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bargainsleuth's review
2.0
I liked the idea of this book because of Jodi Picoult's attempt to raise awareness of Autism, but I don't think it was done very well. My son's social skills teacher warned me that the main character had EVERY symptom, and she wasn't kidding. Every symptom, quirk, obsession, tic and aspect of being social awkward is portrayed in one character and that is simply not the case in real life. They say if you've met one person with Autism, you've met one person with Autism, because each person displays Autism differently.
My big beef was the fact that Picoult's autism research is flawed and based on studies that have been debunked as completely fraudulent and have been that way for years. So now the casual reader who doesn't know anything about Autism thinks these crazy things because they read about it in a fiction book.
What's with everyone not asking Jacob what really happened? Seriously. He explains that he set up the crime scene, but no one thinks to ask WHY he did that? No one asks him what happened when he got to Jess's house. No one. It would have made a much shorter book, true, but this book did not have to be 600 pages long..
Yet despite the fact that Picoult goes on for 600 pages, the book just ends. What a crummy ending, with still a lot left unanswered. Reading books like these reminds me why I generally steer clear of adult fiction.
My big beef was the fact that Picoult's autism research is flawed and based on studies that have been debunked as completely fraudulent and have been that way for years. So now the casual reader who doesn't know anything about Autism thinks these crazy things because they read about it in a fiction book.
What's with everyone not asking Jacob what really happened? Seriously. He explains that he set up the crime scene, but no one thinks to ask WHY he did that? No one asks him what happened when he got to Jess's house. No one. It would have made a much shorter book, true, but this book did not have to be 600 pages long..
Yet despite the fact that Picoult goes on for 600 pages, the book just ends. What a crummy ending, with still a lot left unanswered. Reading books like these reminds me why I generally steer clear of adult fiction.
cannabookie314's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
the_book_of_t's review against another edition
2.0
I want to preface this review by stating that this isn’t good representation of autism. A lot of the terms used throughout are outdated and a lot of the beliefs debunked. Whilst autism is a spectrum, it’s clear that the author made Jacob the most textbook example of (what was formally known as) Asperger’s syndrome.
I personally felt that she was also somewhat inconsistent with the way she portrayed him. Jacob would often do or say things that completely opposed previous texts that spoon fed the reader a copious amount of repetitive autism symptoms. In a way, this seemed to reinforce the ideas mentioned about autism causation and “cures”. It was as if Jacob displaying empathy or being sarcastic was purposely against his character as a way to represent development. Like we should be willing him to be rid of autism.
I first purchased this book as a young teenager. I’m glad I didn’t read it until years later. Growing up autistic was already difficult to contend with at times but to be presented with this notion that people believe that I may be a murderous psychopath or a societal jester, would have completely destroyed any hope of me leading a positive life. Or perhaps it would have sent me on an anti-vax fixation as is commonly thrusted on us throughout the duration of this book?
You might ask why I decided to give this book two stars when considering my views on its poor representation. I would say that despite the above, I found the book somewhat palatable. The writing style was easy to read, the pacing felt fitting, and most characters were developed enough to have a form of identity.
The mystery itself was pretty predictable. You could find yourself with some guesses as to the conclusion pretty early on. Perhaps within the first 100 pages, you know exactly where this book is likely to take you. However, the legal process was somewhat interesting to read.
Overall, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book. There are plenty more choices for good autism recommendations and an ever-growing number of mysteries that can have you on the edge of your seat. If you are going to read this, I think it’s important to recognise its flaws even if you enjoy its content.
I personally felt that she was also somewhat inconsistent with the way she portrayed him. Jacob would often do or say things that completely opposed previous texts that spoon fed the reader a copious amount of repetitive autism symptoms. In a way, this seemed to reinforce the ideas mentioned about autism causation and “cures”. It was as if Jacob displaying empathy or being sarcastic was purposely against his character as a way to represent development. Like we should be willing him to be rid of autism.
I first purchased this book as a young teenager. I’m glad I didn’t read it until years later. Growing up autistic was already difficult to contend with at times but to be presented with this notion that people believe that I may be a murderous psychopath or a societal jester, would have completely destroyed any hope of me leading a positive life. Or perhaps it would have sent me on an anti-vax fixation as is commonly thrusted on us throughout the duration of this book?
You might ask why I decided to give this book two stars when considering my views on its poor representation. I would say that despite the above, I found the book somewhat palatable. The writing style was easy to read, the pacing felt fitting, and most characters were developed enough to have a form of identity.
The mystery itself was pretty predictable. You could find yourself with some guesses as to the conclusion pretty early on. Perhaps within the first 100 pages, you know exactly where this book is likely to take you. However, the legal process was somewhat interesting to read.
Overall, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book. There are plenty more choices for good autism recommendations and an ever-growing number of mysteries that can have you on the edge of your seat. If you are going to read this, I think it’s important to recognise its flaws even if you enjoy its content.
abaugher's review against another edition
3.0
i didn't even intend to read another picoult book and thought this was a different book before i started it. then, of course, i just HAD to finish it. you know jodi, she showed different people's perspecitves and a secret in the middle of it all. at the end, the secret unravelled pathetically, but by then i realized the secret wasn't the real story anyway.
bookcasebetty's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aliciabarwick's review
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
roseawall's review against another edition
3.0
Jodie Picoult is good at writing stories that are page turners and that leave you wanting to know what's going to happen next. Unfortunately her endings haven't been as strong. This is the fourth Picoult novel that I've read and yet again I have been disappointed with the ending. I have been left wondering how the trial finished and what verdict the jury came to. I was left wondering how the Hunt family were doing after finding out what actually happened to Jess. I wanted to know if Emma and Oliver continued their relationship after the trial finished. I wanted to know why all the loose ends weren't tied up.
kcanote's review
5.0
LOVED this book! I would say it is my favorite book by this author that I have read so far! My attention was kept the whole entire book. I never found myself bored or tired of reading it. This is a must read. I absolutely fell in love with the characters.
tasha_slone's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is my first Jodi Picoult book. I loved how she described touched on sensory disorder or with an autistic character. She really dives deep into the psyche of the mind and brought out the best and worst part of that disorder. Most neurotypicals do not understand why the reactions are so over the top...when in reality they don't understand because they’ve never felt that way. Picoult really reveals that in this book.
Although I think most would agree that Jacob had all the symptoms, most autistic people don't have them all. I felt that was the author's point to bring all the symptoms to explain each one. You could tell she did her research into the Autistic world.
There is a lot of repetitiveness in the book to fill spaces, that got a little annoying for me. If you’re looking for a good mystery book, this isn’t one of them. Although I would love to have a one-on-one conversation with Jacob on forensic science, there isn’t much beyond that. I knew immediately what happened. Picoult doesn’t take many pains with adding mystery intrigue as she does with character development and world building.
Although I think most would agree that Jacob had all the symptoms, most autistic people don't have them all. I felt that was the author's point to bring all the symptoms to explain each one. You could tell she did her research into the Autistic world.
There is a lot of repetitiveness in the book to fill spaces, that got a little annoying for me. If you’re looking for a good mystery book, this isn’t one of them. Although I would love to have a one-on-one conversation with Jacob on forensic science, there isn’t much beyond that. I knew immediately what happened. Picoult doesn’t take many pains with adding mystery intrigue as she does with character development and world building.