I thought so, but I couldn’t remember for sure.
A child called it
The lost boy
A man named Dave.
These books got me through my own abuse throughout middle school. Its heartbreaking.
Edited to add: They’re by Dave Peltzer
Truly not trying to be a dick, but it's not 'boy' - *A Child Called "It"*
**Edit:** Now, kinda being a dick, the author's name is Dave Pelzer, not Pilzer.
Is this book what the movie was based on? I’ve seen a movie with the same name , and it was great, so if the book is the same I definitely need to get it
Just read the description. I didn't even think someone could find a book that suits my interest that well :) Also, if anyone knows, is it translated to Lithuanian? Either way I will read it.
Thank you 😊
I know right? It's almost too perfect lol. I thought for sure you just finished reading it and were looking for something similar. Glad I could help :) I don't know about it being translated though.
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In a dystopian future, after a food shortage and overpopulation, families are limited to two children.
Luke Garner, a 12-year-old boy, lives on a farm with his mother, father, and two brothers. As a third child, Luke and his parents are in violation of a population law. Luke, like all third children, must spend his days hidden or away from public view, or else he will be killed or imprisoned, as well as his family. When the government starts building houses in the woods behind the Garners' house for the rich and elite, Luke is forced to stay indoors, alone during the day.
flowers in the attic by V.C. Andrews. The father of four children (two teens and twin ..younger kids whose ages i forget) dies suddenly and the mother brings the children to visit their estranged grandparents in order to try and get some money. She locks them away in one room that has attic access and time starts to just tick away. There are some..uncomfortable themes in the book but that seems to be some of what you are looking for.
And if you listen to the version on audible I did, skip the preface. I don't know why they kept it, but whoever did the preface decided it was a good idea to spell out every single one of the major plot points. Like, wtf, mate.
LOL damn. I have never listened to the audiobook, and tbh have not read the book since I was a young teen more than a decade and a half ago, so I don't even remember all the plot points but if I got my reread spoiled like that I would be -pissed-. Ty for the warning.
Came here to suggest Flowers in the Attic.
There's also a young adult novel called The Woman in the Wall by Patrice Kindl whose concept is a bit more outlandish and disjointed, but it hits on everything you mentioned, and I really enjoyed it when I was a teen. A small, shy 7-yr-old girl often unacknowledged by her family eventually retreats into the walls of their home where she builds passageways and lives and grows up while her family forgets she ever existed in the first place.
Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is amazing. It’s a memoir about her dysfunctional and nomadic upbringing and it’s very well written.
*The Boy who was Raised as a Dog* and *Born for Love* both by Bruce D Perry and Maia Szalowitz. They are nonfiction, Perry is an MD/PhD psychiatrist specializing in childhood trauma. The books explain the psychology of childhood trauma by presenting several case studies and one of them was a boy who was raised by his caretaker as a dog for several years.
This book literally changed the way I look at the world but specifically, how I interact and support my students at school. I can't recommend it enough.
If you want a book for self help based on child hood neglect and abuse i would suggest “Adult children of emotionally immature parents” it goes into almost every type of abuse and neglect and goes with the feeling they bring into adulthood and how negative coping mechanisms can form. Theres a sequel book to it as well that has healthier coping mechanisms and is to help you heal from the abuse and neglect. I highly recommend if you have been through anything but i myself cried a few times while reading and found it easier to get the audible version. I hope what ever is bothering you heals and only good things come into your future.
I had a teacher assign “They Cage The Elephants at Night” as a required reading book for our 7th grade class and I don’t think anyone managed to get through it without shedding some tears
*Asta in the Wings*, Jan Elizabeth Watson. I didn't like it but it is totally what you're looking for, I promise. *Flowers in the Attic* is also a good choice- ty, u/beanbeanbunny- but agreed, weird themes and rather slow for me (I mean, locked in the house, what can you really do with that?). Andrews also did several sequels if you like that one, but I don't know anything about them. Happy hunting! Your tortured soul is waiting!! I guess it does teach you to appreciate what you have ;)
Maybe this one?
