I've been a fan of the Bean books and I'm such a fanboy that I just had to keep on going despite the hiatus of these tales. I knew that the spoiler spoiler had to happen, but I felt a lot of nostalgia for him and I really wanted to make him live. At least I could get into and enjoy Bean's children and the exploration of the Formic Ark was interesting enough to keep me going. I can't wait for the tie-in book that brings Ender back to us. (Or both together. Or is it three or four?) Some of the series is so freaking awesome that I can't sit still, and so I'm necessarily biased into giving a lot of leeway with the rest. This novel wasn't my favorite, but I'm invested and I loved getting a little closure. 
 It still stands up on it's own, and it's worth reading if you've enjoyed the rest of the series.