Mikka liest das Leben

It's difficult to review a book like this.

The writing is very simple, sometimes repetitive. There is little to no insight into why a loving mother suddenly turns against one of her own children in the vilest way imaginable. But then again - this is not a novel, it's the true tale of a boy who survived the worst odds a child can possibly be dealt, so can we really expect more than what we're given here, which is a honest, detailed account of a traumatic childhood?

This book was recommended to me because I'm interested in the psychology of child abuse. I almost stopped reading a couple of times because the things that happened to David were beyond horrible. Torture is the only word that comes even close to covering it. On the one hand, I felt like a voyeur for reading this book, on the other, I felt that David's voice deserved to be heard.

UPDATE: I've since been linked to websites that seem to suggest that David Pelzer made the whole story up... I'm not sure if this is true or not, but keep it in mind if you decide to read the book.