This book is a perfect example of how the human spirit can provide strength in the toughest of situations. David's spirit helped him to survive through his mother's emotional and physical abuse. He refused to let his mother win. He had no one to help him so he learned how to fend for himself. His courage and determination saved him from all of the suffering that he endured at such a young age.

David is a living testament of resilience. His faith and personal responsibility helped him transform into an emotionally healthy and competent adult. A large percentage of emotionally and physically abused children become abusive in their adult years. The abusiveness could be a cycle, passed down from generation to generation. Their rage and pain of being abused could be turned on themselves or the ones they love. David, at a young age, showed strong signs of being a planner as well as a problem solver. These character traits, along with caring adults (nurses, teachers, social workers, etc.), help him to become resilient. David's inner strength helped him turn shame into pride and rejection into acceptance. A Child Called "It" sends an inspirational message of resilience and the human spirit. A person has the ability to leave their dark past and look forward to a better tomorrow. If David Pelter could do it than anyone can!


HUGE disappointment   May 25, 2005
 72 out of 109 found this review helpful

DISCLAIMER: Please bear in mind that ENGLISH IS NOT MY NATIVE LANGUAGE, so instead of deconstructing my every single sentence and nitpicking every word (as some have done to excuse some pretty insulting remarks), just focus on the general idea which, I'm pretty sure, leaves no doubt as to my opinion on the book.

I have conflicting feelings about this book. It is Dave's autobiography, a man who was brutally abused between 4 and 12 years old during the beginning of the 70s. According to him, his case wast the third worst in history of child abuse in the state of California.

When I began reading, I did it from the idea that every autobiography is a lie. Please, do not misunderstand me: I didn't begin with the intent of disbelieving. What I mean is that every person, when recoung their life history, manipulates (be it consciously or unconsciously) their memories. It is impossible to be 100% truthful when narrating facts that happened years ago (or even a minute ago) becuase their emotions (and even the facts themselves) are processed by their minds and it is wishful thinking to believe they can be reproduced accurately.

The abovesaid, like I stated, didn't predispose me to disbelieve. Quite the opposite, in fact: it predisposed me to give him a certain leeway between the limits of credibility and disbelief, in order to accept his story as true. With this in mind, I expected to find a story of courage and survival; instead, I found little more that a very detailed description of a series of abuse. What he describes is truly awful, but at times I found myself doubting his words. One of literature's main rules is that it is preferable to narrate false facts, but believable, than true facts, but unbelievable.

One of the tortures told is that Pelzer's mother used to lock him in a bathroom without ventilation, with a bucket filled with ammonia and clorox. From this combination emanates a toxic gas that was one of the first (if not the first, I'm not totally sure) chemical weapons used during World War I. I find it hard to believe that a child would survive after being repeatedly exposed to this. So, like I said, a series of abuse of this extreme kind are narrated, which makes me believe the author exaggerates.

At the beginning of his book, Pelzer states that he writes from the viewpoint of the boy he was back then; however, his way of processing things do not pertain to a boy.


From a literary point of view, this book has no redeeming quality. It is poorly written and nothing more than an extremely graphic and detailed depiction of different instances of (horryfying) abuse. I find no inspiration value in that. At all. To me, it is the equivalent of a film which's only value is showing detailed images of slaughtered bodies.

Come to think about it, I do not have conflicting feelings at all. I utterly disliked it. At first I thought mine was an 'improper' response, because this autobiography has received spectacular reviews in different places and has been a best-seller for years. Giving it more thought, I think this is due to the pity it inspires in those who believe in Pelzer's every single word. From this point of view, my review is not 'improper', but heartless. If everything he narrates is true (which I seriously doubt), I have a seat waiting for me in Hell.


A Child Called "It"   March 28, 2000
 67 out of 113 found this review helpful

I have read all 500+ customer reviews of this book and was astonished that only three people questioned the validity of Pelzer's story. My review makes four.

Dave, answer some questions for your readers:

At no time, through all the torture and torment -- both physical and mental -- did it occur to you to run away from "Mommie Dearest"? To seek help from outside the home?

Why is there no corroborating evidence from other family members? Your father, brothers and grandparents simply deserted you?

How does one survive starvation for three weeks? Especially a very young child?

How does one survive a deep stab wound to the stomach? Especially when packing the wound with dirty rags from the basement? No serious infection? No medical attention needed?

No serious illness from being forced to eat feces? Nothing?

How about the family physician? He didn't suspect anything during checkups?

School teachers didn't notice filthy clothes and no food intake? They didn't ask why you weren't eating lunch? How about the unexplained weight loss? Nobody noticed?

Too many unanswered questions, Dave.

My advice to anyone who is considering this book: Don't believe everything you read.


Powerful story of survival.   May 27, 2001
 58 out of 68 found this review helpful

Dave Pelzer shares his horrific childhood at the hands of an insanely sadistic mother in this powerful memoir. You will be shocked by the increasingly bizarre tortures his mother inflicts and amazed by David's ability to withstand it all. Ultimately, the book left me feeling frustrated - I wanted to know why David's mother singled him out for her abuse and why his father, siblings and neighbors did so little to protect him. Then I realized that these were the same frustrations David has lived with most of his life. Furthermore, it's unrealistic to expect that there could be a rational explanation. Just as David does, the reader has to accept that the abuse was senseless.


...One Big Lie   December 24, 2000
 41 out of 61 found this review helpful

As I read this book, I wondered how much of this (supposedly true story) the author made up. Dave Pelzer may have been an abused child, but much of his story came across as exaggerations. Some is just "over-the-top" and is not credible.

Dave's mother inflects horrendous abuse and torture on him (but not her other children), and the author does not provide a single reason, explanation, or rationalization. The story jumps from one horrid torture to another without any meaningful development (actually, there is not any development). This is hardly a book. It is more like an essay.

I have no doubt that there are evil people in this world such as Dave's mother. But, his story just did not ring true to me. There are too many inconsistancies and unanswered questions. Also, the responses and reactions defy simple common sense, here are a few:

For years, this skinny under-nurished child went to school without a lunch, and no teacher or school employee would see that he got a meal?

For years, he went to school in rags, and smelled so bad that the odor gagged others in the room, so he had to sit near a opened window. But, no teacher asked his mother to do something about this?

For years, Dave's father watched his wife beat and kick their child, make him eat vomit, stab him, poison him, burn him on a stove, starve him, and make numerous attempts at murdering him; and, the father did not interfere. But, the father cared enough to help Dave with the dishes, and asked him "how ya doin', Tiger." (Give me a break.)

For years, this child is starved, and needs food so badly that he eats garbage, steals food from his classmates, steals from stores, begs for food from neighbors and complete strangers. But, he will not tell any of his teachers or classmates that his mother is starving him?

His mother makes him sit outside on rocks, while she takes his brothers to the zoo, and he sits there and suffers for hours until they return. Certainly, he must have known they would be away for sometime, so why sit and suffer for hours?

During the years of abuse, the author admits that concern was shown by various people: Teachers, school nurses, school administrators, neighbors, a social worker even came to his house. Yet, he never went to any of these people for help?....