All Better Now

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 Rón 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.)