✨ Neal Shusterman has delivered another masterpiece! All Better Now is a must-read release of the year.

✨ From its intriguing premise to its action-packed, fast-paced storytelling, this book does not disappoint. It’s clever, thought-provoking, and poses fascinating philosophical questions about happiness, contentment, and their impact on global markets.

✨ I immediately felt a connection with Mariel, our fiercely relatable FMC, and absolutely adored Dame Madame Havilland—what a standout character! In fact, every character is richly developed, with complex motivations that kept me invested throughout.

✨ As a long-time fan of Shusterman (I loved *Scythe*), I was thrilled to see this ARC on NetGalley. While categorized as YA, *All Better Now* feels just as fitting—and compelling—for adult readers.

✨ One of my favorite aspects was the inclusion of “Elsewhere” chapters, which offered glimpses into the pandemic’s impact across the globe, from Tokyo to Brazil. These interludes added depth and context, enriching the story's already expansive world.

🧗Warning: The book ends with a cliffhanger! But it’s a satisfying one that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next installment.

❌ Potential Triggers: Readers with pandemic-related PTSD, medical anxiety, or sensitivities surrounding death (including family loss) should proceed with caution, as these themes are explored.

Here’s the central question posed by the story:
❓If you could catch a virus that gives you a 96% chance of lifelong contentment—but with a 4% risk of death—would you take the chance?
✨ This moral dilemma drives much of the narrative and will leave you thinking long after the final page.

This was a chunky science fiction story that I think could have been tightened up. For a story like this to keep my attention it has to move at a pace that continually keeps me motivated either by the curiosity of the world, a mystery, a romance, murder, etc.

This one felt like all worldbuilding without other motivating factors for me to continue. I'm not worried about it being "too close" the actual pandemic to be something to be written and read in the spin that Shusterman takes- that's super creative. Though, I wanted it to feel similar to the dystopians of yore (Delirium, The Hunger Games, Divergent) but it lacked the punch, it felt like it rode the pandemic that we all remember and didn't build enough of a story around it. Certainly just my thoughts. Would it be different listening to it? Maybe.

Massive points for an awesome cover connected to the crux of the "illness" causing discontent among those in power.

Wow.
I just finished this after midnight, my second reading session. That ending made me check to see if this is a standalone. The real question...would you rather risk dying to never feel true sadness again, or never risk dying from the virus and never feeling happiness or contentment again? I believe the choice is both personal and polarizing in the fun, talk about it for an hour at book club kinda way over lots of candy and adult beverages. What if the choice wasn't up to you? The ideas and world building in this book is beautiful. My only issue is the realization that I never have and probably won't from this book remember a single individual character from any of the five books I've read by the same author. Definitely going to have a good think about why that is. Overall, worth an evening or two and would be a fun TV series. I often think Neal's work would be amazing on the big screen. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc and share my opinion. I enjoyed this book and my experience reading it was fun. 4/5 stars.

I went into this thinking “Oh boy, another Covid book”. I was thrilled when it didn’t follow the Covid guidelines that we had to follow and was its own twist. I appreciated how different this book was and I hadn’t read anything like it.

I’ve loved so many of Neal Shusterman’s books so I was really excited for this one! It was very good, and gets four stars for creativity of premise alone. However, it’s heavy sci-fi which isn’t always my favorite. If you love sci-fi, then you’ve got to give this one a read!

What an incredible and thought-provoking book! Neal Shusterman hits it out of the park again with his takes on dystopian novels. This book provides the perfect gateway into discussing emotions and mental health with students. If you do suffer from mental illnesses, like me, you may want to pace yourself as it can lead to some pretty heavy thoughts. However, that is not a bad thing and why I kept this rating at five stars. This is not an easy read and not every book is supposed to be. I hope he has more in store for us than just this book as it definitely ends on some cliffhangers! Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to proofread this book for my libraries.

Neal Schusterman’s All Better Now presents a captivating and thought-provoking concept: what if a virus could erase all negative emotions, leaving only eternal contentment in its wake? Set in a world grappling with another global pandemic, Crown Royale, the novel delves into weighty questions about humanity, identity, and the cost of happiness.

The premise of All Better Now is undeniably intriguing, and Schusterman’s writing is as insightful as ever. The central conflict—whether the virus is a blessing or a curse—sets the stage for some truly engaging and thought-provoking discussions, making this a solid pick for book clubs or anyone who loves unpacking moral dilemmas.

That said, my reading experience wasn’t as immersive as I’d hoped. The constant switching between three POVs—Morgan, Mariel, and Rón—kept me at arm’s length from the characters, and the abundance of side stories and secondary characters made the narrative feel scattered. While the concept is strong, the execution felt overly ambitious, stretching the story longer than it needed to be.

And while the pandemic backdrop is eerily familiar, it might hit a little too close to home for some readers. The masks, isolation, and split public opinions on the virus will undoubtedly remind many of COVID-19, for better or worse.