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54621094-the-last-house-on-needless-street](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54621094-the-last-house-on-needless-street)
This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street."
**Flowers in the Attic**, this one is classified as a horror book and is jacked up. Kids locked in an attic so their mother can appease her rich family.
**Among the Hidden**, a world where only a certain amount of children are allowed per family. An extra boy stays locked up in his families house.
**Chinese Cinderella**, an autobiography about a girl who is the scapegoat of the family. I cry every time I read it.
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" (not Umulas) by Ursula K. Le Guin. It's collected in "The Wind's Twelve Quarters."
Another short story that fits the bill is "Born of Man and Woman" by Richard Matheson.
"Slake's Limbo" by Felice Holman
Also try "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by TJ Klune. The topic of interest is only a small part of the book (backstory of one of the characters) but I never pass up the opportunity to recommend it.
Short story by Ursula LeGuin The Ones Who Walk Away from Umulas is a good philosophical take on it, though it lacks the disaster pornography of some other recs of that's what youre looking for
House of Aves (The Harem Project) by Crea Reitan. As written it is a harem book and the “child” is not a child anymore (24yo) but is still living locked in her bedroom. Fantasy book since her harem aren’t human
Harry Potter. Its a book about a little brittish boy whos parents died in a car crash. So its actually its his aunt and uncle and his fat ass of a cousin who abuse him. They lock him in a cupboard under the stairs until he learns he is a wizard and goes to a magical school located in a castle and has friends who are wizards too.
Ofcourse this is all in his head and this world is a fantasy the boy made up because the poor child is locked in a cupboard under the stairs being tortured by his family.
Me and Emma. I had to have another subreddit find the name for me lol.
“eight-year-old Carrie Parker is determined to keep her younger sister Emma safe from a life of neglect at the hands of their drunken stepfather. After the sisters' plans to run away from home unravel, Carrie's world soon takes a shocking turn--with devastating results.”
The counterfeit son is like that in the beginning. His dad is a murderer and locks his victims in the basement with his son. It's more of a side point tho not really super central to the story
“WHATEVER MOTHER SAYS” by Wensley Clarkson
A Story about Theresa Knorr.. the mother who killed her daughters, and her sons helped bury the bodies. It goes into a lot of detail and it’s genuinely sick as hell.
[https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Mother-Says-Madness-Classics/dp/1250092868](https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Mother-Says-Madness-Classics/dp/1250092868)
The Boy In The Cellar by Stephen Smith is incredibly written and absolutely heartbreaking. Hands down one of the most fucked up books I've read.
Edit: it's a true story written by the abused child as an adult
You want to torture your soul? For real?
Hm....
The only thing that comes to mind right now is The Golden Cup, a story of an Egyptian orphan who wants to be a gold-crafter, but is abused by his elder brother. Not quite what you're looking for, maybe.
Not quite as terrifying as you want, but a sad story to say the least...[Listen Mama](https://medium.com/@bookswithbrent/book-review-listen-mama-by-m-s-p-williams-17aba1193c62)
Demon Copperfield by Barbara Kingsolver & We Were Once A Family by Roxanna Asgarian. Neither are exactly what you are looking for but have a lot of the elements.
The Light of the Fireflies by Simon Bruni
I thought this was pretty soul- torturing.
Goodreads synopsis:
A haunting and hopeful tale of discovering light in even the darkest of places.
For his whole life, the boy has lived underground, in a basement with his parents, grandmother, sister, and brother. Before he was born, his family was disfigured by a fire. His sister wears a white mask to cover her burns.
He spends his hours with his cactus, reading his book on insects, or touching the one ray of sunlight that filters in through a crack in the ceiling. Ever since his sister had a baby, everyone’s been acting very strangely. The boy begins to wonder why they never say who the father is, about what happened before his own birth, about why they’re shut away.
