Copy-Cat

i think that though it is a very touching book. this guy only wanted some of the "spotlight". his book is amazingly similar to dave's and he waited a long time before he had his published. if anything he simply re-wrote dave's story to fit him. i think its not very truthful and someone just wanted some attention.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Worth reading

Echos of David's book but from a different time (post David).

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A Web Of Lies

Richard waited about 30 years after his brother's book to write this. Many of the things aren't true according to David's stories and despite the fact that there is a quote from David on the front, I don't believe it because David said he never talked to any of his brothers after the death of his mother and she died in the late 80s, early 90s and this book was published in 2005.

Although it is heart wrenching and sad, it resembles David's story all too much and I don't think that he should have waited this long if it were real.

David's books triumph this book any day and I believe Richard made the whole thing up for money.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

poorly written

although this has potential to be an interesting story, it is very poorly written. the guy is obviously not a professional writer. he also contradicts himself a lot, several times quite obvious mistakes that you would think one of the editors would've caught.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Mixed Feelings

I have mixed feelings about this book.

First off, it's a very sad story in itself. No child deserves to go through any type of abuse, EVER. He had to endure years of physical and mental abuse.

I can't imagine how he must have felt, and I know it's wrong to compare his abuse to his brother's abuse, because any abuse is bad. However, I feel like his perspective on his abuse is off (but who am I to judge?)

He says over and over in his book that he was just like his older brother David, his replacement, and this sort of ticks me off. He has a warm bed to sleep in. He gets fed. He's allowed to bathe and to play outside. He's got it good compared to what his brother went through. I know his life still sucked and that it was WRONG of his mother to treat him this way, but still...I don't think he was David's replacement. If he was, he would have gotten it way worse.

I do sort of feel as if he is trying to piggyback off his brother's success a little bit, by making his story seem to be a continuation of his brother's, when it is entirely different. The way he writes his story just confuses me...his words MAKE me compare him to his brother, because he keeps saying he's his replacement, but there really is no comparison because they are way different. He changes his story a bit here and there too, and it's real frustrating to read.

I'm glad he got out alive though, just like his brother..

I kind of think I would have liked this book more if it talked about David a little bit more and some of the things he and his brother saw/heard.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

"A Bother's Journey Surviving a Childhood of Abuse" is

"A Bother's Journey Surviving a Childhood of Abuse" is a sad story of a boy named Richard suffering a childhood of abuse. After David from "A Child Called It" left Richard replaced him and was tortured for several years bu his mother. Before David was taken away Richard acted like mother's "little Nazi." When David left Richard was terrified he was going to take his place but deep down inside he knew it was going to happen and he couldn't do anything about it. Richard spent most of his time avoiding his mother's beating while studying her every move from afar. Richard wanted an upper hand. He came to the conclusion that his mother suffered from a mental disorder and the drinking just made it worst. Mother always found a way to discourage Richard's hope and it worked. Richard felt alone in the world without anyone to help him. Richard's father, David and his older brother Ross had abandon him. He slowly began to loss hope and hated everyone. Everyone knew what was happening to him but no one did anything to help. Soon after Richard discovered that he was never going to win this war between his mother he committed suicide. All he ever wanted was for his mother to live him but that was never going to happen.

A great follow-up to Dave Pelzer's books!

As I read Dave Pelzer's books, I often wondered what his brothers were up to and whether they were also abused by their mother. Richard Pelzer's book is honest and emotional. He does not hold back and shares with the reader his most shameful thoughts.

Some nerve!

The abuse that Richard went through wasn't even a quarter to what his brother David went through, he deserved it for participating. He has some nerve to use his brother's story and try to make it look like his was equal! He was a part of the abuse. I ONLY feel bad for David. As far as I'm concerned, the money from this book should ALL go to David. Richard deserves nothing. Also, I hope that every single person who participated in the abuse or knew about David's abuse but ignored it, including the dad and brothers, should all be beaten and sent to hell.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

very good read!!

I loved the story. It is so sad and breaks your heart but is so well written. I have read all his brothers books "A child called it" and so on. Its really nice to get another look at thier lives from another point of view. A must read if you have ever read A child called it. 4 thumbs up!!

Incredible book

Sad, but a very great read shows you how much courage everyone has to overcome large obsticles

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Outstanding Book

This book was amazing. The courage that it took to write a book like this and to relive all the horrid moments in his life is a feat in itself. So in depth you could almost picture what he went through. Hard to put this book down. I applaud Richard for the courage and strength that it took to write this book but moreso the courage and strength it took for what he lived. I cried for all that he endured.

Great book

I personally like this book, the detail is so well put, and I couldn't and didn't want to put the book down, each chapter kept me on the edge of my seat.

A must Read

This book was written from the brother of the author David Pelzer "Child Called it" and the book carries on from where things were left when David was taken away from the house. Davids brothers is the next to get "mothers" wrath. It is almost unbelieveable what these boys went through and barely survived. Very good series of books!!

More then good.

This book was a really good book. I found that it was better then ALL of Dave Pelzers books. This had a better point-of-view and more details. I found that it was crude what the mother did to her child but I bet it made him feel to good to give his side of the story.

