ALL BETTER NOW, by Neal Shusterman, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Feb. 4, 2025, Hardcover, $21.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
In All Better Now Neal Shusterman explores a world where happiness is contagious but even happiness comes at a cost.
A deadly and unprecedented virus is spreading. But those who survive it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen before: utter contentment. Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone.
More and more people begin to revel in the mass unburdening. But not everyone. People in power—who depend on malcontents and prey on the insecure to sell their products, and convince others they need more, new, faster, better everything—know this new state of being is bad for business. Surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos. Campaigns start up to convince people that being eternally happy is dangerous. The race to find a vaccine begins. Meanwhile, a growing movement of Recoverees plan ways to spread the virus as fast as they can, in the name of saving the world.
It’s nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their agenda. Three teens from very different backgrounds who’ve had their lives upended in very different ways find themselves at the center of a power play that could change humanity forever. —Synopsis provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
All Better Now has an interesting premise — a virus that removes negativity and promotes selflessness, if you survive…
Reading about “the next big pandemic” could be a bit triggering for readers. Some of it made my anxiety spike a little, and the parallels to COVID19 are just hard to stomach. However, the idea is compelling and author Neal Shusterman does an excellent job exploring it.
At just over 500 pages, All Better Now does feel a bit too long. But Shusterman has created a cast of seemingly disparate characters that you do want to learn about.
All Better Now won’t be a fit for everyone. It’s just hard to know how each individual will react. I suggest checking it out from the library prior to purchase.
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