A review by all_things_books21
A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

As I listen to this book, my heart hurt for this child, and I lost more faith in humanity. This book tells us about the trauma and abuse that a child suffered from starting at a very young age. 

When I started this audiobook, I knew it was about child abuse, but I honestly couldn’t have imagined half of the things Dave went through. The abuse he went through at the hands of his mother is unspeakable. While his father never actually physically abused Dave, he sat by and let his wife do whatever she wanted to hurt and humiliate Dave. L

It’s honestly disgusting that he went through years of abuse before a substitute teacher became concerned. Dave suffered from abuse for at least three or four years, yet not a single school staff seemed to notice or care. This poor child was failed by every single adult his life, up until the substitute teacher. 

Honestly if the story didn’t start with Dave being rescued, I wholeheartedly would have thought he was going to die at the hands on his mother on more than on occasion. Knowing that he survived those horrors was one of the reasons that I was able to continue listening to the audiobook. 

This book was definitely heartbreaking in multiple ways and definitely not for them weak stomach. If you can’t handle child abuse, please don’t read or listen to this book. It’s deeply disturbing and not for everyone.