Upgrade by Blake Crouch
Science fiction.
The future of humanity is in peril. Is the answer to make people smarter?
That’s the question and dilemma in this newest novel by this author.

Heavy in science application but readable for the average, non-science reader. This novel is compelling and scary in the implications. Moral dilemma vs. the future of man.
Impressive writing that will keep you reading to the end. How much is fiction and how much for-telling?
I liked the ending solution.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I've read Recursion and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, and Upgrade may be my favorite of the three. It's heavy on the science which goes right over my head, but it's also heavy on the human elements. Without giving too much away, a main premise is of the book is the constant weighing of choices we make, and how we decide what is the best outcome. As someone who does a lot of risk management for a living, I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and it's most likely why it's my favorite.

If you've enjoyed Crouch's other books, I think you'll like this one too. It has many of the same elements, in a story that's relevant for our current day concerns.

“Life never really goes the way you want or expect. Usually, even getting exactly what you want turns out not to have been what you really wanted. So, my son, if you ever find a sliver of happiness and peace, just be thankful and live. Don’t reach for more, because a sliver is more than most people ever find.”

Another book by this phenomenal story teller where I got sucked into and found myself holding my breath needing to know what would happen next. All though it is deeply heavy in Sci-Fi and there was a lot of stuff that went above my head, the story is so strong you’ll still find yourself absorbed and able to enjoy this one. A really good one you’ll want to pick up!

Logan Ramsay is starting to feel different, he wasn't quite sure at the beginning but now he knows something is going on. His body is ever-changing and everything is starting to look different, he realizes his genome has been hacked. The big question for him is why? Who has made this upgrade and why was he specifically chosen for it. As he investigates his past starts to come to light and family secrets are uncovered. Logan knows that with all his new upgrades he's tho only person that can set to right what someone else has made wrong. Will he do all he can to save humanity? Crouch wove a wonderfully complex story that will keep you on edge until the end.

This was a fun, rollicking read. It reminded me of thrillers like those done by Dan Brown or Michael Crichton.

QUICK BITS
-Dystopian revelations
-Science heavy
-Philosophical inquiries
-Fast pace

REVIEW
Well, I think I can officially say this.

No one writes books like Blake Crouch.

So far in my reading journey no one has been able to produce 5 star reading experiences with every book...except Blake Crouch.

So why did this book once again blow me away?

Reason one: Pace.

Like all of Crouch's books this book does not follow normal plot structures. Instead of writing one story with the classic plot structure, you get what feels like several interconnecting and evolving stories that leaves you guessing until the end. (You will see below that the plot was a bit weaker for me in this one, mainly due to a greater focus on character/emotion as a driving force).

Reason two: Science/philosophy.
Again, like all his books, Crouch takes sci fi and weaves a story that follows real scientific values with the greatest questions we face as humans. I don't know of anyone else that can take such complicated thoughts and emotions and make them compulsively enjoyable.

I think this will be one of Crouch's more difficult books to read for non-science focused persons. There is a lot of detailed genetics discussed (that I personally loved having studied genetics for my career), but I can see others being turned off by it.

In the end, this book delivers exactly what Blake Crouch always strives to—a book about what makes us human, how far we will go with scientific/technological developments, and ultimately how to be the best version of ourselves today to create a better tomorrow.

RATINGS
9 Characters
9 Atmosphere
10 Writing Style
8 Plot
10 Intrigue
10 Logic
10 Enjoyment
BONUS: 5.00/5.00 Impact Rating (plus 5)
TOTAL= 71/14 = 5.10

5.00/5.00 Overall Rating

This was a good fast read that explores the type of creepy global future I hope we avoid. In addition to a fast-paced thriller, you'll be in for a crash course in genetics ethics.

How one handles significant ethical issues is the central theme of this fascinating story. The tale woven to make the reader think about Homo sapiens, our planet, etc. starts with the ‘capture’ of a scientist who works for the governmental agency whose mission is to identify and imprison genetic scientists so that genes cannot be altered for ANY reason. From there the tale goes on an intricate and interesting journey.

