thebacklistborrower's Reviews (570)

Wow! This book really kept me on my toes. I think I read the last half in one go because I couldn't stand to put it down without knowing what happens next.
I'm a huge sci-fi fan and this is unlike any I've read yet. It has the spirit of sci-fi, full of wonder, and imagination, but is light on the sci-fi jargon and easy on the intense discussions of scientific morality and ethics. A great book to pick up in the summer, even if you aren't usually a sci-fi reader.

I wasn't sure what to think when I bought this book. I couldn't get over about how cute the title was (I definitely pronounce it a-lee-ben when discussing it), but I had done very little research on the premise before buying it. Opening it, and seeing the simple pictures, the soft little aliebn, and various forest creatures accented with simple text and proverbs, intrigued me. I read it in an afternoon, and I will re-read it again. This is a book to have in your shelf for when you're feeling lost or down, that you pick up and skim for direction or solace.

I've never read such an explosion of stories and poems as these. Every single poem, every single story, I wanted to share and share with friends, family, strangers on the street. I wanted to read them out loud and absorb them into me. Each one carries emotions and senses that you can't always put your finger on, that make you want to re-read them over and over. When I finished this book, I considered just flipping back to the front and starting over again.

I think the first time I read this book was immediately after reading Enders Game and it didn't impress me. Bean is a character that is much harder to like than Ender, so I put down the shadow series and never revisited it. It has been a year or so since I last read Ender's Game and enjoyed it significantly more now that I had some space and a much better memory for the events of Ender's Game. I would recommend the book to anybody who likes Ender's Game or anybody who hasn't yet read Ender's Game, but is looking for an excellent science fiction novel. The Ender series has long had an important space in my bookshelf, and now I believe the Shadow series has taken its rightful place there too.