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House Rules
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House Rules (2010) (edit title/settings)

by Jodi Picoult (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject -- in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police... read more

Summary edit see section history

They tell me I'm lucky to have a son who's so verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the broken microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there's a wider one to... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

They tell me I'm lucky to have a son who's so verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the broken microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there's a wider one to explore. But try having a son who is locked in his own world, and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else, but truly doesn't know how.
Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject---in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmarks behaviors of Asperger's---not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory ties and twitches, flat affect---can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

Characters/People edit see section history

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Quotes edit see section history

  • “The woman who opens the door has a blue stain on her shirt and dark hair wound into a messy know and the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They're pale, like a lioness's, nearly golden, but they look like they've done their fair share of crying, and we all know that a sky with clouds is much more interesting then one that doesn't have any.”
  • “But for the record, I personally subscribe to the belief that normal is just a setting on the dryer.”
    Jacob Hunt
  • “One of the reasons I like having Asperger’s is that I don’t have an active imagination.”
    Jacob Hunt
  • “I never imagined that all that passion between us would pool beneath the tangled threads of Jacob’s genetic code, waiting for just the perfect storm to dig in its roots, to burst and blossom into autism.”
    Emma Hunt
  • “You know what young wine is? Grape juice.”
    Oliver Bond
  • “Asperger’s is like a flavoring added to a person, and although my concentration is higher than those of others, if tested, everyone else would have traces of this condition, too.”
    Jacob Hunt
  • “You don’t ever change the hurricane. You just learn how to stay out of its path.”
    Theo Hunt
  • “When someone dies, it feels like the hole in your gum when a tooth falls out. You can chew, you can eat, you have plenty of other teeth, but your tongue keeps going back to that empty place where all the nerves are still a little raw.”
    Jacob Hunt
  • “I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome long before it became the mental health disorder du jour, overused by parents to describe their bratty kids so that people think they' re supergeniuses instead of simply anti-social.”
    Jacob Hunt
  • “I like B. M. From mahtomedi middle school”
    Em. F.
  • “I like B. M. From mahtomedi middle school”
    Em. F.
  • “I like B. M. From mahtomedi middle school”
    Em. F.
  • “I like B. M. And E. W. From mahtomedi middle school”
    Em. F
Show all 13 quotes from this book

First Sentence edit see section history

Everywhere I look, there are signs of a struggle.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • "Take care of your family... their the only one you've got.": Jacob's journey is about overcoming Asperber's because he believes his brother needs him. Jacob's incredible struggle to save his brother was his way of taking care of the only family he had. For once he was able to see outside of his world.

Errata edit see section history

The book mentions Jacob being in jail far away. 150-180 miles? I think he would be held in the county jail. UVM is in Burlington, Chittenden County.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 81 of 121 in Whitcoulls Top 100 (2012). (authoritative list)
This book is in NPR Summer Books 2010. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Jodi Picoult (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Atria Books
Country: United States
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 9780743296434
Page Count: 532

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3566.I372 H68 2010
  • Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Also suitable for mature teens

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

  • Jodi Picoult: Jodi Picoult's official web site. Here you can find discussion questions, reviews, podcasts, video etc

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
  • Handle with Care
  • Not My Daughter
  • Mockingbird
  • Mindblind
  • Saving Max

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