I loved the story, it was very interesting. Great Jodi Picoult book, as always.
This book is engrossing and should be a must read for anyone with an autistic spectrum child or adult, anyone who knows someone like that (and most people do, when the think about the traits shown in this book) and/or would like to know more about the modes and methods for the handling of the many problems of such people. Jodi Picoult has done so much accurate research it is amazing. Her character of Jacob is finely drawn and detailed to the point we know him, feel for him and his family as they deal with probably the biggest crisis in their lives.
As painful as many of the scenes described were, you are held by the mothers tenacity and drive, by Theo's tolerance and adaptation to the situation, Oliver's acceptance and cooperation, and the many and varied reactions of people coming in contact with the family. This book is one of a kind!
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. I listened to the audiobook and found this to be a greatly casted one. Some times the casting can completely ruin a story, but not so in this case. A+ all around!
Jacob Hunt is a teenager with Asperger's Syndrome. He is hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, although he is brilliant in many ways. Like many children with Asperger's, Jacob has also developed a special focus for a specific subject - in his case, forensic analysis. He is constantly showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner that he keeps in his room, and telling the police what they need to do...and he's usually right.
But when Jacob's small town is rocked by a terrible murder, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All the hallmarks of Asperger's - not looking someone in the eye, unexplained tics and twitches, flat affect - can look so much like guilt to law enforcement. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them.
For Jacob's mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threatens her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?
I enjoyed this book immensely! House Rules is the third book by Jodi Picoult that I've read, and I must say that, in my opinion, each of the books that I've read have been entirely different. The characters have all been fully realized, the plots have been well-written and extremely thought-provoking, and Jodi Picoult is quickly becoming an author who I appreciate reading. I give House Rules by Jodi Picoult an A+! and look forward to reading her next book very soon.
Jodi Picoult never fails to capture your interest and imagination. Don't plan on putting this one down until you finish. Did Jacob Hunt brutally murder his social tutor or not? You won't know until the very last chapter. What a great read. And a very interesting look into the lives of a family dealing with a child who has Asperger's syndrome. This is the story of Emma Hunt, a single mother, raising two boys...the eldest of whom is afflicted with Asperger's and the youngest, who is "normal". The younger brother assumes the role of caretaker for Jacob and the stress of this responsibility leads to the crisis. "Always take care of your brother" is one of Emma's house rules and Jacob follows the rules implicitly...to a fault.
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. I listened to the audiobook and found this to be a greatly casted one. Some times the casting can completely ruin a story, but not so in this case. A+ all around!
(This was my first of Picoult's books)
Always read Jodi's books quickly because I can't wait to find out what the twist is at the end. This book doesn't disappoint. Great story dealing with autisum and Asperger's syndrome. It was funny, yet it was an eye opener what these families have to go through. A great read.
House Rules is one of the best novels I have read thus far in 2014. It delves into the world of a family who are living in the not so black and white world of Asperger's and who have been for the past almost eighteen years. The oldest son in the family Jacob has been diagnosed with Asperger's (he was diagnosed between two and three) which is a disease that is on the autistic spectrum but in which its suffer's are still able to function, can be very smart, but have a hard time in social situations or being able to feel any type of empathy for others or their feelings, people with asperger's often have obsessions about certain subjects and Jacob's obsession is forensic crime scenes and you can imagine the set up for a great novel.
The plot is that Jacob's social skill's tutor disappears and he was the last known person to see her, along with a brother who gets lost in the chaos of his brothers disease, a Mother who while fighting fiercely for her son might be losing the other and herself, and a young lawyer who is finding love in the most unexpected places. This novel was beautifully written and even Jacob at moments when you wanted to shout at him was hard not to root for or just to want to hold in the hardest moments. I would most definitely recommend this book and will definitely be reading more Jodi Picoult novels in the near future.
