I'm sure most of you have read Ender's Game and enjoyed it. Some thoughts.. (this is for those that have read the book)

Ender is a great character. Orson Scott Card does a stellar job of keeping an air of mystique around him while pulling out all the stops to decorate him as a figure to worship. Many times his motives/thought process are kept secret even to the reader, which is touched upon in Ender's Shadow from Bean's perspective. ("I can't lose even one game, cause if I lose even one game.." with zero explanation why this terrifies him, for example). The reader never gets to truly dive into Ender's mind...rather...the reader is kept at bay in the same way that the teachers are (analysis via the mindgame), and his communication with other students. Keeping one's psyche at arm's length is how to make people stay interested.

When Ender first meets Bonzo, he is enchanted. Many readers don't seem to remember this, but even Ender is victim to an instant instinctual urge to "see as his eyes do", considering Bonzo's refined looks/aura. Of course this all gets quickly destroyed by Bonzo's toxic persona, but still, the power of looks and charisma is noted.

Ender kills every major enemy he has in the book minus his brother. From a societal perspective, this should make him a monster (which is how he ends up being viewed as in the book's society). But every reader can't help but think "what a badass". The same nerds that cheer Ender on are wondering why the girl they like looks down on them while blowing the jock.

Ender carries all his emotional burden by himself. He has no confidante whatsoever, which tortures him but basically is one of the core reasons why he is able to earn everyone's respect/adulation. He can't even confide his thoughts to the reader, which is what I talked about before. He does let down his emotional guard for his siblings, which is why they are the only major characters that are able to be on the same or greater psychological footing as him.

I remember researching this book online as a teenager. The strangest thing I read online was a girl saying that "Ender is hot".

Ender's relationship with Bean. Bean is much much more intelligent and in ways more capable, but Bean's stature [looks] and need for validation [neediness/insecurity] is what makes him infinitely less likeable than Ender, making nobody want to follow him. People love Ender for being great, but hate Bean for being greater. Bean carries the heaviest burden from a logical perspective, as he is ordered to look over the entire final campaign to an extent that Ender is unable to. Ender however carries the heaviest burden from an emotional perspective, as the world (as well as himself) views Ender as the one primarily responsible for the war's outcome. Would you rather be Bean (heavier workload, less recognition, but also less responsiblity), or Ender (Heavy but not heaviest workload, complete recognition, but full responsiblity)?

Ender's Shadow paints Bean in a muuuch more sympathetic light. Suddenly the reader discovers that not only is Bean way smarter than Ender, but also much more sensitive and levelheaded as well. Still, how many of you would rather be Bean than Ender?

This relationship also brings into light the charisma that is associated with a man that does not savor his position. A man who ambitiously campaigns for a position is far less likeable than a man who was lifted into the position by other people. This is a common trope (The reluctant leader vs the glory-hungry jackass). We love Ender because he hated to fight, the last thing he wanted to do is fight, but when he fought he destroyed. Scott Card takes it to the extreme with Ender crying about the fact that he didn't want to fight simply because he didn't wanna destroy the opponent, as if it was guaranteed he would.

Dink Meeker is a soldier who is highly capable but sees everything as a sham. As such, he doesn't devote himself to the effort fully, and instead plays the game strictly for the game itself. He purposely avoids responsibillity, refusing to be a commander, due to this belief. But while he holds the belief that the game is a sham, almost everybody else takes the war with complete seriousness. As such, Dink ends up limiting his own potential for glory and contribution in the final campaign.

I hope there are other readers of this subreddit that love this book as much as I do. That's all.