A few years ago, I was very surprised when a few of my eighth graders listed A Child Called "It" (1995) by Dave Pelzer as their favorite book read independently from the previous year. They highly recommended that I read it, too, but when I found out about its subject matter--parental child abuse--I was in no rush to add it to my "To Read" pile.Last January, I came across the Kindle Edition to Sarah Burleton's Why Me? (2010) and purchased it for $2.99. Up until last month, I avoided reading the book because of its subject matter. When I realized that it was under 120 pages, I decided to read it to remain somewhat on track with CBR8 goals.
As a story of abuse, the book fulfills its purpose, for Burleton chronicles a few of the more extreme cases of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of her mother while her step-father stood by. As a story meant to inspire other survivors, I'm not sure that goal was accomplished. This is because Burleton's escape came about when she befriended an older man (in his 20's) who she eventually moves in with when she's 16. The system did not help her.
While Why Me? is a harrowing retelling of Sarah Burleton's mother's abuse, the snapshot structure lacked a narrative thread that would allow for emotionality on the part of the reader. As is, I felt like a voyeur--a powerless one--who stood aghast but still engrossed.
The memoir lacked depth, but I can appreciate it for what it really is: Burleton needed to exorcise her past by cementing her experiences in writing. As such, from reading her memoir, I'm happy to know that she escaped, survived, found happiness, and is able to lead a productive life. However, her recounting of how all those things came about offers others in similar situation no concrete strategies or sources of hope other than to wish for some good luck and a savior.
This is a CBR8 crossposted review.
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