I read this book for the first time, as a child, maybe around 12 years old, and it traumatized me. I was definitely too young to read it, and if I'm honest, I have no idea why I wanted to read it at that age. I did, however, decide to re-read it yesterday after a conversation about child abuse and how its viewed in society.

This book is definitely hard to read, but that's not because of the writing but the story we're following, and that's the point. It's supposed to be hard to read about; it's supposed to shock you with the sheer abuse that boy went through. This is a must-read for everyone; the story makes you evaluate your own life and see it differently.

I can't believe some of the reviews on here saying that "it's obviously fiction" or that it's "fake." That is why people are afraid to come out with their story of abuse and suffer silently. The story follows a kid from 4 - 12 years old. Of course, his memory of these events might be a little skewed or some details incorrect, but that's just how our memory works.

The bottom line is, this is a must-read.