I loved this book. Blake Crouch has such an incredible mind to think up these complex sci-fi adventures. The idea that “knowledge is power” is truly examined in this exciting thriller.

Rating: 3.5/5 parallel lines of thought to slow time

Format: e-book. I’d like to thank the author, Random House, and Bellantine Books for sending me an e-arc of this book to review!

To sum up:
In Blake Crouch’s newest thriller, Logan Ramsey has been “upgraded”, having received a series of mysterious genetic modifications. As he unravels who upgraded him, and what changes are made, he is set on a path that will uncover secrets about his family and put the whole world into jeopardy.


What I enjoyed:
Crouch is great at putting in just enough legit science for his thrillers to make sense and this one is no exception. I have some background in genetics and although there are definitely some leaps made here, a lot of the basics make sense which made this really fun to read. I thought the picture he painted of our future was depressingly accurate but overall the message of the book is not what I expected and found it rather uplifting. I liked that at the heart of the story, brother is pitted against sister, each fighting for what they think is right to save humanity from itself.


What was meh:
I did find myself putting this book down a lot which is why it took me a while to read. I think Crouch’s other books have a lot more reflection in them, a deeper layer going on underneath the plot that I enjoy a lot and this one didn’t really have that until the end. I think the nature of the changes made to the main character (one of which is limiting his emotional range) might distance the reader from the MC in a way that makes this book not as easy to connect to as his others. Lastly, some of the choices made by the characters didn’t quite make sense to me, and the realization that the solution could be something between all or nothing was too slow to come into focus.


Overall, I thought this was pretty enjoyable but not my favorite Crouch book. If you like some genetics in your thrillers (Jurassic Park fans I’m looking at you), then definitely check this out! This one takes the science and the implications to a whole new level which is exciting.

I have a confession. I've had Blake Crouch's Recursion sitting on my shelf for years now, and I still haven't gotten around to it. But when Upgrade was released, I couldn't resist picking it up! Unlike Recursion, I got around to Upgrade pretty quickly.

Logan Ramsay is part of a controversial team. Some people love the work they do, while others will fight to their dying breath to stop them. Logan is part of a team of people who track down scientists that study and alter genomes.

The irony of Logan's career isn't lost on him when Logan finds his own body hacked by the very science he's sworn to stop. Now Logan is on the run, and his newly hacked body and mind have provided him with a unique yet powerful opportunity.

“You can’t kill humanity to save humanity. Human beings are not a means to an end.”

Hrm. If I had only one sentence to describe Upgrade, I would say that it makes you think. It's a creative novel that tackles modern science, morals, and ethics, all in one fell swoop. And let us not forget the thriller elements, which add much to the aesthetic of this story.

There were times when Upgrade reminded me a lot of Gattica, with the whole debate (read: ban) on genetic modification. Granted, both stories deviate strongly from the public's opinion on the matter, but it kept popping into my mind.

Logan is a tortured character, to say the least. His backstory essentially forced him into a position where he hunts scientists, and boy, does he feel conflicted about that fact! I appreciated the brutal honesty of his position, and that was all before the plot kicked off.

Once the main event occurred, I found myself uncertain of how to feel. Logan changes a lot throughout this novel, for good or for ill. It opens the door to plenty of debates, which I appreciate. However, it also felt...rushed?

It was fun seeing a sci-fi/thriller take on modern issues and concerns. I always love it when an author can portray these concerns in a mature way. It makes me want to go back and read Recursion (I swear, I'm planning on it!).

2.5 stars, rounded down


Sci fi is a hit or miss with me, but I continue to read it because I enjoy the underlying social commentary. This is my fourth book by Blake Crouch, and while I enjoyed it significantly more than Pines, it was nowhere near the levels of Dark Matter and Recursion.

This genre can sometimes be difficult, because it must have a perfect balance of science and entertainment. Unfortunately for Upgrade, it felt like there was too much emphasis on the science that it took away from the entertainment aspect of the story. I would have liked to see Crouch develop his characters a little more... I didn't feel emotionally attached to them. There were scenes in the book I found enjoyable, but I decided to round down in my rating because of the confusion with the science of genetics. I know it was included to help the reader to understand the world, but it came across as the author trying to sound overly intelligent (which I'm sure he is, but it felt as though he were trying too hard).

I think that Upgrade is a perfect book for scifi lovers, but if you struggle with the genre, I would recommend proceeding with caution.

My least favorite of Crouch's so far unfortunately! I've loved his previous novels but this one just didn't work for me. There's not much character development so I didn't care for the characters, even our main character Logan. On top of that, there's so much science talk I zoned out a lot. I just didn't enjoy this one overall. I did like the concept though, it was definitely unique. It took me a long time to get through this book because I kept stopping this one and would read over books.


Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Once again another page turning sci-fi thriller from Crouch! I really loved the first 100 pages and where I felt the story was going. Once the plot started to split off I was worried it wouldn’t hold up but it worked. It reads like a screenplay which is common for the author. I liked the comparisons to what is happening in the real world and the true message at the end. I will forever read whatever Crouch writes next.

