Cassie H. (Irishcoda) reviewed on 8/6/2005 + 88 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This was one of the most disturbing books I've read about child abuse. I can think of only two books that upset me more, Sybil and When Rabbit Howls. After all the awful things this poor boy went through, it's a miracle that he is not seriously disturbed. Well...maybe he is and we just don't know it! This book is the first in a series of three. As I was reading it I kept wondering, what kind of mother does this to her own child? Obviously the mother had to be seriously disturbed herself. Pelzer describes a loving mom early in his life. She seemed to be affected by alcoholism and possibly some kind of mood disorder. She had two more babies while she was doing all this drinking and I wondered if they were damaged in any way from fetal alcohol syndrome. What shocked me as much as the mother's abuse was the father's inability or unwillingness to help his son. I practically cheered when the boy was finally "rescued" and placed into the foster care system...how ironic is that? I had so many questions that possibly will be answered if and when I can bring myself to read the next in the series. It's a very difficult book to read but a very valuable one.

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