A man named Dave - Dave Pelzer > Reviews

Advantages: Storyline is gripping
Disadvantages: none yet

...book in the trilogy about a Man Named Dave, called IT by his ‘mother’ who abused him in the most appalling way I have ever read about. Tissues are a necessity to read the final chapter of Dave’s life….. From the early stages of childhood, Dave was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother, a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games with her son's life; games his father chose to ignore ... Read review

Advantages: heart warming
Disadvantages: can get upsetting

...in David Pelzer's autobiographical trilogy, A Man Named Dave is an inspiring story of terror, recovery and hope experienced by the author throughout his life. Known for his work as a child abuse advocate, Pelzer has been commended by several US presidents and international agencies, and his previous memoirs of growing up as an abused child (A Child Called It and The Lost Boy) have touched thousands of lives. He provides living proof that we can "stop ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting read and really meaningful
Disadvantages: Can get a bit boring in place

...books. In this book we learn a lot about Dave and a lot about what he learnt. A quick summary of the book: Dave joins the Airforce but not in the ranking he wanted, gets the chance to fly on a rare occasion and take it all in his stride. Moves into an apartment and meets his girlfriend. She moves in with him. They suffered a lot of arguments because she was taking a lot more than she was giving and complained a lot. Dave still stuck with her. They ... Read review

Advantages: Self worth
Disadvantages: Upsetting

...fight to find peace, after a life time of abuse from his mother. He has beaten all the odds againts him and came up on top. You would think that a person who has been abused would have a rollercoster life of crime and who might be inclined to abuse others, but Dave Pelzer, has proved with determination and self-control, that it is possible to become happy and at peace with his life. This story of forgiveness and happiness, has made him a stronger ... Read review

Advantages: It doesn't fail to inspire and captivate
Disadvantages: It's a hard-to-close book

...with an outcome which leaves a tear in the eye. The book in-it-self deals with Dave Pelzer’s life from the years of 18 onwards, how he got through them, what happened and also how he occasionally revisited his horrid past and dealt with the obstacles which lay before him. One important outcome of the book is Dave’s inspirational forgiveness towards his family, his mother in particular. This inspirational story is mainly about how he struggles through ... Read review

Advantages: not as sad as his first two books
Disadvantages: still couldnt put it down

...out for himself and makes a real go of things despite whats happened to him in the past. This book shows how dave grew up and started his own family a thing that he said in his other books he never thought he would be able to do as he just had no confidence or self-respect due to the way he had been mis-fairly treated as a child. I found this book to be really heart warming but like the other two it really gets you thinking about how lucky tou are ... Read review

Advantages: You see the inner struggle and fight of a man trying to get over his past
Disadvantages: Can't think of any

This book is without a doubt my favourite of the 3 in the collection. This is the book that teaches resillience and forgiveness. It teaches determination, love and so much more. If you have been in this sort of situation similar to Pelzer's, then it basically is a self help book as it helped me get rid of my demons of abuse as a child. The tone is neither angry nor weepy, it says things as they happened and your mood changes throughout the book as ... Read review

Advantages: completed the picture of Dave Pelzer's life
Disadvantages: could be upsetting at times

...Dave Pelzer managed to form a relationship with a woman who later became his wife and mother of his own child.....the final part of this trilogy certainly made me feel that with real determination almost anything can be achieved. ... Read review

Advantages: Large writing
Disadvantages: Hardback it is quite heavy

I read this book a few years ago it was an excellent read or so I thought at the time you got an insite into what goes on behind closed doors of a familys home it proves you never know what happens and again it draws to the fact that why did people not pick up on the fact that he was being abused as a child in previous books in the series this is the last one out of three it told how he changed his life around after people realised what was happening. ... Read review

Advantages: Very touching biography
Disadvantages: Sometimes it can get to intimadating to read

...the abuse Dave had as a child it brings tears to your eyes to think that a mother could do something so gruesome and unhuman like to their own son. I find it truly comforting that Dave can speak of his abuse, I have read quite a few biographies where the authors have been abused but Dave Pelzers biographies are by far the very best. I would seriously reccommend this book to anyone that is interested in biographies. ... Read review