The Adventure Continues: Speaker For The Dead.

Speaker for the Dead (1986)

Card, Orson Scott

Science Fiction

Warning- Some strong scenes, not appropriate for children under 15.

When Ender was growing up, he was nothing close to the average child; in fact he was more paramount than anyone else alive. As an eight year old, Ender was sent away to battle school where children are trained as super soldiers, to protect the human race from the invading species, the buggers. At the end of the first book, Enders Games, Ender destroys the entire bugger race, except for one hive queen egg. In this book, Speak for the Dead, Ender has spent his entire life regretting destroying the buggers, and is searching for a world to re-spark the buggers’ life. Finally he has found the perfect world, but it has already been inhabited by another alien race, the piggies. The entire book is spent trying to find a way to re-birth the buggers, while battling with problems from both the humans, and the piggies.

Throughout the book, there are many influential feelings to be had, including betrayal, adultery, murder, mystery, and many other strong feelings. Through reading you come to understand the characters feelings, and almost accept them as a friend that you have known for your entire life, or maybe even love the character like a family member. Ender has spent his whole life away from people with no real connections, but finally in this book you are able to see the Wise Ender, become a loving, caring, friendly, and even wiser person.

Speaker for the Dead is a serious and very mighty themed novel, giving someone a deeper view into the meaning of life, and not just their own, but everyone else’s around them. The author uses a third-person omniscient view, thereby you know each and every character, and each and everyone of their thoughts, thereby allowing you to more deeply connect and love the characters. It is very fun to see, sometimes up to ten, different views on just one subject, which enables the reader to broaden their horizons, and except more people for who they are.

Speaker for the Dead is intended definitely for an older and severely more mature audience. This author never beats around the bush at a touchy subject, but instead dives head first into it, bringing out powerful emotions from the readers. With strong themes, this book is a very enlightening novel, for anyone who wants to know how to think differently and more maturely. This book is meant for adults and older teens, not for anyone under 15.

I read Speaker for the Dead after I read the first book in the series Enders Game. My older brother who loves a good book suggested Enders Game to me. So I would suggest this book to anyone who loves an enthralling story, with neck-wrenching twists and turns.

“Sickness and healing are in every heart. Death and deliverance are in every hand.”- Andrew Wiggin. The New York Times diescribes it as “Awe Inspiring.” And E. Book Review says “it is a true winner of every award it won!” This book is for anyone who loves reading and intense stories that are over the age of 15.