Once again Blake Crouch forays into the near-future Sci-Fi thriller realm. Upgrade feels somewhere between Michael Crichton and Cyberpunk. It's a cautionary tale about tinkering with genetics, the hubris of science of scientists and the future of mankind combined with a Blade Runner-type Dystopian/post-cataclysmic world all rolled into one. Crouch's full immersion into this type of Science Fiction has brought forth some of his best writing. Although, while it's impressive how much he knows/ has learned about genetics and biochemistry and such, there's a bit too much explanation of it, a lot of which isn't going to make sense to the layman who has no previous understanding of what's put forth in the novel. But overall the story is full of exciting Sci-Fi action.

I really wanted to like this! And I feel one of few people that really didn't, at least based on the reviews so far.

So you meet a family man fella in the near future who, through a series of events you'll have to read to find out what exactly, gets a major DNA upgrade. Well in this version of the future, that's not cool! So he gets targeted, jailed, and some other stuff happens.

I liked about 40% of this book and just lost interest halfway. Maybe I'm too charmed by Dark Matter. I only felt okay about Recursion. I still think Blake Crouch is an amazing sci-fi writer but this one just didn't do it for me.

Wow!! Another fast paced brilliant sci fi thriller from Crouch. I could not put it down.

Logan Ramsay has had his genome hacked and starts to undergo a very startling transformation that affects his brain, his body and the way he sees and feels everything. He's been given an upgrade.

He was specifically targeted and without giving anything away, I loved this whole aspect of the book and who targeted him and who was targeted with him and the choices they have to make.

Logan is just the beginning of a much larger plan that will impact all of humanity but at what cost? What will they lose of themselves in the process?

Logan is the one person who can stop what has been put into motion if he chooses and I really loved the decisions that he ultimately ended up making in the end.

I really love the way Crouch brought in entirety of humanity and really made me think about the human potential, limits and our future.

Upgrade skis the wake of other Crouch stories that explore the limits of what it means to be human. The central character in this story comes from a background of genetic experiments gone bad. Having "made a dent" in his debt to society with a prison term, he further attempts to make good on the debt by embarking on a career with a federal agency to hunt and foil unauthorized genetic experimentation. In the process, he becomes caught up in the web of an attack meant to "upgrade" humanity in an effort to save it from its own long-term destruction. What he learns is that the answer to mankind's survival is not what you would expect.

Gripping and utterly fantastic. My first Blake Crouch and I will now read more from from him in the future:

Interesting face-paced sci-fi thriller exploring human gene enhancement in the near future when a mad scientist 'upgrades' her grown children to save humans from self destruction.

The premise of this book is very interesting. At first reading the description I thought of Limitless but it doesn't follow that line at all. If you enjoyed Dark Matter or Recursion you'll love this book. I flew through this book very quickly and then was sad that it was over. I will definitely purchase this book and read it again. Highly recommend.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch reads like a made for the big-screen futuristic thriller. Fast-paced., action-packed and a great plot make this a great read. I didn't really understand all of the science information, but appreciate the attention to detail. Crouch's attention to detail and vivid imagination really brings this book to life in my mind.

Fun romance about second or third chances, renovating old houses, furniture and relationships featuring former child stars trying to reestablish themselves. I found this to be a lighthearted read.

I'm a huge Blake Crouch fan and Upgrade didn't disappoint! I wasn't initially as drawn into the premise, as I have been for his other books, but once I started, I was fully immersed into the story. Definitely recommend for Crouch fans and anyone interested in thriller/sci fi. I love learning the details of the slightly alternative/futuristic worlds he creates!

When Logan Ramsey finds himself in the hospital after an explosion, he realizes that his body didn’t just get hit with a little shrapnel. Instead, his entire DNA sequence was modified and everything about him was <b>Upgraded</b>. Suddenly he can recall everything he’s ever read or done instantly, read peoples facial cues and pulses, needs less sleep and a whole lot more. The government that he works for wants to keep him locked up and tested. Until someone breaks him out.

Crouch’s newest novel focuses on the implications of genetic modifications and how they could and would effect the people of the planet. How, if Logan’s Upgraded DNA was introduced to everyone, how the planet may be saved? Is it up to us to be in charge of this viral dispersion?

I found <i>Upgrade</i> to be fast paced and interesting. It posed a lot of ethical questions and was a very intriguing read.

