Rating: *****

A Child Called "It" is the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the true story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played torturous, unpredictable games...games that left Dave nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing and no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive-dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son. 

I had read A Child Called "It" way back in seventh grade for a book report and I simply loved it. I picked it up again five years later to read it for my Social Issues class and renewed my love for this inspirational, true story and also renewed my hatred towards people who abuse their children as much as Dave was abused when he was a child. If you're looking for a book that'll make you cry or just a simple inspiration, this is the book for you. The story continues in The Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave.

Author guidance for This work

As the summary and title say, this is a journal of every book I've read since May 28, 2011, or the last full week of my sophomore school year. In here, you'll find summaries and reviews of these books with a different format than my other book reviews (see "Books I've Read-School Year 2010-11.") So, I hope you enjoy!

-Matt

updated Jun 6 '11 by RejectedDarkness