Review Detail

A Child Called “It” was one of the best books I have ever read. It was impossible to put it down. It was similar to a car accident, something extremely gruesome and horrifying, but also something that you can’t take your eyes off of. It absolutely succeeds as an effective memoir. Dave Pelzer’s survival story is extremely inspiring and amazing considering he fought for his own life against one of the most abusive parents in history at such a young age. The vivid details in Pelzer’s writing allowed me to feel his pain, hatred and helplessness. It is written in a young boy’s point of view, making it a fast and easy read. It is effortless to get into the mindset of the character by the way he describes his mother’s actions and his own feelings. It made me want to step in and help him, and turn in his mother for doing such horrible things to a child. The details about the different ways she would abuse him, like forcing him to eat out of his brother’s dirty diaper, made me feel sick, emotional, and like I truly hated his mother just as much as he did. I was hopeful throughout the entire memoir, that he would overcome this and escape her wrath. He constantly reminded himself that he was in control, and only he could decide his future. He came close to giving up, but fought through it. This added a lot of suspense and really pulled some heart strings.
Reading this memoir has influenced me to write more personally. I normally write very formally, rather than using my own voice. It has taught me to write from the heart; that way, it will be much more engaging and relatable to the reader than just stating the facts. It also helped me to incorporate musing into my writing. The way Pelzer reflected on the things that happened to him wasn’t distractive to the plot. He added details about how he felt, and what his plans for the future were. It showed that he knew he was worthy of something, and wouldn’t let his life continue this way. This book should be offered again. It is an extremely intense memoir that makes you appreciate your life much more. I greatly admire David Pelzer for having the courage to share his story and using this dark period of his life to enlighten others.