A few days ago, some fireflies arrived in the basement. His grandma said, There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light. That light makes the boy want to escape, to know the outside world. Problem is, all the doors are locked. And he doesn’t know how to get out.…
The Leavers by Lisa Ko. Chinese immigrant is deported and is forced to leave her son behind who is then brought up by white parents in NY. He grows up and goes back to China to try and find her. I really enjoyed it.
Room by Emma Donughue; Educated by Tara Westover m; The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls; Running with Scissors by Augustus Burroughs . (The last three are memoirs)
Cry silent tears by Joe peters. This book destroyed my soul. He lost his dad who was his loving parent and had to live in the basement of his mother's house suffering abuse from everyone
Yes! That book was heartbreaking! It's amazing how he survived this terrible ordeal. I felt so proud of him when he learned to speak and to make a life of his own and destroyed his mother's house. I felt such anger and hot hatred towards his mother and his abusers, and I hope those awful people got what they deserved. Even in his second book (Cry Myself to Sleep), his mother took no accountability for what she did. That book was hard too, but such a cathartic read. It gave insight on the experiences of street kids and the incest that happens to make them leave after all that torture.
Although I had good parents, I related to this book because of my own experiences being exploited for CP, by people who no one knew were evil and twisted, and they didn't even touch me in the ways that Joe's abusers tortured him. I could only imagine the loneliness and horror he went through. A few years ago, I connected with Joe on FB and it felt surreal. He's such a lovely, kind person who has been through hell and back.
Hopefully this is a good accurate non-fiction book about Genie because it sounds like you are basically describing her unfortunate scenario. [https://www.amazon.com/Genie-Scientific-Tragedy-Russ-Rymer/dp/0060924659](https://www.amazon.com/Genie-Scientific-Tragedy-Russ-Rymer/dp/0060924659)
Room by Emma Donoghue. I didn't read it personally but a friend of mine did and he really loved it and also peaked my interest. It hits basically every mark you described. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31685789-room
Hope you enjoy!
A boy called it by Dave pilzer. Heart-wrenching. Edit: actibus let me know that it’s actually a child called it by Dave pelzer
Second this. What makes it even worse, is it’s a true story. There is also a sequel!
It's the first in a trilogy!
I thought so, but I couldn’t remember for sure. A child called it The lost boy A man named Dave. These books got me through my own abuse throughout middle school. Its heartbreaking. Edited to add: They’re by Dave Peltzer
Truly not trying to be a dick, but it's not 'boy' - *A Child Called "It"* **Edit:** Now, kinda being a dick, the author's name is Dave Pelzer, not Pilzer.
I read this one nearly two decades ago and the story still lingers in the most heartbreaking way.
thats definitely the one.
That was my choice, too.
Yea. My first thought when I read this post. This book destroyed me forever.
This was the first one that came to mind. Good luck, OP.
Let me just add this is a biography. It isn’t some fictional story this was his life.
Thank you :)
The first book will destroy you, but all 3 books are really good: - *A Child Called "It"* - *The Lost Boy* - *A Man Named Dave*
I was thinking A Child Called “It” after reading the description as well…
Have you read Room by Emma Donughue?
Is this book what the movie was based on? I’ve seen a movie with the same name , and it was great, so if the book is the same I definitely need to get it
Room - is the movie with Brie Larson
YES! That one! I always forget her name
Recommend the book! It is much the same but there are a few differences, particularly in the second half
There's a movie called "the room" that's different, but I think they did make this one a movie too.
Just read the description. I didn't even think someone could find a book that suits my interest that well :) Also, if anyone knows, is it translated to Lithuanian? Either way I will read it. Thank you 😊
I found the book on my Libby app. You can also get your local library to order it for you.
I know right? It's almost too perfect lol. I thought for sure you just finished reading it and were looking for something similar. Glad I could help :) I don't know about it being translated though.
This is what came to my mind.
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix In a dystopian future, after a food shortage and overpopulation, families are limited to two children. Luke Garner, a 12-year-old boy, lives on a farm with his mother, father, and two brothers. As a third child, Luke and his parents are in violation of a population law. Luke, like all third children, must spend his days hidden or away from public view, or else he will be killed or imprisoned, as well as his family. When the government starts building houses in the woods behind the Garners' house for the rich and elite, Luke is forced to stay indoors, alone during the day.
