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.

The ending made me rage, and left me with so many unanswered questions I feel like I could rip my hair out. I’m crossing my fingers that there’ll be a sequel!

Having lived through the Covid pandemic, I found this book focused on another pandemic quite through provoking. It gives “would you rather” vibes so hard, and had my contemplating where my brain would go, and with whom I would side.

I hadn’t thought I was attached to any of these characters, but by part 6 my heart was racing for Rón and Mariel, and I feel like that’s also the time when the action really kicks up.

I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see it in the hands of so many readers!

Since the pandemic, we’ve seen many writers over up their own versions of on the subject but I think Neal Shusterman has come up something truly unique. Much more deadly than the recent pandemic we all went through, Crown Royale (the name of the virus in All Better Now) is much more deadly…and yet there are people who are actually willing/excited to get infected. Why? If survive you are left changed. You’re happy, at complete peace, selfless. Sounds great, right? And that’s the brilliance of Shusterman’s story. There is a dark side (downside, perhaps is a better way to say it) to a world suddenly filled with altruism. I know that’s sounds crazy, but that’s definitely the case here. This is one of those books where I found myself still thinking about the story even days after I’d finished it. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an ARC of All Better Now.

This is the first book that I’ve read by Shusterman. I was drawn to this book because of the premise and the cover. Was I ready to read a book about a pandemic? Maybe not, but I enjoyed this story. I thought it was a pretty good read.

The story is set in a post-COVID world, where a new contagious virus is spreading. The virus will either kill you, or it will eliminate all your negative emotions, leaving you completely content and serene.

This is a pretty long book and there’s a lot going on the story. There are several main characters and multiple POVs. I thought the main characters were well-written and interesting.

This book did that me a while to read. It became a little slower paced towards the middle and I did start to lose interest. However, the pacing did pick up more towards the end, and I did like the ending.

3.5⭐️

2.25!

I really like the ideas that Neal comes up with and the concept and the whole idea of this book was really fun to read about and even the execution was somewhat good. I liked the parts that were divided in this book and the way those parts started, his writing style was also fun to read at times, although there was a part where I felt a little distant from the story, I feel like Neal did enough to keep the story going and for the story to stand on it own and only because of that this book's getting 2 stars. It could have been so much more though If the characters were better. I also felt like the book got a little too long, I enjoyed how concise and well written scythe was and I was hoping this book would be tackled in the same manner as well.

The main problem for me were the characters. I did not connect with them or feel anything, literally no emotions, I read their pov's with a straight face and I could not give any care to them because they were just written that way, the only thing that was driving me towards the end was the plot and honestly the plot cant carry the whole book in it's shoulders, the characters need to back it up. So, I was disappointed also because his characters in his other series were so captivating and interesting to read about. I think Neal tried but eventually it just didn't work out.

Overall, it was definitely not for me!

I thought All Better Now, Shusterman's near-future pandemic fable has a lot of ideas, but they get muddled and a bit caught up in themselves especially towards the end.

In All Better Now, a new pandemic has shut down the world, a lethal virus that has a unique side effect for survivors, emotional wellness and selflessness, and an unflinching drive to help others. The series largely follows teens Muriel and Rón, a formerly houseless girl and the son of a billionaire, who become sympathetic to the viral "recoverees", and Morgan, a whipsmart ruthless girl chosen as the successor of a British industrialist to stop the disease at any cost, so the wealthy can retain their place in society. Spoilers follow in the next paragraph.

Shusterman is at his most interesting here when he plays with ideas about the value of negative feelings and emotions role in human health, of fear and self preservation versus pure altrusim and mindless self-sacrifice. There's also some timely passages about weaponized disinformation, and social media manipulation. However, these ideas get a bit lost in the shuffle, I felt, especially in the last half with the arrival of a messianic former-billionaire ideologue who has caught the disease twice and speaks in blank verse, and a counter-virus that works by spreading pure misery. A lot of the ideas I found most interesting are only developed superficially, but could be a great starting point for conversations with teens.

With the open ending, it felt like the opening of a trilogy that got cut to a single volume out of marketability concerns, and the hopes that sales would justify a continuation.

Neal Shusterman's "All Better Now" weaves together multiple narratives in his signature style, creating a thought-provoking and unsettling story that hits a little too close to home. Even though we're years removed from the COVID pandemic, the idea of a new virus, especially one that promises to erase worry, anxiety, and hate, is terrifyingly plausible. Shusterman masterfully explores the ethical dilemmas this presents, leaving the reader questioning where they stand. Nothing is black and white, and you'll likely find yourself shifting allegiances throughout the book.

The characters are incredibly well-developed and feel remarkably real. Ron (Tiburon Escobedo), a wealthy young man, lives a life of privilege he doesn't truly desire, while his father desperately tries to shield him from the new pandemic. Mariel, a realist, faces the challenges of homelessness and a delusional mother. Morgan, brilliant and resourceful, seemingly achieves wealth overnight. While I had some issues with Ron's personality shift after recovering from Crown Royale (the virus at the center of the story), it raises an interesting point: while negative emotions can be difficult, they also play a crucial role in shaping our identities.

Mariel emerges as a voice of reason, carefully considering the consequences of the virus and offering alternative solutions. Her intelligence and savvy make her a compelling character. Morgan, though witty and resourceful, pursues her goals with a headstrong determination that, in my opinion, lacks ethical grounding.

