#95 in Biography & memoir
A Child Called "It"
- 168
- Pages
- about 3 h
- Reading time
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About the book
This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it." Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.
Reading order · Dave Pelzer
Full order & progress →- A Child Called "It"This book
7.97.9 / 10 - The Lost BoyThe Lost Boy–Not ranked yet
- A man named DaveA man named Dave–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.8 across 396 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 73% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Biography & memoir average of 8.1. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 9.1 | 75 | 19% |
| Google Books | 10.0 | 5 | 1% |
| Hardcover | 7.4 | 316 | 80% |
Frequently asked
How long is A Child Called "It"?
It has 168 pages — shorter than 95% of the ranked books in Biography & memoir.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Biography & memoir — with scores between 7.8 and 8.1, closest to this book.