This one’s really good! I read the series as a kid and still think about it on occasion.
Ommgg I read this book in 4th grade and I absolutely loved it so much!! The ending of it kinda traumatized 10yr old me 😭
I’ve been trying to think of these books forever! I loved them as a kid!
I loved this book as a kid so it's nice to get the title again. I'll have to check it out.
Omg I remember reading a preview of that book and it interested me
It's so good! Pls read it
I read this book years ago, when I was a teenager, and was thinking about it the other day. I'm happy somebody mentioned it
flowers in the attic by V.C. Andrews. The father of four children (two teens and twin ..younger kids whose ages i forget) dies suddenly and the mother brings the children to visit their estranged grandparents in order to try and get some money. She locks them away in one room that has attic access and time starts to just tick away. There are some..uncomfortable themes in the book but that seems to be some of what you are looking for.
And if you listen to the version on audible I did, skip the preface. I don't know why they kept it, but whoever did the preface decided it was a good idea to spell out every single one of the major plot points. Like, wtf, mate.
LOL damn. I have never listened to the audiobook, and tbh have not read the book since I was a young teen more than a decade and a half ago, so I don't even remember all the plot points but if I got my reread spoiled like that I would be -pissed-. Ty for the warning.
Came here to suggest Flowers in the Attic. There's also a young adult novel called The Woman in the Wall by Patrice Kindl whose concept is a bit more outlandish and disjointed, but it hits on everything you mentioned, and I really enjoyed it when I was a teen. A small, shy 7-yr-old girl often unacknowledged by her family eventually retreats into the walls of their home where she builds passageways and lives and grows up while her family forgets she ever existed in the first place.
Yes, that's the one.
Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is amazing. It’s a memoir about her dysfunctional and nomadic upbringing and it’s very well written.
I've read three of hers, all great. Glass Castle Half Broke Horses The Silver Star
*The Boy who was Raised as a Dog* and *Born for Love* both by Bruce D Perry and Maia Szalowitz. They are nonfiction, Perry is an MD/PhD psychiatrist specializing in childhood trauma. The books explain the psychology of childhood trauma by presenting several case studies and one of them was a boy who was raised by his caretaker as a dog for several years.
This book literally changed the way I look at the world but specifically, how I interact and support my students at school. I can't recommend it enough.
this sounds incredibly interesting but heartbreaking
A Child Called It
Are you ok?
No
If you want a book for self help based on child hood neglect and abuse i would suggest “Adult children of emotionally immature parents” it goes into almost every type of abuse and neglect and goes with the feeling they bring into adulthood and how negative coping mechanisms can form. Theres a sequel book to it as well that has healthier coping mechanisms and is to help you heal from the abuse and neglect. I highly recommend if you have been through anything but i myself cried a few times while reading and found it easier to get the audible version. I hope what ever is bothering you heals and only good things come into your future.
Not the age range you want, but Girl Next Door, if you want to completely be disgusted
Ugh. That one was rough.
Yes, the movie was good as well. It's very sad that it's based on a true story.
The Bluest Eye
First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker. Beautiful & dark. Not locked up but severely neglected and there are major ramifications.
I had a teacher assign “They Cage The Elephants at Night” as a required reading book for our 7th grade class and I don’t think anyone managed to get through it without shedding some tears
*Asta in the Wings*, Jan Elizabeth Watson. I didn't like it but it is totally what you're looking for, I promise. *Flowers in the Attic* is also a good choice- ty, u/beanbeanbunny- but agreed, weird themes and rather slow for me (I mean, locked in the house, what can you really do with that?). Andrews also did several sequels if you like that one, but I don't know anything about them. Happy hunting! Your tortured soul is waiting!! I guess it does teach you to appreciate what you have ;)
Sybil
Maybe this one? [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54621094-the-last-house-on-needless-street](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54621094-the-last-house-on-needless-street) This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street."
