- Hardcover: 532 pages
- Publisher: Atria Books; 1 edition (2 Mar 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0743296435
- ISBN-13: 978-0743296434
- Product Dimensions: 24.6 x 16.2 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,068,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
House Rules
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Product Description
Review
'Brilliant. Absolutely gripping, insightful and very sad.' --She Book of the Month
'Impossible to put down and stayed in my mind long after I had finished' --The Observer
'The author... is at her brilliant, gripping best... It's impossible not to get immersed in this intricate and fascinating drama.' --Cosmopolitan Book of the Month --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
'Impossible to put down and stayed in my mind long after I had finished' --The Observer
'The author... is at her brilliant, gripping best... It's impossible not to get immersed in this intricate and fascinating drama.' --Cosmopolitan Book of the Month --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Review
'A national favourite . . . touching and emotive. The multi-perspectives challenge established views and the family dynamic is insightful. It's hard to work out the ending until you're on the last page and by then it's near impossible to shake the characters from your head.'
(Sunday Express )'The author . . . is at her brilliant, gripping best . . . It's impossible not to get immersed in this intricate and fascinating drama.'
(Cosmopolitan Book of the Month )'Brilliant. Absolutely gripping, insightful and very sad.'
(SHE Book of the Month )'Picoult's impressive ability to get inside her characters' heads is astounding. HOUSE RULES is utterly gripping'
(Stylist )'An addictive whodunnit and a touching insight into living with Asperger's'
(Woman )'A sensitive and hugely illuminating exploration of the condition (autism) and its impact on the families affected by it. As ever, the narrative unfolds at a cracking pace, with all the cliffhangers and twists and turns in the plot that Picoult's readers have come to expect. A great summer bonus for her vast legion of fans.'
(Daily Mail )'A captivating read' ****
(Heat )Praise for Jodi Picoult (: )
'Jodi Picoult is not one to shy away from fictional controversy; in fact, the more tangled and messy a moral dilemma appears, the better she likes it. (Daily Mail )
'Impossible to put down and stayed in my mind long after I had finished' (Observer )
'Superb, many-stranded, and grimly topical'
(The Times )'Picoult has an uncanny knack of dreaming up moral dilemmas that you cannot ignore: you must know the resolution . . . A challenging and clever read' (Sunday Express ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I really enjoy Jodi Picoult usually, but I felt as if House Rules was just re-using her old formats. The trial, the romance, the sibling relationship, were all very predictable and felt old. I very much enjoyed the description of Asperger's and the difficulties of living with it, but overall my main complaint about the book was the ending. I actually checked to see if any pages were missing - it felt as if she just hadn't finished the book. I almost wish I hadn't read it because of how unsatisfying the ending was.
93 of 100 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
House Rules
Emma is a single mother, with two boys, Jacob and Theo.
Jacob has Asperger's, so is definitely not your typical 18 year old. His social skills are minimal, and he gets distressed by changes to routine, physical contact, and the colour orange. He is totally obsessed with all things forensic, even having a make shift fuming chamber in his bedroom so he can check for fingerprints. His obsession extends to disappearing in the middle of the night so he can attend real life crime scenes, and give advice to the experts at the scene.
There are some amusing misunderstandings, as Jacob takes everything very literally, and also some very poignant scenes when Jacob freaks out uncontrollably and Emma has to resort to unusual tactics to get him back to his more normal behaviour.
Emma is stretched to her limits, both emotionally and financially, trying to make sure that Jacob lives as normal a life as possible. Her world is effectively ruled by what state Jacob is in at the time; she does not have the resources to take time for herself, nor for Theo.
Theo feels that his life has been messed up by his older brother, who gets all Emma's attention, and he is becoming jealous and rebellious.
Jacob's passion for crime scenes eventually gets him into trouble - it would spoil the story to say more.
Fascinating, a must read!
Emma is a single mother, with two boys, Jacob and Theo.
