History Literature / AChildCalledIt

* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: The rest of David's family have repeatedly stated that the books are, at best, a major exaggeration. David's only counterargument thus far has amounted to [[{{Hypocrite}} claiming his brother's cerebral palsy discounts what he says because he's "retarded"]]... Except that his brother Richard has ''also'' written several books chronicling the abuse he suffered in earnest after David was removed by child protective services. (An upbringing spent in the thrall of a vicious, cruel manipulator like Catherine wouldn't ever warp a young person's sense of loyalty or fealty to truth, would it?) However, there are several discrepancies between books, such as [[SarcasmMode minor things]] such as where he was stabbed, and the fact that several incidents were obviously made up as no one, especially not a little boy, would be able to survive them...

* AdultsAreUseless: Dave Pelzer's father didn't make any effort to stop his wife.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Not only is David abused at home, but his classmates bully him as well for looking raggedy and stealing their food.

%%* DomesticAbuse: Catherine.
* ItIsDehumanizing

* KidsAreCruel: See AllOfTheOtherReindeer above. In addition, a female classmate tries to convince David to kill himself on a field trip. Also applies to David's younger brother Russel, whom Catherine trains to be "her little Nazi" and delights in torturing David as well.

* KarmaHoudini: Catherine, BIG TIME. She ''never'' gets any comeuppance for abusing poor David since child abuse laws were nonexistent in the 70s.

* HowWeGotHere / SpoilerOpening: The book begins with the teachers calling the cops on Catherine and David being taken into care.
* {{Jerkass}}[=/=]JerkWithAHeartOfJerk:

!!This book provides examples of:

* AbusiveParents: ''Catherine, Catherine,'' '''Catherine!''' David's father isn't totally innocent either, as he neglects his son and finally runs off, claiming he can't handle watching his wife abuse David.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Not only is David abused at home, but his classmates bully him as well.

* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: The rest of David's family have repeatedly stated that the books are, at best, a major exaggeration. David's only counterargument thus far has amounted to [[{{Hypocrite}} claiming his brother's cerebral palsy discounts what he says because he's "retarded"]].
** ...Except that his brother Richard has ''also'' written several books chronicling the abuse he suffered in earnest after David was removed by child protective services. (An upbringing spent in the thrall of a vicious, cruel manipulator like Catherine wouldn't ever warp a young person's sense of loyalty or fealty to truth, would it?)
** Except that there are several discrepancies between books, such as [[SarcasmMode minor things]] such as where he was stabbed, and the fact that several incidents were obviously made up as no one, especially not a little boy, would be able to survive them...

* HopeSpot: Dave has a few of these, but each of them fall through the cracks before it could be cemented.
** One example is when Catherine actually treats him kindly, but it is a trick when it is discovered that she is just faking so the social worker could leave her alone.

* {{Jerkass}}[=/=]JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Catherine of course!

* PoliceAreUseless: No matter how often Catherine is suspected of abuse by the school, the police always buy her lies. Also, in ''The Lost Boy,'' David runs away from home and is taken in by the police. He tries to tell them what's happening, and they call his father...who tells them that David is a liar and just ran away because he wasn't allowed to go bike-riding. ''And the police believe it.''
** Although, the police believing it becomes much easier to swallow after all of Pelzer's family came out and said he was lying...

* DidNotThinkThisThrough: Overlaps with DoWrongRight. Catherine went through the trouble of weaving lies and making up stories, so she doesn't want to get caught, but was very careless about the physical evidence she leaves on the surface. There is no way a well-looked after child would constantly chip his own teeth, be dotted with bruises or create huge, or regularly be too hurt to go to school.

* DomesticAbuser: Catherine.

* BlatantLies: It is scary the lies the police believed. Also, the entire book, according to David's siblings.

** ...Except that his brother Richard has ''also'' written several books chronicling the abuse he suffered in earnest after David was removed by child protective services. (An upbringing spent in the thrall of a vicious, cruel manipulator like Catherine wouldn't ever warp a young person's sense of loyalty or fealty to truth, would it?)
** Except that there are several discrepancies between books, such as [[SarcasmMode minor things]] such as where he was stabbed, and the fact that several incidents were obviously made up as no one, especially not a little boy, would be able to survive them...

** Except that there are several discrepancies between books, such as minor things such as where he was stabbed, and the fact that several incidents were obviously made up as no one, especially not a little boy, would be able to survive them...

** ...Except that his brother Richard has *also* written several books chronicling the abuse he suffered in earnest after David was removed by child protective services. An upbringing spent in the household of a cruel manipulator wouldn't ever warp a young person's sense of fealty to truth, would it?

It was published in 1995, followed by ''The Lost Boy,'' which chronicled Dave's teen years, ending with ''A Man Named Dave,''about his adulthood. It was later followed up by a biography his brother wrote about how ''he'' became the Scapegoat after David was taken away. Another brother has claimed that ''A Child Called "It"'' is a lie and that David was taken into care for starting a fire and shoplifting.

* DissonantSerenity: After Catherine stabs David in the stomach, he wakes up with a bandage around his middle, and Catherine with a blank look on her face, calmly telling him to go finish the dishes.

* PoliceAreUseless: No matter how often Catherine is suspected of abuse by the school, the police always buy her lies. (Also, in ''The Lost Boy,'' David runs away from home and is taken in by the police. He tries to tell them what's happening, and they call his father...who tells them that David is a liar and just ran away because he wasn't allowed to go bike-riding. ''And the police believe it.'')

* BlatantLies: It is scary the lies the police believed.

* AssholeVictim: Catherine. She later dies of a disease.

The autobiographical story of Dave Pelzer (called David in the books), victim of one of the worst cases of child abuse in California history. The first in a series of books based on his life, "A Child Called It" documents his life from the beginning of the abuse at age five, to age twelve. Not for the faint of heart.

It was published in 1995, followed by "The Lost Boy," which chronicled Dave's teen years, ending with "A Man Named Dave," about his adulthood. It was later followed up by a biography his brother wrote about how ''he'' became the Scapegoat after David was taken away. Another brother has claimed that ''A Child Called It'' is a lie and that David was taken into care for starting a fire and shoplifting.

* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: May or may not be the case. Let’s just hope it is.

* BigBad: Catherine.

* {{Jerkass}}[=/=]JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Catherine. BIG TIME.

* PoliceAreUseless: No matter how often Catherine is suspected of abuse by the school, the police always buy her lies. (Also, in ''The Lost Boy,'' David runs away from home and is taken in by the police. He tries to tell them what's happening, and they call his father...who tells them that David is a liar and just ran away because he wasn't allowed to go bike-riding. ''And the police believe it.'')

* HenpeckedHusband: Dave's father.

* {{Jerkass}}: Catherine. BIG TIME.

* KidsAreCruel: See AllOfTheOtherReindeer above. In addition, a female classmate tries to convince David to kill himself on a fieldtrip. Also applies to David's younger brother Russel, whom Catherine trains to be "her little Nazi" and delights in torturing David as well.