All Better Now
by Neal Shusterman
Science Fiction
Thriller
The world has barely recovered from COVID when the next virus attacks. This one, known as Crown Royale, is also devastatingly lethal for some folks, but those that survive – and even those that don’t, in their last minutes – experience a complete change in perspective. They become kinder, gentler, more helpful people. Two factions are arising – those that think the virus is a positive thing and think everyone should try to become infected (including a lot of the survivors, who are calling themselves the “embraced”) and those who are terrified of becoming ill – either because they might die or they view the virus as a “body snatcher” that completely changes (and not for the good) the people it infects. This brings together a recoveree who is also a super-spreader (he remains infectious/continues to spread the virus despite being healthy himself, a person with natural immunity to the virus, and some wealthy folks who fall into both factions who are trying to throw money at either countering the virus or spreading it farther. A suspenseful read that also raises a lot of moral/ethical questions about whether changing people is the way forward to a better world. For high school teens (some 8th graders may also enjoy).
Reviewed by YA Librarian