I’ve been a huge fan of Blake Crouch and this book continued to solidify my fandom for his genre of sci fi. I love how original this book was while feeling entirely plausible. If you liked any of his past work, give this one a read!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read the ARC of Upgrade. This is flat-out the best book I've read this year, and maybe since the last Blake Crouch book Recursion. Logan Ramsay, the son of a genius genetics researcher, feels different recently. He discovers that he's been genetically modified, and ultimately finds out that it's part of a bigger plan to "save humanity". Logan must discover the identity of the responsible party(ies) and decide if he's going to participate in this plan, or try to stop it. There's an awful lot of science background in this book, but it was exceptionally well done and brings up some huge questions to ponder for our future. I highly encourage anyone who likes a good science adventure, and especially those who enjoy great hard SF to read this book.

I have adored Blake Crouch’s prior novels and Upgrade may actually be my favorite. This novel is the story of Logan Ramsay, who is employed by the GPA, an agency created as the Gene Protection Act becomes necessary that made altering DNA a crime. Logan is a relatively normal, middle-aged man. He is a husband and a father and bright but not genius level bright. He carries the baggage of his family history due to his mother, a brilliant geneticist whose experimentation led to hundreds of thousands of people dead. He still feels the burden of this and is trying to atone for it in his job. One day while at work, he is on a case where he and his partner and a team are trying to bring in a notorious gene manipulator. They obtain the location and he is the first one into the building. Something unexpected happens and boom, we are off!
This story is a fascinating look at the current uses and misuses of the new technology of gene editing. Even within the science community, there is a great deal of ethical debate over the appropriate use of gene manipulation. This book explores some of these extremes. I loved the journey that Logan took over the arc of the novel. This was a good hard look at the ramifications of any decision making, or lack of decision making (apathy), in addressing difficult issues that our planet is currently facing. Crouch did an incredible job summing it up and how it relates to humanity today.
Highly recommend!

#Upgrade #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroup #Ballantine

This is exactly the book we've come to expect from Blake Crouch...an incredibly fast paced sci-fi thriller that'll stick in your head for days. This was an easy five star read up until the end.

This latest story from Blake Crouch was another nail biter. The intricate plot and pacing of the story kept me engaged the entire time. This story centers around Logan who has been infected with a virus that literally upgrades him. He has improved mental and physical capabilities, These changes have left him wondering if this virus is a blessing or a curse? Who is behind this? As Logan tries to uncover the mystery he is faced with making decisions that can change the world.

This was just as cerebral as Crouch;s other books and fans will not be disappointed. This doesn’t take you through as many twists and turns as his other books but deals with larger global issues that I found thought provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #Upgrade #BlakeCrouch

I have been a huge fan of Blake Crouch's writing ever since I read the the Wayward Pines trilogy. I pretty much read everything he writes as I'm never disappointed.

I have to be honest and say that this book scared me. The entire time I was reading I kept thinking -- you know, this shit could actually happen....maybe it already has? What if scientists/doctors really started tinkering with the human genome to make us "better''? Where would it stop? And would it really be done to make things better or for other darker reasons?

I totally binge read my ebook ARC copy of this book as I made a 1500 mile move from NC to CO in June. I'm bouncing around in a freaking rented moving truck, with my eyeballs glued to this ebook the whole way because I couldn't stop reading. Great story! I just read that Crouch's book Dark Matter is being made into a television series. This story would be an excellent series as well! It takes a lot to freak me out....and this story had my brain busy with all sorts of moral and ethical inner debates. How far is too far when it comes to medical breakthroughs and scientific studies of the human brain and DNA? If we mess with our genetic code are we gambling with something we should leave alone? Or is manipulating our genetic code part of our inevitable evolution?

