House Rules

Only a full cast of narrators could effectively deliver the intensity of Picoult's horrifying story of a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome (autism) who is accused of a brutal murder. Compelling to the last word, the novel is an emotionally powerful depiction of how a family is affected by autism--daily and in crisis. Whether our legal system fairly serves those who think and communicate differently is a question asked throughout. Mark Turetsky flawlessly portrays both Jacob Hunt's brilliance and his limitations. Nicole Poole grasps the heroic character of Jacob's mother with an articulate, perceptive, and resigned vocal nuance. Andy Paris delivers the tones of Jacob's "normal" teenage brother--neutral yet warm. Righteous and compassionate, complex and spellbinding--HOUSE RULES is another Picoult gift of wonder. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

December 21, 2009
Perennial bestseller Picoult (Handle with Care
) has a rough time in this Picoult-esque blend of medical and courtroom drama that lacks her usual storytelling finesse. Eighteen-year old Jacob Hunt has Asperger's syndrome, and his devoted single mother, Emma, has built their family's life around Jacob's needs, sacrificing her career to act as his caregiver and all but ignoring a younger son, Theo. But when Jacob is accused of murder, that carefully crafted life comes apart, and all of the hallmarks of Jacob's diagnosis begin to make him look guilty. Emma hires a young attorney whose attachment to Jacob brings him close to the family as he struggles to mount a defense for Jacob, whose inability to read social cues makes him less than an ideal client. While Picoult's research is impeccable and she deals intelligently with charged questions about autism and Asperger's, the whodunit is stretched sitcom-thin and handled poorly, with characters withholding information from the reader throughout. Picoult's writing, line by line, is as smooth as ever, and she does a great job of getting into Jacob's head, but the wobbly plotting is a massive detriment.