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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Single mother of 2 teen boys, the oldest with Asbergers. Told in the first person by those three, the attorney, the detective. Loved how the boy with Asbergers describes what it's like to live in his skin. Highly recommend.
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I did enjoy this book, however it was initially hard for me to get into. Also I was not a fan of how the several times that Emma talked about Jacob before he started showing signs of Aspergers that it was before he had his vaccinations. Although there are many in the world that feel this is what causes autism, and although it’s been scientifically shown it does not, it’s too hot of a topic. I feel that it is something that should’ve been not there. I do applaud how she did have Emma say she wasn’t sure if that’s what caused, and that she would get him vaccinated all over again if she had the choice.
Overall a good read.
Overall a good read.
Listened to the audio book on audible. Semi-predictable but still a quick and entertaining read!
Jodi Picoult seems to work with a formula that mixes two themes in a book and tangles them within each other. Sometimes this combination works and sometimes does not (In Mercy, it certainly did not work for me when she covered euthanasia with the story of an unfaithful husband and on top of that included families of Scottish descent with all their traditions).
In House Rules, she is tackling Asperge's Syndrome at the same time she's looking into the strange quirks of the U.S. Legal System. Jacon Hunt is a very bright young man but he has been diagnosed with Asperge's Syndrome and consequently lives his life under self-imposed or seemingly immutable rules, a trademark of the syndrome. His main hobby is forensics, he watches TV series about forensic science and uses every opportunity to have crime scene simulations at home.
When his special needs teacher disappears and is found dead, he becomes an immediate suspect. His mother does her best (by herself, since her husband had left when the two children were young) to protect him during the trial and when he is under custody, but starts to wonder if he had maybe done it.
It is an interesting book in that it introduces the nightmare of an Asperge's patient and also highlights the total lack of knowledge in the Legal system about such patients and their rights during legal proceedings. Picoult keeps the tension high all throughout the book and also varies the perspective by switching from character to character in the narrative. All in all it is interesting as a crime book (almost a whodunit) but also as an insightful novel introducing a relatively unknown illness and its destructive effects on the individual and the family.
In House Rules, she is tackling Asperge's Syndrome at the same time she's looking into the strange quirks of the U.S. Legal System. Jacon Hunt is a very bright young man but he has been diagnosed with Asperge's Syndrome and consequently lives his life under self-imposed or seemingly immutable rules, a trademark of the syndrome. His main hobby is forensics, he watches TV series about forensic science and uses every opportunity to have crime scene simulations at home.
When his special needs teacher disappears and is found dead, he becomes an immediate suspect. His mother does her best (by herself, since her husband had left when the two children were young) to protect him during the trial and when he is under custody, but starts to wonder if he had maybe done it.
It is an interesting book in that it introduces the nightmare of an Asperge's patient and also highlights the total lack of knowledge in the Legal system about such patients and their rights during legal proceedings. Picoult keeps the tension high all throughout the book and also varies the perspective by switching from character to character in the narrative. All in all it is interesting as a crime book (almost a whodunit) but also as an insightful novel introducing a relatively unknown illness and its destructive effects on the individual and the family.
This was an interesting story line, as the main character has Asperger's Syndrome. Each chapter was told from a different character's perspective. The reason I gave this a three star is because Picoult repeated many times the character traits of someone with Asperger's. It was not necessary and made me want to skip over those parts.
While an interesting read, it was for me, predictable. I knew from a few chapters in what had most likely happened. At times I felt that the plot was being forced and the adoption of certain aspects of the narrative didn't sit well with me (e.g Henry's role towards the end seemed unnecessary, it didn't really add anything to the story).
I felt perhaps that Theo deserved a stronger presence at times. While I feel she presented Jacob well, I would have appreciated more balance in her research as a whole. That is said as someone who is generally a fan of her work.
Overall an okay read but I was disappointed by aspects of it.
I felt perhaps that Theo deserved a stronger presence at times. While I feel she presented Jacob well, I would have appreciated more balance in her research as a whole. That is said as someone who is generally a fan of her work.
Overall an okay read but I was disappointed by aspects of it.
I liked it until the end. Disappointing ending & to abrupt.
I was so excited when I saw this book last week on the bookshelf at the library. I love reading Jodi Picoult books and always find they are great books to bring about conversation.
House Rules was a bit of a let down for me though. While I am very pleased and impressed with the amount of research that most of went into developing the main character, Jacob, who has been diagnosed with Asperger's, I found the storyline to be very predictable. I was really hoping for a big shocker ending that usually comes with a Jodi Picoult book, but I saw this ending coming about half way through the book.
I will always recommend a Jodi Picoult book, however this will not be one of my top referrals.
House Rules was a bit of a let down for me though. While I am very pleased and impressed with the amount of research that most of went into developing the main character, Jacob, who has been diagnosed with Asperger's, I found the storyline to be very predictable. I was really hoping for a big shocker ending that usually comes with a Jodi Picoult book, but I saw this ending coming about half way through the book.
I will always recommend a Jodi Picoult book, however this will not be one of my top referrals.
As a social work major in a graduate program, I have a huge interest in autism and the spectrum. I had been looking forward to this book for a long while when I found it on sale at my local book store (sad, true, but I'm so cheap) and had to snatch it up. All in all, I really enjoyed it. I knew whodunit since the woman was killed, but I don't think that the issue of figuring out the mystery was they key point in this novel. It was to wade through the mind of a man/boy who had been diagnosed with Asperger's and to understand a little about the disorder. I have studied a lot about this particular ASD, and while I think she did go a little overboard with his eccentricities, I believe she did right by her character of Jacob. All individuals are obviously different, so she had the artistic right to make him struggle with Asperger's any way that she deemed fit in accordance to her research and the wonderful people she met during the research process. Thanks for an interesting read, MS. Picoult!