When your son can’t look you in the eye…does that mean he’s guilty?
Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject – forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he’s always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he’s usually right.
But when Jacob’s small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob’s behaviors are hallmark Asperger’s, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob’s mother, Emma, it’s a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it’s another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.
And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?
House Rules was my very first Picoult book and it came highly recommended to me by a colleague. Hooked from day 1, a snow day from school, and a hot cup of tea, I cracked open the book and don’t think I closed it long enough for the pages to settle.
As you get to know Jacob and his family, you will find that you root for them with great ferocity. The best part of this book was relating to the unconditional love Emma, Jacob’s mom, felt for him. It was difficult not to get completely absorbed in her feelings and her utter heartbreak as she learns of what happens to Jacob, what people believed he did, and what she has to do to help prove his innocence!
Picoult writing is so real, so raw, so invigorating! She introduces you to her characters as if they are all as real as the person sitting next to you. I’ve never been more absorbed in a story as if I were part of it!
This may have been my first Jodi Picoult book, but it definitely was not my last! Amazing writer! 5 fabulous stars!
About the Author…
Two Girls and a Book Obsession 