Upgrade is exactly what I've come to expect from Blake Crouch - fast paced, exciting, relatable science, unputdownable. Upgrade is probably my second favorite Crouch book after Dark Matter. It has likely solidified a spot on my top books of the year!

This was my first Blake Crouch book- a NetGalley ARC. I’ve seen the Wayward Pines TV series and thought it was pretty good so I gave this one a shot.

So, this really wasn’t my kind of book at all, but I am also not the target audience for this book. Even though it was totally out of my comfort zone, I was still interested enough to finish.

The biggest strength of this book was in the characters. The story is told in first person by the narrator, Logan Ramsey. I really liked Logan and found him to be realistic and well written. He also explains a lot of the scientific/genetic/engineering stuff well enough to understand, but at times it does feel a little like a text book.

The setting is post-apocalyptic kinda- like the world hasn’t ended, but it’s pretty ravaged and not as we know it today. This is the result of a famine and the fallout of that famine. There is much mention of climate change, compassion fatigue, and what is best or right for others. The book has a good message, ultimately, and I think most people are going to love this. Especially those who love things like Black Mirror or other futuristic scientific fiction. Pub day is coming up on 7/12/22!

Upgrade draws you in from the first page. This fast-paced, well-written story is full of twists and turns that turns mysterious, fascinating, and deeply moving, all while exploring the very nature of what it means to be human.

I love Blake Crouch always! He is a fantastic writer and his stories are always so captivating and through-provoking! Upgrade is no exception! Definitely recommend to anyone that is new to Sci-Fi or a tried and true fan!

You think a contagious disease is scary? What about a contagion that alters your DNA? This is like GMOs on steroids! Sure they might tell you that it will make you stronger, smarter, better looking (ha!), or whatever, but they are changing the foundation that makes you YOU! And, to whose benefit is this change being made? And like always, is the power being used for good altruistic reasons? These are the questions that float throughout this incredibly engaging, sometimes frightening, but always thought provoking dystopian story. Rarely will I say that I wish a book were longer. Too many authors these days seem to write for word quantity versus quality, but I really would have liked more background on Logan and his family. I didn't even remember that he had a sister! And while this story was dealing with Logan and his reaction to being genetically altered, there was so much we never got to know about so many things. I wanted to know! The resulting story would not have been as taut and stress hormone inducing, but the world being built throughout this story was one I wanted to know more about (albeit through fingers covering my eyes in fright). If you want to read a "oh sh!t this really could happen!" fright of a book, cancel your plans and pick this one up!

With his latest novel using his similar formula, Blake Crouch releases his best yet. I found my eyes zooming along to find out what was to become of the main character. At first, Logan Ramsey is tricked into the biological change of his body. As he becomes more used to the changes in his mind and physicality, Logan realizes he must find out why he was targeted for this metamorphosis and what is the big picture from the research that made it happen. Crouch has really lassoed me this time with the science fiction subgenre of biotechnology, and with it he will possibly grab readers of super hero stories, zombie fiction, and medical ethics. The details of the medicine and dna research are easily grasped even though they seem like intense biology. Like in his last two novels, the author uses a small amount of side characters, but they have strong relationships. The way he manages to finish is the best update of the last few books he has written. He has slowed down the end and kept it from becoming a big snowball like in the past. I highly enjoyed Upgrade and look for his next work to be even finer.

Read if you like:
⬗ Sci-fi/thriller hybrids
⬗ Action packed plot lines
⬗ Post apocolyptic settings
⬗ Geneticism

Summary: Logan Ramsey, son of the brilliant genetic scientist Miriam Ramsey, is an officer with the Gene Protection Agency GPA) created to stop gene editing in the post apocalyptic society following the Great Starvation. When Logan is injected with a gene mutation virus, he begins to notice drastic changes in his cognitive abilities with IQ increased from 118 to over 200 and can now turn off his emotions at will. As the Upgrade takes hold, Logan is no longer the man he was. But why has this happened? And how far is the individual behind the Upgrade willing to go and for what purpose?

Thoughts: Wow. As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of science fiction, I am always reticent when I start a book labeled as sci-fi. After enjoying Dark Matter, I wasn’t quite as nervous heading into Upgrade since Blake Crouch tends to write more thriller leaning sci-fi that is more accessible for those who don’t have a science minded brain.

