Upgrade was a Jason Bourne-esque cinematic thrill ride for the first half… and the second half reads like stereo instructions. I understand why—the technical aspect of the writing truly shows you how inhuman the narrator is becoming—but MAN is it difficult to read sometimes. If you’re a sci-fi fan it’s worth the read, and it’s very quick. I think I read it in a few hours. Still, be forewarned that it will get very, very prosaic, and that that’s kind of the point.

Another wild ride from Blake crouch. This book goes fast so be prepared. Our mc Logan is working for the government preventing genome hacking, but after a raid gone wrong logan starts to suspect he might have been changed a bit. He works on finding out what happened to himself and just like in other crouch books the science is very easy to understand the way it’s written. There’s not a lot of down time in this book and before you know it, it’s over. I may actually do a reread on this one it was so good.

I absolutely loved this book! It was our most recent bookclub pick and nobody rated it lower than 4⭐️ (even the non-science loving people enjoyed this one e). The author did a great job of intertwining fact with fiction and inspiring the reader to care about the future by paying attention and being compassionate. I highly recommend this one to everyone!

In a future where human genetic modification is possible, Logan Ramsay doesn't realize at first that things are different. When he realizes that his memory is improving, process information faster, and other small improvements he starts wonder what is going on. Unfortunately, upgrading your genetics isn't totally legal and the authorities want to know what Logan and his mother (who he thought was dead) are planning.

Upgrade is the first Blake Crouch book I've read (I did watch the show based on his Wayward Pines series). I don't read a lot of science fiction because I have trouble picturing all the advance technology of the futuristic world. However, since Upgrade has to do with biological sciences I knew that this would be the kind of science fiction I enjoy.

And I did enjoy this book. I guess technically it is a technothriller but only because the "tech" is the means to edit genetic code and not some advanced gadget. The methods that are mentioned in the book are actually technology that is in use. I work at an infectious disease research center and we have people using CRISPR/Cas9 in their research. But really you could forget that this book is science fiction as it read much more like a thriller.

It is a fast-paced story with a lot of twists and turns. Betrayal is rampant. You never know which ally is going to turn foe in this race to save the human population.

It's not just a great rollercoaster of a story. There are a lot of thought-provoking moments given the ethical issues around human gene manipulation. These are real-world concerns that our society is facing now.

If you haven't picked up this book yet, it would make a great fall read.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Sunday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/09/upgrade-by-blake-crouch-review.html

Blake Crouch novels are always such a treat to read. While a lot of the time the sci-fi jargon goes well above my head, I am still entertained at the premise of the story. This one was no different. I feel like I am reading about a not-too-distant future situation that reads just like a movie. So entertaining and enjoyable. I always look forward to each of his next wild novels.

This is a very thought provoking novel taking place in the not too distant future. It focuses on the possibilities and evils of genetic manipulation. It raises many ethical issues, such as being willing to kill the few to save the many. Another issue is what we can and should do to save the world for the next generation. In that sense, this novel is very timely. The plot development is good and reading the novel goes well. The extrapolation of current DNA manipulation makes for a thrilling read. There are many exciting scenes and twists.

I felt the science aspect of the novel was mixed. I enjoyed the future aspect with electric vehicles and other innovative technology. There was a great deal of technical genetic information, with many references to DNA sequences and gene sections. I have to admit, some of it was overwhelming and I skimmed through it. Some of the suspenseful scenes almost had a screen play feel to them, they were so expansive. And I had trouble liking any of the characters. All were deeply flawed, giving a dystopian feel to the novel.

This is a novel for readers who like a thought provoking and engaging novel exploring a possible future. Be ready for a good deal of bio-technology and scenes full of suspense. While there were aspects of the novel that did not grab me, I did like it in general and think it is worth reading.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This is my first book by this author. I was intrigued from the get-go. This sci-fi thriller is not my norm. For the most part, it was told in layman’s terms but a few parts had a bit too much science jargon for me. I liked the characters, the premise and how much this book made me think. I read it in one day

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a review

Black Crouch does some great standalone Sci-Fi and Upgrade is no exception. It's like if The Martian meets the Bradley Cooper movie 'Limitless'. It swims around in the juicy DNA elements throughout the book and what the different genomes and sequences touch on and i thought that was pretty fascinating. The story of our main character was pretty intriguing and made his fight for his family - and the betrayal faces, fell all the more real.
Upgrade not only takes you on a wonderful biological-scifi-thrill-ride, but also opens your eyes to the impossibility that is the human building block.

