Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 / 5

Though this book brought me a lot of flashbacks of COVID (shudder), but the concept of a virus affecting people emotionally after the fact is so intriguing and worked really well.

Summary: A virus called Crown Royale has suddenly overtaken the world. But unlike a normal virus, this one leaves survivors feeling utterly content. Gone are any negative feelings they used to experience before they were "embraced." Most people who have experienced the after effects, or have witnessed loved ones experience it, believe the virus could be a gift that is meant to bring the world back into balance. But people in power see it as a disease that snatches the person you used to be and replaces it with a more genteel and docile person. They also don't like that the embraced are not buying into the greed and desires that go along with a capitalistic society. Even just having a small amount of the population "embraced" has left the economy in turmoil, putting those in power into a panicked spiral wondering how they can combat this virus. The story follows two teenagers who are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to the virus, but can they help reveal the truth of the virus? Or are they meant to remain enemies forever?

My thoughts: All Better Now has such an engrossing plot with plenty of action and intrigue that kept me rapt with attention and guessing until the end. It was so interesting to watch this pandemic play out on both sides. We follow Morgan who is completely opposed to the virus, Crown Royale, and the "embraced" survivors, and we also follow Rón who survived Crown Royale and is able to spread the virus even though he is fully recovered.

Both teenagers have their own vendettas when it comes to the pandemic, and though one has more resources at their disposal, it's amazing what one can do when they have the backing of so many others who have been embraced by Crown Royale.

We also get to watch another character, Mariel, as she grapples with whether the virus is good for humanity or should be eradicated. She gets to spend time with both Morgan and Rón and has to decide where her loyalties, and morals, lie in the end.

I found All Better Now to have a powerful message of choice embedded into the thrilling story. It's one I'd recommend for fans of dystopian novels with complex characters and an ending that will leave you satisfied yet wanting more.

No one does sci-fi and speculative YA fiction like Neal Shusterman! This novel n is no exception. In this pandemic story-which definitely has some nods to COVID-a new pandemic blazes through the population, causing death for many, and… happiness? Those who survive are left with contentment, a commitment to help others and a deep sense of joy. Sounds amazing, but markets are shutting down as no one needs material goods, people die trying to save others at their own expense, and the desire to spread the disease so others can feel that same sense of enlightenment drives the “embraced” to go to extreme lengths to meet their goals. Much like other Shusterman novels, there is a diverse cast of characters and an almost adventure-like feeling to the story. Will it be a series? This reader hopes so.

All Better Now reimagines the pandemic, if the side-effects of Long COVID were a newfound and permanent sunny disposition. Who else but Neal Shusterman could come up with this stuff, right? Now, don't misunderstand: this pandemic is equally deadly, or rather, more deadly than COVID. It's just that if the person does recover, they don't have heart problems and chronic fatigue, they just have... perma-rose colored glasses.

Yes, it is weird, but because it is Shusterman, it somehow inexplicably works. You buy it, it seems plausible, even though your logical mind is asking if you've gone mad. We get point of view accounts from several different characters. Some are into this idea of becoming enlightened via the virus, such as Rón ("with a pretentious accent above the O"), and some are adamantly against the whole thing, and trying their best to put the kibosh on it (not for any altruistic reasons, mind). Basically the problem is, everyone takes everything too far. Rón decides that everyone should have the virus, even though it can kill. Mariel, one of the very few immune, knows she cannot allow innocent people to die. Basically everyone has an agenda, and since there is no clear "right" move, it makes for a very morally gray story, which I adore.

I won't say too much else, but it is light and fun at times, and definitely darker in others. The whole concept is incredibly thought provoking, and as such quite readable. It seems like it may be part of a series, though I am not finding any confirmation (or denial), as the ending tends to leave things a bit open for my liking (but I don't mind if it is a series). I would, of course, be reading any further books if they exist!

Bottom Line: It's so bizarre, yet it somehow works for providing great thought provoking commentary, as always.

My favorite thing about Shusterman is that his books revolve around morally complex issues with no clear “correct” answer. All Better Now definitely felt similar in spirit to his Scythe series.

Based not long after COVID, All Better Now is about a new pandemic. One with twice the mortality rate, but a weirdly positive twist: those who do survive end up with a deep sense of contentment and altruism.

