Neal Shusterman is one of my all time favorite YA authors for a reason. All Better Now was a POWERFUL story that examines the human experience, capitalism, the power of propaganda, governmental control, and the butterfly effect of it all. I can’t even begin to explain what happens in this easily digestible yet complex commentary on the way of the world, but I won’t stop thinking about the poignant implications any time soon. I did not expect to cry, but you bet the magnitude of this story was a direct hit to my heart—no “brain altering” virus necessary. If you’re looking for a new YA dystopian, speculative fiction story, consider All Better Now. I’m not sure I’ll ever get over it.

I RECOMMEND IF:
If you enjoyed the Arc of the Scythe series, Chain-Gang All-Stars, or The Hunger Games, then I recommend checking out All Better Now.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
• YA dystopian, speculative fiction
• multi-pov but follows 3 main characters
• conspiracies and propaganda
• will make you think and question things
• the butterfly effect—for better or worse
• standalone (as far as I’m aware)

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

In a not-too-distant future, yet another pandemic has sent the world into lockdown. But this deadly novel virus, with its 4% mortality rate, comes with a stunning twist. Those who survive emerge with a renewed lease on life, seeming almost enlightened as they shed their most negative feelings and embrace happiness instead.

Teenaged Mariel Mudroch and her mother Gena are homeless when the virus known as Crown Royale first takes hold in America. Gena scams their way into an overnight stay at a luxury rental unit right before its owner Blas Escobedo, one of the wealthiest men in the world, decides to shut down the service for fear of contagion. Mariel forms an unlikely bond with their host Rón, who also happens to be Blas’ favorite son. Neither expect to see each other again, however, after she and Gena move on.

Fate has other ideas though, as society begins to rearrange itself into those who think that Crown Royale is a good thing, and those who fear it above all else, even death. Blas is one of the latter but Rón isn’t so sure. He’s battled suicidal thoughts all his life and thinks that contracting happiness might actually save his life. Reuniting with Mariel is definitely a bonus, as the star-crossed lovers decide what to do next with their lives while evading his father’s pursuit:

QUOTE
“We still don’t know where we’re going,” Mariel had to remind Rón, refusing to let the winds of fate passively direct them out the door.

Rón smiled from beneath his platinum coif. “Where do you want to go?”

Mariel immediately found herself beaned by the rebounding question. Her mother never asked where she wanted to go. She just up and went until either they were broke or ran out of gas. As much as she had loved her mother, she hated being subject to Gena’s wanderlust whims. Yet, in a sense, being dragged along was Mariel’s comfort zone. Suddenly she was standing on a cliff over deep water. Rón was holding out his hand. All she had to do was take hold, and jump. And so she did.
END QUOTE

But Blas isn’t the only person who fears and loathes the virus, and not the only one ready to take whatever steps necessary to eradicate it. Wealthy and powerful Dame Glynis Havilland has done everything in her power to earn her reputation as a curmudgeon, and would rather die than see her personality succumb to compulsive kindness instead. To that end, she hires the young sociopath Morgan Willmon-Wu to effectively replace her should she contract the virus. She’ll leave the might and reach of the Havilland Consortium to Morgan, so long as the younger woman continues her research into combating Crown Royale.

Morgan is more than happy to oblige, throwing herself into not only finding a cure but also shaping public perception against the pandemic. Towards that end, she’ll use every trick in the modern playbook, even hiring Internet trolls to spread awful conspiracy theories:

QUOTE
The beauty of disinformation was that the more outlandish it was, the more people would believe it, because it was fed by the public’s own paranoia. Amazing how easy it was to cast a fishhook out into the collective consciousness, and watch people take the bait, then writhe and flail on the line. The language of fear! Morgan knew it intimately, and was determined to invoke it like a spell, until Crown Royale was a crushed spider beneath her foot.
END QUOTE

As all these characters are inevitably drawn together, they’ll find themselves locked in a battle for the very future of humanity. Entirely reminiscent of our own battle against COVID-19, All Better Now not only explores our reactions to community health but also throws in a heck of a curveball. What if happiness could be guaranteed? Why would some people inevitably rail against it? And, perhaps most importantly, what are the ethics of choice versus health?

These questions are all grounded by Neal Shusterman’s excellent characterizations in this timely novel. There are certainly heroes and villains in this narrative, but everyone has a point and everyone does some pretty shady stuff to advance their worldviews. Rón and Mariel’s bond is particularly convincing, which makes their choices all the more meaningful and occasionally tragic.

This Young Adult thriller ends on a cliffhanger which indicates that there’s more to explore in this world riven – or perhaps healed – by Crown Royale. Just as COVID-19 still forces us to ask hard questions today, so too does Crown Royale demand more and better of society. It’ll be very interesting to see where Mr Shusterman goes next with this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying that I am a huge fan of Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe Series, and was tremendously excited to jump into one of his worlds again. Unfortunately, “All Better Now,” was not the book for me. I did not find myself connecting with any of the characters, even though there was a huge cast. I wonder if the character quantity was part of the problem. Maybe because there were so many, none of them felt like they were written deeply. They skated on a surface level, remaining unchanged interpersonally, and the changes that did happen felt hollow. It’s like he cast a wide net to show impact, but none of the impact was deep enough to care.

