House Rules, by Jodi Picoult

House Rules by Jodi Picoult is a novel that centers on the lives of the Hunt Family. When Emma Hunt gives birth to Jacob, she has no idea that he will be born with Asperger’s Syndrome. Her second son, Theodore is born a normal boy, but does not live a normal life when he and his mother have to spend their lives taking care of Jacob. Jacob Hunt is a boy who is incredibly smart, and loves crime scenes. He is especially fond of “Crimebusters,” and has every episode memorized. The only problem is that he cannot communicate so well with other people around him, and that’s where Jess comes in. Jess is Jacob’s tutor on how to interact with the world and the people around him. When one day his tutor is found dead, police suspect Jacob as the prime suspect. Just because he can’t look people in the eye and twitches around, does that make him a murderer?

I really enjoy reading Jodi Picoult’s novels. She writes with such ease and her writing flows across the pages. Before House Rules, I had never read a book about Asperger’s Syndrome, and seeing how just because people are born and look different, does not mean that they should be treated differently. People with Asperger’s Syndrome do not choose to be born like that, so shouldn’t we, as the people born normal, know better than to do that?

Reviewed by Christine L, grade 10.
Montrose Library