While this book was action packed from start to finish, it was the overall message that made this a win for me. Crouch asks the big questions here. What does it mean to be human? What are we lacking as human beings that we are unable to see our inevitable destruction? And what cost are we willing to bear to save our species and the planet. “We were a monstrous, thoughtful, selfish, sensitive, fearful, ambitious, loving, hateful, hopeful species. We contain within us the potential for great evil but also for great good and we were capable of so much more than this.” This examination of our species and what we need to do to save it, will leave you thinking about this book and his words, long after you finish reading.

I also have to say, the technical writing in this one deserves at least a star or two all on it’s own. The discussions around geneticism, cell mutations, viruses and how they replicate, is incredibly thorough and added tremendously to the overall story.

Whether or not you like science fiction, go give this one a read. It is a wild ride of a thriller that will leave you thinking about who we are as a collective, our species, and what may happen if we don’t change the status quo soon.

Just as good as I expected! This is a fun and fast-paced sci-fi read in the same vein as Dark Matter and Recursion. If you enjoyed either of those, you should enjoy this too.

This is the type of science fiction where I don't really understand the science and I'm not really convinced anything is remotely feasible, but I enjoy the ride nonetheless.

I'm sure a lot of people (myself included) have imagined at some point about getting an "upgrade," so it was fun to read about some of the positives and negatives of what that could look like.

No spoilers, but I thought the conclusion was perfection.

I have heard so many people on podcasts and social media rave about Blake Crouch and his books Dark Matter and Recursion. I am not often drawn to science fiction, but thought I would give it a try when I saw Upgrade was available on NetGalley. I was excited to get the Advance Reader Copy ebook since I knew it would be one of the most talked about books of the summer. I was drawn in pretty quickly and enjoyed the development of Logan Ramsey as the protagonist. The technical aspect of the gene adaptation that is the undercurrent of the book was a bit too much for me, but I was able to skim those parts and stay engaged. My favorite part os the book were the examination into Logan's thoughts and his reflections on his past. I struggled a little bit with the way the culmination of the book and would have liked more detail in the conclusion. If you like science fiction and do not mind it being intense, then Upgrade is a good choice.

I don't know what I can say that will add to the many reviews of this oddly plausible work of science fiction except that I really enjoyed it. Genetic modification and its implications drive the action but there's a definite component of compassion and morality. Logan is the everyman who becomes a hero after his own upgrade is tested. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A real page turner that will appeal to fans across a range of genres.

I really need to go ahead and read everything Blake Crouch has ever written, don't I? I absolutely devoured Recursion last year, and while I didn't *quite* love Upgrade as much, I still really really liked it and found it to be a solid, thought-provoking, and entertaining novel.

"The future was here, and it was a fucking mess."

I mean, is anyone surprised? In this plausible, nay, probable future, humans have basically destroyed the planet. So that tracks. Then, this genius lady thought she could mess with DNA and whoopsie, annihilated millions of people. Our main character is her son, who, to atone for his role in his mother's mess, works for an agency created to police the tampering with of genetics. Sounds good. Until... he ends up having his genes messed with, and finds himself with this titular upgrade.

As you can imagine, this book asks a lot of great questions on morality, especially in terms of science and technology. Just because we can do something, should we? The majority of Logan's life has been spent answering this with a resounding "no", after seeing the results of his mother's handiwork. The problem is, the world is headed toward implosion, and people are doing nothing at all to stop it.

So we the reader journey alongside Logan as he is forced against his will to answer these most impossible questions of humanity. If I had any qualms, and they're ever so slight, it would be that I wanted to feel a bit more connected to Logan, but the truth is, I probably couldn't. I could never imagine what it would be like to not only be in his situation, but have the actual processing power far beyond that of a typical human. Frankly, I am just not smart enough to hang out with Logan.

I don't want to say much else, because this is a journey you're going to want to take for yourselves, and going into any more detail about the plot will ruin things. I will say that Logan will face more morality based decisions than any human should have to face, and he will have to sacrifice a lot to try to do what he feels is right. And the stakes simply could not be higher- it's the whole world's fate in his hands.

Bottom Line: Such an amazing and thought-provoking premise, I thoroughly enjoyed this ride!

4.5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by Blake Crouch, and it definitely won’t be the last!

