A Child Called “It”
By Dave Pelzer
Reviewed by Rachel - Grade 9
Rating: 4.5/5
03/08/21
I was totally and completely unprepared for what was coming when I first picked up “A Child Called ‘It’ “ by Dave Pelzer. Crammed into merely 200 pages is the horrific story of a child who was abused mercilessly by his sick, demonic mother. Each page told a new story and explained in detail the ways his mother hurt him, starved him, enslaved him, beat him, and nearly killed him.
I was taken on a rollercoaster of emotions as I read this book. First came pity for the little boy that was hurt so terribly and at such a young age that there’s no way he will ever fully move past his trauma. Then came fear- both for Dave as a young kid, but for his mother. Why did she suddenly turn on him and treat him so awfully? Especially when she loved her other little boys so much as to give them the world?
And worst of all, when I finally realized who the real villain in the story was, came an overwhelming flood of anger- toward Dave’s father. No, his mother was not a single parent. Dave had a father that chose to look the other way when his son was abused. Dave had a father who “tried to help him,” when, in reality, he was trying to save his own skin. In the end, Dave’s father just walked out on him. Because of this, the little kid that was bruised so badly by his mother ended up hurt more by his blind-sighted father.
By the end of the book, I had realized one thing- villains aren’t always fictional. There are people in this very world who are as heartless and diabolic as Voldemort and the Wicked Witch of the West. And it is because of this that there is no innocent way for me to recommend this book. The truthful horrors on every page made it a fantastic read in a very twisted way, and I would encourage anyone who doesn’t believe me to give it a try. “A Child Called ‘It’ “ is a difficult read for many reasons, but it gives a new perspective on child abuse- a perspective that comes from first-hand experience and a perspective that more people need to apprehend.