Charisma by Jeanne Ryan

Charisma by Jeanne Ryan
Buy Charisma by Jeanne Ryan at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Molly De'Ath
Summary: This book was one I wanted to read as soon as I heard about it, as I had heard a lot about Ryan's other book, Nerve, so I was interested in what this thriller would be like. The blurb itself was enough to get me hooked. This, in turn, meant that I just had to discover just how Ryan could pull it off. Aislyn's shyness was portrayed clearly and in a way that allowed me to feel as though I was her. In my opinion, this book did start out rather slowly. Despite this, it was presented very well and I was very happy with this book. It's overall length was ideal for a book of its genre - not too short, and not too long.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 400	Date: December 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1471163937
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Charismatic is exactly what Aislyn was not. She was shy, to the extent that she panicked when she was in large crowds. This shyness clearly affected her, and at the beginning of the book it showed how much of an impact it would have on her future had it been left untreated. Her best friend, Evie, knows just how bad it is and has tried multiple ways to help her, but to no avail. So, naturally, when Aislyn is offered Charisma, an underground drug with a guarantee to bring her out of her shell, she accepts it.

Instantly, Aislyn becomes all she's ever wanted, and the crippling shyness is no more. But then other people begin to act the same way. That's when everything begins to go in a downward spiral; the doctor who made the drug disappears, and everyone starts to behave differently from before. Showing signs of contagiousness, this 'miracle' drug suddenly appears to be not so great, and the future of those with it becomes unclear.

Aislyn was rather innocent at times, and didn't think through situations enough. Her shyness at the beginning was clearly shown and gave a reason as to why she would ever think of taking Charisma in the first place. As the book progressed, so did she, and her confidence increased drastically to the extent that she made some ridiculous decisions which had serious consequences.

I loved the beginning and the ending of this book, and how Ryan successfully tied everything together. It was a great read, and something I will read again soon for the thrill of reading such an excellent book once more. The character development was impressive. Overall it was exciting, thrilling and everything you would expect from a good book.

If you enjoyed Charisma, I would suggest reading Torn by Cat Clarke or Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Charisma by Jeanne Ryan at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Charisma by Jeanne Ryan at Amazon.com.

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