In the end, I appreciated the big questions All Better Now asks, but the storytelling didn’t quite live up to the potential of its premise. It’s a decent read for those who enjoy speculative fiction with a philosophical edge but be prepared for some narrative overload.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but with a caveat: go in for the discussions, not the immersion.

Neal Shusterman was a staple of my young adult days (I still think about the scenes that stick with me from the first Unwind book years later), so when I saw he’d come up with something new, I jumped at the chance to read it. I haven’t read a young adult novel since aging out of the genre, but it seemed like an interesting read. Shusterman is a master of taking a real life situation and saying ‘what if I make it just a little more messed up?’, so I had high expectations for this book.

All Better Now takes us back to the time of the pandemic, complete with masks, social distancing and a clamor for a vaccine. But this time, instead of people dealing with long-lasting health issues after getting sick, people are grappling with euphoria and a new lease on life. People quit their jobs in droves, give up all their worldly possessions, and walk away from modernity to live their best lives. What a paradise!

There’s an image from the first part of the book that sticks with me; there are two shops across the street from each other, one is an electronics store, one is a repair shop. Pre-pandemic, the electronic shop saw a fair amount of traffic, but after the virus spreads, people stop buying new products. The line outside the repair shop stretches down the road, and the salesman struggles to make a sale. “Why buy something new,” the recoveries ask, “if what we already have is good enough?”

Having read Shusterman’s work before, I knew it couldn’t be that easy. We spent a lot of time in the first sections of the story exploring the positives of the situation. With no hatred, no discrimination, and genuine outreach and caring about each other for no other reason that the fact that we’re all people living together on the earth - what could possibly go wrong?

Turns out quite a bit can go wrong, and very quickly. The forces moving in the background to stop this brave new world from forming thrust the main characters into a series of desperate choices with far-reaching implications. At times I felt myself getting a little bored by the story, and then BAM! Something small mentioned a few chapters ago comes back and complete changes the story. Even when I wasn’t sure if I was having fun, I couldn’t stop turning pages. I had to find out what happened next.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars! If you’ve liked Shusterman’s other works, this book won’t disappoint.

This review is provided in exchange for an ARC copy via Netgalley.

Shusterman definitely writes some of the best dystopian novels. They pose a question and really makes you think. I went into this one with high hopes and I feel very satisfied with my experience with it. It took me a little bit to get into since we follow a handful of characters with varying motivations and backgrounds, but once everything is established it’s a very thought provoking and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I found All Better Now to be very interesting, but I am not sure that it will have the same wide teen appeal as some of his other books/series. The premise is that a virus is spreading, but the lasting effect if one's survives is unending happiness, There are forces at work on both sides--one trying to spread the virus to improve humanity and one trying to stop the virus and maintain misery and competition. My main concern with this book and its target audience is the length and pacing. It is very long and somewhat slow in pace up until the end. The end was great though and I assume a sequel is coming. I will definitely be adding this to my classroom library but I don't think I will be as confident in recommending it to students as I am with Scythe. I do think this would make for a great book club choice as there is so much to discuss and question!

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. While I found the plot engaging and intense at times, it also tended to drag. The characters were also kind of hard to like and I struggled to connect with them. But the social commentary was on point without overwhelming the story. So this review is going to be a bit hard to write and might not make much sense but I will give it a shot.

There are many points of view in this book, but basically there are three main ones, all teens. There are some secondary characters that jump in, but there are also some that are one offs, which I liked because these gave the perspective of what was happening to people affected by the virus all over the world. I am usually fine with this type of storytelling, but this time I found it hard to still connect to the main characters. I did however appreciate their stories and how they faced the many choices they had to make concerning the pandemic. I found their choices compelling and they made me wonder what I do in if I was faced with the same choices.

The plot is the main focus of this story, and the virus is what drives it. There are two factions, people who embrace the virus and how it makes them feel afterwards and those who are afraid that the world will change too much because of it. The author does a great job of keeping you engaged in the story while also sneaking in social commentary and how the world works. There is a lot about corporate greed and a little bit about government overstep, and great fake news commentary, but at no time does this overwhelm the story and become preachy. The pacing does drag a bit, especially at the beginning, but it is such a compelling story that I found myself needing to read on to see how it all ends.

It is unclear if this is a standalone or perhaps the start of a new series. I’m hoping for the series as the ending was left a bit open. The world as we know it is ending, but it is unclear which way it will fall.

This book has a very intriguing premise that would spark a very deep discussion on a pandemic as a whole. However, it was way too long. 1/3 of the book could easily be cut out, especially if the wide cast of characters got cut down a little. There is a lot of plot building though, which is fine. I skipped several parts because I was simply bored. Maybe just wasn't the book for me.

A pandemic that makes you happy literally.

Crown Royal is the newest illness working its way through the world, but instead of the majority of the sick dying, they are changed and no longer able to feel strong negative emotions, only happiness and contentment. But is being happy all the time actually better?

