No words can do justice to Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. Card has created another amazing masterpiece, even ­rivaling Pastwatch, his greatest novel, in my opinion. Suspenseful and eerily realistic, Ender's Game brings a whole new perspective to science fiction. A combination of strategy, horror, and interpretations of human character, Ender's Game a spellbinding, heart-stopping book about the simple concept of alien invasion.

Ender's Game follows the life of Andrew Wiggin, nicknamed Ender. At first, Ender is struggling to survive as his maniacal brother, Peter, repeatedly threatens to kill him, while his sister, Valentine, tries to protect him. Lonely and frightened, Ender is on the edge of insanity until Colonel Graff, an official in the International Fleet (a space program developed to fight an alien race that threatens to destroy Earth) comes to his house to take him to the Battle School. This is a school for precocious children who will eventually direct the International Fleet ships in the final battle against the aliens, the Buggers.

At Battle School, Graff purposefully sets Ender apart to see if he can gain the respect of other boys. Ender does find a group of friends, and progresses through the school faster than any other student. He moves on to Command School (which usually takes children ages 16 and up) at the age of 12. There, he begins studying with a genius strategist who won the first Bugger war for the I.F., preparing for the final battle with the Buggers, which will be entirely under Ender's control.

Published in 1985, Ender's Game was hugely popular. It won the Nebula and Hugo Awards for science fiction, and was nominated for the Locus Award. Card's ingenious resolution combines a symbolic ending with a slight touch of horror, leaving the reader satisfied, yet hungry for another book.

Ender's Game is one of the only young adult books that I would recommend to all readers. Adults will find the plot interesting and the ending significantly suspenseful. Children of all ages will love the idea that children can control the fate of the Earth, and will be touched by the book's deeper meaning. Though it is not a quick read, Ender's Game is a compelling tale of stunning originality.