The idea was genius, with every possible avenue of the pandemic thoroughly explored! My frustration was the pacing. I don't know what it was, but despite the glorious idea and wonderful content, the pacing dragged.

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman, 528 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2025. $18.
Language: R (94 swears, 6 “f” + British and Spanish swears); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
Rón (16yo) wants to believe that Crown Royale, the latest virus, really leaves survivors happier because he needs that in his life. Morgan (19yo) wants nothing to do with the virus—until a wealthy patron offers to hand over her entire fortune if Morgan will fight against it spreading. Mariel doesn’t know what to think; she just wants to survive another day of living with her mom out of their car. Though they don’t yet know it, these three teenagers will affect the future of Crown Royale all over the world.
In Shusterman’s version of the future, Crown Royale comes after coronavirus. The various points of view from all over the world share different perspectives on whether the new virus is good or bad and why they believe that. Rón’s, Mariel’s, and Morgan’s stories invite readers to step into a new space to discuss concerns about viruses and vaccines that allows them to ask questions from new points of view and with new vocabulary. On top of that, the story itself is engaging and surprising. I look forward to the sequel.
Rón is described as having “brown” skin, Morgan is Eurasian, and Mariel is implied White. The mature content rating is for illegal activity; alcohol use, including underage drinking; mentions of drugs, nudity, condoms, masturbation, sex, and rape; kissing; and innuendo. The violence rating is for assault, mentions of domestic and child abuse and war, gun use, bioterrorism, suicide, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Recommended: definitely
For interesting ideas that are worth thinking about and discussing, for a lot of emotional extremes

Thoughts:
It's hard for me to capture how much I love about this. I could definitely go on and on about it. In short though, I can say that there is so much I have been thinking about from this book even after I've finished it, and I desperately want to talk to others about it as well and share ideas. That's some of the highest praise I can give a book, personally: it's engaging and makes me want to consider the ideas presented.

Breaking it down, the basic premise of contagious happiness is given a wonderfully nuanced evaluation without ever trying to tell the reader what the "right" answer is. Different scenarios are presented and left to the reader's decision. The revelation at the end of how they are trying to fight the virus provides its own fascinating counterpoint to add to the conversation. It was complex enough to do the idea justice which is just as I'd hoped from this author who has tackled other big controversial adult topics in the format of young adult novels. Masterfully.

Moving on, the plot is somewhat short if you lay out all of the key milestones, but the conversations around each milestone are deep and from multiple perspectives. There are two main character stories followed, but there are probably 20 different characters whom we get a perspective from, even if it's only for a few paragraphs. I loved this as it made the world feel big and allowed a natural way to present conflicting opinions and ideas by each person and their experiences.

The key conflicts -- what happens with Crown Royale? -- are pretty tense and have some really exciting moments. The ending is terrifying in a way, and I love it. I think it can end where it did and leave it at that, but also if there's a second book in this world I'd be interested in seeing what else Neal imagines for us in these situations. It is a book of extremes, with terror and fear and hatred, but also with transcendent joy and buoyant hope. It is, unfortunately, somewhat parallel to the feelings of the world today. Nightmares coming to life, with communities coming together to protect each other. Terror, and joy.

Anyway, this book is SO good, and a great option for high school and up most likely. Middle grade maybe for more advanced readers, or with a lot of conversations and guidance for them as they go.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.

Mariel is a teen living in San Francisco during the next pandemic after Covid. They are homeless, and mostly stay in their car. Ròn is the teenage son of one of the most wealthy men in the world. He lives with his father in a luxury high rise, also in San Francisco. Ròn and Mariel cross paths at his father's building and while it is only a short period that they are together, they feel a connection. The pandemic, Crown Royale, is unique in that if you are lucky enough to recover from it, you are forever a content person.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I love Shusterman's writing style and the premise of this book is so unique. It was interesting to read about what the fears are of having a population where people are never unhappy. The issue that I had was the pacing. There were so many characters and settings introduced in the first one fourth of the book that it felt very slow until they started coming together. But this introduction of new people without knowing where they fit, kept happening, and throwing me off track. The concept and writing make the book worth reading especially if you are a fan of dystopian stories.

Thank you to the NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a great story with amazing commentary on the ways in which we are often our own worst enemies, how the powers that be plot against our success because it doesn't drive capitalism, and truly a come back for dystopia. Great read! More review to come later!

This was a trippy book for sure, and really makes me suspicious. Set years after the covid pandemic, a new virus has emerged. It has low mortality rate but it creates this unending joy and happiness in recoverees. It's really jarring to see POV from both sides, recoveree and people who have not gotten it, and honestly Neal Shusterman is probably spot on with how people would react.

