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Children of the Mind - Ender 4 - Orson Scott Card Book Review

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Review Summary
Two alien cultures and a few human ones are just about getting along on this planet after a couple decades. But suprize! Humanity is en route to destroy it. Can the now grown Ender and his reanimated siblings save the day? Can Card actually finish this series? And what is Jane going to look like?
sambatterson, Resident Scholar



Tor, Aug 2002, 15.95, 347 pp.
ISBN: 0765304740

Ender Wiggin continues to redeem his life following the genocide he once caused. Ender resides on the planet Lusitania, home to the indigenous Pequeninos, a human settlement, and the Hive Queen he saved.

Ender soon finds life is a circle as the weapon that he used thousands of years ago has come to destroy his adopted home. The Starways Congress has sent a fleet to destroy the planet out of fear of a virus traced back to Lusitania. They also want to kill Ender's friend, Jane the computer for they are afraid of her ability to control communications. Jane tries to save the sentient races of Lusitania before the Congress shuts down her intergalactic Net. Meanwhile Ender makes a last stand by creating replicas of his brother Peter and his sister Valentine.

The conclusion of the Ender's series is a strong entry that readers will appreciate if they have read the previous novels. The tale provides the Orson Scott Card's powerful philosophy of involvement inside a strong redemption story line. However, many threads tied up in this novel will mean nothing to new readers, as this book is not a stand-alone. Still CHILDREN OF THE MIND is a fine finale (with new dangling threads) to a wonderful series.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

The planet Lusitania is home to a deadly virus that must be destroyed to save humanity: The planet Lusitania is also home to two sentient species that will be exterminated along with the virus if the interplanetary governement has its way. The human colonists of Lusitania are in a race against time to find a solution to the problem before the governement fleet arrives and destroys the planet, the virus and everyone else.
Will B., Resident Scholar

The government want to destroy the planet, so 2 characters go to convince the government to stop. All of the other main characters try to fix the problem that made the government attempt to destroy them in the first place.
Meg Kyrieleison, Resident Scholar


Detailed literary breakdown of Children of the Mind - Ender 4
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 42.5%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 27.5%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Robots, Computers, VR Yes
Robot, PC, VR Plotlets: - good computer AI
Inner Struggle Yes
Plotlet: - search for identity/new understanding
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Cultural problems, alien culture Yes
Culture clash- - feelings of a human growing up among aliens

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Physique - healthy but a geeky weakling

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount

Setting
Terrain - Forests
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - humans in a contemporary society - inhabited by friendly aliens - neutral aliens - primitive aliens - very controlled society
Planet outside solar system? Yes
Not Earth, in Solar System? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment - moderately detailed references to deaths
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Children of the Mind - Ender 4
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The Ethos Effect by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
By Force of Arms by William C. Dietz
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. LeGuin
Zelerod's Doom by Jacqueline Lichtenberg




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