Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a thriller that takes place in the not-too-far-distant future when most of the food is bio-manufactured and gene manipulation is such an issue that the government has its own task force, complete with investigators. Logan Ramsay was one such investigator, his main claim to fame being who his mother was: the woman whose project had lead to 200,000,000 deaths. A crime for which he had served a time in jail. He was just a worker on the project, one of many but he was her son. He was, however, in a unique position to know many of the foremost scientists in that area of science, and to know, first hand, the damage that could be caused. The end of his life as he knew it came in a raid when the teams discovered a box that was due to explode. He got his team out but not himself. He ended up in the hospital where they monitored him but discovered no ill effects and no change to his gene structure. It was after he got home that he began to feel symptoms. It got complicated really quickly.

This was a really interesting book with maybe just a little too much technical information for those of us who are not geneticists. It gave great insight into how people become obsessed, and how they drag others into their obsession. First, his mother, then, his sister. They took his life away from him and that was hard to forgive. He did, however, see the flaw in their reasoning and tried to fix it. I read a lot of books that undermine my faith in my government. This was one. Not nearly as often do I read a book which makes me question progress. This one did. It seems like people can’t always tell when enough is enough. It is truly frightening. I am not huge on dystopian fiction or apocalyptic stories, but this was a much thriller as one of those. He presents a frightening future. I gave it a try. I think others should as well.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Upgrade by Ballantine Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #ballantine #blakecrouch #upgrade

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

What if you could have them all?

More of a science based thriller than a hard science fiction. You get a fairly accessible genetics overview and then we rush right into thriller territory. Those with a deeper understanding of genetics or genetic engineering will have to suspend their disbelief for the majority of the novel.

Still, it's fun. Overall it feels like a novel was written about a character from a comic book, which is cool, but a bit more extreme than reality.

As an agent at the Gene Protection Agency, Logan Ramsey is tasked with finding those that wish to illegally alter human DNA and take them into custody. During a raid Logan is trapped in an explosion and in the aftermath it's discovered that he has been altered, he's changing. Things seem sharper, memories easier to access, muscles stronger, Logan knows he's been infected with something. It becomes obvious to him that GPA has no intention of letting him go, so when someone breaks in to rescue him from where he's being held, Logan willingly goes along. Now things have been set in motion that could infect the world's population with this "upgrade" leaving Logan the only person capable to right this wrong set in motion so long ago. It's hard to review "Upgrade" without giving too much away but I can say that Blake Crouch has another hit on his hands. I loved Crouch's two most recent books and "Upgrade" ranks up there with both of them. I'm not usually a fan of this genre but Blake Crouch has won me over. If Sci-fi isn't usually your thing I suggest picking up one of Crouch's books and dive into the wild world he creates. A big thank you to NetGalley & Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

📚Book Review 📚

#upgrade
#blakecrouch
#NetGalley published 7/12/2022
#ballantinebooks
#scififantasy

Edit: As I was writing a review for Amazon, I realized that this book would make a great movie.

Let me start by saying that I'm not so sure how this is my first book of his besides the fact that the publisher offered it to me bc I have reviewed some of their other books, probably favorably. My husband and I have both loved the Wayward Pines series on FOX. As well as Good Behavior on TNT. That one was based on his novellas about Letty Dobesh.

All of that said, I would not rate this a full 5⭐s. I just wasn't "omg I love this book". But there were so many things that I liked about it. Part one definitely drew me in. It probably helped that there was not much science. I am starting to believe that "hard scifi" as my brother called it, might not be for me. And since this book is called Upgrade, each of the upgrades the MC got to his DNA, the more science that entered the wording. And the less I liked the book. However, I did love the concept that the smarter he got, the smarter he appeared due to the "upgraded" vocabulary and science he exhibited in his thoughts and in the descriptions in the book.

I certainly enjoyed this book enough to try another, besides the ones based on the shows I loved. And I'll probably get to those eventually too. I think I'll try Dark Matter next. It seems to be highly rated and often recommended.

#randomhousepublishing
#generalfiction
#bookstagram #booknerdsbookreview #bookrecommendation #bookreview #bookish #lovetoread

In no way would anyone think of me as a sci-fi reader, including myself. Yet, every once in a while, I’ll indulge, and if the author is Blake Crouch, the decision to read is an easy one. His latest futuristic thriller, 𝙐𝙋𝙂𝙍𝘼𝘿𝙀, takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which any tampering with DNA is strictly outlawed. This occurred after Logan Ramsay’s brilliant mother tried to save crops and ended up starving 200 million people across the world instead. Years later, Logan is still trying to atone for her error when he finds himself changing. He seems to have been “upgraded.” Everything about Logan has improved and the powers that be are concerned, as is Logan. He knows there is only one person who could have done this and her reasons can’t be good.⁣
⁣
𝘜𝘱𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 is a wild ride thriller with a lot of technical genome science thrown in. While I enjoyed the thriller side of the story, all the long scientific explanations were just sort of background noise for me. (Though it definitely made me think and fear where we might end up in the future when we know 𝐭𝐨𝐨 much.) I think true science fiction fans will love this one, as will Blake Crouch fans, and anyone else? Amblin Partners has acquired the film rights and it will make a GREAT movie! ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
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Thanks to #BallantineBooks for an electronic ARC of #Upgrade.

What another amazing fast-paced sci fi thriller of a book! I love Blake Crouch and he's done it again! I love how he takes a light dose of science and then weaves in character, plot, and the destruction of the human race in a delightful race against time. I've loved everything I've read by Mr Crouch and this is no exception!

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**