The Lost Boy
The book, The Lost Boy, is the second biography by David Pelzer and was published in 1997. Dave Pelzer, the courageous offer of this awe-inspiring book, wrote this biography to continue his life story after his abusive childhood. He recapped all the trials and tribulations of being a foster child, coping with the prejudices, and how he tried to become accepted.
The Lost Boy, like A Child Called "It", is incredibly eye-opening and educational. It's one of those kinds of books that really make you think about your morals, humanity, and life itself. I became enraptured in the book as I read it, but at times I just wanted to put it down because it was too much to handle, though I was unable to. The book made me feel very furious, and at the same time, I felt distraught. At times I wished that I could go into the book, and make everything right. A Child Called It was truly an amazing book, and I would recommend it to those who can handle its intensity.
After reading this manuscript, I'm more aware of the brutality of child abuse. If I could, I would do something to stop it, but that would probably just be a lost battle from the start. I did learn from the book how severe child abuse can be. Prior to reading the story, I never thought that child abuse could be as violent and crude as it was in this book.
It would be hard to relate to any of the characters in this book, because, aside from David, the characters are not worth even respecting. I ...
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After reading this manuscript, I'm more aware of the brutality of child abuse. If I could, I would do something to stop it, but that would probably just be a lost battle from the start. I did learn from the book how severe child abuse can be. Prior to reading the story, I never thought that child abuse could be as violent and crude as it was in this book.
It would be hard to relate to any of the characters in this book, because, aside from David, the characters are not worth even respecting. I could probably say I relate to David because I was once an innocent child. David, however, had a horrible childhood, and I did not. I don't know what I would have done if I had been in David's position, that's a tough concept to consider. Honestly, I would have either committed suicide, or ran away, probably the latter. I would never have been able to take the abuse like David did, but then again, that's all he knew, so that's a different story.
If I saw a child abuse case in my life, any extreme of child abuse, after reading this book, I would act immediately. There are plenty of agencies out there that handle child abuse, and I would turn the situation over to them, and let the professionals handle it. Child abuse is not something that people easily talk about, but it's very serious, and has to be dealt with. If you leave a child abuse case alone, and do nothing about it, then you're as bad as the abuser. It would not be easy for a child to seek outside help, because they would probably be living in fear of their abuser, which is just another reason to do something about it if you're on the outside of the situation, or even on the inside of the situation.
Child abuse is not something that I have ever encountered in my lifetime, and hopefully I never will. I have dealt with friends who have parents that are about one step above physical abuse, and that's mental abuse. They constantly rag on their child, and make them feel worse and worse. In some instances, mental abuse can be just as devastating as physical abuse, not in this case, however. Since there are no physical abuse symptoms in this case, there is not much I can do; besides support my friend when the situation hits its bad points.
The only real way to help other people by using this book would be to recommend that they read it. It's an amazing book, as long as a great learning experience. I think that everyone should be aware of this issue, because it's everywhere. The more people that read A Child Called It, the better the world will be.
My favorite scene from the book is the opening scene. Before David tells about the abusive part of his life, he tells you a little about when he was saved. This really inspired me, because it shows that there really are decent human beings out there, for I had started to doubt it after reading the horrific scenes of the book. I'm glad someone saved David; I know I would have if I had been there.
