A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive (Dave Pelzer #1)

Reader reviewed by Laura

This book stuck with me, even remembering how brutal it was. This book was horrible yet i loved it... besides the fact that Dave was beaten he was also forced to eat his own vomit, swallow soap, ammonia, and Clorox. This is a true story and I feel badly that a child would have to go through this torture but yet i wanted to know more and to keep reading. I would recommend this book to someone with a strong stomach because at times it is truly horrifying.

Reader reviewed by Alyssa

One of the greatest most inspiring books I read this year was A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. It really opened up my eyes to the reality that not everyone is as fortunate as me to have parents like mine. It made me appreciate many things more being invited into a world where an innocent child was deprived of many of the little things I take for granted everyday. In this autobiography Dave Pelzer describes his life growing up with an alcoholic mother. He goes from being a normal little boy to being harshly beaten and starved. While his brothers get to live their lives as normal kids Dave is stuck washing dishes, cleaning and living in the garage. He doesnt understand what he did to make his mother not love him anymore. He relies on his dad to try to help escape his mothers beatings but even he is scared of her. Through this book you discover Daves everyday struggle to survive, as each beating teach him new ways to escape his mothers torture. You will learn to take even the smallest things that you receive everyday into account as his mother denies him food and love. Going many days without food he sometimes has to go to desperate measures to keep himself alive. As his days in this harsh life go on his mothers punishments become more severe and he sometimes finds himself on the verge of death, as the beatings increase his will power to not give into his mother increases. A book like this can really change your perspective on things. You find the poor boy struggling to survive and youre just moved by the incredible book and change to boy goes through.

Reader reviewed by Zach

A Child Called it is a sensational story of a small child who lives with and overly abusive nut job mother. The story captures the day to day struggle of not just living with and abusive mother but living in General! The day to day stuff this child has to live with is unimaginable. I can't believe this child lived through these tough times. If that were me I would of ran away to anywhere the second I got the chance. To even think that there are people out there that live with this life daily is just torturous to think about. This is a book that I think everyone sometime in their life should read. It isn't a book for just young or old people it is a book for everyone. When I was reading it I wanted to jump into the story and help the poor kid. This is one of the only books I have ever read that is extremely hard to put down. I just wanted to keep reading and reading it. While you're reading the story you get really into it and want can't help to wonder what is going to happen next. The things that happen to him just keep getting worst and worst.
The worst thing about it is that this isn't a made up story that someone with a twisted mind made up. This is the real thing! This really happened to this poor child. I can't even tell you how much I recommend this story. I guarantee it will change the way you look at the world and it without a doubt changed the way I look at the world today.

Reader reviewed by Jax

Can you imagine being called IT, by your own mother? This gripping and horrifying memoir allows us to see the horrors that no one wants to talk about, domestic violence and abuse.

This story is the true story of one young boy exposed to tragedy that one can only begin to imagine. From making him breathe in toxic fumes to burning him on the stove, his mother punished him, but was perfectly normal to his brothers and sisters. It was absolutely horrible, the things that she did to him, scarring him for life. However, out of fear, he kept it a secret from everyone else, until he gathered the courage to finally run away.

This story will leave the weak in tears, and the horrible waiting for more. This intense tale tells all, and is an eye opener for those who have never experienced abuse of neglect. The reader is one with the author, and it is amazing to experience such a gripping read.

Warning: I only recommend it if you're strong enough to handle a few tears and maybe a nightmare or two. It's absolutely intense, but a worthwhile and necessary read if we hope to someday avoid this horror of domestic abuse.

Reader reviewed by Melissa H,

This book made me feel as if I was the child, I felt what he felt. Every time he got hit or injured by his mom, I felt it. If you hate bookos that are sad and WILL make you cry, dont read this. But if you love books that tell true stories like this,read it.

Reader reviewed by lizzo8

This book makes me mad. How can a mother treat her child this way? The fathers usually have more control but in here the mother wins. When the mother stabs him and he tells his dad the father is afraid and tells him to leave before the mother sees him there. She tortures him in many ways and mostly always beats him up and starves him. No one should have to go through that and if I would have seen that kid with bruises and cuts I would get informed on who to call and try to help him out.

Reader reviewed by ambeen

This novel is a very moving account of a young boys childhood living in an abusive home. The tortures this boy is put through are terrifying and heart wrenching. A Child Called It is wonderfully written and a very moving account of Dave Pelzer's troubled childhood.

Reader reviewed by Leigha

I really enjoyed this story although it is very graphic and i can't even begin to imagine what that child felt. I think that this is a very important read because people need to know that this really goes on in the world today and that we need to do all we can to help stop it. I don't think that anyone who reads this book would turn their back on a child that they know is being treated this way like some of the people in this story did.

Reader reviewed by Kate

This book was one of the best books I have ever read. Even thought I read it 3 years ago, it still stays with me. Child abuse is a horrible thing, but this boy endured the worst of it!! It was a hard book to put down and I highly recommend it to anyone! Not for the week of heart!!

Reader reviewed by Rachel

I read and re-read this boo. Bought and passed on. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. But after reading I wanted to know HOW something a person SO sick minded could be allowed to have children. Reminded me just how lucky I really am and just how great I have it. After reading this book and the others that go along with it I made me want to do all I could to help prevent something so terrible ever happening again.