First, I'd like to thank the team at NetGalley, Simon & Shuster, the author and anyone else who deserves it for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book! I had a great time with this story and could NOT put it down (for very long at least, because... kids.)

All Better Now takes place after the COVID19 pandemic and deals with yet another pandemic. This new pandemic - Crown Royale - is spread in similar ways as COVID, but has a very different outcome (for those that survive it). 100% of survivors are (so far) irrevocably changed into more content, happy, and kind versions of themselves. They're also severely unselfish, empathetic and altruistic; to the dismay of the world powers-that-be, and also to the survivors' own detriment in many cases.

The story follows three main characters - Morgan, Ron, and Mariel - who are all very young and thrust into positions that they either want to be in, have doubts about, or absolutely should not be in. Following these characters' journeys absolutely makes you question what you believe to be right and wrong. There were definitely several moments when I had to stop reading and stare at the wall for a few minutes just to process what I just read. I'd also be really interested to see who the ultimate villain turns out to be because I have a feeling that all is not going to stay as it currently seems!

Out of the many twists and turns that Shusterman took in this book, I only saw *one* coming! Everything else took me completely by surprise and had me yelling "WHAT?!" To say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be an understatement and I have SO many questions! I definitely can't wait until the next book comes!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, and Neal Shusterman for the opportunity to read All Better Now in exchange for an honest review.

As a major Shusterman fan, of course I had to read his latest novel. Shusterman's craft for writing works that bring contemplative thoughts to the reader really shine in this somewhat political pandemic tale, leaving the reader battling themself when it comes to their own morals.

All Better Now follows four - five third person narratives throughout. It is a fast-paced page-turner as the reader seeks a solution to the many twists and turns this novel has to offer. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a few years later the world is graced with a new, more deadly virus, called Crown Royal (I see what you did there, Shusterman; that's funny). Crown Royal has a 4% mortality rate (1 in every 25 meeting death) and more heavily affects people with a colorblindness chromosome of some sort. 

What does Crown Royal do? Aside from a hefty bed-ridden fever and some of the usual fun symptoms of a flu-like virus, if you are of the 96% that make it through, you no longer experience depression, stress, or anger, to name a few negative emotions that it eradicates. In other words, one might feel "all better now," if they are a happy recoveree. They want nothing more than to help others, whether that be giving away their home to a homeless person, donating all their money to charities, or risking their own life to save someone else (which basically becomes their new strongest instinct, even over self-preservation).

Muriel is homeless and lives in a car with her mom. They are miserable, and with the new virus about, she thinks their best chance at happiness is to contract Crown Royal and become a recoveree. She meets Tiburon Escobedo, the son of the second richest man in the world. Or perhaps the riches now, thanks to Crown Royal taking hold... Ron has a blue cone deficiency and cannot see the color blue, thus making him more susceptible to the virus. Ron's father wants nothing more than to keep his family safe and avoid becoming one of those altered idiots who give everything away for the benefit of others, especially after how hard he worked to make it to where he is in life now.

Meanwhile, around the world, Morgan is interviewed by the rich and elderly Dame Hallivand, who fears the future of her altered personality if she makes it through contracting Crown Royal. She offers everything to this young woman in exchange for her promise to make a vaccine. To emphasize the importance of a cure as she takes on her role as the new president of the Hallivand Corporation, Morgan explains, "the sooner we have it, the better. We're at war with a disease that changes the very nature of who you are--that steals not just your body, but your will...Crown Royal creates herds of sheep by the millions" (location 4625, 75%).

Basically with a virus changing who people are, supposedly for the better, there are two sides to this war: those who find that the virus will bring world peace and make their goal to infect everyone, despite the risks, and those who do now want their personality altered by the vengeance of nature and aim to find a fast solution to the spread. What side would you choose?

This novel is a lengthy one, and yet it moves so fast, kind of like the spread of a virus... Shusterman has once again written an ever-so-eloquent cautionary tale that explores contemporary issues and challenges morality through a pristine plot and authentic characterization. At times it was hard to determine what side I would want to be on as a reader, but ultimately, I know myself and I recognize the messages being offered. A must-read for any Shusterman fan, lover of virology or science, and teens with minds that need something to ignite their thoughts.

After COVID, another pandemic hits - named, for no reason I could find, Crown Royale. But this pandemic is different. The mortality rate is 4% - higher than the 3% mortality rate quoted for COVID in the novel - but otherwise, the symptoms and means of spread are very similar. What's different is what happens after a person contracts Crown Royale and survives; unlike long COVID, which has a variety of negative effects, long Crown Royale - which occurs in 100% of recoverees - causes feelings of contentment, compassion, and empathy, which in turn impacts the behavior of recoverees, making them prone to acts of kindness, to the point that their altruism is having a negative impact on the world economy. After all, many people in the higher levels of industry are in it for themselves, to improve their own personal wealth at the expense of their competitors - an attitude that often spreads well beyond their business dealings, and which tends to increase along with their wealth. Because of this, leaders of industry in multiple countries are trying to contain the spread of Crown Royale, and to take steps to safeguard their businesses should they contract the illness.