This is the book I've been wanting to read since COVID started. A pandemic sci-fi. And it was probably the most suspenseful book I've read all year.

It's absolutely action-packed and would make a great movie. Some of the scientific explanation did get a bit long-winded, and the action scenes were written a little too clinically for my taste (I would have liked more dialogue, more of what the MC was thinking during those scenes.) But the overall story was excellent and I couldn't put it down.

I’ll read anything Blake Crouch writes. Upgrade was such a fascinating read. I read it in a day and couldnt have stopped if asked.

Thank you to Netgalley for my eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed Recursion by Blake Crouch and was looking forward to another fun sci-fi adventure. Unfortunately this one was a miss for me mostly due to the lack of character development. It was very fast-paced and almost too much so because it did not allow the reader the chance to get to know the characters or sympathize with them. That said I did really like the idea of living in a world where it is possible to mess with the human genome and to create an almost "super solder/human being race". I also loved the final message that the human race needed more than super strength or super intelligence. is empathy. I think that is a very important message and one that I fully agree with. It is such a shame however that this novel was too fast-paced to allow the reader to feel any empathy toward its characters.

OK LOOOOOOOOOOOVED.
What a fun, smart, and thrilling(!) thriller! I managed to understand what was going on without fully grasping the science or knowing what was going to come next. I loved the family drama and the FEELING within it. It feels better than Dark Matter, to me, because of just how action-packed it was.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the free eARC!

I feel like I always know I'm going to get a great read when it comes to Blake Crouch. Sci Fi isn't my thing but his books are mesmerizing and I just can't get enough! I enjoyed this one a lot! Thanks so much for the opportunity to read and review! Looking forward to the next one!

Thank you to the publishers for sending me this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

This is a really solid sci-fi novel. I'm not the best with science so some of it just went over my head, but it did not hinder my enjoyment. The characters, their motives, and their actions all make sense. I love the sibling relationship between Logan and Kara and how the upgrade impacted it. The ending was really great as well.

I feel like I would have enjoyed this novel more if there were additional descriptions of the world and how the dystopian society impacts average civilians. It was perhaps a bit too focused on solely the upgrade while there were other interesting things going on in the world.

I would recommend this book to those who love heavy science, dystopian societies, and action novels.

This book is set in a dystopian world where genetic modification is normal, genome hacking is rampant and used as a form of bioweapon. We are following our main character who gets his genes modified. He develops better concentration and memory, is better at multitasking, reads much faster. He discovers that this is happening to other people too and is part of a much larger plan which he is determined to stop.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year & I am not disappointed! This was so much more emotional than I expected. And one thing that I find with Crouch’s books so far is the strong emphasis/presence of family/partner. It makes the themes relating to the sci-fi aspect in relation to our humanity hit that much more. Following Logan as he grapples with the changes happening to him and his discoveries as he learns more about what has been done to him was, in a way, also a personal journey for me. It opened up discussions about humanity, our own desires to make our world better, how that can be selfish and constrained by what we know and discover ourselves. I think that was one of the book's purpose/goal and absolutely succeeded in that.

Hands down, one of THE best books of 2022. Every human should be required to read this.

Blake Crouch has this way of righting Sci-Fi as if it could be real. You can picture what he's writing for us 25, 30, 50 years down the road. That's why I love his writing. Normally, Sci-Fi is not my thing, but if Crouch writes it, I'm reading it without even needing to know what it's about. Full stop.

Very interesting concept, but something felt a little scattered and disconnected. I wanted a little more or something else.

This book was really good but I do feel slightly dumber after having read it. This is very much a book for smart people - I guess you have to REALLY like science if you request to read this one! It's very much about messing with genes and what happens in society when people do that. It was very good and fast paced though, and a very easy read. 4 stars.

Logans mother was a super genius. Involved in genetics. Due to millions of crops dying, resulting from something his mother created and people dying,Logan spent a few years in prison and his mother committed suicide.
Now working to help catch hacks, Logan finds something happening to his brain and body. after a bust goes wrong.. Day by day he is becoming a super human, something he akways wantd but now he sees how wrong this is. Can he stop it or is the world doomed

This was fine. This isnt the first Crouch novel I’ve read so I’m aware of his style. He does a good job explaining the science and the backstory between Logan, his mother and his sister was intriguing. The ending to me is what fell flat. This was a high stakes situation throughout and I’m not sure Crouch knew how to bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

I love Blake Crouch books and was so excited to read Upgrade!
While this novel did not quite reach "Dark Matter" standards for me, personally, I still really enjoyed it.

This takes place in a future state of the world and the ramifications of things Logan's mom has done affected the world population and the environment itself.
Logan starts to notice changes in himself and soon, he can no longer ignore them. His genetic makeup has been 'Upgraded" along with his sisters'. The upgrades have choices and consequences that will keep you pondering this book after you finish it.
Thankful for the ARC!
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This book was amazing. I loved the premise and loved the execution. The character development was fantastic for Logan, but I wish there was a little more from some of the other characters, but maybe that was the point. The ending was a tear jerker and for a sci-fi book to do that for me is rare. Well done!