Blake Crouch is about as reliable of an author as you can find. Quite remarkable for a man who hooped around a variety of speculative genre spectrum before settling on his latest passion – science fiction techno-thrillers.
Following in the most impressive footsteps of his recent books, Upgrade is a similar sort of very intense, very dynamic scientifically-fascinating, conceptually-exciting, and thrillingly thrillery sort of a story and this time it’s all about DNA.
All you ever wanted to know about Deoxyribonucleic acid and then some.
Unlocking the secrets of DNA sequencing has been one of the greatest discoveries of modern time and the thing with greatness is that it’s tough to leave it well enough alone. Especially, for a person sufficiently intelligent to manipulate it. Especially, for a person sufficiently intelligent to comprehend the implication of living during the six extinction and wanting to change things. The savior complex kicks in and then all sorts of madness ensue.
This is how it went for Logan Ramsay’s mother. A genius determined to save the world, she inadvertently unleashed a global famine that killed 200 million people and changed the world forever. That has been Logan’s legacy, on top of the fact that he, only being average smart at best, has never really measured up to his mother’s spectacular intellect.
Nevertheless, he has managed to put the past behind him enough to make a nice life for himself. A good job with Gene Protection agency, a loving family, etc.
And then one day, the world explodes around him (literally) and he finds himself upgraded. A concept initially terrifying, but then…something so much more. Now Logan is well on his way to becoming a superhuman, the question remains, though, at what cost? Why him? Is he the only one? Ok, that’s several questions, really.
But this is a novel that gives you extra, so much information, so much science, so much fiction. Such a fascinating speculative concept that while totally suspense and action driven for the fans of those things, is also very clever, thought-provoking and profoundly poignant.
Is the world worth saving? What would you do to save it? Where do you draw the line? What are the acceptable costs? When you are the smartest person in the world, what do you prioritize?
Those are some interesting questions readers might find asking themselves afterwards, but for what Logan Ramsay does…read this book.
It’s so much fun. It’s such a rush. Crouch has perfected his very own brand of pacing, specifically one sentence paragraphs, it’s all very dynamic. If some scenes are too sciency and some too actiony, the overall balance is still just right. A smart, exciting, wildly entertaining read.. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

<i>"What do you call a heart that is simultaneously full and breaking? Maybe there's no word for it, but for some reason, it makes me thing of rain falling through sunlight"</i>

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Upgrade! I’m honored to be one of the first to read a book by an author that I adore! One of the many things I love about Blake Crouch is that he writes believable Sci Fi. His books make you stop and think about the meaning of life. It’s deep. And Upgrade has proven to be no exception. I appreciate the amount of meticulous research that he does to provide real science to support the premise of his novels. The facts are all there, and accessible to the average reader.

Are we on the cusp of the world that Logan Ramsay lives in? Are we going to push the buttons until we destroy the planet and morph our DNA to become something super human? It doesn’t sound so farfetched to me. We meet Logan and his sister Kara, heirs to a legacy of DNA programming that they would rather not acknowledge. The end of humanity seems to be looming on the horizon, but Logan and Kara have different ideas about how that should be handled. The novel explores their battles; as siblings to a mother that altered the history of the entire planet, with each other, and with themselves. It’s typical Crouch, face paced and wild. It has a few twists and turns you didn’t see coming, but perhaps not as many as Wayward Pines or Dark Matter. I relished every word, reading paragraphs more than once, just to soak it in. I'm not sure how I wanted it to end, but I wasn't overwhelmed with the resolution as it seemed counterintuitive, so hence 4 stars. Regardless, still another fabulous read by Blake!

I was thrilled to receive a free ARC of this book from Random House/Ballantine books! One I didn’t even ask for! I did not know Blake Crouch had written a new book coming out in July 2022 so I dropped what I was reading(actually I have been in a book slump) and started reading this right away.

The imagination of Blake Crouch is truly something to behold and this book is no exception. The fact that he has made this story so very relevant to present day makes it feel necessary and important rather than just entertaining. The book is a bit shorter than his others and there is some background that is given short shrift…my main complaint. But Crouch manages to also bring in the personal and romantic element that permeates all his other stories and it makes for some very touching moments, particularly at the end. The book was a very easy read without getting banal, typical of Crouch’s work. You just sort of glide through it without much effort. Some of the genetics concepts were a bit over my head but you can always figure out the gist of what is happening. The descriptions of what were happening in Logan’s mind were pretty fascinating. His attempts to hang on to the essence of his humanity seemed very honest and real. I wish in some ways the book had been longer and explored more of these concepts. I also wish the book had more background and more in-depth character development. Aside from Logan, the other characters are pretty one dimensional. I still have to say I really enjoyed the book immensely. It was action from beginning to end.

Overall a very entertaining and interesting book that reflects on some very important human issues regarding our survival and what it will take to turn around the dangerous course we are currently on. We must heed this advise and quickly. The only thing we have to fear is ourselves.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Upgrade
A Novel
by Blake Crouch

Big thank you to Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing this Advance Reading Copy. The expected publication date is July 19, 2022.
I am usually a mystery reader, thought it was time to try something new. From all of the advanced reviews, Blake Crouch is a very well-known writer. I dug in and begin to feel a bit uneasy as if my O.C.D. jumped in full red. I did my best to read it all... by 45% I did not finish. I agree his writing is great, with reality and a message. Not his fault for my red flag.

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.