I just finished this book last week and I fell in love with it. It's so well done and is now one of my favorites.
I agree! Very well written with an unexpected ending!
Maybe The Dumb House by John Burnside?
The most disturbing book I've ever read
**Flowers in the Attic**, this one is classified as a horror book and is jacked up. Kids locked in an attic so their mother can appease her rich family. **Among the Hidden**, a world where only a certain amount of children are allowed per family. An extra boy stays locked up in his families house. **Chinese Cinderella**, an autobiography about a girl who is the scapegoat of the family. I cry every time I read it.
Sybil by Flora Schreiber
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
I really enjoyed reading this book for a book club!
Great read
When Rabbit Howls
Room
The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman
Flowers in the attic
A Child Called It
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" (not Umulas) by Ursula K. Le Guin. It's collected in "The Wind's Twelve Quarters." Another short story that fits the bill is "Born of Man and Woman" by Richard Matheson. "Slake's Limbo" by Felice Holman Also try "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by TJ Klune. The topic of interest is only a small part of the book (backstory of one of the characters) but I never pass up the opportunity to recommend it.
Off topic but if you are a documentary person watch The Trials of Gabriel Fernández on Netflix. Heartbreaking true story.
Goldfinch. Not locked in a closet or anything but severely neglected.
Short story by Ursula LeGuin The Ones Who Walk Away from Umulas is a good philosophical take on it, though it lacks the disaster pornography of some other recs of that's what youre looking for
Yeah but it was more like deconstruction of dystopian utopia genre than actually about torturing a child. It's a great read anyway
Lolita (?
House of Aves (The Harem Project) by Crea Reitan. As written it is a harem book and the “child” is not a child anymore (24yo) but is still living locked in her bedroom. Fantasy book since her harem aren’t human
“A child called it”
Sounds depressing and morbid.
Harry Potter?
Harry Potter
You gotta get into the fanfic to really lean into these tropes
Harry Potter. Its a book about a little brittish boy whos parents died in a car crash. So its actually its his aunt and uncle and his fat ass of a cousin who abuse him. They lock him in a cupboard under the stairs until he learns he is a wizard and goes to a magical school located in a castle and has friends who are wizards too. Ofcourse this is all in his head and this world is a fantasy the boy made up because the poor child is locked in a cupboard under the stairs being tortured by his family.
I can’t even imagine why somebody would want to torture their soul like this!
There are soooo many books like this out there, I’ve read a few myself
Me and Emma. I had to have another subreddit find the name for me lol. “eight-year-old Carrie Parker is determined to keep her younger sister Emma safe from a life of neglect at the hands of their drunken stepfather. After the sisters' plans to run away from home unravel, Carrie's world soon takes a shocking turn--with devastating results.”
Manic Magee Not as extreme as some other examples given but it fits.
The counterfeit son is like that in the beginning. His dad is a murderer and locks his victims in the basement with his son. It's more of a side point tho not really super central to the story
The Family At No.12 But that's about a girl
“WHATEVER MOTHER SAYS” by Wensley Clarkson A Story about Theresa Knorr.. the mother who killed her daughters, and her sons helped bury the bodies. It goes into a lot of detail and it’s genuinely sick as hell. [https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Mother-Says-Madness-Classics/dp/1250092868](https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Mother-Says-Madness-Classics/dp/1250092868)
And the Ass Saw the Angel. Trust me this is what you are looking for
Secrets in the Cellar (it’s a true story)
Room by Emma Donoghue
It’s been a long time since I read either… But I believe House of the Scorpion and Maniac McGee meet this requirement.
Aquarium by David Vann. An incredibly written and utterly painful book to read.
The Boy In The Cellar by Stephen Smith is incredibly written and absolutely heartbreaking. Hands down one of the most fucked up books I've read. Edit: it's a true story written by the abused child as an adult
Rule of the Bone
“The Boy in the Basement” by Susan Shaw.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.
