‘A child called it’ by Dave Pelzer
This book is based on 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 tortuous, 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 a 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 scruffy. 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 had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive, these dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son. What happens when the only hero you have is your dad, and he leaves? What happens when your mother doesn’t even bother to feed you? What do you do when you have to wear the same ripped clothes everyday, when your brothers get new clothes? What would you do if your brothers were treated with care, and you were abused? What happens when the school nurse checks your body and see’s cuts, bruises, and bite marks? What are you suppose to tell her? What do you do when you can’t tell anyone what’s happening to you? What would you do in those situations? Would you tell someone? In Dave’s case, he couldn’t tell anyone. If he did, his mother would abuse him more than he was already abused. Those terrifying questions were part of one little boys threatening life. It ends with his heroic survivor experiences as he grew up.
I don’t really read a lot of books but I had to read this book for Psychology and originally thought I don’t want to read this book as its going to really upset me. When I started to read it though, I was immediately drawn to it