Insightful and heart-wretching

I've read Dave Pelzer's memoirs so I was avid to read the memoirs of his younger brother. I read an editorial review that said that the story was horrific like a Stephen King novel. I don't know if I would go that far with the abusive accounts. If anything was horrific it was the abuse Dave Pelzer recieved by his mother. Besides that trivial point, they story was heart-wretching. Reading how Richard was beaten until he was unconscious was hard to read. I work in the social service field and I like reading memoirs like these because they give insight into the feelings and thought processes of the victims experiencing the abuse. Richard's memoir was very insightful into the mind of an abused child and I appreciate him taking the courage to write it down.

Intense

Richard is an inspiring person and I find it very brave for both brother's to face their demons head on and share their story with the world. This book is a little different than the first....this brother fights back, deals with feelings of guilt. I can relate more with him. I recommend it.

A reviewer

A Brother¿s Journey, written by Richard B. Pelzer, the brother of Dave Pelzer who wrote the book A Child Called ¿IT¿. It was written in New York, Boston and printed in the United States of America, January 2005. Overall the book is worth reading because who would have ever thought a mother would treat her children like some type of animal and get away with it. You¿re always going to have your ups and downs with your family, if you look on the bright side and stay positive you¿ll make it through and come out as a stronger person. A Brother¿s Journey is a book based on Richard life from a young child to a teenager. In every detail he describes his life and what his mom put him through, hell. He remembers being his mom Nazi when David 'his brother' was in the house, ¿In order to stay where I was, I had to keep him down¿ '19'. And how he always used to get him in trouble and make up lies so he wouldn¿t get hit or beaten half to death. When their mother made David perform terrible activities or punishments, Robert was the first one to laugh and made sure it was always David and never him. ¿As long as David was still around, I felt almost safe, knowing that Mom would much rather beat him senseless or abuse David than me.¿ '17'. When David left the horrid house his Mom had a new target, Robert. She would make sure Robert was embarrass when he went to school and felt lower than what he was, and she did a good job of doing so. She made him wear the same two outfits every year even if they had the smell of blood, urine or throw up on it. He was allowed to eat after his brother Keith was finish. Here¿s the catch, she¿ll take both of their plates away when his brother was done so he only had a couple of seconds to eat and get full. Robert lived a life how a child should not have been brought up. Beaten half to death, smelly, getting severe punishments over little things, staying up late in fear because of his mom, sleeping with his eyes open, punched and kicked all over his body, getting his face slammed on the concrete ¿¿she grabbed the hair on the front of my head and shoved my head into the concrete¿ the sound of the bone hitting cement rings in my mind, even till this day¿I could taste the metal fillings in my teeth and salt.. I could tell that my hair was wet with blood¿ '200-201', is an example of what he went through on a day to day bases living with his mom. Even through all this trouble and being mistreated by his ¿mother¿ he found happiness ¿A place where his immortal father lives, a place known as heaven, a place called home¿ '262'. Throughout the book Robert apologies for the way he treated David, but the way he was raised forced him to mistreat his sibling so it wasn¿t totally his fault. I like the book because Robert doesn¿t leave out any details about his past life. Even though he¿s ashamed of it, he wants the world to know and in his heart he wants his brother to forgive him. There¿s so many details you need to know about the Pelzer brothers and by reading A Brother¿s Journey will give you a better understanding of how harsh their life really was. So take the journey with Robert and I can assure you it will be an experience you¿ll never forget.

Is he guilty forever??

This is a very good book, a truly personal account. However, I do hope there is a follow-up. The ending is a bit cliff hanger-ish and you have to wonder how he got where he is now. I am definitely getting the books about Dave, his brother. I do not have children but have had to let go of a friend whose parenting style bordered on abuse. You can't talk to those types of people because she kept throwing in my face that I do not have children, so I wouldn't know how to raise them.

amazing book...sad story line, though

This was an amazing book, probably one of the best memoirs. It's about a boy named Richard, and his mother abused his brother. Until one day the social services took his brother away, leaving him with his mom. He had three other brothers but his mom never hurt them. His mother started to abuse him, treating him as bad as she treated David. At the age of 8, he was taught to fear and run away from his mom. He was given food only when she wanted to give it to him. She beat him to an inch of his life. Richards¿s friends ignored what went on in their friend¿s home life. Sometimes they got to see their friend beaten, but just blocked out the horrible images. You must read the book to find out how is deals with it, and how he gets out, or stays in.

A harsh reality

This book was about child abuse. It consisted o a family of five boys. Each of the boys held a certain position to their mother. David,at the beginning of the book was not even considered family. He recieved all the abuse.Richard,at the beginning was known as her 'little Nazi.' Ross was the 'handsome one' and Scott was the 'man of the house.' Keith was the baby. There appointed roles began to switch when David was removed from the house and Richard became her target of abuse. Richard was now in David's posititton, not considered part of the family. There are no clues of where the father is and the book mentions that the grandma is kept out of family events. She is also not allowed to have any visits alone with the boys. The authorities try to step in a few times, but the boys are brainwashed into not telling what really is going on.