Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to preview upgrade by BLake Crouch. I have been a fan for years. Loved the Pines books and most of his novels after them. Upgrade is well written and set in a world not so difficult to imagine. A Syfi thriller that grabs you and twists your thinking the unbelievable is believable. Characters are deep and interesting and a plot that will keep you thinking long after you are done.

Review of Upgrade by Blake Crouch

Thank you to Ballantine Books (An Imprint of Random House) for offering me an ARC. I am happy to offer this review.

Mark your calendars for July 12, 2022 (tentatively), for this new sci-fi novel by Blake Crouch. If you have read and enjoyed either Dark Matter or Recursion, like me, you will not be disappointed. I am always a bit nervous when one of my favorite authors has a new novel coming out. I anxiously hope the new offering is equal to or better than previous works. I was not disappointed with Upgrade.

Logan Ramsay is the protagonist of this novel, but actually most of the Ramsay family (mom and sister, anyway) play huge parts in this story. No spoilers here, but I will share likes and dislikes in generalities. The timeline is well-managed. There is nothing difficult to keep up with in this regard. Time does skip forward occasionally (one month later, one year later, etc.) but never back in time. The time jumps are appropriate, make sense, and do not harm the storyline. Family members share stories from the past that are relevant, but these are handled as memories not time jumps.

Logan is a victim. He did not make the choice to be “upgraded.” His choices come after realizing what is happening to him. Logan has difficult choices to make…end-of-the-world kind of choices. No one wants this responsibility. The main theme of this book (to me) is…what do you do with the power that’s been thrust upon you? You have to do something. Doing nothing is also a choice with dire consequences.

As a bit of an aside, I have to say how much I enjoyed the modes of transportation described in Upgrade. I wish I could live long enough to experience these kinds of travel. Be on the lookout for them. Fun!

Logan works for a government entity called the GPA (Gene Protection Agency). Of course, as all government entities, this one can be nefarious. Fortunately, Logan is one of the “good guys,” and he is not the only one. Sometimes differentiating between the good and bad guys is difficult, and sometimes you will be wrong. 😉

In a previous review of Dark Matter or Recursion, I advised readers to push through the tough science narratives and keep reading. I am happy to report that this novel’s science sections were easier for me. Obviously, the book is full of the science of genetics, gene-therapy, and DNA. No, I am not a geneticist, but I do have an iota of working knowledge of genes and DNA. I’ll bet you do, too, especially if you are a parent or a fan of true crime. I found the science interesting and not at all overwhelming. So…as before…stay the course if the science begins to get you down. The story and the results are worth it.

I mentioned likes and dislikes earlier. I cannot think of one dislike. This novel is like Mary Poppins…
”practically perfect in every way.” I read it in a day and a half (and I do have a real work job). I hope you love it as much as I did.

Star rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (5 stars)

Black Crouch does it again! He has created a sci-fi thriller that keeps you guessing! The plot felt fresh, and a not far-off setting made this book a too real thriller. Some scenes are detailed out that I could actually see the action playing out in my head. The only downfall is that I did not find myself rooting for Logan to reconnect with his family. I wish that Crouch had spent more time developing Logan as a father before the upgrade, but the wrapped-up ending almost makes up for this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very interesting and thought-provoking book. The main character is believable, likeable and well-fleshed-out. The other characters complement him nicely.

I was a little overwhelmed with the scientific aspect of the book. While fascinating in a general way, it was easy to glaze over in the eyes when two pages of genetic jargon fills your vision. I'm no dummy, I even know vaguely what some of the stuff meant. But I'll be honest, I skimmed 75 percent of it.

The action sequences are great and the character interplay is well written. It was amazing (and not a little sad) to see the changes take place in the main character and how his entire life changed because of the Upgrade.

I was offered the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, Blake Crouch and Ballantine Books for this opportunity.

I received a free e-ARC of this book through Netgalley.
If you like fast-paced science fiction about DNA manipulation, then this is a good one for you. What would you enhance about yourself if you had a choice? Isn't it a no-brainer that we'd all like to be cancer-resistant, dementia-resistant, in the best shape of our lives without having to put in the physical work? On the flipside, what would we be willing to lose in the process? A thought-provoking and timely book about the dangers we face as we struggle to deal with climate change on a global scale.

I can’t even begin to tell you about this book without TELLING you about this book (no spoilers, I promise). I was knee-deep reading another book when I received an email saying that I had a chance to read an advanced copy of Blake Crouch’s new book, Upgrade. I have never finished a book so fast in my life. I was SO EXCITED to read Upgrade. And it lived up to my internal hype and more. This guy can tell a story. A really, really good story. And they are like nothing that you will read anywhere else. This book blew my mind (I’ll be honest, every book of his blows my mind). It was so well written and so well explained. Do yourself a favor and read it. And then read every other book he ever wrote too. Thank you a million times over to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. I am FOREVER grateful!!!!

