Book Review House Rules by Jodi Picoult

House Rules: A Novel by Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: March 2010
Pages: 544
Source: Library
For: Book Club

Jacob is not your average teenager, locked in his own mind, unaware of social cues.  He has Aspergers, but that isn't the only thing he is: he's very smart and really wants to fit in, to be normal.  When his tutor, a girl who is helping him to learn about social interactions, turns up dead, his Aspergers symptoms make him look very guilty.  Will he be able to explain what happened, or is there more going on than meets the eye?

Things I Liked:
Picoult always manages to suck you into a story.  I cared about the characters - I wanted them to succeed, especially Jacob.  Her stories are tight and current and with just enough action to keep you interested.  I liked the book and I liked the themes and the portrayal of Aspergers.  I thought it showed many different views and attitudes about Aspergers, the most interesting, of course, being his own view on it.  A solid, heart-felt book.

Things I Didn't Like:
There always seems to be something to annoy me when I read popular adult fiction. :) The first thing that bugged me was how Jacob was described as always taking things literally, but here and there during his point of view, he'd throw out phrases that seemed like something he wouldn't get.  Most times, he would explain what it meant or how he initially didn't understand it, but a few times it was left without explanation (notably "fireworks go off in your head" on p 63).  Would he really use a phrase like this without commenting about how silly it was or how it didn't mean what it sounded like?  I don't think so.  Little things are mostly what bothered me.  I didn't enjoy the many (many, many) side stories and other things going on.  I don't care about the other people involved as much as the family.  And the ending was so obvious from very early on, it annoyed me.  I almost found it unbelievable that the people involved would so explicitly NOT state what had really happened.  Seriously, just spit it out already.  It was ok for a while, but it dragged on for a ridiculous amount of time, stretching it too far.  All this makes it sound like I hated it, which I didn't.  As I mentioned, I was sucked in - I read it nearly all in one sitting.  It's the kind of book I devoured and enjoyed, but on further contemplation annoyed me.

Read-alikes:
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (which I enjoyed a LOT more, though it is a kids book)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
(only other Picoult I've read is My Sister's Keeper but both felt the same, just with different basic problems)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#$ 
so, so many (f-bombs throughout)

mrg-factor: XX 
plenty of action, some described

v-factor: ->->-> 
crime scenes and gruesome deaths are frequently described

Overall rating: *** 

What's your favorite Picoult (or are you not a fan)?

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Book Review: Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication date: November 2011
Pages: 368
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Review
Series: Birthmarked trilogy, Book 2

*Spoilers for Birthmarked very likely*
Set to wandering in a wasteland with few supplies and her infant sister, Gaia's plight seems hopeless. Until she is picked up by an outrider and taken to Sylum, a very different kind of society from the one she left behind. Women are outnumbered two to one and hold all the power too. But in order to see her sister, Gaia must obey the strict society rules and change the way she thinks of the world. Will she be able to give up all she believes and wants or will she find a way to reconcile the two worlds?

Things I Liked:
I was really surprised with the direction this book went.  This is definitely not a sequel that just rehashes the first book, or bridges to another book.  This is almost a stand alone story.  I really enjoyed how it was completely its own book, didn't depend (much) on the first book, and was still interesting.  What made the book for me, though, was Gaia.  She was a flawed, realistic, confused, but still strong person - especially in the way she dealt with the Matrarc.  I kept wanting to read so I could figure her out, since she made both mistakes and hard choices.  She was complex and had a lot of emotions and different motivations warring in her.  Her choices eventually led to the (somewhat predictable) ending, but were still hard to make and interesting in the consequences.  A strong book with a compelling main character.

Things I Didn't Like:
It actually kind of dragged for a while.  The middle felt so slow I often set the book aside.  And I wasn't too impressed with the way Sylum was set up, how they were kept there, and what Gaia found out about them.  It felt only quasi-scientific and just didn't really make sense when I sat and thought about it.  And yes, the love square was rather annoying.  But didn't bug me too much, even if she should have figured out what she wanted way before she finally did.  Definitely its the character development that made this one good to me, not so much the world building or romance.

Read-alikes:
Obviously, start with Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
Reminded me a bit of the society in The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (though, obviously without the zombies) and Wither by Lauren DeStefano

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: ! 
maybe a few

mrg-factor: X 
some kissing, mostly it was birthing scenes that might be a bit graphic

v-factor: -> 
again, it was more for the births, though there is some minor fighting

Overall rating: **** 

What stood out to you in this one?

Looking for more dystopian goodness?  Be sure to stop at Presenting Lenore's Dystopian February celebration.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Not-a-Reader Books

I'm joining Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish again this week.  Today's topic is Top Ten Books you'd hand to someone who says they don't like to read.  I'll be honest, it really depends on the person.  Each one has tastes and interests that hopefully you'll be able to figure out so you can hand them just the right book.  I've tried to give some variety to my list, from young reluctant readers to burnt out too-much-required-reading-in-my-past adults:

MG and YA (and some adult) non-readers:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
I'm just going to say it.  I have heard a LOT of stories about non-readers picking this up and becoming a reader.  It may not be good literature, but it is a gateway series for many, many people. 

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:
Ditto this one as the series that made many non-readers into hard-core readers.  Hand this to your action-movie addicted friends.  They will get sucked right in.  And then they can enjoy all the dystopian/apocalyptic/post-apoc stuff coming out now.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling:
The movies did a lot for this series, though it didn't need much help.  But many who watched the movies then turned to the books and found a new love.  The first books are short, accessible, and funny.  That should get them addicted, er started.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney:
Seriously, these are funny and have lots of great kid-friendly illustrations to ease anyone into reading.  Hand this off to your reluctant tween readers.

39 Clues series by various authors:
For the kids who are addicted to computers and electronics - this will help them interact with the printed word too.  Plus it has lots of action and puzzle-solving fun.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz:
If someone's seen a few too many fairy tales or analyzed a few too many folk stories, hand them this for a not-your-usual fare.  They will laugh and gasp in horror and certainly enjoy every minute.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick:
Easy on the eyes and with overwhelmingly few words, this is sure to spark an interest in what else might be between book covers.

For the adult non-readers:
My Sister's Keeper: A Novel by Jodi Picoult:
Readers will be drawn into this emotional and accessible story. And if they love it, there are tons more Picoult they can enjoy on the way to becoming a reader.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold:
This one also packs an emotional punch that will engross them quickly and completely.  It also holds non-stop story to keep them reading to the end.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern:
A surreal trip through a fascinating landscape and with a love story to lure in those itching for a little romance. 

What are your go-to non-reader recommendations?

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