Review: A Child Called "IT" By Dave Pelzer

A Child called "It" is the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the 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 him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him her 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 that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He was nothing, and had 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. Through each struggle you'll find yourself enduring his pain, comforting his loneliness and fighting for his will to survive. This compelling story will awaken you to the truth about child abuse- and the ability we have to make a difference.

This is a book about an unbelievable case of inhumane child abuse. This book was a difficult book to read especially since I'm a mom of a handsome, brilliant, smart autistic child. I would never DREAM of treating my son with such brutality and cruelty, it's disgusting. So in this book this little boy started off with a loving mom, dad & brothers. Then one day his mother started treating him with disgust and cruelty. When he turned to his dad for help, his dad would tell him to be a good boy for his mommy and not to make her mad. His own father was scared of his mother. But his mother didn't treat her other kids the way she treated "Dave" that way. It didn't matter what he did because he became her punching bag, her slave, her maid. She had him doing all the household chores. And he did them all in a timely fashion with hopes that his mother will reward him with food. FOOD! This little boy was starved and beaten every single day. He would steal food to feed himself and when his mother became suspicious of him stealing, she would stick her fingers in his mouth and make him throw up his own food. Then to make it worse, she'd make him eat it!

I can't even let my son go to bed without eating dinner, and on days he doesn't eat dinner I have him eat some snacks. But to starve him for being a "Bad Boy", I could never. This book was an emotional book to read. This little boy should have been given a proper life with a loving family but instead he received nothing but hell to live with. I personally wish his mother pays for all she did to him. I give this book 5 stars and it's definitely a Good Choice for Reading.