This was an enjoyable read but wasn't my favorite. The characters were good and I thought the struggle that Arthur faced was well written.

This was such as heartbreaking read. Who wants to believe that such betrayal can go on behind closed doors in what should be the safe, secure and loving family unit. The abuse and hardship he experiences at home at the hands of his father, his caregiver, the person who is trusted with his care and protection leads to his life entering a vicious circle of negativity. Abuse at home lessens the value he places on himself, which filters out then into his street persona. His desire to be accepted means he'll stop at nothing in order to assimilate and gain popularity, some street cred. This has further adverse effects however when he returns home to his father's clutches after run ins with the law. His mother tried but wasn't effective in defending her poor child, such was the hold her husband had over them both. Stoffel did a good job of detailing some of the hardships that Arthur endured at the hands of his father, if not a little repetitive at times. Such beatings were repetitive I'm sure though, otherwise the need for this story would not have come to light. I was left in limbo as it only covered a small portion of Arthur's life though and I hope that there'll be a second instalment, but based on the ending and the title I suspect there will be.

This book was written with so much understanding for abused children. Arthur is cruelly abused by the one person he should be able to trust, his father. It really shows how the kids have to live with split personalities- one life hiding the abuse and acting like life was normal then there is the side that is his"normal". As Arthur struggles to survive the life he was given he was an outcast everywhere except for the dog he meets Rex. Arthur will steal your heart.

Such a sad and lonely boy with an abusive father. This book is dark and traumatizing however it is beautifully written and it makes me really feel for the young lad

This book started really strong and was a page turner at the beginning. However, I feel the author lost his way and just found a number of scenarios to justify Arthur’s beatings. The book lacked structure and was repetitive. I was hoping to see how this family, father and awful beatings affected the boy, the teenager, the man. Near the end there was a reference to August’s mother and his relationship with her. Would history repeat itself with Arthur or did he have the wherewithal to change his future?

BOOK REVIEW
Rather than being graphic, the author allows for your imagination to understand what is happening when Arthur is subject to his horrific beatings from his father. I found this meant it was in one way easier to read. It’s a very sad tragic story of an innocent young boy who gives up on being good and instead is drawn into a potentially very dangerous teenage world whilst still an exceptionally young child. I found his strength in dealing with his abuse admirable and it read well. I was however, (I have to say), incredibly disappointed after following him on his journey for 6 years that the story suddenly ended! I checked I hadn’t missed any pages at the end but no that wasn’t the case and it dawned on me that in the space of a few paragraphs that was it. I’m hoping there is a second book, which the title of this one maybe alluding too?!

The author wrote a realistic novel about the two lives many abused children live. Arthur is abused at home by his father and his mom attempts to keep him from suffering some beatings by hiding things from the father. This book covers Arthur’s life up to age 11, so I am curious as to what the author comes up with for Arthur in his teen and adult years. This is unfortunately how life is for many abused children, so it is an emotional read.

This story stole my life for a day as I read on and on and on. I immediately became immersed in the life of Arthur.. Walter Stoffel, the author, has penned a novel about a young boy’s life that reads as a work of non-fiction. I am hoping for a sequel as I want to know how Arthur’s life progresses.
Young Arthur Berndt is finding ways to survive his turbulent childhood but it seems at every turn the odds are stacked against him. Arthur’s father has a violent and unpredictable temper. His sanctuary is school where he excels academically. He does gets into trouble in the attempt to gain acceptance at any cost. As a teacher, I have witnessed this scenario first hand. Arthur finds himself drawn to older boys who cause him to have a police record at a very young age resulting in a reputation in the community as hoodlum and troublemaker. Every day of Arthur’s life is plagued by his father and mortal enemy—August Berndt. He is a cruel and abusive man. Arthur thinking that his peers probably live a life like his, keeps his fears to himself. He spends as much time away from his house as possible, but if not home by 5:00 the result is a severe and painful beating. On the street he becomes a follower in his desperate effort to be accepted by someone, well anyone. Arthur is alienated in his own neighborhood. Only a beloved dog named Rex for companionship. Prepare to be captivated by Arthur, the epitome of the human struggle to survive.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I mostly read nonfiction books about child abuse but occasionally I will pick up a fiction novel about it. While this one started out holding my interest, I started losing interest around the middle of the book as events seemed somewhat repetitive. There seemed to be some filler information that was not really pertinent to the rest of the storyline. Overall, this was a pretty good book that really made me feel for Arthur and his quest to fit in and make some good friends.

Arthur is a young boy in a dysfunctional family where the father continuously beats him for wetting the bed and other reasons. The Beginning follows Arthur from 4 to 11 years old. Arthur consistently associates with older troubled children who get him in trouble. At first I found it unbelievable that he hung out around these older children one after the other. I figured no one could be that unlucky. However because his family situation was so bad he didn’t have the opportunity to associate with children his own age. As he got a reputation as a troublemaker those individuals who could have been his friends were not allowed to by their parents. Arthur finds solace in the woods surrounding his residence and with his dog Rex. There are two older sisters and his mother in the family. It appears that the three of them are only abused verbally. The mother doesn’t stop the beatings but occasionally keeps things from the father so he doesn’t get beaten. The father is a hard working, hard drinking angry man who also was raised in a dysfunctional family. The mother married him to get away from her family, so both parents come with baggage. Arthur craves acceptance, appreciation, and to be loved which he is not getting from his family members. So he seeks it elsewhere and unfortunately thinks he is getting it from people who are likewise damaged. He is on his way to becoming a juvenile delinquent. Hopefully in the next book someone “saves” him.

Despite its grim undercurrent of familial abuse, I really enjoyed reading this little book.
The writer skilfully demonstrates how nurture over nature can influence the way a young child develops and behaves, the pity of the story being, that what is so obvious to the reader, is completely lost on the oblivious father, that August himself, is the fundamental root of Arthur’s problems. Despite his issues, Arthur is a likable young chap and the reader is cheered by his attempts to overcome adversity in the only way he knows. Set in 1950’s America, the story exudes the naive charm of a simpler time, though Arthur’s struggle and his father’s behaviour seem far more accepted than they ever would be today.
The story ends a little abruptly and I’m hoping from the title that this might be the first part in a series as I’d love to read more and fully intend to check out other works by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Author and the Publisher for this ARC.

This fictional tale follows the early childhood of Arthur who has a very difficult home life and seems to always be on the wrong side of the law, with some questionable morals. Arthur is certainly pushed towards this lifestyle by his abusive father and this story promotes the reader to consider the nature/buried debate. I feel the book was written honestly, having read many books in this genre that have been autobiographical I felt this piece surmised how a child in this situation would genuinely feel.

I did, however, struggle with the purpose of the story as few interesting events happen in the book. The book abruptly ends at age 11 giving no closure to the reader regarding Arthur’s adult life. I would have liked a summary chapter at the end telling me how the protagonist got on as an adult after his depressing upbringing.