Books › A child called "it"
A child called "it"
First published 1995 · 240 pages
A harrowing, unflinching descent into a child's living nightmare that ultimately stands as a testament to the unbreakable will to survive.
What it feels like
Reading this memoir is a profoundly harrowing and visceral experience, plunging you directly into the claustrophobic terror of a child's daily fight for survival. The pacing is propulsive, driven by a desperate, breathless urgency as the narrative unfolds through the unadorned, matter-of-fact perspective of a young boy enduring unimaginable cruelty. There is no stylistic flourish to soften the blow; the prose is raw and immediate, making the bleak, dread-soaked atmosphere almost suffocating. Yet, beneath the relentless darkness and psychological torment, a fierce undercurrent of resilience pulses through the pages. It is a grueling, emotionally exhausting read, but one that ultimately rewards those who seek powerful, unflinching true stories about the indomitable strength of the human spirit.
- Mood
- harrowing
- claustrophobic
- bleak
- tense
- Tone
- raw
- unflinching
- earnest
- matter-of-fact
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- survival against all odds · loss of innocence · resilience of the human spirit · psychological endurance
- The writing
- Direct, unadorned, and visceral, told from the limited, immediate perspective of a traumatized child.
- The arc
- Plunges into unimaginable darkness and suffering before clawing its way toward a fragile, hard-won glimmer of hope and survival.
- Who it's for
- Readers who seek powerful, true stories of extreme survival and resilience, and who can stomach unflinching accounts of trauma.
Content notes
- severe child abuse
- starvation
- domestic violence
- psychological torture
- alcoholism
About the book
This book chronicles 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 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 had nothing or 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.
Description from Open Library.
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