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Don Tillman, a 39-year-old associate professor of genetics, lives his life according to a rigidly structured schedule designed to ensure his time is spent in the most logical, efficient way possible.  He has little patience for any activity that forces him to deviate from his impeccably-organized itinerary.  Dating, thus, presents a bit of a problem.  Although he desires a wife, and should—statistically speaking—have no trouble finding one, Don cannot seem to attract the perfect partner.  Even a suitable one, it seems, is impossible for the professor to attain.  Wasting time getting to know females who simply will not do as potential mates is making Don crazy.  Since he is not the type of man to let a conundrum go unsolved, he vows to find himself a bride using the parameters he knows best: logic, efficiency, and hard, provable data.

Thus, The Wife Project is born.  Don comes up with a brilliant, 16-page tool for finding the perfect woman:

A questionnaire ... A purpose-built, scientifically valid instrument incorporating current best practice to filter out the time time wasters, the disorganized, the ice-cream discriminators, the visual-harassment complainers, the crystal gazers, the horoscope readers, the fashion obsessive, the religious fanatics, the vegans, the sports watchers, the creationists, the smokers, the homeopaths, leaving ideally, the perfect partner or realistically, a manageable short list of candidates.  (Page 17)

Rosie Jarman, an unpredictable barmaid ten years his junior, is the exact kind of woman the questionnaire is designed to eliminate from Don's dating pool.  Still, he's intrigued by her passion, especially when it comes to seeking out her biological father.  As Don lends his expertise to The Father Project, he finds himself falling (illogically, irrationally) for the exuberant Rosie.  Does such an unconventional pairing have any hope of lasting?  Can someone as unbending as Don ever be happy with someone as pliable as Rosie?  Only one thing is certain:  Don's rational attempt at finding a wife has turned into a messy affair that proves love is rarely logical, never predictable, and always ready to turn your life upside down. 

The Rosie Project, a debut novel by Australian playwright Graeme Simsion, is one of those books that's embarrassing to read in public.  Not because of risqué cover art or a suggestive title, but because I couldn't stop laughing—out loud—at the antics of its main character.  This hilarious rom com is so delightful that I could hardly restrain myself from smiling, chuckling, and sharing the best bits with the room at large.  It's just a fun all-around read.  I loved the unique premise, the sparkling prose, the intriguing characters, and especially, the growth that Don's character shows throughout the novel.  Hype usually steers me away from a novel—in this case, it drew me to one of the most delightful books I've read all year.  

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

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Cold.

Withdrawn.

Emotionless.

Anti-social.

Psychopathic.

That's how 18-year-old Jacob Hunt appears to most people. His mother knows better. She knows Jacob's unwillingness to look someone in the eye doesn't equal disrespect, his "tantrums" aren't thrown out of selfishness, and his inability to connect with others doesn't mean he has no desire to. She knows the very traits that make her son look like a remorseless killer can be explained: Jacob Hunt has Asperger's. All she has to do is convince a jury. Considering Jacob's obsession with crime scenes, his admission of "cleaning up" after his friend's death, and his refusal to apologize for his actions, that might be a little difficult.

Life has never been easy for Emma Hunt, one of the stars of Jodi Picoult's newest book, House Rules. Ever since she noticed Jacob disconnecting as a toddler, she's been searching for answers. Her singleminded devotion has meant sacrifice - her husband left years ago, she has no friends, she spends every penny she makes on Jacob's care, and she's unable to give her younger son, Theo, any kind of normal life. When Jacob is accused of murdering Jess, his social skills tutor, things quickly go from bad to worse.

Jail is not friendly to a person who craves quiet, order and routine. Although Jacob is "high-functioning" and has some control over his obsessions, his discomfort with these new accomodations have him "stimming." Emma watches his decline with horror - she's spent her whole life helping Jacob control the obsessions, the fidgeting, the nervous tics that are hallmarks of his disease. In a panic, she hires the first lawyer she can find. Oliver Bond is a former farrier with no experience trying a criminal case. Still, he finds Jacob fascinating, Emma even more so. Together, they work to build a case.

At the same time, Rich Matson, a detective who's been around the block more than once, collects the evidence that could put Jacob away forever. Not every clue adds up, though - Jacob's rarely violent, why would he turn on the one person his age who really seemed to care for him? He's also a brilliant amateur crime scene investigator - why would he leave a sloppy crime scene? Jess' boyfriend's no prince - did he have anything to do with the crime? And what about Theo, whose desire for normalcy led him to break into people's houses? What part did he play in Jess' death?

As Oliver, Rich, Emma and Theo all try to piece together what really happened to Jess Ogilvy, they will have to reevaluate everything they think they know and ask themselves the truly tough questions: Should a person with special needs be treated any differently than a neurotypical defendant? How can a mother, who's spent her whole life insisting her son's not crazy, suddenly embrace an insanity plea? Isn't it wrong to push a boy, who is already on the edge, to the very brink, just to prove the limitations of his condition? Can a person who's incapable of empathizing even understand remorse? Does the legal system truly serve everyone equally or only those who look and act "normal?"

I've been a Jodi Picoult fan for a long time. Her trademark - taking a compelling, "ripped from the headlines" issue and examining it from all sides - works well for me. I love the way she digs into her characters, making me care about their plights even if I don't agree with their points of view. Even though she's used this method consistenly, I've been disappointed with her last few novels. From predictability to poor editing to just somehow lacking that Picoult pizzazz, they haven't captured me like her earlier novels did. Well, I'm glad to say that Jodi's back. House Rules proves it. I'm not saying the story's perfect - it's a bit predictable and there's at least one of those nitpicky, but annoying editing mistakes that just bug (On Page 134, Emma says her mother made Jacob's ROYGBIV quilt, on Page 475, Emma claims it as her own work). Still and all, it's a riveting, thought-provoking story that will leave Picoult fans cheering.

Jodi Picoult is back, folks. And man, how I've missed her!

(Readalikes: Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult; Al Capone Does My Shirts and Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko; Saving Sammy by Beth Maloney)

Grade: B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language and some sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I bought this glossy hardcover from Amazon.com because I love books in general and Jodi Picoult in particular. So there.