"House Rules" by Jodi Picoult

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House Rules, by Jodi Picoult, is a book about an aspie boy called Jacob who get accused of murdering his social skills tutor.
Jacob's special interest is about analysing crime scenes.
We find out in the end that Jacob didn't murder his social skills tutor - he altered the crime scene to lead them away from his NT brother, who he believed committed the crime.

Has anyone read it?
Do you like it?
Do you think Jacob was portrayed accurately?

No, but the plot sounds like it would make a good movie. I don't understand why most movies about Aspies are romance movies.

I am reading it right now. I am only about a quarter of the way through (but I did read the ending, and the summary on Wikipedia). So far, I think that, while SOME aspects are realistic, Jacob is a LOT lower functioning than a realistic Aspie. I will give props to Jodi Picoult for actually doing "field" research and observing Aspie kids and their families - but the problem is, they were kids. An Aspie KID (or a full-blown autistic adult) might have a meltdown in a grocery store - but it really isn't likely that an Aspie adult would. (I know I certainly wouldn't - I would probably just sigh sharply, if even that, and be thrown into a funk for a few hours, but no temper tantrums .)

I also think Jacob's mom babies him - I think that she makes too many excuses for his behavior. I think if she had treated him like a "normal" kid, and held him accountable for his actions, he would have been a lot farther along, and maybe wouldn't have even been accused of murder. Yeah, it probably would have been tougher (read: a LOT more meltdowns), but honestly, that's life, and everyone, even us autistics, have to learn that it isn't always easy. If my mom and I had driven to the grocery store, and I didn't like the color orange, and the only spot was next to an orange car, my mom probably would have parked there and told me to get over myself. There's actually a name for this technique: exposure therapy - it's used for OCD, but I've found that it also helps with some of my autistic stuff (such as forcing myself to go to noisy, crowded places - I can deal with them a lot better now). Oh, and what is it with all this color sensitivity stuff? I don't have any, and nor does any other Aspie I know (and I know a lot!)

That being said, apart from the Asperger's bit, the book is very well written, and I'm glad that one of the narrators is actually the autistic boy himself. I know that Jodi Picoult is a good writer, so I am going to give this book a chance, and I'm going to finish it.

I agree, it probably would make a good movie plot, and that is a good point - it would be nice to have an Aspie movie that ISN'T Rainman or a romantic relationship. But does it have to be about a boy who is accused of murder? I can't imagine it helping public perception of Aspies.

Yes, I think Jacob is full-blown autism rather than aspergers. I also see your point about Jacob's mum treating him like a baby.

I was interested to read about exposure therapy - maybe I should go to more noisy, crowded places

Yes, it would make a good movie plot - I would be annoyed if the actor/actress didn't portray autism accurately.
It seems the stereotype that an NT and aspie/autistic fall in love, the NT cares for the aspie/autistic, and at the end, the aspie/autistic realises the amazing work that the NT has done to help, and partially "improves"
and they go off into the west happily ever after...

I read up until about page 5. AS character or not, Jodie Picoult's writing style irritates the hell out of me (too schmaltzy for my tastes). I will admit that My Sister's Keeper made a good movie (liked the movie ending better than the book's) so maybe this one will translate well too.

Ditto!

I haven't read it myself, but I did buy it for my mother. She loves passionate fiction books by authors like Picoult, and she loves books about autism/aspergers, so I figured it would be right up here all. Surprisingly she was kind of apathetic about it after she finished it, while she enjoyed the plot, she went off on several rants about how she thought that the mother in the story weak willed and a dolt. She also thought that it was kind of taking an Autism Speaks 'focus on the horrors of the disability' approach rather then focusing on the strong points that people on the spectrum have, and how they can overcome the challenges that life throws at them.

I just finished the book yesterday. I think some of the issues she brings to attention, specifically about AS and the criminal justice system, might get more NTs thinking about the subject. I don't find the character of Jacob very compelling. There were parts of his experiences that I could sympathize with, but through too many parts of the book, he came off as a collection of symptoms. I think the assessment that Picoult listened too much to the Autism Speaks crowd makes sense, particularly in her short portrayal of a character from "Neurodiversity Nation," who comes across as nothing but a strawman created from the perception of some of the pro-cure groups. She also, while trying to take a "moderate" stand, gives a lot of credence to the thimerasol controversy.

The writing style was multiple first person. Other writers have pulled this off well, but I didn't think Picoult did.

However, I did appreciate the way she described how velvet affects Jacob, because it affects me the same, and I haven't heard anyone describe it before (besides me, when I'm trying to describe what it's like.).

All in all, whether it becomes a movie or not, I hope it doesn't become one of the sources that influences the general public's perception of the spectrum.

Even though it doesn't seem like an accurate portrayal, I would really like to see this as a movie. Imagine it, a boy with an experteise with crime scene investigation being accused of murder, covering his brother for a murder of his tutor. It seems like a cool idea! I will only try to make it on one condition...do NOT cast Justin Beiber as the main character. He's too fake to play one of us. (Sorry to JB fans...) Oh, and from what ElfMusic described the book from, it just seems like most people want to make a book about us that are just symptom collections. How do you potray an Asperger's Syndrome person accurately?

I agree with your mother.


Show, don't tell. The narrator should describe his or her thoughts and experiences, Aspie and "normal", rather than compiling a list of his or her autistic traits. They should imply the Asperger's, rather than making overt references to it.

I've heard about it but have not gotten a chance to read it.

Thank you! ^^

You're welcome

I thought it was a good book. An NT advocate friend of mine gave it to me for my birthday. While I give JP props for doing excellent research, my friend said (my friend works with Aspies as a mentor/behavioral aide/tutor), she said Jacob was low-functioning. I found the book exhausting the first time around because I kept trying to analyze myself in it. Then my friend said to let that go, so I did and started reading it as it was intended, for pleasure and not analytically. Then it was a more mystery format which I enjoyed and kept me guessing until the end.

I thought it was a good book. An NT advocate friend of mine gave it to me for my birthday. While I give JP props for doing excellent research, my friend said (my friend works with Aspies as a mentor/behavioral aide/tutor), she said Jacob was low-functioning. I found the book exhausting the first time around because I kept trying to analyze myself in it. Then my friend said to let that go, so I did and started reading it as it was intended, for pleasure and not analytically. Then it was a more mystery format which I enjoyed and kept me guessing until the end.

I've only been reading it a little while (maybe 1/4) on my lunch breaks & i agree with most of what has been already said. Her style does get to me at times (i guess that's what the reading masses like, though), & the entire setup seems impossibly contrived but...it is sympathetic. And plotwise, a page-turner.

I don't think the 1st person of Jacob is convincing. He thinks in too many cliches & i would more easily believe the oddly original expression than stuff i recognize as "novelese".

Of the 3 recent, notorious books i'm ranking them 1) Haddon 2) Moon 3) Picoult...but i think better will come.

m.