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.

A big thank you to the author Blake Crouch, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my candid review.

This is an intriguing story of gene manipulation gone awry. It is a very timely story about the advantages and dangers of experimenting with manipulating genes.

This is an epic read and I recommend it.

If I would have read this pre-pandemic I would have never believed the plot of this book. Now, having lived through some pretty bizarre happenings, I honestly feel like this could happen. By "this" I mean a genetic engineering experiment gone wrong. I would even go so far as to say it is too soon for a fictional story like this. It really just hits too close to home, what with a lab-created virus infecting people without their knowledge. I generally like Blake Crouch's books, particularly Dark Matter, but this one just wasn't for me. I still give it a 3 star rating based on the quality writing; I just didn't care for the subject matter.

A huge thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to preface this review by saying that I am a biology major working in health care so Blake Crouch and his sci-fi/thrillers (emphasis on the SCIENCE part) are right up my alley. I was over the moon to receive an early copy and even more ecstatic when it turned out to be my favorite Blake Crouch book yet.

In Upgrade, we follow Logan as he navigates life working in DC for the Gene Protection Agency. This agency came to be after Logan's mother, Miriam, used gene manipulation on an insect which lead to the death of millions of people. Now, as a GPA agent, Logan hunts down rouge scientists still using gene manipulation and arrests them. During one such mission, Logan is hit with a mystery projectile and wakes up in a hospital bed. At first he feels normal, but quickly we learn that all may no longer be as it seems. We continue to follow Logan as he learns about himself and his family and watch as he begins to understand the full implications of the work his mother started so many years ago.

Like Dark Matter and Recursion, Crouch is perfectly able to make very complex science feel attainable to the average reader and also follow principles that make sense and feel like this is a real scientific project. Also like Dark Matter and Recursion, the connection between the main character and his wife/partner/lover/child is always incredibly important and an anchor connecting them to humanity. It makes his stories relatable and also emotional, which is rare for a thriller book.

I think it's very clear the author has been deeply affected by Covid and also the Tr*mp administration. There is clear theming around a lack of compassion and "relative loss" for the greater good. There were a few quotes that I thought really highlighted this:
"Human beings are not a means to an end."
"We were a monstrous, thoughtful, selfish, sensitive, fearful, ambitious, loving, hateful, hopeful species. We contained within us the potential for great evil, but also for great good. And we were capable of so much more than this."
"We don't have an intelligence problem. We have a compassion problem."

I think if covid has shown us anything, it has shown that compassion for others and not taking a human life for granted is not a universal trait of human beings. This story explores that same notion and makes the reader consider another side to the problem. Progress for the sake of progress is not always the best choice and "relative loss" is very different when you or a close friend/family is the loss in question.

Blake Crouch always makes me think. I contemplate the decisions I've made and how they have affected the world around me. Western society in general has always tried to push the boundaries; manifest destiny, the space race, automated everything, etc. But, just because we can do something, doesn't always mean we should. There needs to be a level of compassion factored in. Upgrade literally takes place in a world where lower Manhattan doesn't exist due to flooding and any protein you consume is likely manufactured in a lab. The author is showing us our future if we continue on our current trajectory. I found this book to be insightful and emotional. There are obviously a lot of positives; the pacing is fantastic, the characters relatable and the action intense, but it's more than than. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science and/or thrillers but there's a lot more to gain than just a fun action packed thriller. Definitely pick this book up!

I got almost all the way through this book and then realized... I don't really care how it ends? Crouch's books (excepting Recursion) follow a very specific formula: smart science guy (but not TOO smart) gets into trouble and ends up separated from his wife and kid and he must cheat the system / hack the science to be reunited with wife and kid who have moved on in his absence.

In this one in particular the writing is very dry. It fits with the character, but it's very boring for the reader. Each encounter is boiled down very methodically and stripped of its tension (if you want good smart person using brainpower in combat, read Zero Sum Game by SL Huang). It started to feel like I was only reading out of inertia.

Then again, I also haven't loved (or even really liked...) any of the Crouch books I've read so I should just stop trying.

Fast-paced, interesting plot, although it was difficult to really root for any of the characters. This is mainly because all the options are slightly to outright terrifying, and it was hard to know which outcome might be best for humanity. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend for readers who like technology and biowarfare in their stories.