Shusterman’s books always leave me considering what I would do if I ended up in his worlds. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC, and I hope this gets a sequel 😅

Happiness is contagious in Neal Shusterman's new book, All Better Now.

Having just recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is dealing with an unprecedented condition. It acts like a virus. Patients suffer from fever and coughs, and some lose their lives. But those who recover from the infection experience a "mass unburdening." Recoveries find their stress, anger, lack of empathy, and despair are gone. Money and jobs are no longer a concern for the recovered. The money they spent on needless things is now funneled toward charity and helping others. Those who have yet to be infected worry that the Recoveries' newfound carefree lifestyle will destroy the world.

I can always count on Neal Shusterman to write unique stories that force readers to sit with their thoughts. All Better Now was so good. I am still thinking about it days later. I have discussed the concept of the book and the questions it raises with all my friends and family. I genuinely want to know how they think the world would react if we were all suddenly empathetic and put others' lives and feelings above our own. As beautiful as it sounds, Schusterman raises realistic consequences for a world that is all better now.

The story follows multiple POVs, and I found several characters multi-faceted and interesting. The morally grey and more villainous characters are especially well-written.

I did a tandem read with both the ebook and the audio. Greg Tremblay once again delivers a fantastic performance.

I highly recommend All Better Now for those who enjoy thought-provoking science fiction, stories that raise interesting questions about society, and good vs. evil. While marketed toward young adults, I think those readers who typically shy away from YA may find this an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Simon Audio for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

A virus that may begin with a fever but ends with long lasting happiness is sweeping through. Sounds great, right? Well, the widespread contentment has powerful people worried. What happens to the drive to succeed when everyone is happy where they are? What happens to the sale of products aimed at repairing the flaws some focus on? Where does this leave the economy long term?

There are some excellent discussion points to be tossed around in these pages.

The main characters are older teens from different walks of life. The book is told from multiple perspectives which ended up being a double-edged sword for me. On a positive note, it showed a broad range of how the virus affected different areas and many differing views. However, the constant jumping around made it impossible for me to connect with any of the characters. The large cast of characters felt like bare bones representations of archetypes. There was so much back and forth I struggled to stay engaged, but I understood that the author was trying to demonstrate far-reaching consequences.

The novel was unnecessarily long. The minor plot threads that tie in eventually are compelling, but it took so long that it lost some of the punch that it would have had if the writing was more concise.

The premise was intriguing, and the novel definitely had its moments, but the tone didn't grab me.

***If mentions of Covid are triggering for you, this may be one to avoid.**

Currently Available

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.
It took me quite some time to wrap my mind around what was actually going on when I began reading. However, the thing that bothered me the most was that, like Corona, the virus was another alcoholic beverage name, Crown Royale. It felt a little silly and made it hard for me to really get behind the concept in the book.

I also had a hard time finding a connection to any of the characters. Although there were many points of view, it still just didn’t resonate with me in any way. I typically like dystopian worlds, but this one fell flat for me in the sense of falling in love with the actual plot of the story.

I didn’t hate the story, but I felt like the concept of the story was better than its actual execution.

What if you caught a highly contagious, deadly virus, but like the 96% of the people who contract the illness and survive, you are forever altered to be happy in your own skin, no longer yearning for the next big deal, the bigger house, better car, better life? What if the powers that be relying upon greed, comparison, and the yearn for more want do not want this result and will do anything and everything to return to the way things have always been? As in all his novels, ALL BETTER NOW by Neal Shusterman takes a cool, clear look at society and the way things seem to be. While parts of the story dragged on -- it felt slow and wordy in places -- I enjoyed the story immensely for the keen perspective Shusterman offers of who we are and who we think we need to be. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

All Better Now contains interesting speculative fiction ideas for which Shusterman has become known, but it fails to portray an engaging plot and characters the reader will root for.

I really struggled to understand the *point* of this book, and at over 500 pages, the point should be crystal clear. The plot blurb sounds super intriguing, sharpening the content's disappointment. Was this a plot-driven story? No. The plot meandered and it was hard to discern who you should be rooting for. So was this a character-driven story? No. The writing style was disconnected from the characters and the heroes were more villains or complete middlemen.

