The Privilege of Youth. A Teenager's Story of Longing for Acceptance and Friendship

Editorial Review
From A Child Called “It” to The Lost Boy, from A Man Named Dave to Help Yourself, Dave Pelzer’s inspirational books have helped countless others triumph over hardship and misfortune. In The Privilege of Youth, he shares the missing chapter of his life: as a boy on the threshold of adulthood. With sensitivity and insight, he recounts the relentless taunting he endured from bullies; but he also describes the thrill of making his first real friends—some of whom he still shares close relationships with today. He writes about the simple pleasures of exploring his neighborhood, while trying to forget the hell waiting for him at home.

From high school to a world beyond the four walls that were his prison for so many years, The Privilege of Youth bravely and compassionately charts this crucial turning point in Dave Pelzer’s life and will inspire a whole new generation of readers.
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Customer Reviews

The Privilege of Youth book review

2007-11-30
The Privilege of Youth by Dave Pelzer,is about Dave Pelzer's life as a teenager.Dave tells in the book what he went through as a teenager.He didn't fit in with the others around him because he was different.He also got beat up a lot for that same reason, because he was different.Dave had a hard life, but later on in his teen years his life began to get easier.
The Privilege of Youth was an excellent book.I liked the book a lot because Dave got beat up a lot because he was different from the other students around him.Also he didn't know what the "slang words" meant cause he never really had the chance or enough confidence in himself to make friends to find out what those "slang words" meant.He finally found a home where he could feel comfortable and belong.He also makes two friends.Those two boys actually made him feel like he was someone and he belonged.
I recommend this book to anybody over the age of 15 or anyone who is mature and likes books by the author Dave Pelzer.

Adversity creates greater strength

2007-10-02
It was all I could do to pull through the first book, "A boy called It." I had a few restless nights--most books do not make me cry. I almost put it down, but I'm glad I made it. I went through some ordeals myself, in a large and broken family by the age of 10. Today I cannot see how so many older people who surrounded me depended on me so much when I was so young! But, some people are just caretakers. I, however, was only threatened, by my own mother, to be put in foster care, if I did not conform to her demands. Unfortunately (?), foster care never happened for me. I felt that "The Lost Boy," despite it's brief account of David's travels (320 something pages), was all we needed or were meant to know. Books, even factual ones, are meant to beguile and send the reader on their own personal travels. The Lost Boy was certainly deep enough to see David's early mistakes in foster homes--but his "mistakes" were only in the sense of innocence, lack of knowledge, and growth yet to come. David went from a completely unsafe life to short-lived comforts and insecurity. Some people, whose young lives were filled with adversity, like David's, or mine, or others, find adulthood a fulfilling and wonderful chance to mend and enhance others lives. I cannot wait to read A Man Called David, and how he came to talk about his son, Stephen, and himself, as a family. I wonder what became of Stephen's mother....

The privilege of youth

2007-03-21
This book in the Dave pelzer series talks about growing up with a mother who abused him very badly and how he was placed in foster care as a teenager.

Tear jerker

2007-01-04
Continued great story for Dave Pelzer. Must read if you have read the other books.

Help Yourself Before It's Too Late...

2005-12-29
This is not your everyday novel. This is a novel full of real-life advice that can help you prepare yourself for real-life challenges.
Dave Pelzer thought that he could help teens get through tough situations just like the ones he went through. He felt that no one deserved to be treated the way we was treated no matter how troubled the child is. He goes on to share all the tips that he discovered during his own personal experience.
The way that Dave divided this book helped me to see all the different "steps" and "parts" of the book. He divided it into three sections: Dealing with Life; Choices you make now and where they can lead you in your futute; and Personal Resolve.

Slow but helpful

2008-05-29
It took a while for me to get my order but the seller was extreamly helpful and answered all my questions very fast. Product is in great shape!! Better then described!!

Unecessary and not very good

2008-05-29
This book covers a time that was already written about in The Lost Boy. Despite my love for Dave's other books I think this was an attempt to milk out more money from his already established fans. This book does not give much more information about his life and only a few forgettable fun stories about his teenage years. Don't waste your time on this one, just read the first three.

Not his best work

2008-05-03
I have read A Child Called "It", The Lost Boy, A Man Named Dave and Help Yourself and I must say that this book was not Dave's best work. The writing did not keep me interested as his other books have. While reading this I felt like the passion just wasn't there.

Read every Dave Pelzer book

2008-04-20
Read every Dave Pelzer book he writes. He is an exceptional human being. There should be more people like him without having to go through the abuse he endured.

good book!

2008-04-19
this is a good book! i love it when dave sees that boy from the lost boy, and the boy says what you call my sister? then david says a horror? then the boy punches dave, makes his nose bleed, and says, don't you ever, ever, call my sister a whore again! read it if you like dave pelzer as much as me!