Review: The Terrorist's Daughters

The Terrorist's Daughters by Brian Arthur Levine takes the reader into the lives of two sisters, daughters of one of the top terrorists, who risk everything to get away to save themselves from the brutality they have had to endure.

Synopsis from Amazon.com:
Born in Chicago, Illinois, three sisters are uprooted and brought to Pakistan, after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001. After becoming oppressed and abused by their radicalized father and drug-sedated mother, two of the girls decide to run away from home and soon they discover their inner selves. One is a twelve-year-old blessed with a gift she does not know she has, the other, a seventeen-year-old proficient in the methods of psychological warfare. Along the way they encounter a handsome young man, and his family who are also looking to start a new life away from their terrorist state. Their travels takes them to Afghanistan, Dubai, Mexico and the United States, leaving a chaotic but interesting trail behind. 

Developing a family among a group of outcasts, including a young Asian girl who is prolific in computer hacking, their adventures continue with the girls making daring escapes from authorities, and fighting Al Qaeda extremists working for their father. The Terrorist's Daughter all leads to a dramatic conclusion revolving around love, faith, family, and the potential destruction of an entire city.

Zahra and Aalia are two extremely strong girls. Zahra is only twelve in this novel but she is one of the most mature twelve year old girls I have ever read about.  Unfortunately, this maturity comes from the horrors she has witnessed that, in my opinion, no child should be subjected to. These girls take the oppressive and abusive life they have and run from it.  They demonstrate bravery in the face of fear, but such desperation to escape almost seemed to push them over the edge at times. It was sad to see the crimes they were capable of committing due to what they had experienced. They almost seemed desensitized at times.  I wanted them to be free but I couldn't help but worry about how their actions would affect them in the future.

With regard to the plot, I was immediately sucked into the story and it was a wild and crazy ride. The story was fast-paced and I was biting my nails as I read, waiting to see what happened next.  These girls were never safe and never able to feel comfortable for more than a moment or two.  As a reader, I found myself hoping beyond hope that they would finally be able to break free.  I read this book in one day because I couldn't bear to put it down for more than a few minutes at a time.

As to the end... well, I had to read the last page three times before I realized that there was going to be another book and that there really was no end.  It just kind of drops off.  That was the hardest part of the story.  I wanted resolution but I am forced to wait.

The Terrorist's Daughters gives the reader a glimpse into what it might be like to live as the children of a terrorist, living in fear, seeing and hearing the unthinkable and in this case, hating it and wishing there were something they could do to stop it.  This is a fiction story and it is meant to be an adventure with some all too realistic undertones.  There were some over the top moments but they went with they story well.  I will definitely read the next one to see where these brave girls end up and hope that their devil of a father will eventually get what is coming to him.