Into this situation comes three young people: Rón, Mariel, and Morgan, each of whom is key in the attempt to respond to Crown Royale. Much of the novel is told from their perspectives, although some parts are told by other characters. Their lives and actions become intertwined throughout the story, and their motivations intersect in a variety of ways. This is an interesting novel, of the "makes you think" variety, which explores the motivations of people, especially from the perspective of the selfish and the altruistic. It is one of those books that will speak to the reader, and which will cause the reader to either love it or hate, with very little in between. I look forward to the sequel that I expect based on the ending.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman is another brilliant novel from him. I had a great time with this story.

This was so close to being 5 stars for me, because it kept me on the edge of my seat and made me question everything. There was just one scene that put me off a bit, but overall, I really found this such an interesting what-if. I didn't know which side of the argument I wanted to root for the whole time, and the characters were so complex when it came to their motivations and situations. I also loved the flow of the story between perspectives and different places. I felt like it all connected very well. I'm not sure if this is in the cards, but a sequel to this would be amazing.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the digital advanced copy!

This is the type of book that will make you question what is right and wrong the entire time.
You follow 3 different characters on their path to survive a new outbreak from a virus that cures all your depression, anxiety and the like.
Things aren't always what they seem though and the journey you go on is one that is fast, twisty, and unexpected.
I really enjoyed this story and would recommend this to readers who like stories that are realistic scenarios.
This book does touch on the topic of covid and could be triggering due to some of the practices of the characters throughout this outbreak. I found this to be a story that got my brain thinking, my adrenaline pumping, and at time my anger levels to an all time high.
Overall I think the length of this story could have been a touch shorter. The beginning of this book hooked me SO fast, you get put right into story line with multiple pov's and lots of information that will keep you engaged and reading. However; the middle of the book while necessary did drag/lull a bit and so I found myself going what are we doing here. The end was a phenomenal conclusion though that makes me want to pick up the next book in the series for sure and so for that I will land on a 3.75 for score, rounding to a 4.
I love the way the author introduces characters into the story in such a unique way and his writing style just meshes perfectly with what I am looking for in an authors work. I think if you are looking for a book to resonate with maybe some of our current state of affairs in life, this would be worth picking up. I would gear this book towards upper YA readers due to some of the more graphic content and overall topic/themes within the story.

Neal Shusterman is a literary genius. Having read multiple of his books, I knew that "All Better Now" would once again be something special. I was not disappointed. I highly recommend this novel for middle grade to high school leveled readers- and adult readers.

Set in a world where Covid-19 is no longer a concern because a new pandemic plagues the world. This new virus is highly contagious, deadly, and turns survivors into happier individuals. As the world powers try to figure out how to contain the virus and survivors try to spread it so that everyone can see the light, two teenagers are pitted against each other in determining what is best.

Neal Shusterman does a phenomenal job at speculative fiction. This book is perfect for examining motivations and what drives society, and like many of his other books, keeps readers thinking. I especially like that there isn't necessarily a "right answer." Fans of his other works will enjoy this one as well.

First, I need to thank Netgalley for an ARC of this fabulous book.

Secondly, I just need to make it known how much I love Neal Shusterman's books. I will recommend them to all of my teen readers at the library. And this book, OH MY GOODNESS, has so many vibes of favorites going for it

The existential topics of conscience reminiscent of "Unwind" and "Roxy"
The corporation-like essence of " Thunderhead and Scythe"
The global life changing event seen in "Dry"

Y'all reading a book that takes place after the Covid19 pandemic but with another pandemic, one where individuals become happy, I had so many moments where I was given pause. Indeed, one is forced to ask: is it good for a society to solely be happy? Is that how the world works? Or do we need the haves and have nots in order to make a more functionable society? These are questions that our cast of characters has very set opinions on. And others are forced to have this conversation thrust upon them

One thing that Neal Shusterman does expertly well is that of giving characters a voice. And not just any voice but a strong voice. They are all different, no matter how many characters fill the page. Some characters I grew to hate (like Madison, a nineteen year old who gets put in a very powerful position and then proceeds to abuse that power). Some characters like Muriel and Ron I feel sorry for. Others I fully expect to be the ultimate villain.

What I fear is how long this series will go on--because Scythe started out so strong and yet fell a bit flat for my liking. I truly hope All Better Now stays strong. If it does it will be a sure fire winner. It is going to appeal to this generation of readers--readers who have lived through a pandemic. Questions about masks, intentionally infecting, all the things will remind of events not too distant in our past and I know will bring some amazing discussion topics. Also, a book where a pivotal part of the plot takes place in a Buc'cees?! YES!

Read this book when it comes out y'all. You will NOT be disappointed.

This was a really fun, and new way of looking at viral spreading. The effects of the virus are odd - contentment. But what else is going on? This was fun, fresh, and creative.

