A Child Called 'It' by Dave Pelzer by Darren Sant

What can I say about this book? Anyone that knows me well would perhaps describe me as a "sentimental bugger". I am therefore surprised that I did not cry buckets of tears after every page of this book. A Child Called 'It' is the first in a trilogy of books. The books are the memoirs of Dave Pelzer. This first book covers Dave's life from ages 4 to 12. To say this book is gripping is an understatement. It would like saying Hitler was "not a nice guy" or the music of the Cheeky Girls "is a bit naff". I read the book in a day. I did not put it down, I did not pass go and I certainly didn't collect £200. I ignored family, friends, felines and Freudians as I immersed myself, temporarily, into Dave's private hell.

His memoir tells of how his Mother beat him, humiliated him and starved him. Written from the point of view of David as a child it is a compelling read. Imagine if you were treated like a slave. If you were scared every minute of every day. Imagine if you had to steal food just to survive. This was Dave's life up until the age of 12. He describes his emotions and feelings frankly and without any form of glamour or pretension. Despite the horrible things that were done to David I did not find this book depressing. This is a tale of hope. This shows some of the worst aspect of humanity but also give hope.

There are good people out there who will risk all to help others. What do I have to do go out and buy it for you? What are you waiting for? It took immense courage for Dave to tell his story, go on and read it you know you want to. If you are the victim of any kind of abuse you can talk in confidence to: www.samaritans.org.uk www.nspcc.org.uk/html/home/home.htm

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	By Nick Quantrill Being a bit of sucker for crime fiction, and more pertinently, hard-boiled private investigator stories, I picked up this book purely on the basis it fulfilled the above criteria and is set in Hull. Upon further investigation it turns out this is the first part of a trilogy set on the mean streets of Hull by Booker Prize nominated Robert Edric. Read more...

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Music Reviews - Sidewinder Saturday 27th September, Silhouette Club by Albert Dukes.
	Where many local bands are poor copies of national trends, Sidewinder don't fit neatly to a single comparison, unlike say, The Paddingtons, who clearly want to BE the Libertines (sort it out lads, it's like a tribute) and Turismo, who want to be The Coral, Favours, who want to be the Yeah, Yeah Yeahs (admittedly with a bass player). Sidewinder sound like everything and nothing. Read more...