House Rules

Every time I read a Jodi Picoult novel, I think to myself, "I'm not reading any more gut wrenching books"....but somehow...I always succomb to reading the next book she publishes. Picoult's latest, House Rules, is another example of fine writing by this author. I truly enjoy how she tackles huge issues (such as leukemia, school shootings, missing children) in such a way that the issue becomes deeply personal for the reader. House Rules focuses on one family, single mom Emma and her two sons Jacob and Theo. Jacob has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (it's related to autism and basically means that Jacob is a brilliant kid who has crippling social and communication skills, who can barely function in the world, and is extremely sensitive to external stimuli such as light and sound), and Emma's whole world is focused on Jacob's daily life. Jacob is eighteen, attends regular high school and has a "social skills coach," Jess, who helps teach him how to act in social situations. Jacob mostly functions okay, except when his carefully structured day is interrupted and he is thrown into super meltdown mode. Emma, Jacob and Theo exist as well as they can until Jess mysteriously dies one day and suspicion falls on Jacob. The exploration of the family dynamics is the best part of this book--I learned a lot of information I didn't know about Asperger's disease and now appreciate the intricacies of life of those who have been diagnosed. If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult try also reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.