I was very interested in the concept of this book, and was ultimately not disappointed - this speculative near-future thriller gives rise to so many discussions and questions. The fact that we are taken all over the world and meet so many characters along the way does mean that there isn't massive amounts of depth to any one storyline, but they combine in such a fascinating way that this was never a big concern while reading.

It feels apt that the book ends on more questions and uncertainty, so warning if you like your stories all tied up at the end!

Well, this would make Trump neck his bleach and no mistake. There's a new coronasniffles going round, Crown Royale, which is not always lethal (of course), but for those who survive? Well, they suddenly go all self-aware, and if not uber-charitable then at least socialist, dispensing of all their riches, and swanning off into the world like an aged hippie, stuffed with the glories of honest, true happiness and joy. So there's not a complete moral reason to get rid of the thing, but one aged grand dame has just done her bit – sealing a deal on giving everything to a badass teenaged mastermind who should do nothing but rid the world of the disease. That's England – in San Francisco, a mother and daughter seriously down on their luck get the last chance of a flash Airbnb stay in a penthouse belonging to the third – sorry, make that second – richest man on the planet, together with his once-suicidal, disturbed-by-status-and-money-and-happiness-etc son.

This takes some good time to mesh the stories together, but when it does it shows a world where people are prepared to receive the dystopia coming to them – so many people with the disease under their belt stop spending, ruining the economy, find their own happiness – thus still ruining the economy – and becoming something the bigwigs hate. The second – sorry, things have progressed, so he's the number one richest person on the planet – has one opinion, other characters have others, and the book is a kind of gently sci-fi dystopian road trip medical horror romance. With digs against rich people.

One awkwardness is how the stories do finally mesh for the big concluding scenes – the book is so long (certainly any percentage can be named and it would survive that cropping) that when it happens, and they do combine, it's jolting. But it's not all lumpen problems – the way we meet cameos through little entr'actes counters the awkward foreshadowing, and goes some way to get the clever-clever chapter titles out of our mind.

So it's clear I didn't love this, but the book is actually a surprise – an almost weirdly readable battle between left wing and right wing, as small-p politics is writ on the largest scale by the virus. Does humankind need the greed and the self-serving attitude – and the fear of failure – to make it, or is it not better for us all to just share hugs and cooperate for once, living with bliss in our lives? If you don't mind a book that clearly takes too long showing too many instances of either side trying to prove themselves correct, then this will go down as a distinctive teen read. For me it's a three and a half star curio.

All Better Now was a thought-provoking speculative YA thriller dwelling on the meaning of happiness and how powerful forces may react when confronted with a movement of meaningful social change.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book and Shusterman makes the best use of it here, adding layers of moral quandaries to the plot. Every page offers something surprising and slightly new. It is a book that thrives in the ambiguities of this extreme situation. You jump between different perspectives, giving you snippets of the world and various ways of the impact of this pandemic on people from all over the globe. Total happiness sounds like a utopia, but it threatens the existing power structures. There is also a deadly element to it, adding a knife-edge to proceedings. Shusterman unpacks these complex questions as the situation evolves further. I really liked how these disparate parts were drawn together. It is a deeply human story, caught up in an imaginative and speculative world. Ultimately, it is about connection and love.

Shusterman sits with powerful and nuanced themes. In particular, there is an intriguing thread about change and how it impacts the social and political climate of the world. To cling on to the existing power structures, what lengths would the elite go to? There are some genuinely chilling scenes, paralleling real-life events. In the current political climate, it feels that much more precedent and impactful. The book ultimately stays with that message of love enduring against all odds, with a sensitive depiction of grief and loss.

All Better Now was ethically knotty and interesting, with another mind-twisting speculative thriller from a powerhouse.

This was so good. Neal Shusterman writes stories so brilliantly. Immersive and evocative. The pace of this book was so spot on, and the chapters just flew by! The moral greyness of this kept me intrigued and I needed to get to an ending to see where they stood. I need a sequel.

This was definitely a different genre of book for me, the idea of a virus that has these lasting effects of contentment very interesting with how the idea of how manipulation and greed would come into it.

As we progress through life are we all chasing the one thing that perhaps will never make us truly content: happiness? What an interesting thought.

The recoveries from the new virus, Crown Royale, are blissfully happy, do no wrong and look out for their fellow man, but is this what makes the world tick? Don't we need the ruthlessness and greed that this materialistic world of ours thrives on? And this is the question 'All Better Now' poses.

What is fascinating about thus book is that it makes you think deeply about the world and how it works. The characters are engaging - apart from Morgan whose 'evil' manner is a tad unbelievable.

It felt strange to be thrown back into the world of shielding and isolation, but this is a great story and is well worth reading.

I've only read one Neal Shusterman book before (Proxy) and that was sort of in a similar vein. I remember reasonably enjoying that, although I don't remember much about it a few years later. I really liked the concept of All Better Now and I thought the idea that happiness and compassion as a result of surviving a virus sounded amazing. Obviously I saw how bigwigs of certain types of big companies would hate this and I was prepared for that to be where the tension was.

However, a lot of this book went over my head. Despite living through a pandemic and listening to daily updates from health experts during the lockdowns, I just didn't feel like I had enough of an understanding of how virus/vaccine/drug creation and dissemination works to truly 'get' it. So, it's a very clever book. Too clever for me, I think.

As well as this, I just didn't like any of the characters. I think I was supposed to be rooting for Mariel and Ron's budding romance but I was too busy trying to decipher what was actually happening to get to know them properly. I definitely didn't like Morgan but I wasn't supposed to, as she was clearly a ruthless psychopath i.e. the perfect CEO of a health/tech corporation.

