Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1)
it's funny, when I mentioned to my son that I was reading this book, he said that it was a knock-off of "The Hunger Games." Even though he was obviously very wrong, I can see why he thought that. Both books revolve around a game of sorts and both revolve around the trials of children who are selected to undergo incredible ordeals, but that's where the main similarities end. A fantastic book, highly recommend.