There are three main themes which are developed within The Terrorist: terrorism; multiculturalism and learning to accept and understand cultures other than the readers's own; and coping with the death of a loved one. Furthermore, smaller parallel themes that run through the novel include those of friendship, revenge, and naivete.

The title of The Terrorist itself draws attention to the main theme of the novel.

Terrorism and everything that it encompasses such as death, terror, anger, cruelty, and revenge is the driving force of the plot.

From the very first pages of the book, travelers are warned to be suspicious of unattended luggage and never accept packages from strangers, all imminent associations to bombs and terrorists. In addition, the characters of the novel find themselves in proximity to potential terrorist attacks, which is emphasized through a reference made to bomb practices at school being...