“They know you’re changing.”

It all happened so quickly. Following a tip from the GPA, the Gene Protection Agency, they went into the building equipped body armor, hazmat suits and a full SWAT team. He was a scientist, not a soldier. He was going to call his wife in the morning; he was supposed to go home. But a flash, an explosion—and then Logan Ramsay was changed forever. And with him, so was the rest of the world.

The planet has evolved so quickly. What once felt like slow march towards the inevitable has accelerated into a sprint. Logan joined the GPA as a way to make amends for his mother’s role in the gene editing scheme that snowballed into an ecological disaster. The old Logan would have never considered taking part in something like that, and he wouldn’t have had the capacity to. But after the botched raid, Logan is different now, and there’s no telling what he’s willing and capable of doing.

Upgrade is exactly the sort of book that I’ve come to expect from Blake Crouch. A dynamic, fast-paced thriller nestled comfortably between grounded sci-fi and speculative fiction. There’s the ‘regular guy’ protagonist that gets thrust into the center of rapidly unfolding, almost supernaturally daunting events that have to power to shape the world as we know it. And through that vehicle Crouch offers a commentary on what he believes is one of the most pressing issues of our time. In this case, that’s climate change, but a little more broadly it’s human indifference to the effects of climate change and other impending disasters.

For the most part, it’s spectacularly done. Crouch has a way of making the implications of a far-off technological advancement feel like it’s just around the corner. You just can’t help but rip through the pages, desperate to reach the end. Upgrade is the kind of book tailor-made for a big budget movie adaptation, staring whatever 30-40 year-old white leading man is currently in demand.

This was an easy 5 star book for me. Sure, it’s a very American worldview. It’s a white guy on a Save The World™ mission, humanity’s last hope and all that. There’s nothing wrong with being a popcorn thriller with a strong message, despite what some lit snobs might believe. So why, then, does this review have four stars? Well, I cannot tell you without spoilers, so only continue if you’ve read it already!!!!


***SPOILER***
I was all in on this, even in the epilogue, up until that final letter that Logan wrote to his wife and daughter. What a fumble on the 1 yard line (is that right?? idk I don’t do sport metaphors).

Explain to me how you can write an entire novel about the dangers of messing with humanity. About how one tiny change can have devastating, unforeseeable consequences—but you decide to solve the question of humans by once again having an entitled, know-it-all character play god on people against their will. Crouch has completely undermined his entire thesis in just a couple of pages of half-assed grandstanding. The fact that Logan could witness and face the consequences of his mother’s actions as well as literally murdering his sister to prevent her from acting, and then take it upon himself to do the same goddamned thing is a total collapse of his character arc. There’s no coming back from that; he’s now irredeemable.

I don’t even totally disagree with his point that it’s a lack of compassion that has (and will) lead human societies towards our own downfall, but I do vehemently challenge the notion that we all bear the same level of responsibility. It’s not all humans who need to be “upgraded”; it’s the powerful decision makers. There’s ample evidence that when people have been at their lowest and most vulnerable, that the communities who step up and help are the ones who have the least. And those that don’t help aren’t doing so out of apathy, but because they are simply struggling to survive themselves.

So the idea that humanity as a whole needs to be ‘fixed’, by possibly the worst candidate for White Savior since Hollywood decided to sing Imagine for us, is just incorrect. If Crouch was dead-set on this “compassion upgrade”, which I think is in moral opposition to the rest of his novel but whatever it’s his book, he could have aimed it to target a small number of influential people in high-income countries. But making it a contagion, spreading it to people without their knowledge, altering their chemical makeup without their consent, all based off of a technology that only a couple of years before had a 13% mortality rate—are we supposed to clap??
***END SPOILER***


Even with that complaint, though, Upgrade is monstrously entertaining. My reading speed essentially doubled whenever I picked it up, so for that reason I still feel compelled to recommend it. But it’s not going to top the list for me this year, and I can’t help but express disappointment at Crouch’s final word on the subject. I do hope other people read it when they get the opportunity to as I’m very eager to discuss it more.

Family dysfunction meets the ethics of genetic engineering in this great new story from Blake Crouch. He has been one of my favorite authors since the Andrew Thomas/Luther Kite days and his recent forays into scifi thrillers like Dark Matter and Recursion have been an interesting change which continues in Upgrade.

Logan Ramsay is living in the shadow of a worldwide apocalypse caused by his mother until a raid on a rogue DNA lab changes everything for him. Crouch's descriptions of the physical, psychological and emotional changes that Ramsay goes through were played out in fantastic detail. The plot moves pretty swiftly, lagging a little bit halfway through but then picks up quickly and the ending is very satisfying. It wont leave every question answered and leaves lots of room for speculation - but it will make you think.

