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Title details for House Rules by Jodi Picoult - Available

House Rules

A Novel

by Jodi Picoult
Mark Turetsky
Audiobook
3 of 6 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
3 of 6 copies available
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and the modern classics My Sister's Keeper, The Storyteller, and more, comes a "complex, compassionate, and smart" (The Washington Post) novel about a family torn apart by a murder accusation.
When your son can't look you in the eye...does that mean he's guilty?

Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. He has a special focus on one subject—forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he's always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he's usually right.

But when Jacob's small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob's behaviors are hallmark Asperger's, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are thrust directly in the spotlight. For Jacob's mother, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, it's another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.

And for the frightened small town, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

House Rules is "a provocative story in which [Picoult] explores the pain of trying to comprehend the people we love—and reminds us that the truth often travels in disguise" (People).

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 5, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781508254805
      • File size: 574040 KB
      • Duration: 19:55:54

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 880
    • Text Difficulty: 4-5

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Only a full cast of narrators could effectively deliver the intensity of Picoult's horrifying story of a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome (autism) who is accused of a brutal murder. Compelling to the last word, the novel is an emotionally powerful depiction of how a family is affected by autism--daily and in crisis. Whether our legal system fairly serves those who think and communicate differently is a question asked throughout. Mark Turetsky flawlessly portrays both Jacob Hunt's brilliance and his limitations. Nicole Poole grasps the heroic character of Jacob's mother with an articulate, perceptive, and resigned vocal nuance. Andy Paris delivers the tones of Jacob's "normal" teenage brother--neutral yet warm. Righteous and compassionate, complex and spellbinding--HOUSE RULES is another Picoult gift of wonder. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 21, 2009
      Perennial bestseller Picoult (Handle with Care
      ) has a rough time in this Picoult-esque blend of medical and courtroom drama that lacks her usual storytelling finesse. Eighteen-year old Jacob Hunt has Asperger's syndrome, and his devoted single mother, Emma, has built their family's life around Jacob's needs, sacrificing her career to act as his caregiver and all but ignoring a younger son, Theo. But when Jacob is accused of murder, that carefully crafted life comes apart, and all of the hallmarks of Jacob's diagnosis begin to make him look guilty. Emma hires a young attorney whose attachment to Jacob brings him close to the family as he struggles to mount a defense for Jacob, whose inability to read social cues makes him less than an ideal client. While Picoult's research is impeccable and she deals intelligently with charged questions about autism and Asperger's, the whodunit is stretched sitcom-thin and handled poorly, with characters withholding information from the reader throughout. Picoult's writing, line by line, is as smooth as ever, and she does a great job of getting into Jacob's head, but the wobbly plotting is a massive detriment.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from May 3, 2010
      Having clear house rules has proven to be the most effective way for single mother Emma Hunt to raise her two sons: brilliant 18-year-old Jacob, who has Asperger’s syndrome, and 15-year-old Theo. Jacob’s obsession with criminal forensics has brought him to the notice of local law enforcement, and when a murder is committed, Jacob becomes a suspect. Gripping suspense, sensitive treatment of Asperger’s, and brilliant characterizations make for an outstanding listen. Playing Jacob and Theo respectively, Mark Turetsky and Andy Paris sound youthful but never childish or mannered. Rich Orlow as the police detective, and Christopher Evan Welch playing the defense attorney are mature and assured. And Nicole Poole as the mother delivers a star performance; her Emma comes alive, and while never imitating the other narrators, her representations of the other characters in dialogue are so true the reader could forget it wasn’t the designated cast member in the role. An Atria hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 21).

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:880
  • Text Difficulty:4-5

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