A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer > Reviews

Advantages: Opens your eyes to what really goes on behind closed doors
Disadvantages: Very graphic, may be too upsetting for some

I finally got it! a charity shop buy admittedly but this book has finally found its way into my possession and read rather rapidly! There could be a problem with writing about this book, the danger being that it would be really easy to write about what's in the book and to expand on the subject rather than look at the book as a whole. I will endeavour to look at the book as a whole but please feel free to leave a comment if you feel i don't. A ... Read review

Advantages: EXCELLENT, RAISES AWARENESS OF IMPORTANT ISSUES
Disadvantages: TRAUMATIC TO READ

A child called it is one of the most moving true stories I have ever read. It was written by Dave Pelzer, who, as a child, was abused so badly by his mother that it was documented as the third worst child abuse case ever recorded in California. The most appauling thing about this, as you will discover on reading the book, is that there have actually been two children treated worse than he was. And, of course, others across the world will also have ... Read review

Advantages: Quick reading. Riveting story.
Disadvantages: Harrowing and true

...David’s harrowing experiences he created a trilogy of books, the first being “A Child Called It” I came across the title many times and read a great many reviews before ever considering reading the book One of the reasons I resisted the temptation to read was that I felt it may be simply one of those things that I would be better off not knowing about. Child abuse despite being common place and far more widely acknowledged than in the past, is ... Read review

Advantages: Make you very aware that child abuse exists.
Disadvantages: Some descriptions are very graphic and can be quiet upsetting

...of the little boy (now a grown man) I pondered over whether to actually read this book or not. The reason being I’m a big softie and many a time I’ve burst into tears reading sad books or watching sad movies and this being a true life story would mean I would simply bawl a lot more over the book. So, I hung around the bestsellers section (which is where this book currently is) in various bookshops every time I was in town and finally one ... Read review

Advantages: Opens your eye's to what can happen in the world.
Disadvantages: The fact that abuse exists at all!

With a story like this it’s really hard to know where to begin. It’s a tale of abuse, a tale of sorrow, a tale of hope at the end of a long hard struggle and also a tale which will make even the most hard hearted people who read it feel shocked at the horrible wretched life David Pelzer suffered as a child. I bought this for two reasons really, one, because of the reviews I’d read on ciao and two it was on special offer at ... Read review

Advantages: brings child abuse issues out in the open
Disadvantages: horrific true story

...any old story though, it's a true story. A story told in first person perspective through the eyes of a child. A story containing such horrific descriptions and episodes that even told in the language of a child sent shivers up my spine as to how some people can be so inhumane. A tale of how a child's innocence, security, safety, and childhood dreams can be so cruelly shattered by those who are considered to be the ones who care most, and ... Read review

Advantages: A heart rendering read, that you will not be able to put down
Disadvantages: none

A Child Called It is part of a trilogy from the author Dave Pelzer. It is a true account of his life from the age of four till an adult. Dave has experienced a truly extraordinary life. As a child, he endured the horrors of child abuse, which included physical torture, mental cruelty, and near starvation. Upon Dave's rescue, he was identified as one of the most severely abused children in California's history. At age 12, Dave's teachers risked their ... Read review

Advantages: Engrossing and and eye-opener
Disadvantages: The Marketing Machine; Questions are left unanswered

Is A Child Called ‘It’ an autobiography or an autobiographical novel that was hijacked by clever marketing? I am going to have a real problem writing this opinion and I know it will take a while, because I don’t want to offend anyone. So how could I possibly offend you? Like many, I read A Child Called ‘It’ because of the positive feedback that read on this site and recommendations from friends. Most have commented ... Read review

Advantages: Can help every day people recognise signs to look for in cases like this
Disadvantages: Can move you to tears it is very moving and at some parts disturbing

...books I have read in a long time although fascinating may not be the correct word to use! However if you have read this book you will know what I mean when I say that it is a difficult book to put down. ‘A Child Called It’ is a true story about a young boy in the 70’s who suffered what is believed to have been the worst ever case of child abuse the world has ever know. Dave Pelzer relives his horrific young life from the age of 4 years to 12 ... Read review

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Everything

...child called it” we take a look at the kind of life David had living with his mother from the ages of 4 to 12. David’s young life had been a fairly normal one, until he reached the age of four. Then things changed forever. In his true story he gives versions of the true events that took place in his family home. When David was four, his mother unintentionally broke his arm whilst she was in one of her drunken states. David was taken upstairs ... Read review

Advantages: It opens your eyes to a harsh truth
Disadvantages: It is very disturbing

...the early chapters he recalls a life where his mother and father were tender loving parents completely dedicated to him. Dave write beautifully of memories he has of his mother’s lavish care and attention. The Russian River is the place of dreams where he feels most part of the family and clings to desperately to live. His mother’s schizophrenic-like u-turn was almost completely unprecedented. The shock for David to have his mother and father ... Read review

Advantages: Raises Awaeness Of Child Abuse
Disadvantages: Harrowing To Read

...American man named David Pelzer. A non-fictional best seller it is available from all major bookstores, and I have seen it in practically every bookshop, large or small that I have visited. It retails at £5.99 although some discount stores sell it for less. It is published by Orion. Although harrowing, it's a compelling book that all social workers and teachers should receive free at the start of their training. This is one mans account of the ... Read review