i’ve read more books by orson scott card than anyone else and its mostly because they are easy reading with engaging plots. he may have gone to the ender’s well too many times with this one because while it was easy reading, the plot was not engaging and the character dialog was juvenile. or maybe i’m just getting old… from the author: if these were his last hours of freedom, or even of life, why not spend them with the people he liked, eating food he enjoyed?