He's coped with more at five, than some of us ever will. (A Child Called 'It' - Dave Pelzer)

Member Name: topherbenn

Product:	A Child Called 'It' - Dave Pelzer
Date:	19/04/09 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Powerful, well written, thought provoking.

Disadvantages: To some, a difficult read.

"A Child Called 'It'" is the true story of a child who grows up in a world of abuse, violent and torture. At just the tender age of five, David goes through more in his life than many of us would and still manages to hold on to hope that someday everything will change. He's an outcast in his only family; his brothers don't want to know him, because if they do, they'll receive the same horrid treatment David does, from their alcoholic mother. His Dad feels helpless, and when his mother and father divorce, and David's mother gets custody, David's knows his life is only going to get worse... so how will he survive?

Written by Dave Pelzer, this book touches the hearts of every reader. Never did I think I would share such emotion and sympathy for a character of a book, but when I realise that the author has been through this himself, it only makes my heart bleed even more.

The way the book is presented is so realistic that it's almost like you are there, sharing every event in this boys life with him, standing at the side lines without being able to help. The use of vocabulary and way it's written dives deep into the child's mind, without loosing the quality of language. At times I had to remember how old this child was, he comes across very mature and with so much knowledge, but when you deal with these horrific situations, it can only make you stronger and make you grow so much quicker.

It's definitely a tough one to get through. Many when read it, they start to struggle half way through when hope diminishes and the poor boys life is thrown into a deeper hell. The torturous happenings in this book aren't for the faint hearted, and you realise how lucky you are in a world where incidences and situations like these are happening all around us every day.

Unfortunately I can't say this book necessarily has a happy ending, but to learn of a different culture and way of life from a child's point of view is a real eye opener. If you can just make it through the 150 or so pages, then make sure you don't stop there, but continue onto 'The Lost Boy', the second book in the series, continuing later in this boys life, and there really is light at the end of the tunnel - a much easier book to read, but still very powerful.

Summary: The true story of a boy how is abused by his alcoholic mother and the struggles he faces growing up.