Blake Crouch is a mastermind who writes amazingly smart stories. This one was good but not as amazing for me as Dark Matter or Recursion. The end left me wanting an upgrade a bit.

I loved the concept of this book where upgrading yourself exists but is illegal. Following the main character Logan and watching him change was crazy. And the reasoning behind all of it was something I didn’t expect, I really loved the twists in this one! There is a lot of scientific ‘talk’ in this as well that I kind of glossed over at times but besides that it was a fast paced story that I really enjoyed!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine as well as the author for this ARC.
#NetGalley #RandomHouseBallantine #Upgrade #BlakeCrouch

Full disclosure, this was a touch too far on the sci fi scale for my liking. I really enjoyed the challenge of reading it. It required all of my attention and a lot of brain power, which is why it took me so long to read. I love a book that makes me think. I liked the story but I didn’t love it. I had trouble connecting with the main character as well as the subject matter.
All in all, I believe the author is talented and clever. This style of book, however, is not for me.

This was my first Blake Crouch book and I went into it hesitantly. Science fiction isn't a typical genre for me so I was nervous that I wouldn't understand or be interested in the story. But, I was so pleasantly surprised with how quickly this book captured my interest and I found myself unable to put it down.

What I liked about this book:
The story was exciting and I appreciated how much it made me think about climate change and our future. Crouch describes the scenes incredibly well and the story's intensity built at an appropriate pace. While there were a lot of science details, it never felt like it was too much or unclear.

What didn't work for me:
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I was a little disappointed in the ending only because I felt like it contradicted the main character's message throughout the story.

I certainly intend to read the author's backlist books now.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was underwhelming.

I enjoyed the topic but this book didn't have the elements I usually like from the author (twists and unique concepts). It somehow felt a bit dated a la Jason Bourne (I have a personal vendetta against Matt Damon) so I quickly lost interest.

I only finished because I've enjoyed his past work.

This is my first Blake Crouch book, and I can see why he’s such a popular author. I enjoyed his writing and the entire book is pretty intense and fast-paced. This is a story that I can see made into a movie.

However, there are some fundamental problems with the premise. Let’s be real, we’ve seen many movies about enhanced superhuman power and kill people to save humanity story so I don’t think there’s anything new or unique that would stick with me. Then, the ending seemed pretty contradictory to the whole purpose of the story….soooo…. I’m not really sure how I felt.

Overall it’s still a very entertaining read and definitely make me wanna read Dark Matter and Recursion.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the free e-copy in exchange for my honest review

3.7 roundup to 4 ⭐️

I don’t read as much science fiction as I used to and when I do it tends toward the literary more than the scientific. And I think that is probably the main reason for my rating here. There is a well established plot with interesting characters, background on genetics necessary to the story, but what felt, to me, excessive details that occasionally stopped the onward flow of the story. And believe me, the story does move, sometimes with fury. There is plenty of action for those who crave it, as well as thought and attention to how humanity has arrived at and is dealing with the degraded environment they are currently living in throughout the world.

While there were interesting points and the author has demonstrated a breadth of knowledge, too often, I was pulled out of the action or contemplation by another string of genetic code. I have a feeling that many, perhaps most others may feed differently and enjoy everything.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review.

A sci-fi book with an interesting concept regarding genetically altering human beings in order to save them from extinction. I liked the characters well enough, there was plenty of action, but just too much scientific gobbledygook. I found myself skipping big chunks of it to try and move on with the story. The ending was decent and had a very meaningful letter regarding humanity. This is the third book I’ve read by this author and rated each one 3 stars. However, I keep reading them so something is definitely keeping my interest, and I will probably read Mr. Crouch’s next book. Hope that one’s a 5!

I'm shouting from the rooftops that Crouch's latest "Upgrade" is one of the best books of 2022! A believable story of genetic modification and a glimpse at the future - regardless of how distant or near. This book with keep you engaged as you flip through the pages at rapid speed.

I loved the message of this story. Blake does it again with the sci-fi thrillers and does not disappoint!

Ultimately, I was disappointed in this book. It was not nearly as good as Dark Matter. I never became emotionally invested like I was with the last one. I'm not sure why, if it was specifically because he himself disengaged so much from his emotions or because the stakes didn't feel as high, I'm not sure. Also, there wasn't a lot that felt new to me in this take on genetic engineering nor was it an actual thriller. Several parts in the middle dragged quite a bit for me. I'm really sad that a book with such an interesting and promising premise ended up being so boring and underwhelming.

Blake Crouch is a master at stories that feel so real - even as wild as the science is, he makes you think it could really happen or could definitely be our future. Upgrade is no different - a very cool story.