Synopsis
One of America's most popular authors, Jodi Picoult has earned a reputation for crafting riveting, topical fiction. In House Rules she examines how being different can have dire consequences. Teenager Jacob Hunt has Asperger's syndrome. A forensic science wizard,
he follows his scanner to show up at crime scenes andgive 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.
The Washington Post - Maureen Corrigan
Throughout the long unfolding of House Rules, Picoult keeps so many storyline streamers whirling in the air that it would be easy just to praise her technical mastery. But though the multiple plots and narrators are, indeed, adroitly managed, what most readers will cherish is the character of Jacob Hunt, an 18-year-old high school student with Asperger's syndrome…Picoult's depiction of Jacob and his family is complex, compassionate and smart…But, again, it's Jacob who will linger with readers. Desperate to connect with other people and yet hampered in his ability to do so, he is painfully glassed off from the world of his peers, as well as from most adults. Picoult's superb novel makes us inhabit Jacob's solitude and abide his yearning.