For Valentine

I was introduced to the novel Ender's Game via a strip from the webcomic Real Life Comics, I immediately looked it up and being a big fan of science fiction and militaria the concept instantly grabbed me.
The story follows an extremely gifted, very young child nicknamed Ender and his two similarly talented siblings as he is sent off to 'battle school' to become the greatest military commander ever seen in humanity's last hope against a third coming alien invasion. The key theme revolves around the isolation he suffers caused by his genius, which is well portrayed and will have many people able to relate to it.
Before departing for the space station bound institution Ender is constantly tormented by his older brother and bullies at school, but during this he always has a retreat available in his sister, whom is the only person he truly cares for. Upon arrival at the military school the teachers swiftly segregate him because of his intelligence, once again making him an outcast from his peers, his hardships now exacerbated by his withdrawal from the single person he could find solace in. As he progresses through the years he is hurriedly promoted and thus separated from the few friends he manages to make via the chain of command, and when charged with his own army he begins to question his morality as he sees himself mirrored in his former antagonists through his actions and methods.
While Ender is honed into becoming the ultimate tactician, his brother and sister refine their lexis on the political field and eventually become another factor in controlling the fate of Ender Wiggin, whom up to that point has had every decision made for him save one, the exception being that of attending battle school. His isolation then worsened through his inability to shape the course of his own life.
The story experiences some surreal moments through a game he plays in his spare time, while they do deepen the perspective into Ender's psyche they also cut rather unceremoniously into the atmosphere of seclusion already established. An excellent and often imitated plot twist is revealed in the penultimate chapter, and I am tempted to pose the opinion that the book should have ended there. The final chapter does add a lot to the story and is integral to the most important aspects Orson Card was trying to convey, but it feels so unfaithful to the rest of the book that I can help but remember it as a lacking conclusion to what is otherwise a brilliant novel.
But by no means should that dissuade anyone from reading this book, if any other part of the novel were to appeal to the interests of the reader I would strongly recommend it. The Ender's Game series currently consists of eight other novels and various short stories with more still being written, unfortunately from what I have read none of them particularly peak my intrigue, but Ender's Game is a novel in which I believe it is vital for every ardent science fiction fan to claim they have at least attempted to read.