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.

This one hurt...I've really enjoyed Crouch's previous books but this one really fell flat for me. It was simply "ok" when I was expecting such great things. I felt like it was extremely easy to check out while reading this one and a lot of it was repetitive and somewhat cliched, and a bit phoned-in. Will this stop me from reading his next book? Nope.

I have been a Blake Crouch fan since I read Dark Matter, which is still my favorite of his. But this book did not disappoint. I was intrigued by the plot and thought it was well executed. Logan was an interesting character and I felt engaged in the story and the excitement. This one is right up there with Dark Matter and Recursion for me!

“Upgrade” was an interesting work of science fiction, which isn’t usually my genre of choice. I was into the story from the beginning and enjoyed the unsuspecting ride. There were twists and turns and overall, while not my usual cup of tea, I liked this one. 4 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy for review.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the subject is fascinating - genetic mutation and how it can alter the future. The story is fast paced and dynamic. But on the other hand, I was bored through much of the book. Not enough happened and there were too many scientific details. We were mostly in the head of the main character, and at times I found myself quickly skimming parts of the book. It was a quick read and mostly enjoyable, but not crouch’s best in my opinion.

Thank you netgalley for my advance reader copy.

Another great book by Blake Crouch. He has a great way of explaining convoluted topics that leave you feeling smarter after having read his books, rather than dumb for not knowing these in depth topics.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Upgrade a lot. Great "summertime" read with lots of fun quirks and great genetics related science fiction. See my full review on youtube: https://youtu.be/1N9Uj0yFGoA

The perfect summer read! Interesting and unique plot, a sympathetic main character, and propulsive action that kept me turning the pages way too late into the night. Blake Crouch has a way of making science fiction very accessible for readers like me who normally do not read much of the genre. I have recommended this book to several different people who read across all genres.

I finished Upgrade a couple of weeks ago and as always @blakecrouch1 had blown my mind. I love the concept of altering DNA and upgrading to become something of a superhuman. Enhancing one’s strength, knowledge, and senses doesn’t come without consequences.

Logan Ramsay works for the GPA, Genetic Protection Agency, when he gets caught in a genome-attacking bomb. The background on Logan is his mom was a geneticist that unwittingly caused the death of billions when her project caused worldwide starvation or “Ramsay’s Famine.” Soon after Logan’s attack, he becomes smarter, faster, stronger. He believes that if everyone gets this kind of “upgrade” then it will be the end of humanity. Who’s behind this DNA-altering attack? Logan is out to stop them.

I definitely enjoyed this heart-pounding read but loved Recursion more. (I still have to read Dark Matter *gasp*). The epilogue of Upgrade was so so great in my opinion. Once again, Blake Crouch leaves us with another great book to ponder and discuss. One I’ll be thinking about for awhile.

Many thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC! I made sure to get the @bookofthemonth copy for my husband so we could read it together.