I wanted to love this. I adored Shusterman's Scythe and Unwind series, so I was excited about characters along those veins, but instead, I was left disappointed. I will not be continuing with the series (yes, I was upset this was only the first book in a series that didn't really NEED to be a series--especially at 500+ pages), but I am going to read summaries of future books to see how everything turns out. However, I predict the ending will be as mediocre as the beginning with no real resolution.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with copies of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. An interesting take on the pandemic novel, can't wait to see what happens next!

A new virus has arrived, but its recoverees find their lasting symptoms unlike any virus ever seen before - all their negative feelings are gone. The "embraced," as they begin calling themselves, find they now enjoy utter contentment. And while many are happy to expose themselves to this new virus, Crown Royale, in order to unburden themselves, many in power, who depend on people's negative feelings and desires to sell their products and agendas, fight to convince people of the danger of Crown Royale. Mariel Mudroch and Tiburon (Ron) Escobedo, two teens from different backgrounds, soon find themselves at the center of this power play, trying to determine the truth.

This was a really interesting read. Shusterman does a wonderful job of setting up a dystopian sci-fi plot in an entirely believable way. I also appreciated that Shusterman shifted the POV between not only Ron and Mariel, but also a handful of other key players in the central struggle. This gives the reader the chance to see and consider the moral dilemmas of the virus and the creation of a counter-virus from both sides. And although there is very much a "us versus them" mentality, Shusterman leaves it up to the reader to decide which side of that struggle they want to be on.

The book raises some really interesting questions about society. There's a lot of focus on money in the book, especially as several of the most wealthy people on the planet contract the virus and go on to give away their amassed fortunes.

My biggest complaint is that it felt like there could have been some additional editing to reduce some of the wordier parts of the book and maybe even out the pacing. It definitely felt a bit slow in the beginning, but it picked up in the last 20-30%.

Read if you like:
Multi-POV
YA dystopian
Found family
High stakes
Viral pandemic
Social commentary

Imagine a world where a virus is plaguing humanity... oh, wait, we've already done that and are still suffering some of the lasting consequences of it's effects.

However, in this book, Shusterman imagines a virus which has a 4% mortality rate, but if you contract it and survive, you are left on the other side with a sense of euphoria and being unburdened by the weight of the world. There is a loss of greed or jealousy to buy new things and the corporate world is determined to rid the world of this "blight" since they are no longer able to capitalize on the FOMO people use to feel. Some people want to catch the virus and alleviate the burden of want and anger, however, some aren't sure if they will be a true version of themselves if/ when they get the virus and recover.

I know some people would find this type of book premise to be a bit close to home with the world still recovering, however, I do think this book is incredibly good and takes an interesting look on capitalize and society. It also shows some of the darker parts of a plague, which echo things we've been through; but it also shows some of the rays of hope where there are volunteers and services to help those who are struggling.

Each time I read something by Shusterman, I do feel he is pretty good with providing a sense of social commentary on the topics he writes about.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy for my honest review and simon & schuster!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Thought-provoking & deeply emotional

Neal Shusterman does it again! All Better Now is a gripping, mind-bending read that dives deep into morality, second chances, and the messy complexity of being human. 💭✨

From page one, I was hooked. The story pulls you in with its intense premise and doesn’t let go. The characters? Flawed, raw, and real. The themes? Deep and unsettling in the best way. Shusterman challenges readers to question what they think they know—about themselves, about justice, about redemption.

📖 What I loved:
✔️ Complex, morally gray characters
✔️ Unpredictable twists that keep you thinking
✔️ Emotional depth that lingers after you turn the last page

⚠️ What I struggled with:
➖ Some pacing dips in the middle
➖ The ending felt a little too open-ended for my taste

Overall, if you love books that challenge your perspective and stay with you long after reading, this one’s for you!

All Better Now is just as it says a book that asks what is happiness and worth and if the cause for happiness is a disease are you really the same afterwards. This book asks some interesting questions and then investigates from multiple points of view.

Characters
Mariel—excellent use of a character who desperately wants something only to have it withheld. Our middle of the two other extremes
Morgan—Successor of Haviland Consortium, Firmly Anti Crown Royale
Ron-Tiburon-- Alpha Spreader. Believes that everyone would be better with disease
Dame Havillard and Rooks—former president of Haviland Consortium
Javins—Creepy voice. A double recoveree.

