A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive

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Summary: Horrific story that leaves many unanswered questions
Review: I just finished reading "A Boy Called It" & was horrified by the abuse David Pelzer suffered at the hands of his mother. But what even disturbed me more was the shameless & cowardly behavior of his father. Too many questions were left unanswered. What happened in his mother's life to make her suddenly change her ways & become so abusive? What eventually happens to his parents? Why was he the only child to be abused in such a horrific manner? I am told these questions are left unanswered in the sequel as well. I, myself, would like some closure to this story. I commend Dave on his triumphant escape, physically & spiritually,from his world of hate. I too need to come to terms with the events in the story & the only way would be by getting the answers to my questions. I hope Dave's last book in the triology will do just that.

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Summary: I found this book to be thought provoking and insightful.
Review: After reading this book, I realized how I have basically wasted most of my life on things that seemed important at the time. I reflected a great deal about my life and my role as a mother. It made me think about my two children and the importance of nuturing them and help them build character. Mr. Pelzer is such an inspiration to others who don't believe in themselves. I think he has addressed such an important issue that even today, people don't want to think about. A lot of the facts in the book were disturbing to read, but once you realize that the point is not to shock you, but to give a realistic view about child abuse, you understand the value of this book. I am in Elementary Education, and this book is one I would recommend to teachers and anyone who works with children on a daily basis.

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Summary: This book has really touched my heart.
Review: This book was very good. It shows a childs struggle to freedom and how he survived. And how so many childern get abused and don't tell anyone.I almost started crying when his mother starved him for days, beat him every day and treated his brothers goood. This is very sad and it shows the reality of abuse.

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Summary: This book opened my eyes
Review: I thought this book was magnificent! It not only opened my eyes to child abuse but it made me want to find out more information on how to prevent this from happening in my community and all over the world.

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Summary: A horrifying, yet inspirational story - EXCELLENT!
Review: "Love and honor thy mother, for she is the fruit that gives thou life". This is a message that Dave Pelzer once recieved inside a fortune cookie. Yet it was impossible for Dave to ever honor or love his mother. Throughout his adolescence, Dave was severely abused (both mentally and physically) by his mother. The book, while depressing, is also quite inspirational. It focuses upon how Dave overcame the odds and eventually earned his freedom. Dave was not always abused. Yet as his mother became more and more of an alcoholic, she began to use him as a scapegoat. Her punishments soon developed into a ritual and Dave became known as "The Boy". In the early years of his abuse, Dave was able to remain determined and strong. He relied upon his own wit and cunning to keep alive throughout the many ordeals he faced. The author uses vivid language throughout the entire book to portray what a gruesome situation he was in. The most horrifying portion for me to read was where Dave was forced to eat his own vomit. He describes : "I sat on a chair and picked the clumps of hot dogs out of the bowl with my hand. Globs of thick saliva slipped through my fingers, as I dropped it in my mouth." The imagery is strong throughout the book, highlited by passeges such as this one. The story is also told in the first person, from a child's point-of-view. This stylistic choice makes the reader feel as if they are actually there, witnessing each episode of Dave's life first-hand. Dialogue is used within the book to keep it realistic and alive. Another unique aspect is that Dave puts his thoughts onto the page. He writes what he was thinking as the events occur, this gives the reader a chance to see how Dave was truly reacting throughout the story. The mental abuse that David recieved throughout the book was almost more terrible than the physical abuse. Even David, who had a relatively high morale, was defeated time and time again by his mother's words. She told him : "You are a nobody! An IT! You are nonexistant! You are a bastard child! I hate you and I wish you were daed!" Despite Dave's efforts to remain positive, after 12 years of this treatment he began to believe what his mother was telling him. His own self-worth was in danger of being lost forever. Yet at the end of the book, Dave remains positive. This book is the first in a series of three, all of which are excellent. So, if you want to check out a book that will make you cry and think, read A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. I gaurantee thaht you will not be disappointed.

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Summary: Fascinating story. poorly written and edited
Review: I read both "A Child Called 'It'" and the sequel in a couple of days. As compelling as the story was, the author's poor use of English was a major distraction. My motivation for finishing the books was to find out why Dave had been so horribly abused, and to learn about what happened to the rest of his family. None of my questions were answered, and although the author mentions his later conversations with his mother, and alludes to his mother's "secret," he never shares any of this insight with the reader. I would not recommend the books.

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Summary: Phenomenal survival story.
Review: Knowing this was a reality in a young life, makes any teacher stop and evaluate their students. I had a difficult time reading this because of the harshness of Dave's mother. Anyone has to wonder why?

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Summary: A "must-read" for all adults!
Review: While I couldn't stop reading this book, there were times while reading it that I had to put it down -- my heart and my mind just couldn't take the things I read! I was overwhelmed and frightened by the cruelty that this child endured! I read this book in the Spring and I still can't get it out of my mind! This book awakened in me a new outlook on children and their behavior(i.e. stealing food in school-- before reading this book I would have been "judgmental"). Now I see certain undesirable behaviors as a cry for help. I truly believe that persons who are around children and who work with children (i.e., school cafeteria workers, teachers, law-enforcement officers, neighbors) should be REQUIRED to read this book. If I were a millionaire, I'd put at least five copies of this book in every school! I admire David Pelzer's strength and courage! Millions of thanks to him for this eye-opener book!

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Summary: One of best Books I ever read!
Review: This book is shocking. Hard to believe any mother would abuse her child in this way. I could not put this book down, highly recommend it!

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Summary: I cried unitl I ran out of tears.
Review: I don't like to read books, but physcology teacher recommended it. It was the best book I've ever read. I read it all night long until I finished and cried throughout the whole middle of the book.(for two straight hours). I told all my friends to read it and they loved it as much as me. Everyone should read it.