Book Reading/Discussion: House Rules
Hi everyone! I'm writing to see if anyone is interested in reading the book House Rules by Jodi Picoult and then having a discussion about it via this thread?
@adventurousBranch3786
@ReadBooks7
Hey! I think I'd be interested... what's the book supposed to be about? 
@empathicPresence9091 hi! It's about a family that includes a teenager with autism who find themselves in the middle of a police investigation, and how they try valiantly to ensure he gets fair treatment. It's big on character development and has a fairly unique writing style, and is suspenseful and surprising as well.
Hi everyone! Just checking in to see how the reading is coming along 🙂
@ReadBooks7. I have about 59 pages to go! I hope to finish today or tomorrow 😊.
@adventurousBranch3786 that's great! I really hope you are enjoying it. I'm curious to know what you and anyone else reading think of the ending.
@ReadBooks7. I finished it. I was wondering why Jacob did the things he did and the ending helped to explain it. I don’t know if I can mention too much about it. I’m not sure if there is someone else still reading. I did like the book and the ending.
@adventurousBranch3786 I will tag the others and see where they are, and then we will have a better idea what we can discuss at this point. I think there are some discussion questions at the end of the book but I am waiting to post any so as not to spoil the ending for anyone. I am really glad you liked the book!
Hi everyone! I am tagging a few people just to check in and see where you are and if you are still wanting to discuss the book. No pressure at all; there are two of us who have completed the book, and we just want to make sure that we do not spoil the ending. How are you liking it so far @Cancun @glowingPond @empathicPresence9091 ?
@ReadBooks7
Well. I haven't even started it sorry. Life keeps getting in my way. 😒 Go ahead and discuss whenever you guys want. Hopefully I can catch up.
@ReadBooks7
Hey there,
Thank you for this! I was excited to see this available on my e-reader, and I've honestly been in a bit of a slump. I know I'm somewhat late to the party, but I've downloaded the book and figure I'll get a couple chapters in, then come back and get involved in the discussions. I appreciate a chance to connect with others through reading, which I've neglected for too long.
@ThadSterling Welcome to the discussion.
@ThadSterling welcome! So glad to have you joining us!
@Cancun I think we'll be waiting a bit to discuss in any detail, so there's still time if you like, but of course no pressure. Sending lots of support your way 💚💙
@ReadBooks7
Its calling for rain here all week so reading sounds wonderful. Thanks. Welcome all new people joining. 🤗
@Cancun I hope it provides a nice opportunity for rest and relaxation and that you are able to enjoy the book 🙂
@Cancun. It’s nice to have a good book for a rainy day 😊.
@adventurousBranch3786
I would have to agree. I like reading in my backyard in the shade also. Having some issues here and it's really hard to concentrate really. I have to watch my fur babies closely. My neighbor is a fruit loop and thinks I'm a witch. 🙄 He's pulling all sorts of bad things on me. My brother is having serious health issues. Among other things of course. I just can't relax right now. I'll catch up eventually. Keep discussing. Don't let my situation stop you guys. I'm still interested in your thoughts. I just might read them later. Super big hugs. 🤗❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤗
@Cancun. Sorry to hear about this. A very difficult neighbor can be very stressful! Sending get well wishes for your brother ❤️.
@adventurousBranch3786
Thank you so much. My neighbor just won't quit his stupidity. 🤷♀️ He called the cops again and they didn't even come talk to me. They have to be sooooooo tired of this. The more he pulls the more evidence of harassment I have. I don't think he knows what felony harassment is? He will soon. Karma will always come calling. He's not going to enjoy paying me restitution either but this is his mess. I'll be calling a lawyer soon. All the neighbors want to testify against him. 🤷♀️ Bullies always get it sooner or later. Love you guys. 🤗❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤗
Hi everyone! Just checking in to see how everyone is coming along with the book and if you are enjoying it. I have discussion questions to post once everyone is finished or close and doesn't mind us going ahead. I hope you are all enjoying 🙂
Hi everyone! I am just checking in to see if any others have completed the book and if it is a good time to post the first discussion questions. I can wait, as I do not want to rush anyone or spoil the ending. I hope you are all enjoying!
I am ready as well :)
@glowingPond that's great, thank you! I think I'll give it another couple of days to see if anyone else replies, and then maybe we can start discussing, if that works for everyone 🙂 I can always post a spoiler warning so those who still might want to read can avoid those specific posts until they are done reading.
Hi everyone! I figure I will start with a general question about how everyone liked/is liking the book! That way, maybe I can gauge if almost everyone has finished or not. I will start posting discussion questions likely within a few days, if that works. (I will include spoiler alerts.)
How did you/do you like it? Do you have a favorite character?
@ReadBooks7. I did like the book. I did like the whole family Jacob, Theo and Emma. I thought that they were a pretty nice family.
@adventurousBranch3786 I like them all, too. They all have good personalities and different talents. I also really like the lawyer (I think his name is Oliver but I am not sure I am recalling that correctly).
@ReadBooks7. I liked him too. I will say more about my thoughts about him later so I won’t give any spoilers.
