Rating: 
Summary: The Secret's Out
Review: Over the course of a year, I've eyed this book on bookshelves wondering if it was worth the cost as well as the time to read it.The book is spellbinding. I found it one of those rare books that once you get into it you are hooked and continue to read from cover to cover nonstop. The book is easy reading in the sense that it is written from the perspective of a child between the ages of 5-12 years of age.The book is the first in a series of three books that span the life of an abused child. As soon as I finished "A Child Called It," I purchased "The Lost Boy." Having finished "The Lost Boy," I am now on the final in the series. It is unique in that readers have a rare opportunity to follow an abused child from an early age to the point where he solves the puzzle for his mother's bazaar behavior and her attempts to destroy her son. Dave Pelzer's story has to be told. Child abuse is much more common than the public will admit. Dave's story is bold and couragous. It can be an encouragement for both adults who were abused children as well as counselors who work with abused children. Plan on purchasing all three of the books, "A Child Called It," "The Lost Boy," and "A Man Named Dave." You may even want to consider purchasing them all at the same time...
Rating: 
Summary: Heart Breaking True Story of Courage
Review: A Child Called "It" is the first book in the trilogy chronicling the abuse suffered by David Pelzer at the hands of his mentally sick mother. This first book covers his formative years through age 7. This book depicts in graphic details the horrific abuse that Dave lived through at the hands of his psychotic and alcoholic mother. I had actually read the second book, The Lost Boy first and then went back to read the first one. I could not read this book continually. I had to dry my tears, put the book down, and take a deep breath. Just when you thought that the abuse could not get worse, the abuse, in fact, unfortunately does get worse. How this child survived and lived is a miracle in itself. How he found the strength to cope, and to endure is beyond my imagination. His incredible strength is testament to the man who he is today. I can hardly wait to read the third book in the series, A Man Called Dave. This book sites the abuse that Dave suffered as the third worst case of abuse in the history of the state of California. This book will have you crying at what he endured and lived through. Ironically, Dave's mother did not start out as mentally disturbed and he recalls loving memories of his mother for the first 4 or 5 years of his life. Your heart will break as you live through his torture - from being stabbed, to burned, to enduring the gas chamber of Clorox and ammonia fumes, to being made to sit as a prisoner of war, to being made to drink ammonia, to being starved, beaten, as well as being degraded by being called "it" or "the boy" instead of his name. The dog in the family was actually treated better than this child was. You will cheer when he outwitted his mother and won small, but short-lived victories. His father was no better and "allowed" his wife to abuse this child. I realize that social services are much better today than they were over 20 years ago, but I have to ask why? Why didn't anybody notice much sooner how this child was dressed, and how he smelled, and all of the bruises on his body and why he always stole food? This heart-wrenching tale will leave you speechless at times. Yet, in the end, one reads of Dave's accomplished military career and his involvement in helping the youth of today. All I can say is God bless you Dave. You are an incredible person to have endured, to have survived and to not have given up. I commend you. This book is excellent and it will, as well as Dave Pelzer will, make a permanent impact on your heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Idea Lost In Bad Writing
Review: I felt incredible empathy for the "it" boy. How horrible and sadistic can one human being be to another? God awful and painful, that was David's life. However, the text is poorly written and unless you enjoy reading freshman english style writing for an hour or so (the time it took to get through the book) then it might annoy you. Besides insulting the reader with 12 font type and triple spaced lines, there is something important lacking in this book, feelings. There are many grammatical mistakes (thrid to first person, absence of forshadowing etc.), and the reader becomes easily annoyed at the lack of buildup of the mother and even David himself. This is not to say that it is not a moving and terribly horrible life, but there is much lost, perhaps even a whole reading audience, that could have been saved with the help of a professional writer.
Rating:
Summary: Heartbreaking and Disturbing
Review: I knew that there was such a thing as child abuse, but I never really stopped to think of how extreme it could be. Since I read this book, I realize that all the stories that become headlines are not isolated incidents but peaks of escalating occurences of days, months, years of abuse. I have a new found respect for children services workers, and for foster parents. You are heroes! Dave is an angel, not deserving of not one negative anything against him, ever again! His story changed my life. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: it was time for chicken soup.......................
