This is clearly one of the classic novels for young adult science fiction. The writing is excellent, there is a quantitative depth to the characters with a clear arc throughout the story, and it doesn’t rely on nearly any of the typical fantasy tropes or plots in order to tell the story. Certainly, even when it was published in the late 70s, the storyline of aliens attacking earth had been done, but this takes an interesting twist by making children the protagonists.
Also, unlike many of the fantasy or science fiction stories involving children as the main characters, Card makes it clear that children had to be the ones to destroy the aliens and save the earth because of their innocence and propensity to see the whole thing as a game, never really realizing that they were actually commanding troops who would deliver them from ultimate doom at the hands of their enemy. The storyline is believable within the futuristic world Card has created, and the plot is much more about the coming of age of a young man, dealing with going from innocence to disillusionment and the consequences of his own actions.
Critique
This is clearly one of the classic novels for young adult science fiction. The writing is excellent, there is a quantitative depth to the characters with a clear arc throughout the story, and it doesn’t rely on nearly any of the typical fantasy tropes or plots in order to tell the story. Certainly, even when it was published in the late 70s, the storyline of aliens attacking earth had been done, but this takes an interesting twist by making children the protagonists.
Also, unlike many of the fantasy or science fiction stories involving children as the main characters, Card makes it clear that children had to be the ones to destroy the aliens and save the earth because of their innocence and propensity to see the whole thing as a game, never really realizing that they were actually commanding troops who would deliver them from ultimate doom at the hands of their enemy. The storyline is believable within the futuristic world Card has created, and the plot is much more about the coming of age of a young man, dealing with going from innocence to disillusionment and the consequences of his own actions.
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