Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Realistic Fiction
http://www.jodipicoult.com/house-rules.html
Have you ever read a book that you just cannot get over? You read the last page, finish the story, close the book...and then stay awake thinking about what happened? You tell everyone to read this book, and you bring it up any time a conversation even remotely relates to the story? That's what House Rules is like for me.
House Rules is the story of Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome. In a lot of ways, Jacob is like any other teenager. He loves to watch TV, he has favorite foods, and sometimes he doesn't get along with his brother. But in some ways, Jacob is very different. He won't look people in the eyes, he twitches, and he has a hard time understanding emotions. Unfortunately, when Jacob's tutor is murdered, the things that make him different also make him seem GUILTY.
The story is told alternately from the point of view of Jacob, his mother, and his brother. All three views are powerful. Jacob's mother loves her son deeply, but she wonders--could he be capable of killing someone? Does he really know right from wrong? Jacob's brother is defensive, both of Jacob and of the "normal" life he wishes he were living. Jacob's point of view is the most interesting, because it's the most different thought process from mine.
There are a lot of good books about kids with disorders on the autism spectrum, but this is far and away the most engaging, interesting, heart-gripping look at what it's like to live with Asperger's.
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