Review: Chicken soup for the soul#4 is where I read David's brief.Thank you to David is all I can say. Why thank you? Well my dad was a newspaper reader as well.My mum showed her love for us though a axe handle,fire pokers,leather belts,closed fists,verbal abuse. My dad said to run away and run I have been doing since I was 17 yrs old I'm now 34. I could not believe what I had read it was as if someone had described in detail my childhood,my life,David you have given me hope,hope that love can be expressed through a hug and not a fist. I cried for hours after reading this book and during training the next day in the safety of the confinds of my own security.I have not done that for years. Recommended read? I think not. A must read yes. What will you get from this book 2 different responses. 1.What a story of horror,of disbelief,of sorrow,of anger,of courage,of strength,of triumph. 2.You will get people who have an understanding and can say same story,different name,different country,they know where hell on earth is it has a physical name and address. There is not enough stars for this book,once again David,thank you is all I can say.
Rating:
Summary: And we have "problems"...I don't think so!
Review: I am still in shock, while crying hysterically. I cannot find a reason why a human being could feel pleasure in treating their own flesh and blood with such cruelty. If you do not have a strong heart, do not read this book. If you have met an abused child, but have no idea what could've gone on behind closed doors, do not read this book. If you can handle truth and not have recurring nightmares, read it. I've tried to find the strength to forget about what I have read, but after gaining the knowledge of what was done to David, I cannot come to understand the "why" of the big picture. What "the bitch" did to her own son could not have been dreamed up by a normal person. I feel degraded by saing she shares the same species category as I do. I have been trying for years, six to be exact, to have one child to fill my life with love, yet there are abused children needed my help. I have one prayer, and it is one that recurrs; I pray that some day I am blessed with or able to adopt a child that needs me. I guarantee that I will treat that child with the utmost respect and love that I possibly can. This book, in some ways, has changed me and I hope that signs of abuse will be more obvious to me so I may save one child, just one. There are so many lives to be saved. If you are going to read this book make sure to have tissues readily available at arm's length and plenty of time to recall, afterwards, all the things that you should be thankful for...food, new clothing, and love all around you. The simplest things are those that we take for granted. I hope that you will never take things for granted after this.
Rating: 
Summary: Awful, worthless, terrible read.
Review: This "book" is disgusting. In fact, this conglomeration of words is so distasteful I would hardly even venture to call it "book." It is an insult to the term. I gave up on this book after page 57, I think it was, during a particularly disgusting retelling. What this is is not really a coherent story at all; it's merely horror story after horror story. There is no inspiration whatsoever in Pelzer's words, only nastiness and nauseousness. What makes it worse is that Pelzer's writing style is very simple and childish. Even if the subject material weren't already worn out after page five, it would still be a terrible read, because his vocabulary is so limited and his phrasing so invaried. I suggest you stay as far away as possible from this book. It is one of only two books in my fairly lengthy reading career that I have flat out intentionally not finished.
Rating:
Summary: A touching book.. A MUST read..
Review: I went to the book store one night with a friend, remembering that I wanted to read this book, I picked it up again and decided I wouldput it on my shelf of "must reads" for summer. I had the book in my car, I decided to take it with me to read on my break. A lady on the elevator noticed the book in my hands and immediately started raving about how great the book is and how the book is heart-wrenching. She started going into detail about a few of the things I would be reading about-it made my heart leap. How sad, how troubling. I started reading on my break and read to pg 43 and later that night read the whole book. What a find, this book touched my heart and made me angry all at the same time, how horrible is this that people are out there that do these kinds of things. This book seriously made me appreciate things in life more. Read this book, its not very long, it takes little of your time, you will learn to be more of a compassionate person.. If not it will make you think..
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, Heartwarming, and Horrific
Review: I bought this book because I bought the second one before this one. But I read this book first and it just touched my heart. I felt nauseated by all the descriptions mentioned in this book. This "Mother" of his is just a mental patient. She was so lucky authorities left her alone. I felt a rage towards her and his brothers. I gained strength by reading how young Dave managed to pull through. I would say this is one of the best books I have ever read. No other book beats it to the punch.. No pun intended... I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Please read it.. grab some kleenex and sit on your bed to read it.. short but detailed...
Rating:
Summary: An inspiration to us all....
Review: I recieved 'A child called it' last Thursday, at about 7.30am. I was so engrossed in the book, I had finished reading it by the evening. I could not put the book down. I was hanging on every word, thinking his mother couldn't get any worse with the abuse she inflicted on Dave. How wrong I would be.... Listening to Dave's story puts everything into perspective, and makes you value what things you have in life. I only hope Dave can now move on from that chapter in his life, and know that he wasn't bad, like his mother made him tell himself all those years ago......
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