Shusterman is trying to write a topical book about a pandemic, right after surviving a real one. I think Crowne Royal is an interesting disease in the fact it makes people empathetic - but otherwise it wasn’t that interesting. I wish the idea was demonstrated better. Empathy without free will isn’t genuine empathy, therefore making this book super artificial and sort of cheesy. It also felt way too long for what little plot it was accomplishing.

I wanted to DNF, but after reaching 60% I just stuck it out even though the ending wasn’t doing much for me either.

If you liked "Scythe" you're probably aware of this one as well--I enjoyed "Scythe" and have the sequels on my eventual TBR, but the premise of this new book felt timely, so I was excited to pick it up. In this world, there's a pandemic, but not that pandemic. This disease will either kill you or make you perpetually content and focused on the greater good. In theory, great, no problem. In actuality, RIP the world economy. What a change of pace from real life! I did find this plot really interesting, especially the exploration of how things I hadn't considered were impacted. For example, political leaders just being chill with everything and militaries not wanting to hurt literally anyone puts a damper on things. 

Unfortunately, the plot was the best part of this book and it never quite got to the point where I was on the edge of my seat, probably because it's a duology, which I didn't realize when requesting it. The characters were mostly forgettable for me. We're following several people experiencing the pandemic differently. A teen girl who's been homeless for most of her life, a teen boy who's been rich all of his, a rich industry tycoon, a scrappy go-getter who inherits her fortune, etc. The different perspectives on the pandemic and how they shift (or don't) when the characters either contract the disease or don't, were interesting, and the commentary on capitalism was spot-on. Ultimately, though, I wasn't invested enough in the characters themselves, so probably won't be reading the sequel. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

If this book was meant to be satire, then it was too heavy-handed with it. With his earlier series, Unwind, Shusterman was able to hit hard with producing social commentary using a dystopian setting. The voice and writing of All Better Now was mediocre compared to the talent utilized in his earlier work. I had to DNF this one.

I was hoping to love this one, but just really didn't enjoy it and felt a little bored especially after the first couple of chapters.

Neil Shusterman does not miss. I loved challenger deep and This gave me the same feeling. Highly recommend for high school students especially.

I have enjoyed other books by Neal Shusterman, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as I had hoped. There was so much going on but I also felt like nothing was going on because I was lost most of the time. There were so many characters that were being focused on besides the main 3. I wish it hadn't jumped around so much. Even when it was focused on one of the main 3, I didn't feel anything for them. I was unable to connect with them. I also felt that the book was just trying too hard. Overall, this book was just not for me, and I wish it had been done better because it had good potential.

content warning: pandemic, death, death of parent, sucide attempt, self harm

Thank you for this ARC.
I'm sorry that I really couldn't get into this book. I do believe many others will enjoy this dystopian. sci-fi kind of read. Teenagers might enjoy it more than a much older adult. The ideas are good. Not fully fleshed out. Some parts could have also been eliminated. I didn't see a conclusion. Unless there was a key line of dialogue I missed. The plot is a slow read if you can piece it together.

Neal Shusterman does it again. His concepts are always so brilliant. This one is about a COVID-esque type illness that leads to pure contentment if you survive. But is contentment really the best for humans? That is one of the questions that Shusterman asks as we follow characters who are on very different sides of the coin: someone who wants to spread the illness to everyone and someone who is willing to anything to stop it. Another 5 stars for Shusterman!

I loved a lot about this book, but I have to say the second half didn’t live up to the first half. I loved the characters and their storylines, but it started to drag as it went on. I also wasn’t super satisfied with the ending in comparison to his other books.

The scythe series is one of my all time favourite series to exist. I love his dystopian stories - one of the best genres to exist! So when I found out he was yet again coming out with a story within the same realm, I knew I had to pick it up. And pick it up I did, I loved this!!!! Our leading man, Ron, has seen the world through a very different eye view than his father, who’s one of the wealthiest males in the world. Ron has been through it all, and unfortunately fell victim to multiple attempts at taking his own life while struggling with his inner demons, and turmoil with depression. But an unlikely cross between Ron and a young woman tangles their lives in ways both believes once impossible. We also follow many other characters that I both came to love and absolutely despise. I had a lot of fun with this. It made me anxious but my eyes were hooked to my kindle the entire time. The themes of mental illness were handled with care. If you’ve read any of Shustermans previous books, you’d know that he writes mental illness in a very relatable and respectful way that deeply resonates with so many adults and teenagers. But overall, this was an incredible read.