Definite must read.

very dystopian vibes, not my fave neal shusterman but interesting storyline? didn't love execution tho

Neal Shusterman’s books have almost always had something in them that make me think that this could be a really weird and warped version of the world we live in. He is really good at taking a what if scenario and pushing it to an extreme. All Better Now is the first book in a continuing, yet to be named series, covering another pandemic. Only the after effects of this illness leave you changed forever. If you survive Crown Royale you become Happy.

I’m going to just throw out there that I don’t know that I would have read another book about a pandemic by most authors. I feel a little PTSD anytime someone brings up the last one or the prospect of another. No matter who you are I think it impacted your life in some way and society as a whole in a big ways. But, my experience with the last Pandemic made this book feel all the more plausible and added to the foundations for emotional impact I think is needed for this story to really work for reader to connect to it.

Told from multiple PoVs we follow different characters as some try to share the illness so all can feel what it is like to have things like fear, ambition, hatred and selfishness fall away from them. Others are desperate to thwart the virus that is causing Billionaires to give up their wealth, consumers to stop buying new goods when the old ones are just fine and people who would rather take a bullet than shoot one. We get glimpses into the lives of those who have recovered and how their lives changed. Others that live in isolation and desperation to make sure they never get the virus, afraid of how it could change them.

I was captivated by this story. The characters all have different motivations, everyone thinks they are doing the right thing and most have good intentions. Mariel lost her mother to the virus but never got it herself. She and Rón, a recovery, are traveling across the country trying to find a new purpose in their lives and hide Rón from his father. Rón has a mission and no time to be locked away for his safety. The question is will Rón’s mission drive a wedge between him and the girl he has come to love.

Morgan is everything that the recovered are not. She is conniving, driven, cruel and willing to do just about anything to win. Because of someone’s need to pass on a legacy she is also in control of a large amount of money, companies and a research center. Her goal is to combat the Crown Royale virus, but the cure might we worse than the disease.

***He and Morgan were alike, in a way. Both had powerful, all-consuming agendas. But that was where the similarity ended — because, while Rón was motivated to fix a broken world, Morgan was motivated to take credit for fixing a broken world. A subtle difference, with miles between. ***

I enjoyed this book so much. Because of the multiple PoVs I found that the story moved along fast and it was interesting to see into the minds of all of the major players in the book. Neal Shusterman’s writing is always great with solid one liners and things to make the reader ponder. I look forward to seeing where he takes the story as I think this will be on par with two of my series Unwind and Arc of the Scythe.

***The beauty of disinformation was that the more outlandish it was, them more people would believe it, because it was fed by the public’s own paranoia.***

I was excited to read this one as I’m a huge fan of The Scythe series. The book started off promising, in similar Neal Shusterman fashion there seemed to be a lot of explaining, tons of telling and not actually showing. By 20% of the book there still didn’t seem to be a clear direction and I felt a little lost. The premise was interesting, while seemingly promising it fell short and lost me with the multiple POVs.

Neal Shusterman has a knack for taking simple wishes and turning them into chilling realities. All Better Now is no exception. If you've ever dreamed of being happy all the time, this book will make you rethink that wish because in this world, happiness isn’t just a state of mind; it’s the irreversible side effect of a viral pandemic. Those who survive are left in a permanent state of contentment—no sadness, no anger, no fear. But at what cost?

At the heart of this unsettling premise are two compelling protagonists: Mariel, a young woman barely scraping by while living in a car with her mother, and Tiburon, the privileged son of one of the wealthiest men in the country. Their worlds collide in an unexpected Airbnb arrangement, but fate isn't finished with them yet. As their paths continue to intertwine, they are forced to grapple with the reality of a world forever altered by the virus. Both characters are richly developed, making it easy to root for them even as the story takes unexpected turns.

Then there's Margot—arguably the most intriguing character in the book. Inheriting both a massive fortune and a powerful company from a Dame infected with the virus, she is handed a singular mission: eliminate Crown Royale from existence. But is that truly the right path? As Margot fights for answers, her storyline brings even more complexity to an already thought-provoking tale.

Shusterman masterfully balances fast-paced storytelling with deep thematic exploration. He doesn’t just present a fascinating concept. He dissects it from every angle, considering its ethical, emotional, and societal implications. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, he delivers another twist that keeps you questioning everything.

With a satisfying conclusion and thought-provoking themes, All Better Now is a gripping read that lingers long after the final page. If you love speculative fiction that challenges the way you see the world, this book is absolutely worth your time.