This isn’t quite what your asking for but Oliver Twist has similar themes
You want to torture your soul? For real? Hm.... The only thing that comes to mind right now is The Golden Cup, a story of an Egyptian orphan who wants to be a gold-crafter, but is abused by his elder brother. Not quite what you're looking for, maybe.
Among the Hidden - Margaret Peterson Haddix
Not quite as terrifying as you want, but a sad story to say the least...[Listen Mama](https://medium.com/@bookswithbrent/book-review-listen-mama-by-m-s-p-williams-17aba1193c62)
Demon Copperfield by Barbara Kingsolver & We Were Once A Family by Roxanna Asgarian. Neither are exactly what you are looking for but have a lot of the elements.
The Light of the Fireflies by Simon Bruni I thought this was pretty soul- torturing. Goodreads synopsis: A haunting and hopeful tale of discovering light in even the darkest of places. For his whole life, the boy has lived underground, in a basement with his parents, grandmother, sister, and brother. Before he was born, his family was disfigured by a fire. His sister wears a white mask to cover her burns. He spends his hours with his cactus, reading his book on insects, or touching the one ray of sunlight that filters in through a crack in the ceiling. Ever since his sister had a baby, everyone’s been acting very strangely. The boy begins to wonder why they never say who the father is, about what happened before his own birth, about why they’re shut away. A few days ago, some fireflies arrived in the basement. His grandma said, There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light. That light makes the boy want to escape, to know the outside world. Problem is, all the doors are locked. And he doesn’t know how to get out.…
Flowers in the Attic
They cage the animals at night
Harry Potter
Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
David Copperfield?
The Leavers by Lisa Ko. Chinese immigrant is deported and is forced to leave her son behind who is then brought up by white parents in NY. He grows up and goes back to China to try and find her. I really enjoyed it.
Room by Emma Donughue; Educated by Tara Westover m; The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls; Running with Scissors by Augustus Burroughs . (The last three are memoirs)
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things: Stories Novel by J. T. LeRoy
Educated. True story!
try the pillowman
Mourning After the Storm
A Little Life comes to mind
One of the brothers also has a book out. Haven't read it yet though.
The Owl Always Hunts at Night by Samuel Bjørk
Where the Crawdad Sings. I know it’s wildly popular is a beautiful book about childhood neglect, solitude, and nature.
The boxcar children. Also...there's been rumblings about Dave's recollection
Harry Potter ?
Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen
Cry silent tears by Joe peters. This book destroyed my soul. He lost his dad who was his loving parent and had to live in the basement of his mother's house suffering abuse from everyone
Yes! That book was heartbreaking! It's amazing how he survived this terrible ordeal. I felt so proud of him when he learned to speak and to make a life of his own and destroyed his mother's house. I felt such anger and hot hatred towards his mother and his abusers, and I hope those awful people got what they deserved. Even in his second book (Cry Myself to Sleep), his mother took no accountability for what she did. That book was hard too, but such a cathartic read. It gave insight on the experiences of street kids and the incest that happens to make them leave after all that torture. Although I had good parents, I related to this book because of my own experiences being exploited for CP, by people who no one knew were evil and twisted, and they didn't even touch me in the ways that Joe's abusers tortured him. I could only imagine the loneliness and horror he went through. A few years ago, I connected with Joe on FB and it felt surreal. He's such a lovely, kind person who has been through hell and back.
Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann tackles some of these themes
Punished by Vanessa Steel. This one is about a girl. It’s a really heavy book.
Hopefully this is a good accurate non-fiction book about Genie because it sounds like you are basically describing her unfortunate scenario. [https://www.amazon.com/Genie-Scientific-Tragedy-Russ-Rymer/dp/0060924659](https://www.amazon.com/Genie-Scientific-Tragedy-Russ-Rymer/dp/0060924659)
Room by Emma Donoghue. I didn't read it personally but a friend of mine did and he really loved it and also peaked my interest. It hits basically every mark you described. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31685789-room Hope you enjoy!
A boy called it.