The science and the ethics of genetic engineering and the action sequences really reminded me of The Dragon Factory which I loved - if you like that series, you should enjoy this book.

“Upgrade” is a very good action/adventure, science fiction novel focusing on the field of genetic engineering. Fans of Michael Crichton may be particularly interested in this story that takes place about a hundred years from now.

Logan Ramsay is the son of Miriam Ramsay, the world’s most brilliant geneticist. Unfortunately, the project he worked with her on as a young intern destroyed the world’s rice crops, causing “The Great Starvation” which killed 200 million people. Miriam drives her car off a California cliff, leaving Logan to serve several years in prison. Upon release, he continues his atonement by working as a law enforcement agent for the U.S. Government’s newly formed Gene Protection Agency.

When Logan and his team raid a property to interdict illegal genetic engineering activity, they set off a booby trap that infects Logan with material designed to change his DNA. At first, it seems the IED was unsuccessful. Logan’s recovery is normal. But then he finds his physical and cognitive capabilities improving. Each day, he gets stronger and smarter.

Who has done this and why? That's the question Logan must answer now, all the while wondering just how much he will improve. Will he become God-like amongst the rest of humankind? Will he lose his empathy, his humanity, his ability to feel? Will he outpace and grow distant from even his family?

It’s a theme that’s been explored in many books and movies, which makes the challenge of offering something fresh and absorbing—the task for any novelist—even more difficult. But author Blake Crouch adeptly meets the challenge with solid writing, interesting characters, creative world-building, and a plot that offers surprises and keeps readers turning the pages.

Mr. Crouch brings a wealth of technical expertise to “Upgrade.” Indeed, there were times that I—a “non-science guy”—found the descriptions regarding DNA and genetics way over my head. But then, thankfully, just as my eyes were beginning to glaze over, Mr. Crouch came to the rescue with an explanation for laymen.

I was particularly impressed by what Mr. Crouch envisions for our future: what happens to some well-known places, some of the inventions and methods of travel.

There were times when I found “Upgrade” a little “preachy” regarding genetic engineering, humanity, and the fate of the planet. And I’m not sure that the solution he offers—if, indeed, he intends to offer a solution—is all that realistic. Then again, other readers may well find what he has to say enlightening, even inspiring. And “preachy” or not, I found that I learned from this novel and that I was invited to consider an area I hadn’t paid much attention to.

All in all, a very interesting, very entertaining reading experience.

Where to start... I was over the moon excited to receive an ARC of Upgrade. I am a huge Blake Crouch fan. Dark Matter and Recursion are two of my favorite books and Sci-Fi is not one of my preferred genres. Maybe that is why I liked Upgrade but I did NOT love it. I couldn't help but compare it to the other two books. It was heavy on the science and not in a fun way! I felt like I was in a classroom listening to a biology lecture at several points. There was a lot of action but the book lacked richness and depth in my opinion. It was unemotional until then end which somewhat redeemed the book but not enough. I needed more of that throughout. This book read like a typical sci-fi movie script and that may appeal to some people. I will say it held my interest enough that I wanted to know how it would end but I was not invested in the characters. I skimmed a lot because the science was boring and somewhat redundant. I forgot the main character's name several times throughout the book! I will still read the next book Crouch writes because Dark Matter and Recursion were just too good not to but overall I was disappointed.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ability to read and review this ARC of Upgrade. I love Blake Crouch's writing - it is fast paced, exciting and there are always twists up ahead that catch even the most seasoned reader by surprise. While there was a lot of science in this book, as I've noticed in his previous writings, it was easy to understand. The story was a fascinating look at what humans will do to save our species and how sometimes with even the best of intentions, catastrophic events can occur. Will recommend to others!

I had never read any books by Blake Crouch before, but this made me a fan.

Crouch whips the reader through a twisty look at a future where genetic editing and experimentation has caused the death of millions and is currently outlawed and investigated by a shady government agency. When one of their own is targeted, he becomes prey instead of the hunter.

This book is highly entertaining, well written and offers surprises at every turn. Additionally, Crouch has created realistic characters I cared about and thought about after I turned the last page. His writing is deft with great action and a fantastic sense of realism in an unreal story.

I am not normally a science fiction reader, but I will be picking up Crouch's other two books as soon as possible.

I don't know what else to say other than that Blake Crouch has got it. I got introduced to him a couple years ago with Dark Matter and Recursion (both of which are excellent sci-fi) and when I heard about Upgrade I knew I would need to drop everything and binge my way through it. One of the things I loved about both Dark Matter and Recursion is that while they're both just plain exhilarating stories, Crouch also probes at the ethical dilemmas at the edges of science. If the multiverse is real and we were able to travel between universes, should we? If time travel were possible, should we? In his latest novel Crouch asks a similar question: if we could hack our own genetic code, should we?

