Jodi Picoult

a novel

House rules

sash.

Read it or don't read it is the question. It was a quick read on the weekend. I'd say read it if you're looking for a quick, satisfying read.

Unable to express himself socially but possessing a savant-like knack for investigating crimes, a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome is wrongly accused of killing his tutor when the police mistake his autistic tics for guilty behavior. By the author of My Sister's Keeper. Reprint. A best-selling book.

A Novel

House Rules

Peggy Walker

I enjoy Jodi Picoult and enjoyed this latest offering from her. Although I have read a fair amount about autism and Asperger's, I thought she brought some new insights into this condition and how families are affected by having a family member with the condition. [return][return]I thought there were a few stumbles in the details of the trial, but otherwise the story was well told. I had thought that the truth of the situation was probably too simple to be the correct story, and it's hard to believe it would have taken so long for it to be revealed, but I still found it an enjoyable read.

It was good, but I absolutely hated the ending. It’s an older book with some outdated physiological terms… nonetheless enjoyable.

Jennifer Palmer

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and the modern classics My Sister’s Keeper, The Storyteller, and more, comes a “complex, compassionate, and smart” (The Washington Post) novel about a family torn apart by a murder accusation. When your son can’t look you in the eye…does that mean he’s guilty? Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. He has a special focus on one subject—forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he’s always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he’s usually right. But when Jacob’s small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob’s behaviors are hallmark Asperger’s, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are thrust directly in the spotlight. For Jacob’s mother, it’s a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, it’s another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And for the frightened small town, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder? House Rules is “a provocative story in which [Picoult] explores the pain of trying to comprehend the people we love—and reminds us that the truth often travels in disguise” (People).

Jodi Picoult is now officially one of my new favorite authors. Her stories always have a way of hooking and pulling readers into the story and I loved how she used this in order to raise awareness for Asperger’s and autism. I also loved how raw the emotions were in the perspectives of Emma and Theo. At first, I thought it would be Rich and Emma that would be endgame yet Oliver and Emma’s chemistry was impeccable! Jacob and Jess’ relationship (especially the way he had a crush on her) reminded me of Sam and Julia from Atypical. 

The only thing I disliked about this is where we’re kept in the dark about the verdict. Since aside from finding out what really happened to Jess, we were also anticipating on how the jury and the justice system would deal with someone with Jacob’s condition on trial.

Gabriella Parker

Jodi Picoult is now officially one of my new favorite authors. Her stories always have a way of hooking and pulling readers into the story and I loved how she used this in order to raise awareness for Asperger’s and autism. I also loved how raw the emotions were in the perspectives of Emma and Theo. At first, I thought it would be Rich and Emma that would be endgame yet Oliver and Emma’s chemistry was impeccable! Jacob and Jess’ relationship (especially the way he had a crush on her) reminded me of Sam and Julia from Atypical. 

The only thing I disliked about this is where we’re kept in the dark about the verdict. Since aside from finding out what really happened to Jess, we were also anticipating on how the jury and the justice system would deal with someone with Jacob’s condition on trial.

When a teenage boy with Asperger's is arrested for murder, his family face a daunting task to prove his innocence. Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself to others, and like many children with AS, Jacob has an obsessive focus on one subject - in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do - and he's usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. Reluctance to make eye contact, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate gestures - all these can look a lot like guilt - and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder. House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, and at the extremes of love and loyalty members of a family have to call upon to help each other overcome impossible circumstances.

Caitlyn Phillips

Again, a good read from Picoult. The only problem I had with this novel was that the main character draws from both extreme ends of the autism/aspi spectrum (a combination that I am yet to meet in my work within this area).

shalee olsen

This book was pretty hard for me to rate. I loved the Autism rep in it, being a parent of a child with autism I found it to be a 5-star book! it ripped at my heart strings and I thought it was so powerful. But I can also see the faults. I don't think that this is Jodi's best book she has ever done. I am a HUGE Picoult fan! But I seen the ending very early on, I found some of the characters stories strange ie. We got a lot of information and time with the main investigator but he then disappeared for most of the book, popped up in the end with no real purpose or help with the polt.. anyways! I still loved it and don't regret ever reading any of her stuff. I may put my rating at a solid 3.5

Casie Blevins

I had heard that this was a good writer but I was unprepared for how good. Every character has strong defined motivations which make them seem real and fragile and flawed and good. Although I figured out how it was going to be done pretty quickly--the title of the novel was a bit of a giveaway--I still thoroughly enjoyed the journey. Seeing the world through all of their eyes was delightful and agonizing and frustrating and I'm sad to have finished it because I really loved all of their individual quirks. 
 She has a wonderful way of setting up and ending her chapters that is really skillful and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Marisa Eikenberry

My favorite Jodi Picoult book so far. I love how we had a glimpse at what it's like from Jacob's point of view. So far, it seems like usually we don't get a glimpse from the child's POV until the end. I love that his was throughout the entire novel. I also love how I could really see the struggle and feel what was being described. I would highly recommend this book.

House rules a novel

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