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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
The writing and character development wasn't bad. The ending was predictable and the fact that nobody bothered to ask someone who could only tell the truth questions that would have resolved the issue from the beginning was totally implausible. This drift from reality was especially jarring when the mom calls the cop to report the body was wrapped in the kid's blanket which ends up getting him charged with the murder. The mom deciding to bang the kid's attorney seemed a bit random too as did the long lost father suddenly developing a conscience and coming home. It felt like the author was just throwing crap out there to get the book done by the end. A good editor could have turned this into a much better book.
Using a bully pulpit to forward the anti-vaccer belief that vaccines cause autism is pretty reprehensible but its her right as its my right not to bother reading anything else she writes. Next time I'd suggest throwing out facts about how the earth is flat and the moon is made of cheese because there are people who believe that too even though science hasn't found a correlation.
Using a bully pulpit to forward the anti-vaccer belief that vaccines cause autism is pretty reprehensible but its her right as its my right not to bother reading anything else she writes. Next time I'd suggest throwing out facts about how the earth is flat and the moon is made of cheese because there are people who believe that too even though science hasn't found a correlation.
I enjoyed the way the book looked at Asperger's and how people with it related to the outside world. The conclusion of the book left me wanting more - and not in a good way. I had figured out what happened early in the book so I was disappointed that it ended with revealing that instead of what happened afterwards. I was also annoyed with the way that everyone in the book had the same voice. The lists/bullet points made sense when Jacob was narrating, but when others did it was less effective.
Not one of Jodi Picoult best efforts. The story line was too simplistic. The adult characters weren't well-developed and therefore, came out behaving stupidly. Also she implies several times that autism might be caused by vaccines -a theory that has been totally debunked and even mentioning it continues to hurt the community.
As usual for Jodi Picoult, this book is about a difficult subject. It follows a family whose son Jacob has Asperger's syndrome. Jacob is 18 and is charged with the murder of his social interaction tutor/coach. The majority of the book deals with the build up and the trial. It's told in alternation chapters from the viewpoints of Jacob, his mother Emma, his brother Theo, the detective Rich, and his attorney Oliver. This writing style is great for a book of this sort and I liked the different points of view. The ending was somewhat abrupt and had it been better the book would've gotten 5 stars from me.
If you like Picoult and her type of fiction, then this is a must read.
If you like Picoult and her type of fiction, then this is a must read.
Another compelling read from Picoult. This one focused on a family with a son who has Asperger's and the effects that has on the family as a whole and the son as an individual.
It was an okay vacation read and I liked the ending. When the story is told to me instead of letting it unfold and let me interpret it—I am not as happy of a reader. But, I don't regret reading it. Far from it.
House Rules, by Jodi Picoult, was a wonderful book. Well written, suspenseful, and very informative on the subject of Asperger's Syndrome. I enjoyed the way the chapters were written, each chapter from the view point of one of the characters in the book, giving deep insight into how the family was affected by the events that took place as the plot unfolded. This was a book that I could not put down. I read it in two days. I gave this book 5 stars because it is a masterful blend of mystery and suspense, with additional depth added by how convincingly Jodi Picoult weaves the story around a family that is already struggling to keep their heads above water.
I love most Picoult books, and this one wasn't one of those few exceptions. Court case with difficult issue at its heart, told from multiple perspectives -- an excellent book. My only disappointment was in that I was able to figure out the ending before Jodi got there -- but that may just be a hazard of reading a lot of her books. On the upside, even after figuring it out, I still enjoyed the remainder of the story as it unfolded.
I have a lot of thoughts about this book, but I feel like a lot of my grievances are mostly with the way Picoult wrapped up this book.
To say I’m not a fan of the way she ended this is an understatement. Even though it was pretty predictable (there’s only so many ways this could’ve ended) I really wasn’t pleased that we didn’t find out exactly how the case wrapped up. Did Theo get charged for breaking and entering?? Or what about Jacob for literally tampering with a crime scene??? It felt like she didn’t think these things through and just quickly ended the book instead of acknowledging plot holes.
I was really intrigued and so into this book, I guess Im just annoyed she didn’t bother to finish the story. Sorry, but ending the book with Jacob telling the truth (which everyone guessed 200 pages ago) over gluten free birthday cake nonetheless and then having it end it with a journal entry isn’t really a satisfactory ending - it’s lazy writing tbh and tells me you didn’t know how to finish the book so just threw this ending against the wall and it stuck with the editors i guess
To say I’m not a fan of the way she ended this is an understatement. Even though it was pretty predictable (there’s only so many ways this could’ve ended) I really wasn’t pleased that we didn’t find out exactly how the case wrapped up. Did Theo get charged for breaking and entering?? Or what about Jacob for literally tampering with a crime scene??? It felt like she didn’t think these things through and just quickly ended the book instead of acknowledging plot holes.
I was really intrigued and so into this book, I guess Im just annoyed she didn’t bother to finish the story. Sorry, but ending the book with Jacob telling the truth (which everyone guessed 200 pages ago) over gluten free birthday cake nonetheless and then having it end it with a journal entry isn’t really a satisfactory ending - it’s lazy writing tbh and tells me you didn’t know how to finish the book so just threw this ending against the wall and it stuck with the editors i guess
This has been on my TBR for quite a while. I am glad I finally got around to reading it. Not only did I learn a lot about Autism and Aspergers, it also had a good plot. I liked the way the author used the individual people to tell there point of view. It made a lot more sense for things to be explained from Jacobs perspective.
Even though I figured out what happened before the end of the book, it was nice seeing it unfold. I only wish the author had summed up better at the end.
Even though I figured out what happened before the end of the book, it was nice seeing it unfold. I only wish the author had summed up better at the end.