Book Review - House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Synopsis:  House Rules is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder.

House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way – but lousy for those who don’t.

First Line:  "Everywhere I look there are signs of a struggle."

Random Quote:  "I am already starting to forget the notes in the song of her voice.  Today, though, instead of hearing her message, I heard a tinny voice telling me that this wireless customer's mailbox is full."

Review:  I think I'm done with Jodi Picoult - the last couple of books have been pretty universally predictable and varying degrees of terrible culminating in this one which is just awful.  After 200 pages of agony I gave myself permission to abandon this.  I won't be reading her again.

Pawley, VT - Image via Wikipedia

Note to Ms. Picoult:  writing from the perspectives of multiple characters is a good device if pulled off correctly.  If you can manage to capture the different voices and different nuances of multiple characters you will provide the reader with a wonderful experience.  Please be aware that this requires more than changing the font for each character and that doing so while providing no other way for the reader to tell they are hearing from different people is just lazy and insulting.  Also, not all mothers of the disabled are selfless paragons of virtue and even the ones who are aren't.

Enough.

FTC Disclosure:  San Leandro Public Library

Rating:  I have no color with which to rate this awful book.

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