Logan Ramsay is about to walk into a situation that will forever change his life. After an explosion that lands him in the hospital, he learns that he has been infected with an unknown virus that has modified his genetic structure. But rather than deteriorate his health, he finds that his mind has gotten sharper, smarter…essentially he has been upgraded. He knows he has been given these abilities for a reason, and now he must prevent the virus from falling into the wrong hands.

Overall, I found this book to be surprisingly easy to read. Even with all of the biological/scientific jargon, everything was explained so thoroughly that I never once found myself distracted from the story itself. In fact, it intrigued me even more! The writing also flowed really well, and I found myself finishing the book rather quickly. I honestly couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend and I can’t wait to read more from Blake Crouch!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Blake Crouch once again takes a story concept and does more than write about it. He orients the reader to the world and the mindset of the protagonist by having lived in it.

The amount of time Crouch put into researching DNA and gene-editing is mind boggling. He saves you the time so you can have enough of an understanding of the concepts to roll with them through the story, even if you can’t grasp the level of detail. If it were anything less, it wouldn’t seem authentic at all.

Logan, the main character, is not a simple good and/or bad character, as is the case of many in the book. He serves in a task force that shuts down scientists who use gene-editing tech because of a worldwide catastrophe that happened in recent history. After a stakeout gone wrong things get very complicated and interesting fast.

I couldn’t put the book down and was done with it in a day and a half. Crouch has set the bar for recent sci-fi with Dark Matter and Recursion, and doesn’t let up with Upgrade.

Thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Blake Crouch for an ARC of this book.

Set in the near future where genetic codes have been "cracked" and now genetic modifications are easy to do, weaponized, and highly illegal, this book follows Logan as he tries to "pay his dues" from his involvement (and mother's) for causing a catastrophe called the Great Starvation. He works as an agent for a government agency that polices genetic engineering and ends up infected with a virus that begins to change him, makes him better in so many ways. But as he comes to grips with what has happened to him and why, he has to decide if it is really better for humans as a whole. This is a fast paced book that covers science, power, morality, and the greater good. The characters are interesting and the relationships are fascinating. It isn't much of a stretch to think this could happen and that makes it all the more scary. I highly recommend this one.

Oooh this is every science lovers, cell biology lovers cat nip! ⁣
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I don’t read a lot of Sci-Fi but every time Blake Crouch puts out a book after loving Recursion I snag it and this was fabulous!⁣
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Like always Crouch delivers a nail biting, mind spinning, with a little romance mind explosion with loads of cell biology, genetics, genomes, viruses and DNA sequences that speaks to biology loving heart.⁣
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Every time I thought I’d need a break to absorb everything I was left on a mini cliff hanger and just had to keep going.⁣
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If your DNA could be upgraded to be the best you, you could be, would you want to be administered with virus?!⁣
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This story has you on the edge of your seat, intrigued by all the changes of the human body, mind grappling to absorb every ounce of science information and also has your heart squeezing for Logan. I absolutely loved it.⁣
⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the future, Logan Ramsay is trying to make amends for the devastating tragedy he and his mother were involved in. His mother was most likely the smartest person in the world, and her gene therapies would solve so many issues to help humanity live. However, when crops were destroyed and so many people died in a famine, she took the easy way out and her son spent years in prison.

Fast forward and now Logan works for the Gene Protection Agency, paying penance and bringing those who attempt gene editing, as his mother had, to justice. When one operations goes haywire, Logan wakes up in a hospital infecting with some unknown virus. What he doesn't know is that his genes have been edited and he's becoming a super human. He's faster in every way and can concentrate on multiple things at once. He discovers his sister is also experiencing the same upgrades, and together they set out to find out who is behind this.

This is a super charged action thriller from page one. There is a lot of science speak that goes way over my head, but it lends into the level of intellect these upgrades experience. I could really see this as an action movie on the big screen (maybe this will be one day)! Twists and turns exist at every juncture making this an exciting read that you cannot put down.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

A sci-fi thriller? Did I just get superhero vibes? Oh shit...

This is not my go to genre, but I'm all about stepping outside my comfort zone and trying something new.

This was a fast-paced read, even though I didn't understand half the words.

Hence, why Kelly = lawyer, and not a doctor.