This book is a compelling, thought-provoking exploration of “contagious happiness,” presented with impressive nuance and complexity. Rather than offering easy answers, it invites readers to wrestle with big questions through multiple perspectives—over 20 characters briefly lend their voices, creating a rich, layered world. Though the plot itself is fairly concise, the depth of conversation and philosophical weight make it feel expansive. The central conflict involving Crown Royale is tense and thrilling, and the final revelation about combating the virus adds a fascinating, unsettling twist. The ending is chilling yet hopeful, and perfectly captures the book’s emotional extremes—fear, hatred, joy, and hope—all coexisting in a way that feels eerily timely. It’s the kind of story that stays with you long after the last page and demands discussion. Highly recommended for high school readers and up; younger readers may benefit from thoughtful guidance. Mr Shisterman once again delivers a masterfully bold and timely narrative.

3.5. A second pandemic is sweeping the world 1 in 25 will pass away but the others who pull through gain clarity and happiness. Such an interesting concept.

Reading the description I thought, ok, this sounds really interesting. A virus that takes away your unhappy feelings, depression, anxiety, etc. Sign me up!! I dive into the book very curious and excited. I should have remembered the saying "be careful what you wish for". Crown Royale doesn't just make people happy and it's a big problem for many characters - they just don't realize it.

I will start off with what I liked. This story was nothing like anything I've ever read before. I am not familiar with Neal Shusterman's other books so I am not sure if this is the type of book he normally writes. I thought the idea of a virus that gets rid of anxiety and depression would be a good thing. I thought reading about a world where billionaires and world leaders would suddenly be happy and good and want to give away their money would also be a good thing. I was curious to see what exactly happened. I also liked that my curiosity kept me wanting to read more. The main character - Mariel, was likeable and I really wanted to know more about what happened to her after the story ended.

What I didn't like... there were WAY too many characters mentioned. Some were never even really mentioned again after a short cliff hanger chapter that introduced them. What happened to those characters? Why introduce them? There were also many times where I had to go back and remind myself who I was reading about, who was this character, who was speaking, and more. It was a MESS. The majority of the characters in the book were unlikeable. Even those who caught Crown Royale and were now supposedly "good" didn't lose their true nature completely and were still "bad". I wanted the book to get better and get more interesting and it kind of did (but not really) at the end but it just took so long to get there.

I also did not like the long winded "poetry" way of speaking from one of the characters. I honestly just skipped it after the first page.

This book had the opportunity to be really great but the end just sort of fizzled out. I'm rating this a 3 out of 5 even though my initial thoughts were to rate it a 1. After I finished reading this book, I wanted to throw it across the room but I didn't because I read on my phone. After some time though I was thinking over and over about various aspects of the book. I called my son and talked to him about the book for a good 30 minutes and he now he wants to read it for himself. Any book that gets me riled up like that deserves a few more stars. Even though I didn't personally LOVE the book, it got me thinking and talking. That's a book that did it's job right there.

I started this book with high expectations overall it was just OK for me. I did end up having to DNF but I read about 30% before I did so.

Actually a 3.75 rating.

I usually am a huge fan of Neal Shusterman and love every single one of his books. But this book seemed like it missed in a few places. I really enjoyed the plot concept and the whole idea of "is everyone constantly being happy sustainable" or do we need hard times to appreciate the good in life and for the economy to stay strong. I was really interested in this concept the whole book and I enjoyed Neal's writing style throughout.

The ending was what spoiled the book for me. It may be that Neal is planning a second book to this story, but the end finished in such a cliffhanger, I felt it was incomplete. For example, what happened to the plan with the uncontained anti-virus. Why did the main antagonist survive. I have no idea how this could've been a planned ending unless there is a sequel. The only possibility I can think of is that no one really knows whether life can exist with no bad, but I just wish the ending was more conclusive.

Another issue I had were the characters. I usually connect well with the characters or at a minimum feel something towards them in all of Neal Shusterman's books. But for this book, there was nothing.

Overall, not a bad book. A very exciting plot. Would recommend for any Neal Shusterman fans.

A pandemic causing your personality to change. I have always loved Stories written by Shusterman and this scifi / fantasy turns a current situation into a twisted version. A virus like no others, still deadly to most, but life changing for others. Some push to ‘catch’ the virus is for the better, but people in power fear this change.

All Better Now is a fantastic new read by Neal Shusterman. This young adult speculative fiction will really make you think while also keeping you entertained and on the edge of your seat. This book is a chonk but it is well written and the story flows easily and keeps you wanting to find out what happens next. While this is a young adult book, I believe adults will find it enjoyable as well.

All Better Now focuses on three main characters and how this new pandemic, Crown Royale, impacts their lives. Crown Royale is a disease that is like Covid, but if you survive it leaves you changed. The disease makes people feel more content, and all their stress goes away. Essentially it makes you happy. However it does cause people to lose ambition, so there are some people who will stop at nothing to keep from getting the virus.

It was neat to see how the different factions of people felt about the virus and what they thought should happen. Those who became “compromised” wanted to spread the virus to try and make the world a better place. The “unembraced” wanted to create a vaccine to stop the virus from spreading because they feared that the world would become chaos if everyone was content and lost their ambition.

While reading the book it had me contemplating what I would do if I were in these characters situation. I could see the pros and cons of both situations. I really hope the author writes more in this world because the way it ended definitely left me wanting more.