I will admit this story started off extremely slow for me. I was extremely interested in the idea of it, and while I know Shusterman is known for his many POVs, for some reason it was too much for me in this book. There are technically three main characters, but we do see the POVs of several side characters and a few from one-off characters, which fleshes out the story, allowing you to have insight into how Crown Royal was affecting others around the world. I think, in turn, that is what slowed the story down for me, but the moment I reached the halfway point, I couldn't put the book down and was eager to know the ending.

As someone who fell in love with his Unwind series as well as his Everlost trilogy, I have to say Neal Shusterman has done it again, and as this book could work as a standalone, I can only hope for it to become more, and if that happens, I can't wait to see where the story goes next.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book. I thought the premise sounded really different and I wasn't disappointed. The latest pandemic leaves its victims happy and content with their lives. It is told over several POV and, as typical, you like some better than others. I thought it was fun and thoughtful - recommend it for a nice cozy afternoon of reading!!

Title: All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Pub Date: February 4, 2025

Multiple POV
Corporate Greed
Deadly Virus
Disability Rep (Colorblindness)

I feel like surviving *Crown Royale* (and the joy/contentment that follows) is literally like an enlightening. I think the premise is super interesting, especially with the political aspect of keeping the populace miserable so they continue to buy and consume, pointing out corporate greed. This one was a fun, quick read. Not your typical Sci-Fi read.

Thank you so much Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the digital review copy

TW: self harm, suicidal thoughts, pandemic

I was happy to back in a world straight from Shustermans mind. Like his other books that i have immensely enjoyed, the converging POVs in All Better Now weave an immursive story that could be closer to our own stories than we care to admit. All Better Now asks the question What If?
While this book was slow paced at parts, it makes for very in depth discussion and introspection. This book would make a wonderful book club pick!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this e-arc! This was a very captivating suspense novel and I’m excited to look into more work from this author in the future.

This was my very first ARC and I had no idea what to expect. After getting the chance to review one of my favorite authors, I leapt at the opportunity. However, this one was tough.

ELEVATOR PITCH: When a pandemic that causes unfettered happiness and euphoria plagues the world, there are those who fight to eradicate it, those who work to spread it, and those desperately seeking to weaponize it.

REVIEW: Overall, the concept going in was strong but I think the execution needs a lot of work. There are moments where the writing style is very Schusterman-esque and reminiscent of the insanely bingeable Scythe trilogy but I think overall, the writing felt way too sporadic and disjointed.

One of the hardest parts of reading this book came from the unlikable characters. Typically, a reader would hope for at least one protagonist — flaws and all — to still feel strong enough to root for but every character’s actions and intentions felt unrealistic and unmotivated. Too many times throughout the book, I found myself shaking my head wondering how they kept making decisions that felt completely out of character, however flimsy that character description seemed to be.

The other hardest part about this book is that none of the actual plot points felt exciting enough to care about. Building tension when a world is plagued with a pandemic seems pretty straightforward but every time something “major” happened, I had to ask who cares?

While I did finish this one through gritted teeth, I had to give two stars for some of the deeper prose sprinkled throughout the book. One of my favorite quotes being: “No, a world without ambition was not a world at all; it was a soulless still life hanging on a wall.” Moments like this made the book worth reading.

All in all, I was hoping for a lot more out of this one but I think if the concepts were stretched like taffy over a solid trilogy versus stuffed into one book, it would’ve allowed for stronger character development and stronger plot motivations.

Thank you, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the copy of All Better Now by Neal Shusterman. At first I was worried that the book was too long, but then I started reading it and was immediately captivated by how well the characters were written. It was worth waiting to see how their stories developed because they were intriguing and in many cases unexpected. As the story went on, more characters were introduced and it got difficult to keep track of everyone.
I’m not sure everyone is ready to read about a pandemic yet, but I was interested enough in the plot because the idea of virus’ side effects of contentment and altruism was intriguing. I loved reading about the effects, both positive and negative, that led to the divide of whether it was a good thing or not. If you’re looking for a book that will make you ponder which side you believe, you will love this book. The only thing I didn’t love was the ending. It was clever but not very satisfying for me. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I am a big fan of Neal Shusterman's Scythe trilogy so I was so excited to read this one!
During All Better Now the world is living in a pandemic. Those that survive from the virus find that they experience long-term effects-- they find that the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone. Shusterman does an amazing job (as always) at creating thought-provoking questions and really making the reader think. There were a lot of lines in here that were so insightful and scenes that had me so invested.

While All Better Now is such an interesting concept, there were just some things that I also didn't like about it so much. First, it was really long (over 500 pages) and it felt like it didn't need to be that long of a story. If you've read Gleanings by Shusterman, the format and writing reminded me a bit of that book. It switches third person POVs often and there were too many characters and side-stories to keep track of and stay interested in. It also reminded me a bit too much of the COVID-19 pandemic, so if you don't want to read about a book that closely parallels aspects of society during that pandemic, this one may also not be for you. For example, anti-maskers was a component of the story. Maybe if I read this book way in the future it would have been more enjoyable, but too many parts of this story reminded me of our own pandemic and stressed me out a little!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the eArc of this book. All opinions are my own.