tommlachance's review against another edition
2.0
ok so upon further reflection this book is kinda trash
heatherbirchall's review against another edition
2.0
This book was really disappointing after the previous 2. The book was way too long and didn’t need to have so many pages. After the realisation of the new OCD Qing Jio became a boring character, and so we don’t get as much out of her character at the end. Also, the book became less and less realistic. I know books 1 and 2 weren’t really realistic but really, is traveling instantly anywhere in the universe really plausible? And creating literal human beings isn’t very realistic either. Also, I understand why it is called Xenocide, but in the end, nothing really would have killed of the different races. -Tristan
suckingtentacles's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
roseandisabella's review against another edition
"How beautiful, to see them free; yet how terrifying it must be for them, who never wished ofr freedom."
rhganci's review against another edition
4.0
Hard to say. Deep, deep, deep thoughts on human consciousness and behavior, on racism, on self-importance and self-preservation. About identity and self-concept, about religion, about what is possible and what is not. And about perception—the whole Chinese pantheon thing on the planet Path was a very good, harsh, and realistic study of perception. This may be the thickest piece of science fiction I have ever read, and I read it slowly, because I just couldn’t go fast. So much to process. So much to understand. So many observations to relate to the real world. And through it all, Ender remains Ender. The re-introduction of Peter at the end of the book made for a great last 100 pages; perhaps CotM will have more with the neo-Peter. It really brought the old Ender back, the one from the early chapters of EG, who struggles with his identity and the realization that there are elements of Peter within him, just as there are elements of him within Peter. I feel like I got a lot out of it, even if I didn’t enjoy it as much as the other two. Maybe that’s not the point, but…I guess it’s just hard for me to process so soon after reading it. It is hard to imagine wanting to read this book again, because the plot and characters are really quite simple. The ethics and morality and humanity are the complicated elements, and, because of the great execution, they are what make the book great. And it was a great book, for what it was. It’s not a far-flung or sensationalized or humorous story—it’s a deep story, one that attempts to look at a tremendous amount of thematic material. With dialogue rampant, and some very well-drawn characters, I as the reader felt like I could follow Ender through these events and draw some conclusions of my own. I especially love Jane’s observation that the only way to get someone to stop doing something is to find a way to make him or her stop wanting to do it—and in evaluating the conclusion of the book, perhaps that is the core idea behind Xenocide after all—and what an idea it is.
lizbusby's review against another edition
4.0
Didn't realize when I read this is high school exactly how much this book reads as a justification of the Mormon theory of intelligences. I'm not sure why I always love books with OCD characters, but I do, and this is no exception. Fun stuff.
rynae's review against another edition
4.0
As a book of ideas, this is fantastic and deserves a 4 star. However, if you're expecting to get a deeper view of the characters from Speaker for the Dead, you're going to hate it. It is clear that OSC forewent that in this book, possibly because he was so excited about his crazy space theories and wanted to fit them all in. If I had gotten a little more character, this would have been a no-brainer 5 star. As it is, I can appreciate it for all of the thought he clearly put into his theory and philosophy.
*****SPOILER AHEAD******
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
I'm honestly not crazy about him bringing back pseudo-Peter and pseudo-Valentine. I was kind of already done with them when Ender's game was finished, so I'm just not super interested. I'm currently reading Children of the Mind, though, so we will see how this goes. Surprise me, Card.
*****SPOILER AHEAD******
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
I'm honestly not crazy about him bringing back pseudo-Peter and pseudo-Valentine. I was kind of already done with them when Ender's game was finished, so I'm just not super interested. I'm currently reading Children of the Mind, though, so we will see how this goes. Surprise me, Card.