This was a thoughtful, deep story about navigating a pandemic from various angles. The catch is that if you survive this new pandemic, Crown Royale, you find contentment. The story makes readers think deeply about true happiness, as well as the hardships of life and whether or not eradicating those would be beneficial. Told following multiple characters, from the richest people on earth, to those living in poverty, to those working toward (or against) finding a cure for various reasons, every angle and every character is compelling in their own way.

Obviously, there were many parallels to what the world went through with COVID-19, and I would say this book contains a trigger warning because there are characters lost to the pandemic.

I have followed this author since I was much younger, and I still enjoy how he can write about current societal issues in such a relatable way.

The pacing was great and the characters were diverse. This story kept my interest all the way through.

There is no better person to make you feel the dread with every word and yet devour each page word for word.

Very over drawn out. I do not recommend this book because of that. The story itself would have been good, In theory. I love the concept this book really had a good chance had it not been drawn out.

A book can be good even if you don't like it, and I didn't like this one. The reading experience was not enjoyable. I have left the era of my life where I loved Shusterman's writing style. I didn't connect with any of the characters. But despite all this, I couldn't stop reading and now I can't stop thinking. It's insane how Shusterman has been able to raise timely issues over and over again without pushing his ideology (I saw some reviews complaining about how he seems to endorse taking off masks and purposely spreading a virus; I think that's completely missing the point). I didn't know this was the beginning of a series when I picked it up, and I was pretty mad about the lack of ending, so I'll certainly pre-order the sequel when it becomes available.

Shusterman’s writing will never cease to amazing me.

For starters, he has this fantastic ability to write about the most controversial topics (like a pandemic that leaves you so happy it makes you eschew capitalism, thus eventually toppling the world economy and the extremely rich.) but never actually taking a side either way.

Ron and Mariel set off to infect the world, topple greed and selfishness, because people who recover are neither. But the question of choice comes up real fast. By spreading the disease, you’re taking away people’s autonomy and choice.

Shusterman creates a complex story of greed and forgiveness and love and family and fear and every other emotion you could think and balances them on the edge of a knife. He weaves complex stories with profound ethical questions that he never gives you an answer to. And I love it. I’ve always loved it. I continue to love it.

The biggest downfall of this book is pacing. It starts of SLOW and it isn’t until about the last third that things really start to ramp up until the ending leaves you is a puddle of anxiety (but in the best way.)

I can’t wait to see where he takes this and how the subsequent books pan out.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the early copy of All Better Now. Below is my honest review.

Every time I pick up a Neal Shusterman novel and tear through it, my first thought is "why haven't I gone back and finished reading his entire catalogue yet?" This one was no exception.

It was a lot of fun (for us, the readers, at least) and had a lot to say in the way of social commentary regarding public health, and also carried an interesting message about how we've allowed pure unfettered capitalism to use negativity and hate and pessimism to drive us to a consume consume consume mindset.

Definitely recommended for Shusterman fans and YA readers.

First, thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

This was WILD. I'm not a huge dystopian lit fan or a fan of pandemic books, as we're living in both a dystopian nightmare and the remnants of a pandemic now, but the premise of this book sounded so interesting that I was deeply curious and gave it a chance. No regrets because what I found was a deeply interesting and weird book that kept me reading for several days until I made my way through to the end. It has a serious Chuck Palahniuk vibe, while also clearly being for a YA audience.

The characters are complex and you hate and love each one at some point. The story is well written in that you can understand what each character is vying for, their perspectives seem reasonable at some point in time, and that's a tough thing to do in this particular narrative.

I'm really excited to get this on my library's shelves because I know it will be become something kids will absolutely want to read.

"All Better Now" is a dystopian novel written not too far in the future. It makes it more real to the reader because of this. This was a very interesting deep-dive into the politics of a pandemic. This includes the divide between those with power and those without, and those who are wealthy and those who are not. The book also brings to mind philosophical questions of happiness, pain, and greed. It makes you ask if you are ever really happy if you don't know pain and sadness. This is a very thought provoking piece of literature, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction, learning about the world order, and thought provoking questions about basic aspects of human life.

So this is a well written book even though it is definitely bleak. Shusterman does a great job of considering what would happen if there was another pandemic but one that had interesting side effects. The story is well thought out. I appreciated the dualing perspectives and insights.

I love the idea of this book, however I wish it had been shorter. It felt very drawn out but I also don’t like literary fiction generally. Still didn’t put it down though and the idea itself was intriguing and easily reflects today’s world. It also leaves you wondering what you would do.