It's tempting when addressing ethical questions through fiction to take a preachy tone, but Crouch mostly avoids that trap by playing out the scenario in all its gritty details. Upgrade follows the path of Logan Ramsay, a government agent in the near future tasked with tracking down black hat genetic hackers. Then in a raid gone wrong, he himself is infected with a gene-modifying material and finds himself turning into something no longer quite human.

A story like this could easily devolve into another boring Marvel-esque superhero who has to follow the hero's journey to take down the latest bigger badder villain. There is a little bit of that vibe to be certain, and I'm not against a good action sequence, but the thing that sung to me about the book was its meditations on the pros and cons of meddling with nature. Would we finally be able to solve climate change, war, and famine if we just upgraded human beings to be a little smarter? On the other hand, what are the unintended, unforeseen consequences we might run into? What are the terrible costs we have to pay for all our good intentions? Upgrade is an extended, action-packed meditation on these deep questions and I highly recommend it.

DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of a fair, unbiased review.

I loved it! I wish it hadn't ended that way! Fascinating yet disturbing. The non-stop action is thrilling and I really enjoyed the back and forth chase all over the country. Being able to see things that minutely would be a skill I wouldn't mind having myself. Great author!

Another compulsively readable science fiction novel from Blake Crouch. As per usual, there is a lot of science in here, but Crouch approaches it much in the same way that Andy Weir does: in bite-size pieces, which don't overburden the plot.

It was also surprisingly emotional.

Basically, everything you'd want in a science fiction novel, and everything we've come to expect from Crouch.

Jason Cavallaro
jcavallaro42@gmail.com

Thank you Goodreads for giving me the opportunity to preview “Upgrade”. I found it to be at first very interesting, then as I got further into it, very very interesting, and now that I finished it, I consider it just a remarkable book that everyone should read. It is hard to imagine how much research was first needed to even start the writing of “Upgrade”. It was so realistic while also being so informative about man’s possible future abilities. Read it, I guarantee you will also love it.

There is rarely a moment in Upgrade, Blake Crouch’s latest novel, where the reader is given the opportunity to relax and catch his or her breath. The novel is the literary equivalent of a speeding, out-of-control car careening side to side down San Francisco’s notorious Lombard Street, with its 27 degree slope, eight hairpin turns, and landscaping obstacles. In other words, it is a wild, breathtaking and relentless thrill ride.

Logan Ramsay is a special investigator with the Gene Protection Agency, set up after a scientist released genetically DNA altered insects into Chinese rice paddies to bolster the plant’s blight resistance. The result? More rice. Starvation would become a memory. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, however. Despite extensive testing, the DNA mutated. Within seven years, 200 million people starved to death. The world as it once was was all but destroyed.

Investigating a site suspected of altering genes, Ramsay is caught in an explosion, which all but kills him. As he recovers, Ramsay notices that his body is transforming - physically and mentally. He is, as the title suggests, becoming the next upgrade.

I am stopping here. There is so much more waiting for you in this book. Real life questions about our future, some lovely written characters, and an ending that…well, that’s all you need to know. This is a thought-provoking, powerful novel that raises many questions about mankind's future, our own humanity, and our stewardship of the earth.

One more thing, and this was completely unexpected. There is a beautiful and heartbreaking love story within these pages. Something I did not expect to find in a techno-thriller. It had a profound impact on me.

This is one of the best books I have read in some while. I am grateful to NetGalley and Random House for sharing the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, read it. Talk about it. It is a great book for discussion.

This was a pretty great read. Fast-paced, interesting, hard to put down. The world Blake Crouch envisions and creates is not too hard to imagine—gene editing, famine, calamity. Logan is mysteriously upgraded and then needs to figure out why and by who. And then has to save the world.

It's a real nail biter and I could hardly put it down! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC. If you're looking for highly readable scifi that gives you lots to think about and is incredibly engaging, this is probably the book for you.

WOW! An amazing read executed with perfect clarity. Just like Blake's other works this is a blazing fast emotional adventure read that has cutting edge plot lines at it's center. I have loved his other books some of which I would call my very top most favorites, and this one falls right up there with them. The major difference, good or bad, with this read is that the plot is very linear and easy to follow. I didn't think there was too much hard to follow jargon. Again, much like Blake's other books, this is a very quick exciting and easy read. I think most readers, especially his fans will be able to read Upgrade over a long weekend. My favorite criticism for Blake after reading a Blake Crouch book is that he's too good and I need a new book immediately.

• Thank you to Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing this Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is July 19, 2022.

It is not unusual for Blake Crouch to make me a little anxious about the future. However, this book scared the living daylights out of me. The premise is that in the future scientists will find a way to hack into a person’s genome via a virus. As with most science, the intention was to improve health and mental processes but what happens when everything goes haywire and the results are far different than what was intended? What is the cost and who is paying it? Terrifying concept.