I love it when a book sends me into deep thoughts! This is why I read everything Blake Crouch writes!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Random House Publishing/Ballantine. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

Sci fi isn't a genre I gravitate towards. I typically read 1-2 books in the genre a year but I'm a huge fan of Dark Matter and Recursion and have recommended them over and over again. Upgrade was on the short list of books I could not wait to read this year! ⁣
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Blake does a fantastic job of weaving science into our world that it doesn't feel like sci fi to me, but quite believable. In this case, science has progressed so gene modification is easily possible, but not heavily regulated. ⁣
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This has a much simpler plot, logic, and is nowhere as mind blowing as his previous. Honestly, I found it sorry to say, boring! That unputdownable feeling wasn't there. The science was cool and not the issue - it was semi over my head, but digestible. I just thought the story itself was intriguing to start but really fizzled out. I was not invested in Logan's character and struggled to want to follow his journey. But my biggest issue is I thought the family dynamics with his mom and sister were not built up enough, very little history for each character to care and be invested in either relationship or understand their reasoning in the present day.

Crouch is one of my go-to authors! Dark Matter is one of my top 10 books of all-time. While Upgrade didn't grab me as much as that one did, it was still a very enjoyable read. One thing that I like about Crouch's books is that they make me think, and give my brain a workout. Some books are just easy "beach reads" that you can skim through while your mind is thinking of the other things you need to do once you put your book down, but this isn't one of those, It's not overly science-y, but it will make you think and pay attention. I'd recommend reading it when you're in a frame of mind to really pay attention to the book. As always, looking forward to his next release!

This didn't disappoint! Great premise (I'm up for pretty much any genetics-related sci fi), lots of fun twists and action, obviously will translate really well to the big screen. I am super fond of the ending. Crouch will continue to be an auto-read for me!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

OK, a lot of science here! I do not consider myself a science person, but I recently read The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race - while I certainly didn't fully grip a lot of the science, I did get a general understanding of gene editing, how it works, and some of the ethical issues. As soon as I started reading Upgrade, I appreciated that background.

But don't let a lack of science knowledge stop you from reading it. Crouch explains it all well enough to appreciate the story, even if you don't feel quite qualified to go to work in a gene editing lab!

Reading the blurb will give you a basic idea of the overall plotline. But what it won't give you is the human part of this book, which is strong. All of the characters are well drawn and they all make sense, in thinking about their actions and motivations. I felt that I liked and understood all of the main characters - Logan, the protagonist, of course, but also his sister, his wife and daughter, his partner, and his boss. What they did and why they did it all made sense to me, even if I didn't agree with their actions.

I very much enjoyed reading this - it was a fast ride, and I wasn't really sure until the end how it was all going to come out!

This book was a lot. For one, I am not a science major of any sort so when the gene talk started I was like “huh…kay” but the best thing about Blake Crouch, and what reminds me of Andy Weir in his work, is the character is describing the science in a way that only a scientist could understand and then in the following words, sort of brings it down to a level the average person can understand. I, as an average person, appreciate that.

I also appreciate the story it told and the question it asked. What would you do seeing the world going how it is?

The answer isn’t easy and we follow Logan, a member of the GPA, whose had his genome modified and it turns him superhuman. Why? Because someone wants him to fix the human race so that we can fix the world. Climate change has taken tolls on the planet, the starts of which we’re already seeing, especially with Lake Mede drying up the way it is.

However, the “solution” that was foisted on him, was against his will and carries side effects that people really shouldn’t be comfortable with. It wasn’t easy for him and the ramifications it had on his family.

Now Logan has to stop this upgrade from being deployed all over the planet.

It’s a well paced book and it’s one that had me on the edge of my seat. It was good, it was tight and it made me think. What would I do? What can I do?

Toward the end of the book, Logan says that humanity has a compassion issue and it’s something I agree with.

The book asks a few questions and while I don’t have answers, I do have a review. And I would recommend this book to basically anyone who enjoys sci-fi.

It gets a five (5) star rating from me.

I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Holy shit! Upgrade. This book is so good. I ripped through this book in a few hours, couldn’t put it down. The idea for upgrades was super interesting to me, and the author told this story in a very compelling way. I loved the characters and the future setting. It is just enough in the future where I could picture certain things because of how things are now. This was my first time reading this author. I cannot wait to read more by this author!