Mary M. (emeraldfire) - , reviewed on 3/26/2013

Jacob Hunt is a teenager with Asperger's Syndrome. He is hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, although he is brilliant in many ways. Like many children with Asperger's, Jacob has also developed a special focus for a specific subject - in his case, forensic analysis. He is constantly showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner that he keeps in his room, and telling the police what they need to do...and he's usually right.

But when Jacob's small town is rocked by a terrible murder, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All the hallmarks of Asperger's - not looking someone in the eye, unexplained tics and twitches, flat affect - can look so much like guilt to law enforcement. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them.

For Jacob's mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threatens her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

I enjoyed this book immensely! House Rules is the third book by Jodi Picoult that I've read, and I must say that, in my opinion, each of the books that I've read have been entirely different. The characters have all been fully realized, the plots have been well-written and extremely thought-provoking, and Jodi Picoult is quickly becoming an author who I appreciate reading. I give House Rules by Jodi Picoult an A+! and look forward to reading her next book very soon.

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