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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
I had been reading books about foster care and adoption, all written by professionals or adoptive parents. I have gleaned much from their perspective: dinners, playtime, acting out, tears, challenges, growth, and foster family love. I read about these children, feeling my heart break and fall in love, never knowing where the child was coming from or going through. I wanted to read something from a foster child's perspective.
For years I had heard of Dave Pelzer's books, but the explicitly described abuse, especially in A Child Called It, always curbed me. Until now. I found The Lost Boy, focusing on his foster years, and read the book from cover to cover in a 24-hour span. Pelzer offered insight into the life of an adolescent moved from home to home. Unable to stay with the violent mother whom he feared, no longer desired to be with--but from whom he still craved love. Desperate for acceptance--which he had never felt at home--Pelzer fell into the wrong crowds, exhibiting the defiance and eventual transgressions typical in the "f-word"--"foster child." The love and support he had from two sets of foster parents had helped shape him into the eighteen-year-old joining the Air Force and carving a future for himself. This book (*spoiler) has a happy ending. I am aware not all of them do. But The Lost Boy is an important story, both for families entering the world of foster care and for the communities (a.k.a. everyone else) who can support them as neighbors, friends, church members, teachers, coaches, music instructors, and fellow advocates.
For years I had heard of Dave Pelzer's books, but the explicitly described abuse, especially in A Child Called It, always curbed me. Until now. I found The Lost Boy, focusing on his foster years, and read the book from cover to cover in a 24-hour span. Pelzer offered insight into the life of an adolescent moved from home to home. Unable to stay with the violent mother whom he feared, no longer desired to be with--but from whom he still craved love. Desperate for acceptance--which he had never felt at home--Pelzer fell into the wrong crowds, exhibiting the defiance and eventual transgressions typical in the "f-word"--"foster child." The love and support he had from two sets of foster parents had helped shape him into the eighteen-year-old joining the Air Force and carving a future for himself. This book (*spoiler) has a happy ending. I am aware not all of them do. But The Lost Boy is an important story, both for families entering the world of foster care and for the communities (a.k.a. everyone else) who can support them as neighbors, friends, church members, teachers, coaches, music instructors, and fellow advocates.
This book is better than the first as there is a more recognizable plot, and there is hope for young Pelzer. However, it is geneerally poorly written. I am thankful that Pelzer was able to share his experiences but his style of writing and the details he chooses can make his writing difficult to enjoy from a literary standpoint. On the other hand, this book may be an easy, encouraging read for struggling readers or those that may be able to relate to some of the author's hardships.
Great read and excellent follow up to "A Child Called It". I was happy to see that things began to be better for Dave, although he was still dealing with his traumatized past. Dave has an excellent way of recreating his past, allowing readers to understand his experiences and overall explaining that things at home aren't always as they seem, the fact that healing takes time and we never forget where we came from.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
A great follow up to the first book and spans the years of Dave living as a foster child. Being saved from his abusive mother isn't the ultimate happy ending yet and Dave is struggling as he's thrust into the outside world. The traumas have deeply affected him and it's heartbreaking to see him having to go through multiple foster parents. Dave's search for purpose and belonging is very uplifting and I'm thankful that he managed to find kindness from the people around him.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
sad
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced