I found this novel to be both enjoyable and thought-provoking. How a virus can be seen as man's greatest threat and a saving grace, depending on where you stand. While the length of the book was intimidating, the pages flew by. I don't know how well this book will go over with a YA audience, but it works from an adult's perspective.

I generally love Neal Shusterman's writing and this was no different. The premise is very interesting--an extremely contagious virus that kills one in twenty five people, BUT if you survive, you live in utter contentment. No stress, no depression, no greed. Just a utopian collectivist society dream--or is it nightmare? It presents a ton of discussion opportunities, and would be great at a book club.

However, I didn't feel connected to the characters in the same way that I felt connected to the characters in Scythe. I also struggled a little with the takeaway, but I guess maybe that will be explored in future books. I would definitely recommend this to a group of teens that wanted to discuss together, or to high school teachers. I'm not sure I was hooked enough to continue the series myself.

This is a very intriguing and unique novel.

The premise is--there's a new virus going around, nicknamed Crown Royale. It has a higher mortality rate than Covid, but those who recover have the result that they are completely content, happy, and optimistic about everything. While this might seem positive to many, it has the side effect that people are no longer selfish or success driven, and this disrupts the economy. Multiple people with different agendas either want to stop or spread this virus.

Although this is tagged as a young adult novel, I'm not sure I'd classify it as such even though there are some characters in their older teens (there are also elderly and middle aged characters.) It focuses on global and human issues, not just for young people but for everyone.

Even though the page count of this novel is daunting, I felt like it moved along at a fast pace, focusing on different aspects of the situation. The book provides a lot of food for thought, because at first I was thinking--well, that sounds pretty good, everyone content in life and thinking in altruistic ways, but there is always a negative side, even to something that seems positive.

The ending was a bit disappointing, maybe it is set up as a cliffhanger for another book, but I'm not sure there's much new that could be said about the subject without completely rehashing this plot.

Overall I found this book entertaining, original, and thought provoking.
One warning--if you have trauma surrounding the pandemic, this book does have death and similar themes, so you might want to steer clear.

Imagine a world where an extremely contagious virus kills one in 25 people…but those who survive experience utter contentment. Stress, depression, and greed are all things of the past for survivors of the Crown Royale virus.

Many people purposely contract the virus to achieve enlightenment, but the people in power who depend on fear, anger, and insecurity to sell their products and drive viewership to their broadcasts know that being happy all the time is bad for business and productivity. But with everyone pushing their own agenda, what’s the truth?
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Happy Publication Day to All Better Now by Neal Shusterman! I’ve enjoyed a number of Shusterman’s books in the past, so I was elated to receive an ARC of his newest YA thriller from @netgalley and @simonteen

I really enjoyed the way that the story shifted between four VERY different characters, all of whom had different backgrounds and goals.

Shusterman is so gifted at writing books that make you think about current social issues critically and this was no exception. I think this book would be exceptionally interesting to read in a setting with room for discussion like a book club or a classroom. I’m definitely planning to purchase a copy for my teenage daughter’s Dystopian Lit teacher!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and thought it was one of the most original concepts I’ve come across in a LONG time. The ending was satisfying but a bit open-ended, so I will be curious to see whether additional books follow!

What another incredible start to a series by Neal Shusterman!

Shusterman has an amazing way of creating dystopian worlds, taking an idea and twisting it into something larger, which was exactly what the premise of this book is. Let’s take a global pandemic that spreads quickly, making people get sick, with some people that die, but some that recover. But those that do recover are “all better now”. Everything about them, they don’t experience bad emotions, they have empathy for others, in a way it seems humanity has evolved for the better. Billionaires are giving away all their money, people are forgoing material belongings in favor of better experiencing their life. Everything seems better. Keyword: seems.

Could being happy all their time be dangerous? What happens to humanity when you lose the ability to feel bad feelings? Two sides in this war: those wanting to get the virus, and those fighting against it, to develop a vaccine developed to rid people of their inner peace.

I absolutely love Shusterman’s writing style. His Scythe and Unwind series are two of my favorite series of all time, and this book has that same clever, thoughtful, intricate writing style that I love. A global pandemic is not a new idea, but the idea that it could make humanity better is something I’ve never seen before.

Not only does this new idea bring something exciting to this genre but writing through a young adult lense further develops this story. YA can sometimes be frustrating to read as an adult, as the decisions made can be frustrating to read, from someone who is older, and might not make those same decisions. Shusterman’s characters never feel juvenile in their decisions. Their words, actions and choices always fit their age group, which makes the book that much more compelling to read!