This may be an unpopular opinion. I've read 3 of Shusterman's books and enjoyed 2/3 (Scythe and Unwind). This book had the same problem I had with Dry, it's too long. Bring back YA books under 350 pages. You can't tell me that you need over 500 pages to tell this story. So much of the middle was boring because we were just leading up to a lackluster ending. After 400 pages, I want a little more excitement in the ending to make it feel worth it.
I know for my library, a lot of students barely have the attention to read, let alone over 500 pages. I think this could have been successfully edited down to 350ish pages and it would be an easier sell to students.

A crazy spin on pandemics like Covid. You get the usual cold symptoms, but you become healthy and “rose colored glasses”. Now all is good and characters who recover feel the desire to help and be kind. It is an interesting spin on the usual dark and destructive dystopian novels.

Shusterman does a nice job providing a deep writing about this idea, so much that when a tragedy hits that recoverers would sacrifice themselves without realizing it because they just wanted save the endangered.

I enjoyed the different main characters plots that we follow and then as they entwine into each others plots.

Shusterman has done it again. This title creates a world pandemic, but different than any one you’ve seen.

This book is a whirlwind of pandemic intrigue, emotion and thoughtfulness that I enjoyed immensely. The author paints a very vivid picture of the virus and those looking to either embrace the benefits or fight its supposed detriments to society. Timely and resonant,

When an odd virus is going through the population one that makes you feel content and indifferent to everything going around them. People are seeing this and want the virus too, but the government is working hard on vaccine because this type of contentness would be horrible for business.

There is so much more to this book that readers will like along with a bit of action and suspense. This is a great book that lives up to the author is known for.

Shusterman is renowned for taking real-world issues (such as overpopulation, greed, the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate, euthanasia, vaccines, and disease) and reimagining them in a thought-provoking, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sci-fi future. His Scythe series will always be among my all-time favorite books. While All Better Now was an enjoyable and interesting read, it didn’t quite reach the same level for me. I didn’t fully connect with the story until the final third when the plot became less predictable and less time was spent developing the characters. The groundwork laid in this book hints at a potentially action-packed sequel, and I’m curious to see where the story goes next.

*Many thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of one of my favorite authors. What a treat!

All Better Now has such an interesting premise, which is what intrigued me to begin with. Crown Royale is the new coronavirus, except it makes a person completely content and happy. The book follows a few different characters as they navigate the new landscape with the virus spreading. I wanted to love this book so bad. However, it was SOOOOO slow for me. I really enjoyed the characters and the changing point of view, but the plot just did not move along quickly enough for me.

All Better Now by one of my favorite authors is a thought provoking take on another world wide pandemic. Crown Royale is worse than Covid that the country has recently overcome. This pandemic is different though, there is a 5% mortality rate, but those that survive have no other emotion but happiness. They give away their money, their business, anything that brought them worry or despair in the past. They only want to live a happy comfortable life, for the rest of their life. But is it really that easy?

Who wouldn’t want to rid themselves of negativity, depression, and suffering? Although, many people, governments, businesses rely on that fear and negativity of others to keep power over them as well as to feed their greed and pocketbooks. The book make you think about the bigger picture and whether we truly need power and suffering to know what true happiness is.

Very thought provoking novel, sometimes a little slow but worth the read.

I just - can't. This book is both overwhelming and underwhelming all at once.

I really feel like Shusterman's pandemic dystopia is far too soon, especially since, in large parts, COVID is very much still a problem, despite the pandemic being "over." Reading about improper masking, people purposely spreading a 5% mortality rate disease, worldwide shutdowns, it's practically a replica of what we experienced. Maybe I'd feel different if this was published in the 2030's or 2040's, but as is, it just isn't hitting.

Outside of that, Shusterman is trying way too hard to be philosophical here. It's not subtle, whatsoever. Rather, it feels like it's jammed directly down your throat. It very much gave off "I'm not like the other YA books" vibes with the story showing off how "deep" and "insightful" it is over telling a good story and characters. This whole tone kept throwing me off so much that I dreaded picking up the ARC; books should not make you feel like this!

The characters aren't really characters, just devices Shusterman uses to fit the message. The main characters aren't even interesting enough for the story to pay attention to, because we kept jumping into random side characters' who I care for even less. There was nothing for me to get invested to, whatsoever.

All in all, this was just not it for me. I recognize that Shusterman's talent as a writer, but this book was just too condescending in its tone for me to like in the slightest.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Neal has done it again!
Another pandemic... great. Just what we need. But it makes people content and happy?? Yes please! Or maybe no thank you?

Cast of characters - fabulous! From the evil to the super good, you see all of their quirks, their foibles, their second thoughts. Every single one of them, and there are many, is so separate and so different, all coming at this from totally different perspectives. They went from description on a page to fully formed characters in my mind.

Plot - wow! This one really makes you think and consider what you truly want and how you want to live your life. With all of their pain, do we need ALL of our emotions? Or would the world be a better place where everyone is happy, caring, wanting to help others? Why not just the good emtions? Or are all emotions good? So much thinking and pondering as I was reading this.

And, in true Neal fashion, I need book 2 NOW!!!!