From Product Description:

This is a gripping novel, so realistic in fact, that it seemed more non-fiction than fiction as I read it. A a mother, as a grandmother of two grown grandsons who are passionate in their beliefs and morals, I was so into the potcket of tis mother, sharing her angst, sharing her intuitive fears. I read the book in two days and have passed it on to others. Amazed that I could feel sympathy for the protagonist, for the terrorist.

This is a mystery that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. It tells of a young man who dissapeared from loved ones only to find himself in Pakistan trainning under a terrorist organization.On returning to the U.S.he has 31 Hours before he commits a terrorist act on a train station . Very absorbing book. Michael Tsapazis author of "Zion and the Magic Sword"

**This review contains spoilers** <br /> <br />It is hard for me to start the review with the beginning of this novel, because I am still so consumed by the ending. I did not want it to end the way that it did. I turned page after page and found myself getting closer to the end of the book, and knew that the decision that Jonas made would change the lives of every character that I had become invested in. <br /> <br />I loved the way that Hamilton wove together the characters in the novel: Jonas, his mother and father, his girlfriend Vic, Vic's little sister Mara, and Sonny a homeless man who considered the subway his home. Each character was beautifully described and I felt as if I understood their hopes, their perspectives, and I thought that I had guessed how their stories would end. I especially connected with Mara, who seemed young and innocent and was trying desperately to reconnect her family. <br /> <br />With each brief chapter, as the 31 Hours counted down, I waited for all of the distinct characters to be brought together. That the book ended as a cliffhanger shocked me, then angered me, but I have come to an understanding that it could not have ended any other way. Hamilton's writing is breathtaking and 31 hours most certainly took my breath away. <br /> <br />I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to enjoying additional books by Masha Hamilton.

The face of terrorism in Masha Hamilton's novel 31 Hours is not a face one would expect. It is the face of a 21 year old, seemingly normal boy named Jonas Meitzner. Jonas, is quiet, empatheic, and altruistic , qualities that make him vulnerable to extreme political and social causes. Into this mix comes Massoud who sees in Jonas a tool to further the Islamic terrorist cause. Jonas' family and friends do not read the danger signals in his changed behavior as so many boys his age also act distant and removed. The novel follows the last 31 hours of Jonas' preparation for a suicide bomber's mission.As his mother follows a strong intuitive feeling and uncovers what is really happening, the hours tick away and many intertwined and innocent lives weave in and out of Jonas' projected path. It is ironic that Jonas comes from a privleged family but feels sad, empty and useless while the homeless beggar,Sonny Hirt, feels happy blessed and full. It is something to ponder. It is a page turning read that will leave you thinking long after the book is closed.

After reading the synopsis and several reviews, I couldn't wait to read this book. It sounded intriguing, thrilling, and thought-provoking. Instead, I found a series of mood pieces-mostly depressing-strung together with a barely a thread holding them together. I think I would have loved this in my brooding teenager days; nowadays it turns me off modern literature.