Jodi Picoult The House Rules

[redhappy]

A friend passed this on to me and I've just finished it. I'm so frustrated with the ending! I just completely failed to read between the lines (which is slightly ironic as the book is about a boy with Aspergers Syndrome).

Would anyone who's read it mind telling me what they think happened at the end?

I read it a while ago, forgotten what the characters are called now, from what I can remember, the AS boy thought that his brother killed the girl, but he hadnt really, it was an accident. By covering up for his brother, he made himself look guilty, but he obviously couldnt see this.

TBH it is the first JP book Ive read, and will be the last as although I read it quickly, I thought it was utter crap, and disspointing at the end. I only kept reading because I was waiting for it to get good! Not sure what her other books are like though.

All her books are now exactly the same - "unique issue-led moral dilemma" followed by big shock thrown in at the end. It's like she read a review that praised that structure so now keeps to it religiously.

I used to really enjoy her books but I would advise selecting the books you are most likely to enjoy and reading them as once you've read a few, they become so reptitive, it's hard to read any more.

The mandatory "shock" endings also become very gratuitous - you think the story is over and she sticks in a ridiculous epilogue etc.