Title: A Child Called “It”: One Child’s Courage to SurviveAuthor: Dave Pelzer
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 160
Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
Release Date: September 1, 1995
Geared Towards: Older Readers
Extra Info: The is the first book in the trilogy, the second book is called The Lost Boy and the third book is called A Man Named David.
From: Library
“’You are a nobody! An It! You are nonexistent! You are a bastard child! I hate you and I wish you were dead! Dead! Do you hear me? Dead!’”
Summary: A Child Called It follows Dave Pelzer as a child living in an abusive household. He was brutally beaten and starved while his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother played “games” with him and punished him for being a “bad boy.” He had to learn to survive these games, to live till the next day, his mother no longer considered him a son, but a thing, an it.
His brothers and his mother’s pets were all treated like kings, but he was treated like dirt. The family’s unwilling servent. This novel goes from before the whole abuse started to the miraculous salvation of Dave Pelzer.
Wdebo’s Review: Oh wow, I read The Lost Boy a long time ago and had been dying to read A Child Called It forever, so when I finally got to it I was so glad I did. A Child Called It was a book that was really hard to get through, but so well written that it was hard to put down.
I think that child abuse is a topic that we have been trying to push away, but it’s very important that people understand it and see that it really can happen, A Child Called It just shows that, and it is a very important book to read, to understand.
I think it’s just horrible how any mother could do all those horrible things to their children, I mean, they gave BIRTH to the child, they should not treat them like that! And the father is this book is such a damn coward, he knew all that was happening, but he kind of “tried” to help him, but he failed, he’s the “man of the household!” He should be able to tell his drunken wife to stop hitting and abusing her son!! I also hate his siblings because they could have helped David but instead they just helped hurt him. To make a long story short, I just think his whole family is horribly evil, to allow for such an atrocious thing to happen.
Cover Chit Chat: The cover is very inspirational, but that hand kinda scares me (B-)
All in all, a wonderfully written story that everyone should read to understand the horrors of child abuse and the beauty of miracles and hope.
Grade: A
Wdebo :)
His brothers and his mother’s pets were all treated like kings, but he was treated like dirt. The family’s unwilling servent. This novel goes from before the whole abuse started to the miraculous salvation of Dave Pelzer.
Wdebo’s Review: Oh wow, I read The Lost Boy a long time ago and had been dying to read A Child Called It forever, so when I finally got to it I was so glad I did. A Child Called It was a book that was really hard to get through, but so well written that it was hard to put down.
I think that child abuse is a topic that we have been trying to push away, but it’s very important that people understand it and see that it really can happen, A Child Called It just shows that, and it is a very important book to read, to understand.
I think it’s just horrible how any mother could do all those horrible things to their children, I mean, they gave BIRTH to the child, they should not treat them like that! And the father is this book is such a damn coward, he knew all that was happening, but he kind of “tried” to help him, but he failed, he’s the “man of the household!” He should be able to tell his drunken wife to stop hitting and abusing her son!! I also hate his siblings because they could have helped David but instead they just helped hurt him. To make a long story short, I just think his whole family is horribly evil, to allow for such an atrocious thing to happen.
Cover Chit Chat: The cover is very inspirational, but that hand kinda scares me (B-)
All in all, a wonderfully written story that everyone should read to understand the horrors of child abuse and the beauty of miracles and hope.
Grade: A
Wdebo :)
This book tells the unforgettable story of a child of severe abuse. One of the worst cases probabably within the U.S. Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable mother, relates the story of his life. This is the first in a set of works written by Mr. Pelzer about his life. He relates to you even more about his life in his works "Lost Boy". You wonder how anyone could possibly come out of such abuse,let alone to become a respected author.
ReplyDeleteAs a fan of memoirs, this is one of the most emotional books I have read. You will feel the anger and sadness...the feel of hopelessness as you read what this child had to endure. But, you also rally behind him-and await Mr. Pelzer's next books to see this courageous man overcome. Long after you have read this work, you will not be able to forget.