Jodi Picoult - House Rules

review by Maggie Perkovic on show 27th May
I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO A BOOK BY JODI PICOULT AND THIS IS NO EXCEPTION.
JACOB HUNT AND HIS BROTHER THEO, ARE 18 AND 15 RESPECTIVELY, SONS OF EMMA HUNT WHO LIVES IN TOWNSEND VERMONT. SHE WORKS AS AN AGONY AUNT ON A LOCAL RAG AND THEY BOTH ATTEND THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL, SO FAR SO GOOD, BUT WHAT MAKES THIS STORY SO ENGROSSING IS THE FACT THAT JACOB IS AUTISTIC. NOT ON A PAR WITH THE "RAINMAN" PORTRAYED BY DUSTIN HOFFMAN, BUT MAKING LIFE DIFFICULT ENOUGH FOR THE HUSBAND TO LEAVE AND REMARRY AND FOR EMMA TO FIGHT FOR JACOB TO BE ACCEPTED IN A NORMAL EDUCATION SYSTEM AND FOR HIS BROTHER TO FEEL EMBARRASSED AND LEFT OUT AS HIS MOTHER DOES EVERYTHING TO FACILITATE JACOB'S ENTRY INTO SOCIETY.
AUTISM IS A MENTAL DISABILITY THAT IS HARD TO DEFINE, AS WE ALL KNOW IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE TRIPLE VIRUS MMR IS TO BLAME. CERTAINLY SOME CHILDREN SEEM TO CHANGE AFTER THIS OCCURRENCE, BUT IS THAT ONLY A HORRID COINCIDENCE? EMMA DOESN'T KNOW BUT IT MEANS FOR HER A SON WHO REFUSES EYE CONTACT, WHO IS LAUGHED AT BY HIS FELLOW STUDENTS AND WHO HAS AN INCREDIBLE OBSESSION WITH MURDERS. HE GOES SO FAR TO ATTEND THE SCENES AT THE SAME TIME AS THE POLICE, OFTEN SOLVING THE MURDER BEFORE THEM!!
WHEN HIS YOUNG TUTOR, WHO HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING HIM TO MAINTAIN SOME SEMBLANCE OF NORMALITY, IS FOUND MURDERED THE EVIDENCE ALL POINTS TO HIM, BUT IS THAT POSSIBLE?
WITH THE HELP OF A LAWYER WHO IS NOT VERY UP ON THE LAW EMMA TRIES TO DEFEND HER SON AND FINDS HIS BROTHER THEO IS ALSO INVOLVED.
THIS IS A THOUGHT PROVOKING AND WELL WRITTEN BOOK WITH THE USUAL METICULOUS RESEARCH THAT WE COME TO EXPECT FROM THIS AUTHOR. DON'T EXPECT A STRAIGHT FORWARD ENDING!
review by Maggi.