Imagine that you could become instantly vivacious and popular. A lot of your friends and peers might jump at that chance, too. Everyone might jump at that chance, too. We live in a pill-popping culture -- just take a pill and your life will be perfect. Right? Any adverse consequences? Just don't worry about it.

Unfortunately, perfection comes with a price.

Aislyn meets Dr. Sternfield in the course of supporting her brother, Sammy, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. He hopes to be randomly selected for a gene therapy that could cure his illness. The doctor approaches Aislyn and some of the siblings of ill children with a proposition: would they like their dreams of becoming social butterflies to materialize out of thin air... or an injection?

Everything seems deliriously happy until the teenagers start developing a strange illness.

Not surprisingly, Dr. Sternfield is not available for comment.

Charisma by Jeanne Ryan, 2015

This is an interesting thriller about genetic manipulation.

Books about gene therapy

Books about psychotropic drugs

Center for Genetics and Society