David J Pelzer

[This book] is [an] 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 torturous, 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."--Back...

The author reveals the story of his struggle through the challenges of adolescence, detailing the taunting he endured from bullies, the joys of making his first real friends, and his quest to escape his difficult home life.

The author shares the lessons he learned about the resilience of the human spirit after surviving a childhood of severe abuse; and presents self-help advice to people who are trying to overcome painful pasts, negative thoughts, and numerous setbacks.