House Rules

ByJodi Picoult

Release Date: 2010-04-03
Genre: Fiction & Literature

Score: 4.5

4.5

From 1,226 Ratings

Description

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, an autism spectrum disorder. 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).

Reviews

House Rules
4
By olddue1
This is an exceptionally interesting book. I enjoyed reading the story and the descriptions of parenting an Asperger’s child. The mystery was clever but too convoluted to be believable.
A Frustrating Read
1
By Amigo73
There were just too many holes to make this book enjoyable. Why no one ever simply asked, “What happened?” somewhere along page 120, left the cloud of unreality over the entire rest of the book. It crossed over from entertainment to frustrating to just ridiculous and then to tedium. It was a huge disappointment to see this fine author succumb to such shoddy plot development. I fear she’s going the way of Mr. Grisham and Mr. Paterson who keep cranking out books without caring any more.
Excellent
3
By Nurse Nash123
Great book. Couldn’t put it down
If you understand the main character you would totally understand the ending
Disappointing
1
By djgoaw4
Figured out the ending in its entirety before I was 1/3 through the book. I stuck with it in hopes there would be a twist but overall a disappointing read with a predictable ending.
The book that started it all
4
By Bunmom88
This was my first book by her and I was hooked. I’ve read almost all of them now. And every time I find a new one I snatch it off the shelf. She really researched how someone with autism would respond and I was impressed with her dedication to getting it right. I love how she tells the story from the different view points and you feel like you’re looking the the characters eyes.
By Adventures with Brianne
5
By brianne0741
Stop what you are doing and go and get this book NOW!!!!! Words cannot describe how much this story touched my heart. I could not imagine being the mom in this story and what to do in her situation. Jodi Picoult did such an amazing job with this well written book, it made me wonder what all she has gone through with dealing with people with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome. This book would be an amazing book for anyone to read. It really brings awareness to the autistic community and also what it might feel like to be in a person's shoes with Asperger's.
Great book and page turner!
5
By Anonymous 3377
One my first books I have read by her and I absolutely loved it. It's been awhile since I read it last but I know I'd defiantly read it again.
Page Turner!
4
By ARandomReader
This is the first Jodi Picult book i’ve read and I LOVED it. I agree that the ending doesn’t leave you with much of a surprise but the whole body of the book is a complete page turner. I litterally coudn’t but it town. Jodi gets into the minds of each character so well…Highly recommend this book!
House Rules
4
By Perky too
If you have read all the reviews to this point you are probably going to buy the book as they are mostly good. The ending is fine just the way it is. That being said, the book is too long, but most of her books are, so if you're a Picoult fan you will expect this. You will learn more about Asperger's than you probably need to know, but it is still interesting. There is a lot of repetition as there are several characters telling the story....a few too many things that happened before. I have not liked several of her books but this is one of the better ones.
Jodi Picoult House Rules
5
By Zach & Junior Are Best Friends
I Love This Book This Book Is Very Emotional