Hi everyone! I will begin posting discussion questions that I do not think will spoil any major events of the novel or the ending. If I do think any future question posts will possibly contain spoilers, I will label them.
First discussion question, from House Rules by Jodi Picoult:
1. "House Rules is narrated by five characters: Emma, Jacob, and Theo Hunt; lawyer Oliver Bond; and Detective Rich Matson. How do each of these characters bring a different perspective to the novel? How would the reading experience have been different if one of the narrators' perspectives was removed from the novel?"
@ReadBooks7. I thought that it was interesting to have all of the different point of views. It was very interesting to see things through Jacobs point of view and how he saw the world with Asperger’s syndrome. I liked getting the mother and brothers point of view as well and how they were affected by Jacob. I suppose the book could have been done well through Jacobs point of view with him describing everything and other peoples reactions. But I liked it this way and felt like I got to know each of the characters better. As far as the detective Rich it was interesting to see his inner thoughts about how he judged “suspicion behaviors”.
@adventurousBranch3786 I agree with all of your thoughts. I think that the perspective of several characters allows for the plot to unfold the way it does, without the readers knowing what actually happened too soon. I remember thinking the whole time, there has to be an explanation for this, and I did not see the end coming at all. It was especially interesting to see the perspective of Jacob, as I do not have any direct experience like his character does. All of the characters are really well developed. I hope that the book can serve in even a small way to help law enforcement take into account persons with special needs and assistance and accommodations they might need. A lot of Jacob's characteristics could lead a person to assume guilt, even if the person is completely innocent.
@ReadBooks7 aaah I missed this comment! lol
So, about the characters. I loved the fact that there are multiple points of view. I think we often forget that anything that happens to an individual (from a disorder, to an addiction, etc) somehow involves the whole family. I liked to learn about the different point of views and I liked to see that there were some "uninformed" characters; with that I mean that it opened a whole new vision for me. Is the legal system aware of traits of different personality disorders? The detective thought he was suspicious because he was not educated about personality disorders. Very interesting, if you ask me. Another thing I really liked is the harsh reality. It wasn't all rainbows and sunshine. It showed a real, harsh reality where at times it's really difficult to help someone with a personality disorder to manage their own emotions. It shows that it's human to think about a getaway when things get hard (the mom that wishes she could get on that plane and land somewhere else, for a solitary vacation-trying to escape from reality).
@glowingPond yes, I agree, the different perspectives really do present a look at both the misunderstanding/lack of information about certain disorders and challenges and the way that these things impact the whole family. Great observations. I can definitely understand the wish to be able to escape the daily hardship. It must be a challenge to be a constant caregiver, and it is to both Emma and Theo's credit that they do such a good job overall.
Next discussion question, also taken from the discussion guide at the end of the book:
"Emma maintains that she loves both of her sons equally, although she acknowledges that most of her time and attention is taken up by Jacob. What are your feelings regarding the way Emma treats Theo? Do you hold her or Jacob accountable for letting Theo go unnoticed and friendless to the point of breaking into other people's homes? Why or why not?"
@ReadBooks7. I liked Emma but that was one thing that did annoy me about her that she basically ignored her other son. I hold Emma accountable for her treatment of Theo. It seemed to me that while she provided a roof over his head he was basically on his own. She provided no supervision or support to her teenage son.
@adventurousBranch3786 I agree. While I can only imagine how hard it is to be in Enna's shoes, having one child with a disability doesn't mean that you get to ignore the other one. Of course Jacob's needs were going to have to come first a lot of the time, but she should have made way more of an effort with Theo. Theo got forgotten too often. And while I know that routine is supremely important to Jacob, I think that Emma could have possibly taken another tactic to make more room for Theo's needs. I admittedly have very little experience with the circumstances this family dealt with, but with as independent (in some ways) and bright as Jacob was, I think he could have worked with adjusting some things a bit to include Theo's needs more. Jess working with him on social skills helped, so why couldn't the same be applied with regard to the family? This is not to say at all that it was Jacob's responsibility, or that he could control or make major behavioral changes, only that I think Emma should have taken more initiative to make sure both of her sons got the attention they deserve. That being said, I think that Emma was, for the most part, doing the best she could a lot of the time. A lot was placed on her shoulders, and she was abandoned and left on her own to deal with everything. Not an easy situation. But Theo suffered way too much. It is not his fault and not fair.
@ReadBooks7 this is also a really good question! I held her accountable but I didn't judge her. This books shows how hard it is for a parent to share the attention between kids, if one of them has special needs. Let alone a single parent. Theo was for sure getting way less attentions than Jacob and that was something Emma should've probably worked on. But a single mother, with no caregiving help, has a big challenge that makes you understand how difficult it is to manage time and resources in a situation like that, especially when "the village" (society) is uninformed and doesn't help or accommodate the child's needs.
@glowingPond these are all great points, especially considering the lack of help from and the ignorance of people/society in general. They certainly do not make it any easier. I think you put it in the best way possible. I also feel like she is accountable, but do not really judge her, because I think she was doing the best she could and probably a lot better than most.
That’s right!! I feel society is quick to point fingers but not so much to help or learn about the unknown unfortunately, so families that have a special need member struggle with acceptance and resources!