Atmosphere
Atmosphere was well done, I at times could really feel the pandemic situation. The way people treat others who are sick or “might” be sick. Very realistic

Writing
Good writing
Didn’t take the lazy way out of making people lazy after contentment

Plot
I wish that Morgan had taken a slightly different approach with making it seem like she was supporting Recoveree’s while working on cure, to not raise suspicions, but it makes sense not to because the recoverees don’t seem like a threat until its too late.
Investment
I was very invested in Morgans storyline and Maribels plot. Ron was interesting but less engaging for me.

Logic
The ability to overcome instincts.
Instinct to help/save ends up killing more people
I like that it didn’t change who people were, it just took away the anger, the pride, the meaness. But people could still be ambitious and were even more so.

Enjoyment
Really enjoyed this. The concept and the question of would you accept a virus if it made you happy


Misc
Like the fake out of With Morgan dying not dying
Preston Morgan’s VP assistant. Gets the Anticure La Llorona out. The name of the chapter is everything he touches.
The Virus at the end makes you need. I thought it was going to be an retroviral that would balance out. love and hate, not a 1 or the other.
Touch vs Airborne.
The hate posted towards those who had it all the propaganda.

This is an entertaining, thought provoking dystopian read. Neal Shusterman’s Scythe series had me in such a choke hold, 2025 is all better now that he’s releasing a new book (ha)
This story is so unique and fast paced, it’s a freaky concept and really makes you think hard about the year who can’t be named.

This was such an interesting story and premise! It was captivating and engaging, told from multiple perspectives about how people react when they get infected with a virus that causes them to only feel happiness/contentment and rids someone of any negative thoughts. It's interesting to consider how the economy would falter if people didn't feel compelled to purchase things to keep up with the Jones' or to impress others or to compensate for their own insecurities. Really interesting concept overall!

I didn’t love this book as much as I thought I would. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been reading the Scythe series at the same time, or something else, but I just don’t think this compares

Characters

Rón
I didn’t like Rón at all. The idea that he was forcingly affected people with a virus just rubbed me the wrong way. He was just to self righteous - he literally believed he was the second coming of Jesus or whatever.
I don’t know if we were even suppose to like him.

Morgan
She’s my favorite character. I love a good grey character and I think she was written extremely well. I actually do agree with her moral stance, maybe not the method.

Mariel
She was okay. Her indecisiveness was understandable, but I just don’t like her saying with Rón in the end.

Plot
While the idea was gold, I just don’t think it was executed well. Rón was just a horrible character, the insta-love was annoying and the self-righteous of all the compromised was just disgusting.
I’m really disappointed because I love of all his other books.
I don’t think the characters had depth. In the end they all had one like idea on how the should fix the pandemic, but that was it - an idea. They were just their morals in a way.
I also hated the ending, I think it was rushed.

Would I recommend this book? Maybe. Would I read it again? Definitely not.
In the end, I do think certain people would like it, but I’m just not one of them.

If anyone could take on such dark subject matter for a YA book, it’s Neal Schusterman. I don’t know if this is as good as it could be. But it’s still decent.

This is about a pandemic where survivors let go of their previous pain and suffering and become at peace with the world. Even more, survivors become focused on helping better the world around them, to the point of their own destruction. But is it them, or the disease making the decisions?

This is such a great premise. It’s complicated, taking on issues of bodily autonomy and consent, personal identity, and the interconnectedness of every person. But this is one of those times where I feel like Schusterman pulled his punches. I guess I would have been okay with him going much much darker here. This is the man who murdered people for the greater good in Scythe, so we know he can do it.

I do think this is good. I do think a lot of people will like this. I just wish it had been great.

Love Neal Shusterman, and All Better Now is a really good young adult thriller. It's a fast-paced, dystopian book that is written in Shusterman's masterful storytelling voice.

Neal Shusterman has a real gift for presenting stories that leave you conflicted. In All Better Now, a Covid-like virus is sweeping the population, but those who survive it find they are eternally happy. Would you risk it? Would you even still be yourself if you did, and came out the other end?

Fast paced and full of interesting characters, this was definitely a book that will stay with me.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy