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! ⁣
⁣
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?!⁣
⁣
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!

Blake Crouch is a must read author for me. I have enjoyed being immersed in a weird town, jumping through time, jumping through alternate dimensions and other adventures through his books. This new book takes us into the future and into the world of genetics and designer genes.
I found the main character, Logan, to be so engaging. Logan grew up in the long shadow of his brilliant mother (a geneticist) and toils under the burden of a disaster to insure that the world is safe from genetic tampering.
This is a fast paced story that pulls the reader in immediately. I recommend it to readers that have enjoyed the author's past works, readers that enjoy scifi, readers interested in solving problems caused by global warming, readers that enjoy fast moving, plot driven books. I can easily see this as a movie.
Buckle up and enjoy!

Thank you so much for the chance to read an early copy!
#NetGalley #Upgrade

I enjoy Blake Crouch’s books. They are fast paced and always make you think. Usually they are futuristic but just enough to make you think it could happen. This one was like the previous two I read, but it hit a little too close to home- between COVID and forest fires, homelessness and food insecurity. Scary and possible, so it wasn’t quite as enjoyable as his last two books. Some of the talk about weapons and genes went way over my head! It’s a solid 3 star for me.

“I know you are trying to do the right thing, but you can’t put this knowledge back into the box.”

When I was in high school I remember learning about cloning and thinking to myself, ‘Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.’ Over the course of the next 20 years, as real science began to sound more and more like science fiction, I would have this thought many, many times. This novel is the final answer to that thought. Just because we have the intelligence to do something, does not mean that we have ethical people making the decisions of whether we should or not.

The Ramsay family is responsible for the deaths of 200 million people and their one mistake pushes humanity to the edge of destruction, but that won’t stop their hubris. Is upgrading humanity, without their knowledge, actually the best way to save humanity? What if the death toll is over a billion people? What happens when every survivor is an upgraded, more intelligent, more dangerous version of themselves? