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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This was a good one. It kept me engaged the whole audiobook, and I found myself staying up late near the end of the book just to reset the sleep timer and get another 20 minutes of audio. Jodi Picoult definitely knows how to write a hot topic book. I liked all the POVs, and the changing audiobook narrators that came with them, as it really did help me understand everyone better. I predicted the main issue at hand that we don’t get conclusion to until the end, but then we don’t even really get that conclusion to the trial that everyone is wanting. I could stand to read a behind the scenes chapter by Picoult about what she thinks happened, as that would be beneficial for me.
Jacob Hunt is an eighteen-year-old young man with Asperger’s. He lives with his mother Emma, who adapted her whole life around his “quirks,” and his younger brother Theo, who both loves and resents him. When his tutor Jess is found dead, apparently murdered, Jacob is drawn to the whole thing because of his obsession with forensic science. But the police quickly see him as a suspect, and he is put on trial for the murder. The story is told in little chapters from different point of view - Jacob, Theo and Emma, but also Rich, the detective on the case, and Oliver, the young lawyer defending Jacob.
As I find with nearly all of Jodi Picoult’s books, I was so engrossed in this story! It’s a lot about Asperger’s, and I’ve seen some comments that it read like a textbook about autism, but others say she clearly did her research and is spot-on. I thought it was a wonderful insight into the disability, both from the point of Jacob and that of the people around him, having to, willingly or not, follow his rules.
I should have seen the ending coming. It really wasn’t actually hidden, and I’m usually good with this kind of thing. But when I read the conclusion, my jaw literally fell open and I smacked my open hand on my mouth. It was all done so brilliantly, I’d spent the entire novel wondering if Jacob actually could have committed murder! So I can totally see how terrible that situation must have been for Emma. How can you ask yourself that about your own child?
And there’s also a huge “discussion” about accessibility and the adaptations of the justice system for a neuroatypical (disabled) person. AKA, there are none. I kept reading these terrible passages about Jacob being thrown in jail, or manhandled, or yelled at for being “abnormal,” and I was like, no way, she’s gotta be making this up, no way this would happen in real life. But on the other hand... I have no trouble believing it would happen in real life...
As I find with nearly all of Jodi Picoult’s books, I was so engrossed in this story! It’s a lot about Asperger’s, and I’ve seen some comments that it read like a textbook about autism, but others say she clearly did her research and is spot-on. I thought it was a wonderful insight into the disability, both from the point of Jacob and that of the people around him, having to, willingly or not, follow his rules.
I should have seen the ending coming. It really wasn’t actually hidden, and I’m usually good with this kind of thing. But when I read the conclusion, my jaw literally fell open and I smacked my open hand on my mouth. It was all done so brilliantly, I’d spent the entire novel wondering if Jacob actually could have committed murder! So I can totally see how terrible that situation must have been for Emma. How can you ask yourself that about your own child?
And there’s also a huge “discussion” about accessibility and the adaptations of the justice system for a neuroatypical (disabled) person. AKA, there are none. I kept reading these terrible passages about Jacob being thrown in jail, or manhandled, or yelled at for being “abnormal,” and I was like, no way, she’s gotta be making this up, no way this would happen in real life. But on the other hand... I have no trouble believing it would happen in real life...
Picoult follows predictable formulas.... This one uses the 'kid with medical issues/uber protective parent/questionable legal practices' template. Enjoyable reading....kept me interested even with some huge lapses in logic.
I liked it...but it should have had at least a couple more chapters...WE know how Jess wound up dead, but what happened in court, how did the characters handle it, etc...
Usually with Jodi Picoult books, I either LOVE them or HATE them. This one I loved until i got to the very end. I was disappointed at how predictable it ended up being. Usually she puts a twist at the end that throws me off from what I thought was going to happen. Not the case with this book. It was too predictable. All-in-all, though, i enjoyed most of it.
Picoult seems to be stuck in a formula: Kid with Desperate Condition changes Family Dynamic, Plus a Trial.
So why give it four stars? Because there's something compelling about Picoult's formula--you always want to know how the story turns out, and there are always a handful of interesting one-off characters lurking about: The 28-year old farrier-turned-lawyer. The detective who could have been Emma's boyfriend. The borderline Asperger's Dad. The social skills coach who doesn't have enough self-confidence to see that her "boyfriend" is a loser. And the most interesting character, Theo.
But really--Picoult should change it up a bit. Her earlier books, equally well written, went exploring more often. "Songs of the Humpback Whale," for example. Picoult feels paralyzed, since "My Sister's Keeper." She can do better.
So why give it four stars? Because there's something compelling about Picoult's formula--you always want to know how the story turns out, and there are always a handful of interesting one-off characters lurking about: The 28-year old farrier-turned-lawyer. The detective who could have been Emma's boyfriend. The borderline Asperger's Dad. The social skills coach who doesn't have enough self-confidence to see that her "boyfriend" is a loser. And the most interesting character, Theo.
But really--Picoult should change it up a bit. Her earlier books, equally well written, went exploring more often. "Songs of the Humpback Whale," for example. Picoult feels paralyzed, since "My Sister's Keeper." She can do better.
This book was published 11 years ago, and a lot has changed about autism in that amount of time. I had trouble believing that the people prosecuting this young man had no understanding of why he acted the way he did.
Picoult's writing is fantastic, as always, and the story is not boring at all. This may be a good example of the way our country has started trying to understand physical and mental illness in the last decade.
Picoult's writing is fantastic, as always, and the story is not boring at all. This may be a good example of the way our country has started trying to understand physical and mental illness in the last decade.
I enjoyed the book up until the end. The ending felt that it was too rushed. She could have wrapped up some of the loose ends instead of just ending the book.
I'm only in the first half of this novel, and to be honest, I'm not that impressed.
Actually, the first couple of chapters made me pissed off enough to almost stop reading. From the first few pages, Picoult douses the novel in brand names. I couldn't get through a paragraph without reading about HBO, Old Navy, Vitaminwater, iPod, Windex, etc. It's really quite distracting. Picoult's popularity has ballooned the past few years, but I am disappointed to see her sell out. I will not continue to read Picoult's novels if they continue to follow this trend.
Actually, the first couple of chapters made me pissed off enough to almost stop reading. From the first few pages, Picoult douses the novel in brand names. I couldn't get through a paragraph without reading about HBO, Old Navy, Vitaminwater, iPod, Windex, etc. It's really quite distracting. Picoult's popularity has ballooned the past few years, but I am disappointed to see her sell out. I will not continue to read Picoult's novels if they continue to follow this trend.
