A virus called Crown Royale is sweeping the Earth and the consequences of surviving it are mystifying. If it doesn’t kill them, Crown Royale makes people happy. This sounds innocent, but capitalists start panicking when survivors give up all their wealth and a collapsing economy is at stake. The book follows three POV characters: Rón, an unlikely survivor of the virus; Mariel, who is immune; and Morgan, a billionaire with a manifesto to utterly destroy Crown Royale.
The setup for the story is fascinating. The book is a heavy reminder of the COVID-19 pandemic and retreads discourse from that worldwide crisis, such as reservations about isolating, misinformation and mask mandates. Reading it transports you right back to the paranoia of 2020.
Fans of Shusterman’s previous series ‘Unwind’ and ‘Scythe’ will know he is the master of worldbuilding. He puts so much effort into exploring every possible way increased happiness would change society. The survivors could start a commune, provide free medical care and produce works of art, or become cult-like evangelicals who try to infect the whole world with Crown Royale. These survivors cannot physically do harm, but the workarounds they use to cause chaos are intriguing.
Morgan was by far my favourite character. She’s recently acquired her wealth and is still adjusting to the paradigm shift of being a billionaire. It’s morbidly fun watching a character navigate human things like ethics and empathy when they have unlimited money at their disposal. Another reason why this book feels so timely.
All Better Now is a mix of science and speculative fiction and ethical questioning, and I absolutely loved it.
Reviewed by Rachel Denham-White
Age Guide 14+
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award,For his body of work, Neal won the 2024 Margaret A Edwards Award, and the ALAN Lifetime Achievement Award. His novel, Unwind, has become part of the literary canon in many school districts across the country-and has won more than thirty domestic and international awards. Many of his novels are in development as TV series and movies.
Shusterman has also received awards from organisations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, and has garnered a myriad of state and local awards across the country. His talents range from film directing, to writing music and stage plays, and has even tried his hand at creating games.
Shusterman has earned a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. As a speaker, he is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give him a unique approach to writing, and his novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humour. Neal lives in Jacksonville, Florida, but spends much of his time traveling the world speaking, exploring, and signing books for readers.
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