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What I thought this book was about: a moving story about a poor autistic child and his poor family trying to get a good life for him.
What I really found: a thrilling story about an almost adult autistic boy who is involved in a murder, and how he, his family, the police investigator and his lawyer cope with that situation.
The book has five characters and every chapter is told by one of them. Jacob has got Asperger’s syndrome and he is a brilliant eighteen-year-old boy who can’t empathize or find a good way of communication with others. Emma is Jacob’s mother, a divorced woman whose entire life turns around Jacob, trying to find a routine he is comfortable with and fighting against the barriers others put for her son to integrate. Theo is the youngest brother; he has grown up alone since his mother has always been looking after Jacob and he is now old enough (15 years old) to realize that he is actually the eldest brother and that he will be the one who must carry on in the future with all the work his mother is doing at the moment regarding Jacob. And he doesn’t want to.
When Jess, Jacob’s social integration teacher, disappears, there are a lot of clues that make detective Rich think that Jacob is guilty. Jacob’s passion – and obsession – is criminal investigation: he always goes to the crime scenes of the village to “help” the police to solve the cases, and he enjoys playing his own crime scenes at home for his mother to solve them. But this time his own belongings are with Jess’s corpse. The last character, Oliver, is a young lawyer Emma contracts who really doesn’t know how to deal with Jacob’s case because he doesn’t have experience in that field. And the worst thing is that the boy seems to be guilty.
The reader doesn’t know who killed Jess, so you can just listen to every character in order to find what happened that day when Jacob had his last class with Jess. At the beginning nobody thinks Jacob is the murderer but then he does things and gives some explanations that make you think the worse. Even Emma and Theo don’t know – and don’t want to know – the truth.
While the investigation goes forward, all the characters talk about what living with an autistic boy means, included Jacob, who tries to explain how his mind works and how he analyzes people’s body language and reactions and how hard he tries to integrate into his class and his brother’s friends. Emma would never want a life without Jacob, but she really doesn’t have her own life, and Theo is afraid of living always babysitting his brother in the future.
It’s a shame you can guess what happened to Jess from the beginning of the book, although you get confused later, with Jacob’s statements to the police and the judge, but I really couldn’t put the book down during last week. Not only is it a crime investigation, but also a picture of all the feelings round a boy with Asperger’s syndrome.
I’m looking forward to reading more books of Jodi Picoult!
My review in Spanish here.
From Isi 
When I saw that you’d reviewed this title I thought, hey I’ve read this but I don’t remember much about it. After reading your review I *DO* remember it now 🙂 Emotional book!
I’m glad you remembered it! It’s a great book, very gripping, with the criminal investigation and Jacob’s behaviour.
I’m usually so skeptical of reading Picoult, because I’ve read one of her books I loved and another that just made me angry.
However, you’ve made this sound so readable – onto the ‘to-buy’ pile it goes.
This is the first time I read her, so I hope to choose the right one the next time 😉 I’m sure you will like the book!
It’s look an interesting book. I seldom read thriller, but it’s possible that I’ll try to read this one.
Hi Mariuca!
I think you would love the book. It’s not exactly a thriller, but it is thrilling, you’ll see 😉
I have just published the Spanish review on the other blog!
Having just read a book that wasn’t to my expectations, it’s nice to read that this book surpassed yours. I like how Jacob’s obsession is used here in the storyline, the way his interests are directly related. That it’s his teacher that disappears must bring a good emotional quality to it, too. Glad I read your review, because I didn’t know the plot and would’ve passed the book by. It sounds my sort of story.
This was the same for me: I didn’t know exactly what the story was about, and for the title you can’t guess you are going to read such an enjoyable story.
Hope you can give it a try because it is really worth the time you will spend, I’m sure!
I really liked this book, too! I am glad, though, that you are newly turned on to Jodi! She’s awesome!
Yes, I feel like I have discover a great author and I want to read all her books!! 😀
But I promise that I had never heard about her before!
I really enjoyed this book, too. I have a family member who worked with an association that raised awareness about Asperger’s and she said that a lot of people in the field were unhappy with the book from a scientific standpoint, but I think that for the everyday person it does a great job of getting the info out to the masses!
Well, when we are talking about fiction books, it is possible not to be super accurate, but the important thing is to help people to know the subject you are talking about.
And yes, the book is a great reading; I loved it (except for the predictible dead of Jess, which is the reason it doesn’t have 5 points).
Sometimes she’s very predictable. And I agree with you – the important thing is to help people. And for the average person, it was helpful. But every fiction book will disappoint the experts in the field!
Yes, you are wright. And we have enjoyed it, so that’s the important thing!
I’ve never read anything by Jodi Picoult, which is a classic example of jumping to the assumption that I won’t like something based merely on reviews. Your post gives me the impression of slightly more nuance in her work – but if, as you say, it is fairly predictable what’s going to happen, I’m still not entirely won over. But you’ve brought me closer to the edge, Isi. Maybe one day I’ll dip a toe in… 😉
OK, I’m not going to try to force you to read it (even if I want to!) if you don’t want. The predictible murder was the only thing I didn’t like, but I have a positive feeling about the whole story.
In any case, I think the author has novels that peolple have liked more than this one, so… perhaps next time I review this author you have no choice but to read her!!
I shall look forward to it. Often I start reading an author whose work I’ve seen for years but never tried, and I find I like it very much. 😀
You can never know.
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I love most of Jodi’s books, but I haven’t picked this one up yet…
So I have to say I recommend it. Perhaps other of her books are better, but I’m sure you will enjoy this one!
If I do, it will probably not be soon (I have like 5 Jodi books – physical books – waiting to be read)
They are quite a few! So I will read your reviews, for sure!!
I haven’t read any Jodi Picoult yet. I’ve heard so many people say great things about her books, but none of them have really appealed to me in terms of plot yet. This one sounds pretty good, though, so maybe I’ll keep my eye out for a copy.
Marie: I can’t say anything about other novels by her, but this one really surprised me because I couldn’t put it down. Hope you finally give it a try 😉