A Child Called It

Written by Dave Pelzer

Reviewed by Cynthia Kaye, BCCHS Student

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer is a suspenseful and agitating book. It is about a very young boy and his struggle to survive the severe abuse of his alcoholic mother. This biography doesn’t leave out any detail and the way Dave describes everything makes you feel as if you were there watching the whole thing. The book consists of the horrible things his mother would do to him. From starving him almost to death to making him sleep in a cot in the cold garage, and even locking him in the bathroom with poisonous cleaning product fumes.

Dave had a good heart and did his best to stay positive throughout his horrible experiences. Even while being forced to endure the embarrassment of wearing the same dirty, torn up clothes to school everyday, Dave never let it get to him. He was a young boy full of hope. His prayers to God kept him sane. He was a smart boy who learned how to play the awful games his mother enjoyed so much--over exaggerating the pain of being beaten, stealing food to survive, and putting a wet cloth over his mouth while being suffocated by cleaning fumes.

"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!"  --Daves mother.

This quote shows just a part of her cruelty. Those are just words that don’t even compare to the evil and inhumane things this monster would do to her own child.

I have a lot of respect for the author. He let the whole world into his experience and I know it must have been hard to rethink the monstrous moments. Letting people read of his miseries and how he stayed strong sends out a great message to everyone. People take for granted the life they live. Reading this book has opened my eyes to realize the world isn’t always nice and easy. Reading this has made me appreciate my parents.

I rate this book five out of five. When I first started to read this book I couldn’t put it down. I read this whole book in one day, not putting it down for anything. I suggest this book to everyone and anyone who is mature enough to handle the disturbing and life-changing events this boy has to go through. If you have a queasy stomach, I don’t recommend reading this book, although this is definitely a book you have to read in your lifetime; you won’t want to miss out.