The Effect of Living Backwards - Heidi Julavits

This is a strangely compelling novel, in which two sisters are involved in a plane hijacking. Each of the passengers has a 'story of shame' of their own and not all is as it seems. It is a novel about terrorism and how it poisons modern life and relationships, about paranoia and about how we are manipulated in the 'war against terrorism'. Some critics have described it as very funny, which apart from occasionally I didn't think it was. Some people hate it, but I think its a very timely, must read novel for today.