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(639 reviews)
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ISBN : B005R41F2G
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Teenager Jacob Hunt has Asperger's syndrome. A forensic science wizard, he shows up at crime scenes and gives law enforcement officials his advice. But when his tutor is found dead, he becomes a suspect. Suddenly, his Asperger's traits - not looking people in the eye, tics and twitches - look more like guilt in the view of police. And Jacob's mother must ask herself the hardest question in the world: is her child capable of murder?
Direct download links available for Epub House Rules [Unabridged] [Audible Audio Edition]
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 20 hours
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks
- Audible.com Release Date: September 28, 2011
- Whispersync for Voice: Ready
- Language: English
- ASIN: B005R41F2G
Epub House Rules
WARNING: SPOILER
I am going to quote from the interview above with Ms. Picoult:
"Q: Why did you choose to end the book when you did, rather than going into what happens to the characters in the aftermath of the trial?
A: Because at heart, this is Jacob's book. And remember, to Jacob, there was never any real mystery here, was there?"
With all due respect to the author, there was never any real mystery here to US, either!
I have read every single one of Jodi Picoult's novels. I have loved some more than others, but never have I disliked any, until now.
I was intensely looking forward to buying and reading this book. I have a grandson who is on the autism spectrum, and to Ms. Picoult's credit, she explored the world of Asperger's Syndrome. Jacob is somebody I would like to befriend. That, for me, was the good side.
The bad:
- Her delivery of information about Asperger's bordered on a professorial lecture ... not just once, but over and over again, from his mother, his psychologists and even Jacob himself.
- There was an unbelievable amount of repetition about Jacob's affect, his likes, his dislikes, his meltdowns, his compulsions. We must have heard at least 5 times about the food and clothing colors. Once was enough, we got it!
- The "mystery", however, was the worst part of this novel. I knew from the moment Jacob came home that Tuesday and went into complete meltdown, exactly what had happened, and why.
- Ms. Picoult's treatment of Jacob's defense sickened me. She attempted to present what would happen to an "Aspie" if they became involved in the legal system.
In "House Rules," Jodi Picoult explores the complex world of Emma Hunt, who is almost entirely focused on helping her eighteen-year-old son, Jacob, learn to communicate appropriately with his family and peers. This is a Herculean task, considering the fact that Jacob has Asperger's syndrome, a disorder characterized by a compulsive attachment to order and routine, a tendency to take comments literally, hypersensitivity to bright lights, human touch, and scratchy fabrics, a reluctance to make eye contact, lack of empathy, painful bluntness, and difficulty relating to others. Emma's life is complicated by the fact that her husband, Henry, left shortly after their younger son, Theo, was born. Fifteen-year-old Theo deeply resents the amount of time and money that his mother lavishes on his older brother. At great expense, Emma brought early intervention therapists into her home who were "intent on dragging [Jacob] out of his own little world." She also buys costly medicines, supplements, and special foods that, she insists, help regulate Jacob's behavior.
In addition to his other quirks, Jacob is obsessed with forensics. He watches a television show called Crimebusters and keeps a detailed journal of each episode; he even shows up at real crime scenes and offers to "help" the detectives solve their cases. Much to Emma's chagrin, he regularly stages his own mock crime scenes at home, using corn syrup to simulate blood. His preoccupation with true crime becomes an issue when someone he had recently quarreled with is found dead. Eventually, evidence comes to light pointing to Jacob's guilt. Could something have happened that caused him to snap? It would not be the first time that he lashed out after someone provoked him.