The initial chapters can be a bit confusing, introducing a large cast of characters that require some effort to keep track of. However, the realistic portrayal of these individuals, their flaws and all, draws you in. The story itself is disturbingly believable, especially given our recent experience with a global pandemic.

**Trigger Warnings:** Suicide attempts, hospital settings, death of a parent, homelessness, and references to COVID.

Overall, "All Better Now" is a captivating and thought-provoking read. Shusterman's ability to craft complex characters and explore difficult themes makes this book a compelling exploration of human nature in the face of a global crisis.

I want to thank NetGalley and the Simon and Schuster for giving me an advanced digital copy of All Better Now by Neal Shusterman in exchange for an honest review.

Wow ! All Better Now by Neal Shusterman was a book I could not put down! This book was a quick read, and I found myself longing to finish what I was doing to continue to read it. Neal Shusterman found a way to write a story about a new pandemic in a way that is interesting. He has a gift for creating strong characters and settings and weaving the characters' lives together with twists and turns that you do not see coming.

All Better Now is about a new virus that has taken over the world. The people who survive the virus have a major side effect. Complete contentment. This might seem like the perfect solution to world problems. Imagine peace throughout the world. However, people are not happy about this new side effect and are even afraid of what it would do to them if they contracted the virus. There is an unbalance between the “recoverees” as they are called and the people who remain uninfected. Three young people with nothing in common ultimately become key players with the virus and whether it should spread or be contained.

This book is perfect for fans of thrillers, multiple story layers, and strong characters.

I really enjoyed Neal Shusterman’s style of writing. I am a sucker for books that have different POVs that all tie in together. I will admit, I had my favorite characters and would just drag through certain POVs but by the end, I was excited to read it all. The storyline did hit pretty close to home with the pandemic and current political climate. I would definitely recommend this to others!

Would you give anything to be happy all the time?
☹️
A new virus is sweeping the world and those who end up surviving it find themselves utterly content and happy, unburdened by life’s troubles and darkness. No more stress, depression, greed or negative feelings to weigh them down. Those who have seen the “cured” don’t want anything to do with this virus. They believe the people who survive it become a shell of their former selves. As the pandemic infects its way around the globe we meet three youth each have different experiences with the virus and must decide if the world was better off before or if everyone is all better now.
😀
I have no clue how @nealshusterman comes up with these awesome stories, but I was hooked on this one the moment I picked it up. The concept alone should be celebrated for its ingenuity, but the characters and the way Shusterman is able to weave their stories together, crescendoing into a climax & twist ending was sad and beautiful at the same time. Such a great read that fans of his Arc of the Scythe series will enjoy too! This title releases February 4!

CW: homelessness, DUI, depression, suicide attempts, suicide ideation, suicide, death, pandemic, medical content, torture, addiction, kidnapping, toxic relationship, grief, parental death, murder, alcohol, violence

I would have given it five stars if not for the length. It probably didn’t need to be 500+ pages for this one. Hard for kids to pick up unless they’re already diehard Shusterman fans.
4.5 ⭐️

This was a different take on the emerging pandemic fiction genre. I found the overall concept intriguing, although it was difficult at times to know which side to root for. I guess more will be revealed, since this is the beginning of a series. I thought that the story got bogged down in details in some places, and I was wanting things to move along a bit more quickly. I am interested to see how the story develops. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Very interesting premise I was excited to explore even if I have not read a lot of scifi novels. . It somehow failed to grab and pull me into the story though. Which could be on me due to my inexperience in this genre.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGallery for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts on the work.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonteen for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Wow. This book was a weird one and one that makes you think. A mysterious virus takes over in a post COVID world and it allows people to be content and not feel any negative emotions. Some people want to embrace this and others don't want it near them because of what they think it will feel like. This book follows 3 main characters Rón, Mariel and Morgan. Each of these people have their own role to play in the story. I found these characters to have an interesting depth and motivation, some for good and others evil, depending on how you look at it. This book really made you think, if a virus with a low mortality rate could give you permanent contentment, would you?

I am not sure that I would want to contract the virus. I think part of what makes humans so interesting is that we can experience complex emotions. If there was no sadness, the joy wouldn't seem as exciting in a way. Overall, this book was incredibly interesting. I love Neal Shusterman's writing and this is no different. This book made me uncomfortable at times but I believe that it was meant to and I love that.

#SimonTeenInfluencer #AllBetterNowBook #SimonTeen

This book would make a fantastic book club choice; there were so many philosophical discussion topics that rose up in it.

The story takes place several years after the Covid epidemic, with the spread of a new virus known as Crown Royale, which is claiming the lives of one in twenty five who catch it. The striking result in the survivors is that they have become utterly content and happy, no longer feeling a need to consume or caring how others view them. As you might imagine, some people are willing to take the risks of being infected in order to experience that sort of euphoria in their lives.

This causes some of the wealthy and powerful to go into crisis mode, trying to find a method of defeating the virus to keep the world's economy and systems in place. Others make it their mission to infect as many people as possible, to bring about a new peaceful, content society.

I felt a little overwhelmed at how many characters and minor plot lines were introduced, but overall loved the multiple third person POV. When I first read the synopsis, I thought: what a utopia if this played out. But things are not so simple. Does an ideal society need more complexity than permanently happy people? This was such a thought-provoking, action-packed read; I can't wait to talk about it with others!

Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this ARC!