The chapters and the book itself did feel a little long, but I did find the story engaging.

I read Dark Matter a long time ago and that was a hit for me (4⭐️).

I didn't care for this one as much, but still nice to get outside my typical genres.

Will I gravitate more towards sci-fi thrillers?

No.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I felt that (even for science fiction) the plot was not very believable. I was not drawn into the story. I did finish it, but I will not be looking for future books by this author.

8 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/07/11/upgrade-by-blake-crouch-review/

When Logan Ramsay was young, his mother was engaged in the greatest mass gene-editing in history. If successful, it had the power to save millions from famine and starvation. Miriam Ramsay was one of the greatest minds of her generation; her son’s hero and idol. Until she failed.

And instead of saving billions, the project killed millions.

Miriam Ramsay didn’t survive that failure, taking her own life some months later. Logan did a stint in jail, imprisoned due to his mother’s mistake. The only reason he wasn’t put away for life was that he couldn’t’ve known what his mother was engaged in. For you see, Logan was the son of a genius cursed with an average mind.

Now Logan is an agent with the GPA (the Gene Protection Agency), an organization devoted to keep history from repeating itself, and the son of the most famed mass-murderer in history is trying desperately to atone for his past.

Until his past catches up with him.

A typical day for the GPA: an informant, a threat, a raid. Only this one goes awry, and Logan is caught in the crossfire. He awakens in the ER—confused, feverish, infected with an unknown virus. But as soon as the fever comes it dissipates, but Logan is kept under observation. Only then is he told the truth: the virus was not intended to make him sick, but to alter his genetic structure.

And Logan begins to notice a difference.

He’s faster, stronger. Smarter. The very definition of upgraded. But he’s also the GPA’s greatest threat. And that’s just the start.

—

' It is a supremely cruel thing to have your mind conjure a desire which it is functionally unable to realize.
No one teaches you how to handle the death of a dream. '

—

Upgrade is the typical Blake Crouch thriller—immersive, plausible, addictive. A great read, start to finish. It has the same grasp of science featured in Dark Matter (plausible and streamlined) but without all of the muddy time-travel issues. It’s the same post-humanism of some of his shorter fiction (a world in flux, a new era looming), only in a longer format. It takes a similar approach to Wayward Pines (mystery on the run, a lone wolf mentality), but without all the messiness in the following books.

Simply said, Upgrade is the distilled version of all Crouch’s books to date. In a word: perfection.

Except, no. It isn’t.

While the story is strong on its own and the plot deep and often mysterious, the story takes place in a bubble. While world events are relayed through Logan, I never really got a feel for the outside world—how the world was before its fall, and after it; how it was dealing with the events of the present, where the chips fell in relation to the future—it just seemed… muted. Like the story was taking place in a bubble, everything else is viewed through the swirling haze of the waters around it. This certainly works—to a point. But with the bubble comes a disconnect: an uneven pace, a disconnect from reality, a lack of importance. Instead of banking the tension when it comes, Crouch ups the pace instead, and we go from a slower, technical build to an all-out race to the finish.

Despite this, Upgrade is still a good read. It just works—on the same level that all of the author’s thrillers work. It was quite readable throughout, even when the pacing was strange or the scientific terms and jargon threatened to overwhelm. The story never loses its way, always manages to stay front and center. The post-humanism drank me in and kept me, even through the end. The ending itself was good, twists and turns at all the requisite times.

TL;DR

Overall, Upgrade is an enjoyable thriller, perfect for those summer nights you just don’t want to end. And when the night turns to day and the moon sits high and pale in the morning light, you find that you’re still hooked—lost on the prospect of what happens next. Upgrade is like that; a lovely thriller that makes you think, but keeps on so that you don’t get lost in your own mind. While the plot kept going on and on, the pacing and informationism did its best to keep out of its own way. Something that it… more or less manages. I never felt overwhelmed by information, though sometimes it was a near thing. The story always keeps rolling just in the nick of time, so that nothing ever gets to dry or dull. And while it delivers in the way that all Crouch’s thrillers manage—Upgrade just doesn’t seem as polished, despite the name.

I found the storyline to be very intriguing, but even still, science-fiction just isn’t my favorite. I will say that it is a good story with a great plot, I just personally wasn’t that into it. Characters were likable & I enjoyed the epilogue!