House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Today I am reviewing House Rules by Jodi Picoult. It is a story about a single mother with two teenage sons. The older boy, who just turned 18, is named Jacob and has Asperger's Syndrome. His younger brother, Theo is 15 and perfectly normal - other than having a brother with AS. It goes through the story with perspectives of nearly every character, including the arresting officer and the defense attorney.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked the way it jumped from person to person, but the story kept on flowing without a hitch. I can see that some people may not like that, but I think it is a unique way to tell a story and get everyone's thoughts and feelings out there. She does a great job from Jacob's perspective, which can't be easy.

The plot is Emma has been a single mother since her husband left her when Theo was 6 months old, not long after Jacob's AS diagnosis. Emma, the mother, talks about her struggles and then we hear from Jacob and Theo about their issues as well. Theo begins breaking into houses because he's so desperate to be part of a "normal" family. Jacob is obsessed with forensics, and routinely sets up crime scenes for his mother to solve. Then Jacob is arrested for murdering his "social skills" tutor. And honestly you will not find out what happened until the end of this story. I was genuinely suprised more than once in this book.

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Sorry I haven't been around. I needed to take some time off and think about life. :) But I'm back, if for nothing more than to give reviews on movies and books that cross my path.