Throughout this story I felt every bit of fear that little David Pelzer experienced as a young child. As he faced daily “games” created by his mother, after which he was lucky to be alive. The wonderful life, with his very happy parents, he once knew was suddenly gone, and he had nowhere to run. As David cleaned the dishes, bathrooms, “Mother’s house”, and did all of his other chores, as fast as he could, he hoped that just maybe he might get tiny scraps of food. But even young David knew this was a hopeless thought. He was targeted not only by his mother but also by school children and bullies, and this is exactly what him mom wanted. So that he couldn't even find peace at school. She tried so hard to humiliate him in every way that she could think of, abused him, and told him that he was a “bad boy”, so much that he started to believe it. Later on in the book, she didn't even have the will power to call Dave a “bad boy” but and “It” instead. His father didn't offer much help either, as he stood aside and watched his son nearly reach his own death at the age of six, on several different occasions. And then the “games” his mother kept playing with him got harder and harder to live through, as he got older and older. Dave wanted so badly to be loved and cared for by somebody, that simply the thought of being in a family that loved him, kept him alive through many of the “games.” He wished that everything could just go back to the way it used to be when they were a happy family and went on vacations every summer break. But as soon as his father had left his mother, brothers, and himself, the simple words, “You re all mine now, and you father can’t save you,” made Dave realize that things would never be the same again. This was truly a touching story and makes you realize how grateful we should all be for everything we have and the wonderful life we get to live each and every day.