I flew through this book, I loved the characters we met, I loved the characters that I wanted to hate and I hated the characters I wanted to love. To say I experienced all the emotions is an understatement, and I absolutely cannot wait to continue this series!

This was my first book by Neal Shusterman and despite it not being a 5 star read personally, I will be reading others. He came up with a very unique concept that really gets you to thinking. If there's a disease going around that would make you happy and carefree all the time, would you try to catch it? Or would you try to avoid it, hoping to preserve the ability to have an array of normal human emotions, including pain and sadness? Very thought provoking and relevant, especially given the current political climate.

My biggest rating ding is that it just felt disjointed at times. You bounce back and forth between Morgan, Mariel, and Rón's POVs. And just as soon as you get used to them, then there are other random stories thrown in too. While I enjoyed seeing the effects of Crown Royale in various situations, they also messed with the flow and the book could have been shorter and easier to follow.

All in all, this book is one I will be thinking about for years to come and will pick up the sequel when it comes out.

"All Better Now" by Neal Shusterman is a dystopian pandemic novel set in the near future. With echoes of COVID-19 throughout, it feels as though the story isn't set too far ahead, as many characters reference their experiences during the earlier pandemic. This new virus has a surprising side effect for survivors: those who don't succumb emerge blissfully happy afterward. Any anxiety, depression, or anger they felt before the illness vanishes upon recovery. Who wouldn't want an outcome like that? Well, the rich and powerful, for one. They fear being "brainwashed" into relinquishing their fortunes, prompting them to work toward a vaccine that safeguards their interests.

Several characters have their own interconnected plotlines, making it take some time to find your bearings and fully immerse yourself in the story. It wasn't terrible by any means, but each time I set it down, I didn’t feel compelled to pick it back up. I was fortunate to receive a review copy of the audiobook as well, which allowed me to finish it in that format.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing a review copy of "All Better Now."

Leave it up to Neal Shusterman to come up with the most interesting concepts. This book was no exception. I liked the humor in the writing, the overall vibe, the way it made me think about human behavior, and the entire story line. It was interesting from the start to the finish.

This is my first Shusterman and though it is categorized as YA, it didn't feel YA to me. Set in a near future after the Covid pandemic, a new virus has been identified, Crowne Royal. 25 % die, but the recoveries have new
personalities. They are happy and altruistic. Of course. a search for a vaccine begins.
Meanwhile there are forces at work trying to create a vaccine against Crowne Royal because it is destroying capitalism as we know it.
The book presents an interesting dichotomy. Is it better to be happy and altruistic or is it better to have all emotions. Is it worth it to have 25% of the people who catch the virus die, so the 75% can live in a blissful state??
What happens when the unembraced begin to hate and want to either kill or lock up the recoveries.
Shusterman has created an allegory for the present political situation. The book ends on a cliffhanger and we shall see how the allegory plays out.
I realize I haven't mentioned the characters, but a lot of discussion would literally be spoilers, so you will have to read the book for yourself to see how this story plays out.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest opinion.

After falling in love with the Scythe series, I eagerly read Shusterman's new book! I was not disappointed! Shusterman takes the reader to a new level of a virus. I mean, the virus side effects do not sound terrible! All the negative feelings that affect millions of people daily are gone: greed, anger, stress, and even depression.
The pandemic is in full blow and four different people and how their lives intertwine in surprising ways! Also, how each of the characters thought they were doing the right things, but it did not always work in the best way. I'm trying to decide how I feel about this book, but it's amazing, not only amazing, it's interesting and very thought-provoking! While I loved the storyline and the writing style, Shusterman has a very thrilling easy-to-read writing style that is not only captivating, it's addicting! However, there were times the writing seemed very long-winded, and the pacing dragged at some places but it does not take away from the story! Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this one! It was an interesting read and very thought-provoking!

This was a fun premise, but I'm not quite sure I'm ready for Covid-19 commentary with a fictitious pandemic (that makes people happy upon survival??). I enjoyed this, but thought it was a bit too long, and I didn't love any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I find that Shusterman books always blow me away with the imagination in each scenario he comes up with. His books are always juicy and great for inciting discussion and this is no different. Would be perfect for a book club and not just for young people. This can just as easily be consumed by adults. The flaw for me in this book lies in the characters. They don't feel fully developed and I didn't care for any of them. It was hard for me to really care about the plot because of this, so after the novelty of the pandemic scenario wore off, I was bored. I'd still highly recommend this to certain readers, especially those who enjoy dystopian books or YA sci-fi, which there isn't nearly enough of in the world. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Happy almost book publishing day to All Better Now! This was the first book I've read by Neal Shusterman and, unfortunately, I think that this was just okay. I didn't necessarily hate it but I was a little confused as to the big takeaway of the book. I felt like the concept was very intriguing — having a pandemic, similar to COVID-19, except this time it just makes people happy. The pacing went a little slow as well that it made it hard for me to connect with the characters and the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of All Better Now in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was initially intrigued by the concept and premise of All Better Now, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the right fit for me. I can see where Neal Shusterman was aiming with his commentary on pandemics, especially with the comparison to COVID-19. The story is set in a world dealing with a new, even more dangerous virus than the last—one that, strangely, makes people happy. While I understand the point Shusterman is trying to make, it didn’t quite land for me.

