  | All better now Author: Shusterman, Neal | |
| Price: $25.38 | ||
Summary:
An unexpected condition is on the rise, it behaves like a virus, with the first symptom being a fever, but those who contact it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen before: utter contentment. Soon after the infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/01/24)
School Library Journal (02/28/25)
Booklist (00/01/25)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/02/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 10/28/2024 This epic biological thriller by Shusterman (Break to You) finds three teens grappling for world-changing power during a post-Covid-19 pandemic of an evolved coronavirus. While Crown Royale, an airborne "disease of mindless euphoria," outpaces Covid’s mortality rate, those fortunate enough to recover report rejuvenated senses and "a newfound sense of completion." In San Francisco, unhoused Mariel Mudroch’s natural immunity to Crown Royale makes her the perfect sidekick for wealthy R?n Tigre Escobedo, an alpha spreader on a "humanity-saving mission" of intentionally infecting others-until 19-year-old Morgan Willmon-Wu inherits plans to eradicate Crown Royale and learns that Mariel’s immunity is the missing link to the purported cure’s success. But how does one destroy a joy-spreading virus from which the world claims it doesn’t want-or need-to be saved? Shusterman’s cerebral third-person narration deftly unspools globe-trotting medical drama from multiple perspectives as Crown Royale’s threat to economic and political stability ensnares the intersectionally diverse cast in morally gray dilemmas. The plot twists keep coming all the way to the enigmatic, jaw-dropping conclusion in this exquisitely rendered work. Ages 12-up. Agent: Andrea Brown, Andrea Brown Literary. (Feb.) - Copyright 2024
School Library Journal - 02/28/2025 Gr 7 Up—In a post COVID-19 world, an unprecedented, highly contagious virus is sweeping the globe. Anyone who catches and recovers from Crown Royale enters a state of utter contentment, free from the sorrows that used to add pain and stress to their lives. Although potentially fatal, the effects it has on survivors intrigues some of the uninfected to intentionally catch the virus. As a result, the world is divided on whether Crown Royale is the answer to all of humanity's woes, or the beginning of the world's downfall. At the heart of it are four very different people, whose choices will shape the future of the human race. There's Mariel, a homeless teen who discovers she is immune to Crown Royale; Rón, son of a billionaire, a recoveree who plans to spread the virus; Morgan, a young woman who, after inheriting a fortune, vows to eradicate Crown Royale; and Dame Glynis Havilland, who after losing her wealth, plans to stop Morgan at all costs. Shusterman has made a name for himself in postapocalyptic fiction, and this might be one of his most clever works yet. Pandemic fiction that still manages to be unique with compelling characters and a propulsive plot that intertwines their stories seamlessly, it is a truly thought-provoking exploration of moral dilemmas and the real meaning of life and death. VERDICT Dystopian and Shusterman fans are not going to want to miss this one.—Amanda Harding - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
