The quick cut: Three teens find their lives intertwined when a new virus has an unexpected long term side effect: contentment.
A real review:
Viruses like the Black Plague or COVID have shown up in rare moments and completely changed society. Deadly and dangerous, they show up in such a way that they leave those behind changed forever. With the Crown Royale virus, they're also left content.
COVID barely ended before Crown Royale showed up and made itself more dangerous. With a fatality rate of 4%, it quickly made everyone cautious and anxious all over again. It's not those who have died though that have everyone concerned though. What has everyone concerned is the unexpected long term side effect of surviving Crown Royale: utter contentment. Is the side effect what the world needs? Or the end of us all?
The story itself is really good and does ask a lot of brilliant questions: would you prefer unending need or unending contentment? It's not as clear an answer as you may think. Progress doesn't happen when you're happy with life as is. Progress happens when you want more.
Three teens are at the center of the action and each of them with their own goals. Ron wants to see the Crown Royale virus spread and contentment save the world. Morgan wants to stop Crown Royale at any means. Mariel is stuck in the middle with a powerful ability that can help either side. All of them really are defined by their role in the virus' effect on the planet, to the point where I wish we got to know them better as people.
This is paced a bit more slowly, but it speeds up at the end. It's well worth the read if you enjoy philosophical questions and wondering what the world would be like it changed emotionally.
A tense thriller from a sci-fi perspective.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
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