It was also far too long. At over 500 pages, there was simply too much of it. Seeing as this is being marketed as a YA thriller, there are way too many pages to maintain the fast pace needed for a thriller and it was nowhere near accessible enough for a YA audience (in my opinion). I'd class it as a YA sci-fi because it's much more scientific than it is thrilling. A shame as it had excellent potential.

This standalone book from the author of the Scythe series brings us to an alternate future, where a new virus called Crown Royale is taking over the world. Those who survive find their personality altered forever. A new type of war breaks out between those who believe the world would be better if everyone caught Crown Royale and those who are willing to stop its spread at any cost.

I loved the core idea of this book and enjoyed following the points of view of different characters, both important and minor. Unfortunately I felt it lacked the charm of Scythe and I was ultimately disappointed by the ending that did not bring a definite resolution as I had hoped.

A recommended read for fans of dystopian reads influenced by the pandemic.

Thank you to Netgalley and Walker Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read an eARC of this book on Net Galley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I’ve read quite a few books about pandemics and contagions lately but this one really stood out for me. Most books have viruses either wiping out populations or having the infected turn violent and attacking others. This one took such an interesting approach. This is about a deadly and extremely infectious virus. However the majority of people will survive it and are inherently changed. The virus makes them… nicer. It removes their capacity for greed and vengeance. It makes them altruistic and incapable of harming others for personal gain. People who catch it are happier and want to spread their joy. This is terrifying for those who want to maintain their status quo. This raises some really interesting questions around morality. Our characters we follow in this book are all affected by the virus in different ways and come from very different backgrounds and it’s so interesting to see their different takes on it as the virus becomes more part of their lives.

I found this such a fascinating book and it’s written so cleverly to show the differing reactions and fears of people. Morality isn’t black and white and there’s real questions around right to choose and the ethics behind deliberately infecting someone with a virus. This was such a thought-provoking book.

Intelligent, well-written and a book that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading.

ALL BETTER NOW is a pandemic sci-fi full of questions. It makes you think so much, and I loved that.

The idea at the centre of this book is about what to do if a disease could change people's perspectives. On the surface, crown royale makes people happier, more content with life. They forgive and want to protect the planet, getting along with neighbours and selflessly helping out. It seems great, but the book examines this from many angles.

Naturally, there is a very capitalist, billionaires-afraid-of-money loss side of things. If people are buying less, then capitalism fails. So they throw their money at trying to stop it, crossing all sorts of lines. I really liked Morgan's character in this. She's ambitious and smart and unashamed of it. I like characters with that sort of confidence who don't care that others think they are the villains.

However, the book doesn't just show this side - which would still make it very black and white. Instead, it asks about consent and personality. If this virus changes your outlook, are you still you? If such a virus did change things, and overall maybe for the better, would it be right to infect people? Consent is a grey area with a virus - even if you asked for one person's consent, they might accidentally infect others who hadn't consented.

These questions occur alongside a pacy story told from four (main) perspectives - Morgan trying to stop the cure, Ron who has the disease, Mariel who is immune, and Gladys who gave over control to Morgan when she knew she had the disease. It's a nice mix of characters and roles to play in the fight for the future of the virus.

Another fabulous concept and execution from Shusterman.

Every title the author releases is worth a look. And All Better Now is definitely at the top of the pile, the 500 pages don’t drag, there is enough story for its running length.

Briefly, a new post-COVID pandemic is sweeping the planet, with a mortality rate of 4%, but the symptoms post-recovery for the majority causing huge rifts in society. Those who catch Crown Royale and survive are now… happier. They no longer feel jealousy, anger, depression. They are content, want to help others.

For many this is good news. For others, horrifying. The story breaks off into shards that link one of the world’s richest men and his son, a homeless girl and her mother, a commune for recoverees, a wealthy businesswoman and the young protégée taking over her empire, and the worldwide attempts to label and categorise the virus and those catching it in various lights.

The reader will soon find themselves asking questions about the nature of such a pandemic - would YOU want to risk it for the chance to no longer feel negative emotions? Would you still be you? What are the implications for humanity?

I loved the directions and journeys Shusterman took his characters in, there is a wonderful range of people here to exemplify different aspects of human traits and foibles and how Crown Royale would affect these.

This was a fantastic read for both teens and adults. Not graphic but quite deep in its coverage of some of mankind’s worst and best attributes, all highlighted by the mere thought of Crown Royale.

Great standalone story.

For ages 14 and above.

With thanks to NetGalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Wow! What a story. This is covid #2 called Crown Royale. Survivors become different. They don't change completely, they're more positive, forgiving, empathetic. What happens when a super spreader thinks that everyone needs to contract it but a scientist thinks she can create a vaccine that will stop people contracting it? And what happens when the super spreader's girlfriend becomes involved? Whole economies could be wiped out by this virus unless something is done about it. Or, on the other hand, whole countries could reinvent themselves and their beliefs. Who's right? There is a lot to think about! Is it right/wrong to infect people against their will if it's for 'the greater good'? Should the virus be allowed to run its course?

This was a fascinating premise. A virus which, if you survive, leaves you with a lasting contentment certainly sounds like a good thing but for the businesses in our commercial world it spells disaster. So the scene is set for battle. This is where the book fails to fulfil its promise as the characters never really come to life. Morgan is such a 'bad guy' that she's almost cartoonish. Rón and Mariel are slightly more realistic but don't have a great deal of depth and the book is just too long. It gets more interesting towards the end but it doesn't have the grab that Scythe or Unwind had.