My Journey in Writing
My name is Lynne Stringer and I love writing! Of course, that’s not all I love. I also love reading books, especially ones that take me out of the every day and into a new world. It doesn’t have to be a completely imaginary world, either. Anything with fascinating characters and interesting storylines will do. My first young adult novel, The Heir, was accepted for publication by Wombat Books and released on 1 June 2013. It is the first book in the Verindon trilogy. It’s so exciting to have a real copy of my book in my hands.
Charisma took a while to get going. It didn't really engage me until about a third of the way through. I think the main reason for this was that a bit too much time was spent on Aislyn's crippling shyness. Now, this shyness is integral to the story the book is telling, however, I think the point would have been made quite adequately in fewer scenes. It's never easy to read chapter after chapter from the point of view of a person who is constantly down on herself and failing (in her eyes) in everything.
However, after that, it came into its stride and the story was an entertaining and thought-provoking one. Cases are presented both for and against gene therapy, with a clear message of 'make sure it's done correctly if you're going to introduce it' coming through. I liked the issues it raised, and also that the characters were realistic ones. No one was perfect, not by a long shot, but I empathised with Aislyn and enjoyed following her journey.
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