The Privilege of Youth [Paperback]

After reading `A Child Called "It"', `The Lost Boy', and `A Man Named Dave', I felt almost as if I knew Dave Pelzer personally. That may seem strange, but after surviving an abusive childhood, I understand his way of thinking, his past insecurities, his need to prove himself, and his willingness to give of himself but being held back by the fear of being rejected. Now, after reading `The Privilege of Youth', which should be read after `The Lost Boy' as something akin to a missing chapter that was significant to Dave's development from a `Lost Boy' to `A Man Named Dave', I still feel the exact same way I felt after completing `A Man Named Dave'. Although `The Privilege of Youth' can be described as a 229 page missing chapter to `The Lost Boy`, that doesn't mean that it's not a completed work on its own.

The first chapter begins just as the previous three books, with a memory from Dave's past. This memory is about how Dave heard about the death of the man who Dave considered to be the father he never had, Dan Brazell. The rest of the chapter is dedicated to Dave's memory of the last time he saw Dan.

From the first chapter on, the book continues with Dave recounting the reckless moments of his life, the emotional and revealing conversations he had with his two best friends during his teenage years, and the countless hours he spent slaving away so that when he had to leave foster care at eighteen, he would have enough money to make it in the world. Although Dave supplied a great deal of information about his adventures in Duinsmoore in `The Lost Boy', we get to know even more about them in this instalment in the series. We also get to know more about the people that had such significant and lasting impressions on Dave, such as David Howard, Paul Brazell, the Marshes, the Howards, and the Brazells. What stood out to me most about this book were the conversations Dave had with Dan Brazell and Michael Marsh (Sarge) about his future (these might be described more appropriately as lectures). The conversations Dave had with his friends, David and Paul stood out to me as well.

As usual, after the epilogue, the book ends with Dave's touching acknowledgements to those that made the creation of the book possible and the time he spent working on it worthwhile. Then there are three pieces written by David Howard, Michael Marsh, and Mrs. Howard on the subject of Duinsmoore and the effect Dave had on the neighbourhood and the people who lived there. The book also includes the standard, but always interesting, Keynotes and About the Author pages.

This book is written in a way to inspire, amuse, inform, and help the reader heal, no matter what sort of hardships they have faced in their lives. I highly recommend it to anyone who was in the foster care system, had a traumatic past, has read Dave Pelzer's previous books, and/or needs a little guidance to get them through the present. I also recommend it, and the three preceding books in the series, to anyone who is looking to give someone a gift.

Dave Pelzer has been a role model for survival, overcoming seemingly impossible odds, and has grown into a sensitive, inspiring, insightful, respectable, and loving man who deserves all the happiness in the world for his generosity, compassion and courage. Dave Pelzer's books should be required reading for every single human being. If you haven't yet read one of his books, there's no reason not to and you could never possibly regret doing so. As it says on the Keynotes page at the end of the book, "Dave is a living testament of resilience, faith in humanity, and personal responsibility." He's truly one of the most remarkable human beings who has been brave enough to share his story with the world.

I think that this book; The Privilege of Youth, is a very good book. i dont recomend people who are depressed to read this book. it took me 3 hours to read this book, as it did David Pelzer's other books, i have not yet read Help Yourself, but i will soon be buying it to read. i hope that people who think it is cool to abuse their children and to hurt people physicaly and mentally, read these books that David Pelzer wrote. it will give them an insite on what they are actually doing to their children. i think that it is completly sick how someone could do such horrible things to someone so young and helpless. i my self was also physicaly and verblly abused throughout my younger years and i am not even a full adult yet, i am 17 yrs old, and i still am abused. The Privilege of Youth is a good book to read. when i was reading it, i related to my self in school. when he was beat up and tortured, i didnt think about myself, but about wanting to belong and wanting to have friends that liked you for who he was, i thought of myself. i only wanted friends that liked me for me, but i never got them. Over all, i think that this book is a very good book to read. David Pelzer inspires all who read his books.

This is by far simply one of the most compelling books I have read to date. As are all of the David pelzer series of stories he has written that deals with abuse. I also want to mention a couple of other must read books along with Mr. Pelzers books. BEAUTY FOR ASHES and NIGHTMARES ECHO. Not only will you gain and understand of what the child/teen goes through, but it will make you more aware of what is going on around us.