Last summer I first heard of Jodi Picoult. I didn’t get around to reading any of her books until winter, when I read Change of Heart. I like her writing style and the way the story gets told. Each chapter is written from a different character’s perspective (including different fonts). You really get into the mindset of each person. House Rules (2010) is the second Jodi Picoult novel I’ve read.
House Rules is about a person with Asperger’s Syndrome who is accused of murder. While I am not sure if the portrayal of Asperger’s is completely accurate, reading from Jacob’s perspective makes you fully aware of what someone with Asperger’s could be thinking and going through. He is fascinated with crime scene analysis and is incredibly smart at deciphering how the crimes occurred. When his tutor is murdered, he is eventually charged and the court trial begins. The book shows the struggle between his family, his disability, and the way others perceive them. Obviously I am not going to tell you the outcome, but I will say I didn’t think it was all that surprising.
Why didn’t I find it surprising? From reading two of Jodi Picoult’s books, I have come to a few conclusions. The story raises a moral question, involves a young and inexperienced lawyer who has romantic feelings with an important character, and the ending turns out fairytale-ish. Not sure if this is true for all of her novels, but just some things I noticed after reading two of her books. I still think House Rules was entertaining; but it was also predictable to me.
On a more personal note, my younger brother has to read Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes for his summer reading book for school. I haven’t read that book yet, but I did look it up online…the story includes a high school shooting, bullying, and suicide (sorry if that’s a spoiler). I am going to read it alongside him to make sure he actually understands the book, but I think it’s a perfect topic for a high school student to read. Kudos to whoever selected it.
My rating for House Rules: 3 stars out of 5. Read House Rules here!
I also agree that her writing becomes very predictatble. I enjoy reading her books sporadically. I do enjoy how she writes from different characters perspectives. One of my favorite of Picoult's is Magic Hour. Just loved it.
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