Author: Jodi Picoult
ISBN: 978 174 237 2570
RRP: $32.99
When a teenage boy with Asperger’s is arrested for murder, his family face a daunting task to prove his innocence.
Jodi Picoult’s latest novel, House Rules is a best seller for good reason. It is one of those books that has you from the first page and stays with you long after you have finished. I found myself telling everyone who would listen that they should read it, and the lead characters became so real to me it is hard to believe it is not a true story.
Told from the eyes of different characters, the story revolves around Jacob, a teenage boy who has Asperger’s (a form of autism). His mother has tried his whole life for him to fit in and everything she does revolves around his routine. When Jacob is arrested for murder the family has to prove his innocence, or at least show him to be mentally insane.
Throughout the book the events of the murder aren’t clear due to Jacob’s Aspergers, and this also gives the impression he is guilty. His inability to make eye contact, his outbursts and lack of emotion are part of his condition, but they are also signs attributed to a ruthless killer.
Reading from the heart of Jacob, his mother, his younger brother, his lawyer and the cop who arrested him gives the story extra depth and shows how the circumstances affect not only Jacob but everyone around him.
As a mother it makes you appreciate the health of your children, things we take for granted don’t come so easily to others.
I feel like anything I say here isn’t going to give the book enough justice, Jodi Picoult is an amazing writer and this book is a must for true book lovers.
Get it from Amazon: House Rules: A Novel
Beauty and Lace is an online magazine for women. We hope you enjoyed this article!