A child's book review called Essay of English Literature (2023)

The book, titled "A Kid Called 'It'," is based on a true story written by a man named Dave Pelzer, the author of the book himself. The book is the first edition; however, it was published by The Orion Publishing Group in 1995. In addition, the number of pages in the book was 169 pages. Also, the book is based on the life of the child between the ages of 4 and 12.

Additionally, The Child Called 'It' follows the author's life as a child, Dave Pelzer was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother. On the other hand, Dave Pelzer's mother, a mother who played excruciating, unpredictable games that left one of her sons nearly dead. She no longer regarded him as a son but as a slave; no longer a boy, but an "it". Also, Dave Pelzer's bed was an old military bed in the basement, his clothes were torn and stinky, and if he had the luxury of eating, it was leftovers from the dog's bowl. However, the outside world was unaware of the nightmare that was playing out behind closed doors. It took years of struggle, deprivation and desperation to find his dream and make something of himself in the world.

Conversely, based on the book, Pelzer begins his story with a purpose. He accomplishes this by describing his last morning living under his mother's abusive control. The actual beginning of the gruesome story takes place in the next chapter in the 1960s. However, this technique completes some things, including grabbing the reader's immediate attention and making the rest of the story all the more unbelievable because the reader knows David survives. Most strikingly, it creates a story of survival, not doom. Hence it brings in the main theme of the power of the human spirit to overcome remarkable adversity. This chapter also introduces two of the main characters, David and Mother. David seems to have maintained his tormented lifestyle for many years because he's gotten smart and can anticipate mom's games. This is evident in the opening scene, where he cleverly pretends to be afraid of Mother, when in reality he doesn't care if he gets hit - he plays along so he can eat. However, the torture has left him weak, ragged, fearful, and essentially brainwashed.

On the other hand, the author brings the reader to the beginning in the next chapter, which is like a fairy tale. Furthermore, Chapter 2 is written in the past tense, which lasts until the epilogue and represents the true beginning of the story. Most importantly, the book lays an ironic foundation for the rest of the twisted tale by making Pelzer's suffering even more heartbreaking.

Overall, the plot is unique and interesting as it is a true event. Consequently, it is of particular value to pay attention to any event that is profound, since they are not simply creations of the author, yet chosen from many memories for a specific purpose. David himself tells the story in the first person. This is effective because it is essentially a description of his inner struggle to survive. Besides his physical survival, the author puts a lot of emphasis on his emotional and psychological survival, which we wouldn't know about if this were narrated in the third person. Pelzer begins his story in the present tense, from which later chapters will deviate.

On the other hand, the genre of the book is categorized as non-fiction. Non-fiction books are books based on true stories or events. So the book is based on Dave Pelzer's childhood, during which he was brutally abused by his mother and hid the determination to survive his miserable life. That being said, his written language tends to be an easy read for readers of subtle poetic prose.

Also, in my opinion, part of the book is too good to be true and it's unbelievable. As you can see there is a part where Pelzer was brutally abused by his mother where he was forced to inhale a special load of ammonia and Clorox. Surprisingly, he did not die from inhaling these chemicals, which have been shown to be harmful and can even cause death. However, from a logical point of view, the penalties received are sometimes considered unbelievable given that he survived the deal without being seriously ill.

On the other hand, Pelzer's story inspires me by the fact that his relentless will to survive shows the reader how to find hope, courage and happiness in difficult times. That being said, although his punishment was terrible, he was able to rise above those terrible circumstances and become who he wanted to be. So the book inspires me to be a strong person.

As for the target audience, this book is suitable for all types of readers of all ages, from teenagers to adults. The book shows the real life of the child abuser who was brutally abused emotionally and physically during his childhood. Thus, it fails to develop an awareness among readers and in society that a child's life should be full of affection from his parents, instead of being abused and also full of hate.

However, beyond that, the author has not written any other books before, since the book entitled “The Child” called “It” was his first book. Nevertheless, the author has published two books in which the sequels of the second part of the trilogy entitled “The Lost Boy” are based on his life from the age of 12 to 18. The final part of the trilogy is titled A Man "Named Dave" based on his adult life. However, the second and third books were significantly relevant in terms of the way the author describes the plot and the structure of the story.

In conclusion, the book is worth reading as it gives readers an awareness of abuse. Also, the story gives the author the courage and hope to survive in difficult times as a vulnerable boy who longs for love but is rejected by his mother. Therefore, this book should be spread more among readers as it is an interesting true story that society should be aware of.