''The Terrorist'' is a 1997

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

novel by

Caroline B. Cooney Caroline B. Cooney (born May 10, 1947) is an American author of suspense, Romance novel, romance, horror fiction, horror, and mystery fiction, mystery books for young adults. Biography Cooney was born in 1947 in Geneva, New York. She grew up in ...

. It deals with Laura Williams, a sixteen-year-old American who attends an

international school An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body a ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. When her younger brother, Billy, is killed by a

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

bomb handed to him by a stranger on the subway, Laura becomes obsessed with revenge. She suspects everyone, including her classmates, and wonders about their associations with such causes as the

PLO The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establishing Arab unity and s ...

or the IRA. Laura knows nothing of world politics at first, but she quickly learns that the world is a dangerous place and many nations have many enemies. The situation is complicated when an Iranian classmate named Jehran asks Laura to give her Billy's

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

to help her escape an

arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be us ...

. This book has been frequently challenged due to its portrayal of Muslims.

References

American young adult novels 1997 American novels Novels set in London {{1990s-ya-novel-stub