Book Review - House Rules

House Rules - Jodi Picoult

When Emma Hunt's son is diagnosed with Asperger's, she knows she will do anything to help him.

She expects other people not to understand.

She expects the stares and whisperes.

She even expects trouble with the police.

But she doesn't expect Jacob to be charged with murder.

And when all the hallmarks of your son's condition - his tics, his inappropriate actions, his inability to look you in the eye - can be read as guilt; when you cannot put your hand on your heart and swear he is innocent...

How can you help your child then?

I was very excited to read this book. After reading Little Face which took a while to get into, I wanted to read something which I could get into quicker and having read two books by Jodi Picoult in the past, I was used to her writing and I enjoyed her books.

I finished this book in three days, but I didn't rush it. I just had a lot of spare time and enjoyed it that much that I put it down and seconds later I had it back in my hand again, reading the next chapter. That's another thing I like about the book, it's written from different peoples points of view throughout the book so we have thoughts and feelings from all the main characters. We see the book's events through the eyes of Emma, the mother, Jacob, the son with Aspergers, Theo, his younger brother, Rich, the police detective and also Oliver, the lawyer. I like this as if it was told from just one person's POV, we wouldn't know about half the stuff which goes on, seeing as yes the book is about Jacob, but alot of what happens is around him is told from Emma's POV.

I have officially labeled this book as one of my all time favourites, I had done that when I was on around page 450 (the book has 603 pages in it) due to the way it is written and some of the events which happen. I feel like I know someone in real life who suffers from Asperger's and I feel as if I would be able to understand someone who did have Asperger's, just by reading this book.

I don't want to write too much about the book, as I think I'll give too much away. Most of what happens in the book is important, everything from the murder scene which Jacob has set up within the first couple lines of the first page. It all has importance to the book. I do however want to point out that I solved what actually happened in the book before we got told what had happened :D I HAD REASONS FOR WHY I THOUGHT WHAT I THOUGHT AND I WAS RIGHT :') I was so proud that I had figured it all out before I got told :')

I however did get a little lost at one part, which I can't say too much about as it'll ruin the book, but basically theres a house which Theo breaks into...and I imagined it. And then there's the house which Jacob's social skills teacher is house sitting for...I imagine a totally different house...and then a few chapters later you find out that they are infact the same house...this confused me for ages :')

Oh and I don't like the fact that this book, just like the other two books I've read by Jodi Picoult, contained a court case. Can't she write about anything else!?!?! Thankfully, unlike the other two, this book ends happily.

Altogether a great book which will suck you in and make you feel as if you are there, sitting with The Hunt's on Blue Food Friday