arose and drifted away. The children were easily dispatched, though they began following him in twos and threes at the end. Ender found no wolves waiting for him in the clearing, and he lowered himself into the well on the bucket rope.

The light in the cavern was dim, but he could see piles of jewels. He passed them by, noting that, behind him, eyes glinted among the gems. A table covered with food did not interest him. He passed through a group of cages hanging from the ceiling of the cave, each containing some exotic, friendly-looking creature. I’ll play with you later, Ender thought. At last he came to a door, with these words in glowing emeralds:

THE END OF THE WORLD