Speaker for the Dead (Ender Quartet, #2)
Summary:
In the aftermath of his terrible war, Ender Wiggin disappeared, and a powerful voice arose: the Speaker for the Dead, who told of the true story of the Bugger War.
Now long years later, a second alien race has been discovered, but again the aliens’ ways are strange and frightening…again, humans die. And it is only the Speaker for the Dead, who is also Ender Wiggin the Xenocide, who has the courage to confront the mystery…and the truth. (summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
When I read Ender’s game the first time (at the age of 12) I did not read the full series and I am glad that I didn’t. I believe the remaining books ("Speaker for the Dead", "Xenocide", and "Children of the Mind") are slightly less friendly to young adults. As we get further in the series, the greater the psychological and moral overtones. Additionally, please note I don't believe you can read any of the last three books stand-alone, they only function well if read as a continuous story. If you sign up for one, sign up for all of them!
"Speaker for the Dead" is fascinating because we get to see how Ender was (and wasn’t) able to move past the events in "Ender’s Game". The first book presents the Bugger war as an apparently black and white picture. "Speaker for the Dead" proves there are always many sides to a story. I found this book engrossing because it challenged a belief (even as simple as a book opinion) and persuaded me to question everything about the situation. Despite being an intriguing book, “Speaker for the Dead” sets the stage for the subsequent books and would not be a satisfying read independent of the others.
Warning: Violence
Rating: 4 stars!
Who Should Read It? People who loved "Ender’s Game" and would like to find out what comes next! The remainder of the series is less focused on war and so may appeal to a larger audience.
Considering the whole series? See my reviews of other books in the series by following the links below:
Ender's Game (Ender Quartet #1) - Orson Scott Card
Xenocide (Ender Quartet #3) - Orson Scott Card
Children of the Mind (Ender Quartet #4) - Orson Scott Card