Rating: Needs Parent Supervision

Reading Level: High School

After a brutal alien invasion, a young boy is trained to be the war general upon whom the future of the human race depends. The boy struggles as he is pushed to the limit, both by teachers and by jealous or vengeful peers.

Possible Concerns:

  • Violence: fights with bullies end in blood, broken bones, or death; war battles include references to soldiers being killed; psychopath tortures animals and threatens to torture siblings in graphic, sickening threats.
  • Alien sex: The bug-like male aliens are described as penetrating themselves into a queen, having a moment of exctacy, and then dying.
  • Filthy/Potty/Body language: “Bastard”, “Pubic Hairs”, “Fart-Eater”, lots of fart comments, and so on.
  • Wars, both with humans on earth and with aliens. Russians are posited as making a power grab.
  • Government power, questioning government power, authorities abusing subjects
  • The parents are devout: one is Mormon; the other is Catholic, but they don’t have a strong relationship with their son. The general convinces Ender that he is a burden to his parents and they want him gone.
  • Near the end, a claim that wisdom was born when the alien queens came together in peace; we know wisdom comes from knowing God.
  • Strong themes of forgiveness arise late in the book. The aliens forgive the humans for killing them. They in a way seek forgiveness too.

Discussion Questions:

  • A mentor tells Ender he is a tool for the human race, to help it continue. How does that compare with the purpose and identity we have from God?
  • The government justifies the brutal treatment of Ender and other children because they believe they need a hero. Do you think their actions were justified? Why or why not?
  • The generals didn’t tell Ender when the game was more than a game: actual battles with living beings. How do you think it would have affected his decisions?
  • Ender wants Peter to love him. Have you ever craves live from someone who wouldn’t give it? How did that go for you? Why did that person have such power over you?
  • The aliens seek forgiveness and communicate that they didn’t know what they were doing,and they offer forgiveness to Ender’s side. Have you ever given or received forgiveness from someone after you made a mistake? How does the parable of the unmerciful servant appear here? “Who eve×÷ has been forgiven much loves much”