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About The Book

An edge-of-your-seat thriller from the bestselling author of, Nerve, the book behind 2016's hottest YA film, starring Emma Roberts, Dave Franco & Juliette Lewis.

A chance at the ultimate makeover means deadly consequences... Aislyn suffers from crippling shyness - that is, until she’s offered a dose of Charisma, an underground gene therapy drug guaranteed to make her shine. The effects are instant. She’s charming, vivacious, and popular. But strangely, so are some other kids she knows. The media goes into a frenzy when the disease turns contagious, and then deadly, and the doctor who gave it to them disappears. Aislyn must find a way to stop it, before it's too late.

Praise for Charisma
'...this fast-paced and edgy novel has enough thrills, romance, and family drama to please a wide audience. This Robin Cooklike thriller zips along at breakneck speed to a satisfying conclusion.' Booklist
'Ryan (Nerve) offers a cautionary tale about the perils of designer genetics and what happens when scientists' aspirations get ahead of ethics. Her take on the topic is fresh and intriguing.' Publishers Weekly
'Suspense balances with discussions of bioethics for a provocative and entertaining read. A sympathetic protagonist combines with intriguing medical possibility for a solid thriller.' Kirkus Reviews
'Charisma by Jeanne Ryan is at its best when it gets technical. Considering Ryan has a PHD and has worked with youth development programs and social workers, it’s obvious she knows what she talking about.' Hypable
'Not a far step from Ned Vizzini’s Be More Chill...The science is explained well enough for non-scientist readers to understand, and gives teens much to think about regarding medical ethics and experimentation.' School Library Journal
'The science is both sharp and accessible here, and readers will get a sense of the nuances and messiness of genetic alterations while staying in Aislyn’s world.' BCCB

About The Author

Jeanne Ryan has lived all over the world, raised in a family with eleven brothers and sisters. She spent her early childhood in Hawaii and the rest of her growing-up years trying to figure out a way to get back there, with stops in South Korea , Michigan and Germany along the way. Before writing fiction, she tried her hand at many things, including wargame simulation and youth development research. But she decided it was much more fun to work on stories than statistics. These days, she still loves Hawaii but has found her home under the moody skies of the Pacific Northwest. www.jeanneryan.com

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK (April 1, 2017)
  • Length: 400 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781471163937
  • Ages: 12 - 99

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