Review: This book gave many different perspectives into the sudden death a grad student who was tutoring a young man with Aspergers. I couldn't help but skip ahead to the end; I just couldn't tell if Jacob killed his tutor Jess or if someone else did. Picoult puts the answer in front of your eyes but its all the perspective changes that make the answer so hard to see. Once you start its hard to put down. The characters are all wonderfully written and well thought out, and each point of view is addicting.
There is also the added ingenuity of having a murder suspect with an autistic disorder. Asperger's separates Jacob from other murder suspects with his tics and lack of emotional response. He is also a genius when it comes to forensic science and knows more than most of the police department. Its an eye opener for readers who are unfamiliar with the disorder.
Synopsis: When the body of Jess Oglivy is discovered near her house the prime suspect ends up being Jacob, an eighteen year old boy with Asperger's. Jacob can't make eye contact with people, can't express emotion, and hates the color orange. Forensic science is his passion and he will have a meltdown if he misses the 4:30 showing of Crimebusters. He finds himself on trial for this murder, yet he never quite grasps that his future is on the line. Jacob is the key to this mystery, but its up to his family, lawyer, and the police to piece together what really happened to Jess.
Having a nephew who is similarly affected this book gives a look at how this condition affects the ENTIRE family. I especially like the first person accounts by his sibling and mother. To be able to view how they are affected by this child in their lives gives us important new understanding. There are many varying degrees of Asperger's. I strongly recommend this book for teachers and others who come in contact with these individuals on a daily basis.
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