 Writing in The Guardian , Rogers described The Good Terrorist as " a novel in <unk> close @-@ up " that examines society through the eyes of individuals . She said it is " witty and ... angry at human <unk> and <unk> " , and within the context of recent terrorist attacks in London , it is an example of " fiction going where <unk> writing cannot " . A critic in Kirkus Reviews wrote that Alice 's story is " an extraordinary tour de force — a psychological portrait that 's realistic with a vengeance " . The reviewer added that although Alice is " self @-@ <unk> " and not always likeable , the novel 's strength are the characters and its depiction of political motivation . 
