A Child Called "It", a review

Although this book has been published a couple years ago, I think this book worthy to be reviewed, remembering the story on it was a true story that happens to its writer.

This book entitled with A Child Called 'It' narrating how tragic a struggle of life of a young boy. David J. Pelzer writer, the young boy, was tortured by his own mother. Told from the point of view of the author as a young boy being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom. Sometimes his mother claimed he had violated some rule--no walking on the grass at school!--but mostly it was pure sadism. Inexplicably, his father didn't protect him; only an alert schoolteacher saved David.


Here an excerpt when he is forced to eat the contents of his sibling's diapers:

...
...
Father tried to make the vacation more fun by taking the three
of us to play on the new super slide. Russell, who was still a
toddler, stayed in the cabin with Mother. One day, when Ron,
Stan and I were playing at a neighbor's cabin, Mother came ou
onto the porch and yelled for us to come in immediately. Once
in the cabin, I was scolded for making too much noise. For my
punishment, I was not allowed to go with Father and my
brothers to the super slide. I sat on a chair in a corner, shivering
hoping that something would happen so the three of them
wouldn't leave. I knew Mother had something hideous on her
mind. As soon as they left, she brought out one of Russell's
soiled diapers. She smeared the diaper on my face. I tried to si
perfectly still. I knew if I moved, it would only be worse. I
didn't look up. I couldn't see Mother standing over me, but I
could hear her heavy breathing.

After what seemed like an hour, Mother knelt down beside me
and in a soft voice said, "Eat it!"

I looked straight ahead, avoiding her eyes. "No way!" I said
to myself. Like so many times before, avoiding her was the
wrong thing to do. Mother smacked me from side to side. I
clung to the chair, fearing if I fell off she would jump on me.
"I said eat it!" she sneered.

Switching tactics, I began to cry. "Slow her down", I thought
to myself. I began to count to myself, trying to concentrate.
Time was my only ally. Mother answered my crying with more
blows to my face, stopping only when she heard Russell crying.

Even with my face covered with defecation, I was pleased. I
thought I might win. I tried to wipe the shit away, flicking it
onto the wooden floor. I could hear Mother singing softly to
Russell, and I imagined him cradled in her arms, I prayed he
wouldn't fall asleep. A few minutes later my luck ran out.

Still smiling, Mother returned to her conquest. She grabbed
me by the back of the neck and led me to the kitchen. There,
spread out on the counter top, was another full diaper. The smell
turned my stomach. "Now, you are going to eat it!" she said.
Mother had the same look in her eyes that she had the day she
wanted me to lie on top of the gas stove back at the house.
Without moving my head, I moved my eyes, searching for the
daisycolored clock that I knew was on the wall. A few seconds
later, I realized the clock was behind me. Without the clock, I
felt helpless. I knew I needed to lock my concentration on
something, in order to keep any kind of control of the situation.
Before I could find the clock, Mother's hands seized my neck.
Again she repeated, "Eat it!" I held my breath. The smell was
overpowering. I tried to focus on the top corner of the diaper.
Seconds seemed like hours. Mother must have known my plan.
She slammed my face into the diaper and rubbed it from side to
side.
...
...






Happy Reading,


Juan Rio Sipayung