Blake Crouch does it again! I am not a big SciFi reader but I have greatly enjoyed each and every one of Blake's books. They are easy to understand and follow with excellent writing and good character development. I could not put this one down!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I've read everything Blake Crouch has written. I really enjoy his blend of science/technology and humor, and his visioning of near future worlds where things are a bit (or a lot) different. This is an easy read, but very well-written, and so absorbing that I plowed through it in 24 hours. Another very well done novel!

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.
As a fan of Crouch, I was looking forward to this book… did not disappoint. Some of these premises are scary but almost prescient. You must be able to tolerate scientific explanations or you’ll DNF. An enjoyable read!

"We were a monstrous, thoughtful, selfish, sensitive, fearful, ambitious, loving, hateful, hopeful species. We contained within us the potential for great evil, but also for great good. And we were capable of so much more than this." Thanks to Ballantine Books for the gifted copy.

This new novel from Blake Crouch was definitely different than the ones he's written in the past. However, it felt like I was watching a movie and hope that someone does pick it up one day (probably will).

This was definitely different than the Blake Crouch we've known in both Dark Matter and Recursion. Instead of focusing on theories within quantum physics, he's decided to go the biology and genetics approach.

A lot of this book feels like it's been influenced by the events of the past few years. From the pandemic, to climate change, to social justice issues, the story envisions an entire breakdown of humanity, it creates a near-futuristic America where humanity is on the brink of destruction. And in this world, science has caught up to science fiction as humans now have the capability to manipulate their genes. It's kind of crazy to think that you can edit yourself and change your face, make you more intelligent, or even create new species of animals, and yet, we are still down the path to the end of our species.

In this world, Logan is an agent for the GPA, Gene Protection Agency, who works to stop unlawful use of gene manipulation. On a routine investigation and raid of a possibly illegal genetics lab, Logan is attacked. He contracts a random virus leaving him in quarantine for fourteen days.

Once Logan has recovered from the virus, he slowly starts to change. He remembers every memory from his life as if they just happened. He can recall every piece of writing he's ever read right down to the very quotes. He can think more precisely, more logically, and can also suppress his own emotions. He's an enhanced version of himself and he's made this way by design. He realizes that his genes have been upgraded, but he doesn't know why.

From this point, the book turns into an action movie. You have your main character who escapes the GPA in order to find out why he was infected and what will happen to him in the future. Honestly, every bit of this story felt like I was watching a summer blockbuster action movie starring Tom Cruise or something. There were cyphers and codes to go through. There were shootouts and melee fights. There were even some touching moments with Logan and his family. It was the perfect combination of science fiction with thrilling action movie and I devoured the crap out of it. I don't think my eyes read that fast in my life.

I also loved Logan as the main character, grasping between his logical thinking brain and his emotions. I loved seeing him push and pull between the two and the imagery really reminded me of Mr. Spock from Star Trek; a man stuck between the intelligent choices and the emotional choices Something I love about Blake Crouch's stories is how human he makes his characters. They always have someone they are fighting for and it's the same in Upgrade as Logan can't let go of his family. It truly made it so much more personable especially when it gets heavy with the science.

This was such an absolutely thrill to read and I can't believe I devoured it so quickly. I loved the characters, the action, the adventure. I think the only thing I didn't like was the epilogue, but that's not really anything to criticize. Overall, it was such a fun read and definitely one you want to squeeze in before the summer is over!

Wowowowow not my usual genre but I've been expanding more into sci-fi recently and really enjoyed this book. I know that Blake Crouch is a beloved sci-fi author right now and I will definitely be reading his back list. I was super engaged with the premise of this book and how everything unfolded. I hope this gets made into a movie or limited series because I think it would be really cool to see it on screen.

Blake Crouch has solidified himself as one of my favorite sci-fi authors with this book! Seriously so freaking good. If you liked Dark Matter and Recursion, then run don't walk to get this one. I am obsessed with how the pacing, plot, characters and science all meld perfectly in this book. The plots also have this uncanny valley feel like is this future sci-fi, or just scary future. I will be waiting impatiently for Crouch's next book! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

If there was one genre I read the least, it would certainly be sci-fi. However I’ve heard so many glowing reviews for Blake Crouch’s past work, that I thought I would give his newest book, UPGRADE, a go.

As soon as I began reading I was immediately captured by the story and Crouch’s writing style. I had been a little apprehensive about not understanding the topics that this book centered around, however I was impressed by the way Crouch approached these topics in a more digestible manner for his readers.

I enjoyed the overall plot and the conflicts that he put in his main characters way. It made for a really fast read and one that I did not want to put down.

I ended up really enjoying UPGRADE and will definitely go back to read Crouch’s previous work now!