Back of Book: 

This book chronicles the unforgettable 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 tortuous, 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." Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive—dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

Book Number: One 

Genre: Adult | Memoir 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Imagine a young boy who has never had a loving home. His only possessions are the old, torn clothes he carries in a paper bag. The only world he knows is one of isolation and fear. Although others had rescued this boy from his abusive alcoholic mother, his real hurt is just beginning—he has no place to call home.

This is Dave Pelzer's long-awaited sequel to A Child Called "It". In The Lost Boy, he answers questions and reveals new adventures through the compelling story of his life as an adolescent. Now considered an F-Child (Foster Child), Dave is moved in and out of five different homes. He suffers shame and experiences resentment from those who feel that all foster kids are trouble and unworthy of being loved just because they are not part of a "real" family.

Tears, laughter, devastation and hope create the journey of this little lost boy who searches desperately for just one thing—the love of a family.

Book Number: Two 

Genre: Adult | Memoir 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

In this installment, Pelzer narrates his life from his enlistment in the Air Force at age 18 to the present day. While all three books show the consequences of profound cruelty with a frank immediacy and gut-wrenching, carefully chosen detail, they are—as the subtitle of this final installment of the trilogy suggests—ardently inspirational works. Pelzer's thematic focus is forgiveness and the ability of the human spirit to triumph over adversity. Pelzer demonstrates that it is possible to channel feelings and experiences of trauma into positive energy.

Pelzer includes just enough flashback and summary material that the reader new to his work has a complete grasp of the scope of his mother's abuse and his experiences in foster care. And those fans who have read his previous work will find A Man Named Dave to be an essential, capping complement to A Child Called "It" and The Lost Boy.

A Man Named Dave describes Pelzer's more recent experiences and affords readers access to a more mature, gradually ripening adult perspective during Pelzer's agonizing struggle to confront the demons of his past and conquer them. To read all three works in sequence is, therefore, to experience a voyage from darkness with only a glimmer of hope to full illumination. 

Book Number: Three (Last Book) 

Genre: Adult | Memoir 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

More than six million readers can attest to the heartbreak and courage of Dave Pelzer's story of growing up in an abusive home. From A Child Called "It" to The Lost Boy, from A Mand Named Dave to Help Yourself, his inspirational books have helped countless others triumph over hardship and misfortune. 

Now this former lost boy who defeated insurmountable odds to emerge whole and happy at last takes us on his incredible odyssey toward he healing and forgiveness. In The Privilege of Youth, Pelzer supplies the missing chapter of his life: as a boy on the threshold of adulthood. With his usual sensitivity and insight, he recounts the relentless taunting he edured from bullies; but he also describes the joys of learning and the thrill of making his first real friends—some of whom he still shares close relationships with today. He writes about the simple pleasures of exploring a neighborhood he was just beginning to know while trying to forget the hell he endured as a child. 

From high school to a world beyond the four walls that were his prison for so many years, The Privilege of Youth charts this crucial turning point in Dave Pelzer's life. This brave and compassionate memoir from the man who has journeyed this far will inspire a new generation of readers. 

Book Number: 2.5 

Genre: Adult | Memoir 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