Jacob has Asperger's, so is definitely not your typical 18 year old. His social skills are minimal, and he gets distressed by changes to routine, physical contact, and the colour orange. He is totally obsessed with all things forensic, even having a make shift fuming chamber in his bedroom so he can check for fingerprints. His obsession extends to disappearing in the middle of the night so he can attend real life crime scenes, and give advice to the experts at the scene.
There are some amusing misunderstandings, as Jacob takes everything very literally, and also some very poignant scenes when Jacob freaks out uncontrollably and Emma has to resort to unusual tactics to get him back to his more normal behaviour.
Emma is stretched to her limits, both emotionally and financially, trying to make sure that Jacob lives as normal a life as possible. Her world is effectively ruled by what state Jacob is in at the time; she does not have the resources to take time for herself, nor for Theo.
Theo feels that his life has been messed up by his older brother, who gets all Emma's attention, and he is becoming jealous and rebellious.
Jacob's passion for crime scenes eventually gets him into trouble - it would spoil the story to say more.
Fascinating, a must read!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
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This is one of those rare books that caught my interest from the start and held it at every step of the way through. It's really long but unfortunately I read it in two days because it was so good. I put it down when I was thirsty or otherwise less than 100% comfortable. It is so good that I didn't want to diminish my pleasure in any way. I was right back asap though!
The subject is sensitively and intelligently handled, like all Picoult's work. I don't want to spoil it for anyone by adding spoilers, just know that it's told in the voice of the autistic boy, his brother, his mum, his lawyer and a police detective. You get a real sense of what each of them is going through and how each sees the events unfolding.
I admit that I couldn't really accept why they couldn't ask the one question that mattered right at the beginning, although Picoult does attempt to jusitify this. Can't say more as it would spoil it all. Read it and I hope you enjoy it even half as much as I did. I can't wait for her next book now.
The subject is sensitively and intelligently handled, like all Picoult's work. I don't want to spoil it for anyone by adding spoilers, just know that it's told in the voice of the autistic boy, his brother, his mum, his lawyer and a police detective. You get a real sense of what each of them is going through and how each sees the events unfolding.
I admit that I couldn't really accept why they couldn't ask the one question that mattered right at the beginning, although Picoult does attempt to jusitify this. Can't say more as it would spoil it all. Read it and I hope you enjoy it even half as much as I did. I can't wait for her next book now.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Help
Thoroughly enjoyed this. A friend was reading it and I just downloaded it - had no idea what it was about. Brilliant read.
Published 6 days ago by Sugarcandy
a great read
This is an excellent book. I love Jodi Picoult - her style of writing is brilliant - dedicating each chapter to one character and from their point of view. Read more
Published 11 days ago by JennySusan
a good read
This is a good book which is authentic to the condition of autism whilst at the same time, providing an excellent narrative from 5 perspectives.
Published 17 days ago by Worcester Woman
None
this is my first jp read. i was hooked on the book from the start and really enjoyed the different characters. Read more
Published 27 days ago by mrs claire l richardson
Not one of her better novels
Like many of the other reviewers I found House Rules to fall short. I have really enjoyed some of Picoult's books but this one just didn't grip me. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Reader
Absorbing, but what where is the ending?
I was really absorbed by this book and couldn't put it down. When I reached the end I was so dissapointed. Read more
Published 2 months ago by MissCheeva
House rules
I did enjoy this but like another reviewer said the end let it down, unlike some of her other books.. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mrs. Susan E. Kinghorn
good read with reservations
I have a son with Aspergers and read this with very mixed feelings. Whilst it was a good read, and as i persevered with it I began to warm to Jacob, nevertheless, in the early... Read more
Published 3 months ago by shartie
Couldn't put it down!
House Rules tells the story of a young man, Jacob, with Asperger's Syndrome (which affects the whole family) who finds himself accused of murder. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Sharon Hurley Hall
A must read!
I loved this book and couldn't put it down. My son has Asperger's Syndrome and Jodi Picoult certainly did her research into Aspergers. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. D. M. Long
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