I found it hard to connect with the characters, and the pacing felt slow, dragging on in parts. Honestly, I think the book could have been at least 200 pages shorter.

If the premise intrigues you, I’d still recommend giving it a try—it might connect with you in a way it didn’t for me!

⭐️⭐️.5

I was dissatisfied with this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the Scythe series and I enjoy Neal Shusterman’s writing style, so I went into this with high hopes. Unfortunately I had a hard time discerning what the point of the book was supposed to be. I couldn’t seem to find a takeaway message at the end. I was left wondering, all that….for what? I disliked those on both sides of the conflict and was mostly annoyed with the personalities of the 3 main characters.

Sadly, I would not recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book wayyy more than I expected to. Wasn't sure I was ready to read a pandemic-related story, but this one was so good! Not just was the plot intriguing and kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time, the characters were incredibly well-written -- I would have found them to be too far-fetched and unbelievable if it weren't for how actual humans behaved during the COVID crisis. Was confused about the cliffhanger ending since I thought this was a cliffhanger, but other reviews have informed me that this is a series -- can't wait to see where the story goes!

I was okay with this book. I didn't absolutely love it, but I didn't exactly dislike it all that much either. Shusterman still remains one of the greatest YA authors and his delving into the mind and emotions and reactions is really unparalleled, but for some reason I couldn't connect as well with this book. I think that there are some steps to take for all people post-COVID and I like the whole response to Crown Royale, the unselfishness and desire to help, but at the expense of one's own life? And then the story progresses and things unravel and are shown and learned. It's a good one, but the pacing was off and ultimately I just couldn't get into it.

I was drawn in by the cover of this book and I'd never read any thing by Neal Shusterman. I was intrigued by the description, but was I ready to read a book about a pandemic? No, probably not. I was a bit hesitant to start it because of that, but was pleasantly surprised by this book. Shusterman creative take on the concept of the pandemic was much more intriguing that I expected.

Unlike other pandemic related books Shusterman's presented a creative take on the matter and was unlike other pandemic books. I enjoyed the interested trials Ron and Mariel faced in there relationship and found my self routing for them i the end. It did get a little drawn out and certainly didn't need to be 500 pages long. It ended on a cliff hanger that I can't wait to see how it plays out.

I will admit that I love Neal Shusterman. I find his writing style intriguing and his topics for books inspiring. Scythe is one of my favorite triologies of all time and I always recommend it to those reluctant readers. All Better Now follows in this vein where a virus makes people happy all the time. I will not go into the description as I encourage you all to read it for yourselves. I wanted to focus on how Shusterman truly knows how to write for teens. It is a true gift and it never feels like he is talking down to his readers but taking them along the journey. Highly recommended for all readers.

All Better Now takes place several years after the Covid pandemic with the spread of a new virus known as Crown Royale. The virus has a 5% mortality rate. However survivors are left with a permanent side effect of extreme contentment and selflessness. They eschew the greed and material desires of their previous lives. Depression and anxiety are cured.

However total contentment is bad for the global economy. It undermines elite pockets of power and authority. The book follows multiple teenage POVs stuck in the middle of a battle of those that want to spread the virus and those who want to stop it.

This book asks a lot of thought provoking, ethical questions but never really takes a side. It lays out the situation and allows the reader to examine from multiple angles. It would be great if people were more selfless. But is it worth it to lose all motivation? How would society change if empathy was top priority? But if the virus makes society better, how many deaths are worth it to make this happen? Is this empathy worth it if it takes away people’s autonomy?

I had a great time reading All Better Now. As a lover of dystopian fiction, I loved the deep dive into ethics, morality, and hypocrisy. I did have difficulty connecting with the many characters and didn’t really enjoy the romance subplot. The pacing starts out very slow and uneven before picking up tremendously toward the end. I absolutely loved the last few chapters and the ending was a perfect cliffhanger.