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 …
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).
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Love this author. Always twists that weren’t expected.
Me, page 419. If you’ve read the book, you’ll understand.
This has to be one of my favorite books now. Not only was it intriguing and kept me guessing, it was about Aspergers. Although I know have to add this book to a long list of books that makes be believe that I have some degree of Autism running through my veins.
Very well written story. …
This book really helped the reader understand how someone with autism tries to deal with the world around them and how an autistic family member impacts those around them.
I enjoyed learning more about Asperger, and the different points of view in the book. I feel like it was very predictable though. Still worth the read in my opinion. I just dont like being told how it happened and still having 400 pages in the book to go. I almost stopped reading because of it. I’m glad I stuck it out though.
Riveting book with unsatisfying ending.
I read awhile ago so I’m vague about the story but I remember loving it. That was one of my favorite Jodi apiculture books
My 1st Jodi Picoult, several years ago, and it turned me into a fan. She takes on really difficult topics (in this case the autism spectrum), educates us, gives us a real sense of what it’s like to be in the situation, and pokes us into new understandings.
This was a hard start for me, but after one hundred pages, I found the Jody Picould I loved.
I was hesitant to read the book because I knew it would make me cry. My grandson is a highly functioning child with aspergers .
Entertaining read but not one of her best!
Ms Picoult does fantastic job researching her characters & all that they encounter in real life situations. I always learn new things from her books & am entertained at Same time.
I got this one from a friend who is a special education teacher by profession. I can understand why she liked it because of the detailed attention to Asperger’s vs autism.
Told from five different POVs, each one represented by a different font, some of which were appropriate for their characters (from this professional typesetter’s …
Love Jodi Picoult. This is another example of a wonderful, turn the page book written by her. Amazing character development and storyline.
The book was about a boy who has Asperger’s syndrome and his family. The boy is on trial for murder because he is accused of killing his social skills teacher. The reader is not left in the dark, so I don’t have any trouble telling you that he didn’t. The story is about how it is to deal with a child with Aspergers (he is 18 at the time of the …
An interesting take on a boy with autism syndrome and I also enjoyed the forensic parts of it. Jodi’s writing is clear, to the point, and well researched.
I read this book years ago. I have recommended it as an insight into life with a child with this disability. I will read it again some day. It is a gripping story.
Wow, Jodi really has a way with words.
This book really is something else. It touched my heart so deeply.
Jacob is a very special boy. He has his way with words. He made me smile and he made me cry with his honesty.
The perfect example is this dialog between Jess and Jacob:
“I know Mark, and I don’t like him.”
“But I do. And part of being social …
I am a Jodi Picoult fan and love most all of her books, but listening to this one was like sitting with a friend and hearing her story. It’s flows that well with a subject that is not always handled with such dignity, clairty, and honesty.
Fascinating. Didn’t want to put this book down. I learned so much about Aspergers Syndrome which is a kind of Autism. Jodi always makes her characters come alive.
Jodi always writes about today’s pertinent issues. Great characters and plot!