The story of Dave Pelzer is a legend of our times: the shattering tale of the child called 'It' who was forced to live in the basement. His mother was the perpetrator of the horror, but she had a willing accomplice. It was Dave's brother Richard - the author of this book.
When Dave was twelve the police removed him from the household, but the cycle of abuse continued. Mrs Pelzer had a new target for her crazed, alcoholic wrath. The hunter became the hunted -- at the age of nine.
This is his story. Recounting the warped dynamics of a family riven by abuse, he reveals his guilt at being the abuser, his scarring at being abused, the complete lack of questioning within the family about what was happening -- and even the twisted respect the boys had for their mother. Richard became the target of his mother's artillery of insanity, the victim of savage beatings leading to hospitalization, the boy denied clean clothes, the one who 'deserved' whole bottles of hot Tabasco sauce poured down his throat . . .

A very sad story. The abuse did not stop when David was taken away nor did anyone come to the rescue of the remaining children. This book proves that the neighbors knew what was hapening and the school, but again no one came to the rescue. The physical abuse was one thing but the mental abuse was what kept her in control. Richard, by the end of the story finally realized he was old enough and physically big enough that he didn't have to take the beatings. When his mother left him all alone when she went house hunting a whole new world opened to him. One of the reviews I read prior to purchasing the book said the book ended abruptly and a sequel must be in the works. This may be so, but at this point the mother had lost her mental lock on Richard. He now had friends, new clothes and a taste of freedom. His world had expanded and there was hope. I read his brother's books and will read a sequel to this one.