Charisma by Jeanne Ryan – Book Review

This month, my book review is of Charisma, by Jeanne Ryan. I recently discovered Jeanne Ryan when I read Nerve and I was really excited to find this one too.

Charisma by Jeanne Ryan

Blurb from The Back Cover

What if the ultimate make over had a deadly consequence?

Aislyn has always been cripplingly shy – hiding from the world while wishing she could step into the spotlight.

So when she’s offered Charisma, an underground drug guaranteed to make her shine, she can’t resists the temptation.

The effects are instant; Aislyn is charming, funny and popular, just like she always wanted.

But suddenly, so are lots of other people … Then the doctor behind the miracle drug disappears and people’s behaviour starts spiralling out of control. What if the symptoms are contagious … or worse, deadly?

One dose is all it takes.

My Thoughts on The Book

I was never really shy as a teenager, and I still found Aislyn’s character to be interesting and relatable, and I think for any teens who are shy and/or a little socially awkward, Aislyn will be instantly relatable to them. Having said that, my favourite character in the book was actually Shane.

I think, because we’re in Aislyn’s head for the story, we already know her motivations for taking Charisma and what she hopes to achieve by it etc. Shane is a little bit of a mystery, and I enjoyed watching his character grow as the book went on.

I loved the concept of the book, and I could totally understand why Aislyn took the Charisma, particularly when it’s offered to her by a doctor she trusts and looks up to. And I think that makes the realisation that the drug has unforeseen consequences much more powerful.

Conclusion and Rating

I didn’t enjoy Charisma as much as Nerve, although I did still enjoy it, and I read it in a couple of days because I did want to know what happened next. 4.5/5

You can get your copy of Charisma here.

Have you read Charisma? Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments 🙂

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