The Terrorist [Library Binding]

Caroline B. Cooney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1997 | Age Level: 10 and up

Never really enjoying living in London, American teen Laura Williams finds herself consumed by a desire for revenge when her little brother is killed by a terrorist's bomb. By the author of Flight #116 Is Down. "

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An American girl living in London loses her younger brother due to a terrorist bombing and seeks revenge. "Thought-provoking as well as a just plain good read," said PW. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-10?A provocative look at an American family living abroad, destroyed by a not-so-random act of violence. Billy, 11, a brash but lovable all-American boy, accepts a package from a stranger in a London subway station and becomes the victim of a bomb. His grieving 16-year-old sister is obsessed with capturing the unknown terrorist. An average student at the London International Academy, she alienates her circle of friends as she begins to suspect each of them. Laura, the typical Cooney heroine, is rather self-centered, plodding through life until tested by trauma. She and her family play the roles of well-meaning, but rather ignorant Americans, oblivious of the world in which they live. Plausibility takes a back seat to plot toward the end as Laura neatly places herself in the hands of the cold-hearted villain. Not since Barbara Parks's Mick Harte Was Here (Knopf, 1995) has a deceased sibling been so carefully memorialized. Indeed, readers come to know the short-lived Billy better than many of the other characters, including the vaguely draw villain, whose motivation is never really clear. Cynicism rather than honor is the victor at the tale's conclusion; it ends not with a bang, but a whimper. While this book is not as gut-wrenchingly terrifying as Robert Cormier's After the First Death (Pantheon, 1979), Cooney's fans will find it more accessible and even harder to put down.?Marilyn Payne Phillips, University City Public Library, MO
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 198 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Trade (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590228536
• ISBN-13: 978-0590228534
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,329,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Bag, May 6, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Terrorist (Point) (Mass Market Paperback)

As mentioned above, The Terrorist was definately a mixed bag. The story line was exellent and Billy was the most exciting and character I've seen for a long time. Honestly though, besides the plot and Billy, the story takes a nosedive. The sterotypes were very annoying to read; about America and Muslims. I'm not muslim; but I could see the that they were being unfairly portrayed as primative, violent, woman beaters. Americans were being portrayed as naive and ignorant.

Besides the slanderous sterotyping, there were many faults with the charaters. Besides Billy (The only original character) I never felt I really got to know any of the characters, they had great potential, they just never did anything with it. I also felt that there were some "hints" of romance that never really developed. I mean, what happened to Andrew, Eddie, and Mohammed ? I gues It's better then her other romances(the two characters would be passionately in love and have only eyes for eachother) but I really expeted to see something. I also felt that I never really got to know Laura and Billy's Parents.

However one good thing is that the story's plot, characters, ect. were not based on past books.(Like Burning Up, very, very similar to Face on the Milk Carton Series) Nope the charaters do seem genuine. Another thing is; No more suburban Connecticut! It was refreshing to be in England instead of a well-to-do neighborhood in Connecticut

So... All in all, I would read this book, It has such a riveting plot and the characters do fairly well, just ignore the sterotypes!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars hhhhhmmmmmmm, September 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Terrorist (Point) (Mass Market Paperback)

i also found this book very sterotypical. i knew the terriost was going to end up to be a muslim very early in the story altough i was really hoping by maybe some chance the muslims wouldn't be the "bad guys" this time a along.I liked the book and all but I think the book would of been way better is she actually did a bit of research because She apparently has no idea how modern muslims live. Because lots of muslim girls get educated go to college get jobs date and marry guys the want and dont dress head to toe.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Terrorist, March 8, 2006

By 

Ishan Patel - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Terrorist (Point) (Mass Market Paperback)

Laura's brother is killed by a package bomb handed to him in a busy subway, while he is chasing after his friends. The police and FBI have no clue who did it. So now it's Laura's responsibility to find who killed her brother. Everyone she knows is a suspect in Billy's murder, including her friends. Laura has two questions that she wants to clear. Who would want to kill her brother and who will be their next victim. To find out who killed Laura's brother, you must go out and get this book. It will have you in a shock.