- House Rules by Jodi Picoult - Atria Publishing
Jodi Picoult has a gift for writing stories that connect deeply with the reader’s heart and soul. In House Rules, she gives a no-holds-barred view into the life of a mother and her two sons, one of whom has Asperger’s Syndrome. By skilfully weaving this condition into the story, she shows how it can disrupt family life and cause other children to be overshadowed and overlooked.
The Storyline of House Rules
Jacob Hunt is 18 years old and has Asperger’s Syndrome. Part of this syndrome is the tendency to become obsessed with certain subjects. In Jacob’s case, this is forensics and crime scene investigation. When his social skill’s tutor is found dead, he is the prime suspect. Because people with Asperger’s Syndrome have communication problems, Jacob struggles to act appropriately in court and his lack of eye contact and monotonous speech work against him.
In between the court scenes, Jodi Picoult presents a fascinating picture of home life with a teen with Asperger’s Syndrome. Jacob displays many of the quirks of the disorder which is defined as being a type of high-functioning autism. His behavior includes the following characteristics:
- Aversion to touch
- Aversion to bright lights
- Aversion to loud noise
- Obeys rules
- Works well with routines and structure
- Obsessed with certain favourite topics
- Takes everything very literally
- Cannot understand body language
Throughout House Rules, the reader glimpses the frustrations and joys of having a child like Jacob.
The Main Characters in House Rules
Jacob Hunt is the central focus of the story, followed closely by his brother, Theo, and his mother, Emma. Oliver Bond is Jacob’s inexperienced lawyer and Rich Matson is the detective assigned to his case. Helen Sharp is the fiery red-haired prosecutor. Jess Ogilvy is the deceased social skills tutor.
In the second part of House Rules, Henry Hunt, Jacob’s father appears. He left the family soon after Jacob started displaying odd behavior patterns at the age of three. He remarried and has two young daughters by his new wife. On re-acquaintance, Emma and Theo both notice that Henry appears to have a mild form of Asperger’s Syndrome himself.
The Message in House Rules
Jacob Hunt is ostracised by his peers and misunderstood by adults. This is a direct result of Asperger’s Syndrome and his inability to read social cues. Jodi Picoult highlights his dilemma and gives the reader a glimpse of the pain that often comes when people are different and don’t fit in. She also raises questions of what individuals can do to make life more comfortable for teens with special needs.
House Rules is a thick book that offers many hours of compelling reading. Each scene leads onto the next and keeps the questions coming. Jodi Picoult weaves the story in such a way that the reader is completely uncertain as to whether Jacob is actually guilty of murder or not. It is only in the last few pages that she brings the story to a conclusion with a real twist-in-the tail ending.
House Rules by Jodi Picoult, Atria, 2010, ISBN-13: 978-0743296434
Debbie Roome - Debbie Roome is an award-winning freelance writer, journalist and novelist with over 25 years experience.
