I have read a great many Picoult books and I must say that so far, this one, is my least favourite of all.
In fairness Picoult has clearly researched Asperger's syndrome and goes to great lengths to ensure the reader also understands the symptoms and nuances of this type of autism and the impact it would have on a family, the community and society at large. It is the rest of this story that fell flat for me. I found the plot to be unrealistic and largely predictable. I figured out what happened before I was even a third of the way through the story. Even so I found the ending to be disappointing but perhaps that was because the entire tale was simply too contrived to be believed, which is truly unfortunate, especially since Picoult most often tackles, current, lesser known, sensitive and oft misunderstood, hence controversial issues. Had the story surrounding Jacob's Asperger's been more plausible and the plot more suspense filled, it would surely have served to further elevate the reader's ultimate understanding and acceptance of the subject matter. That said, I did not buy it!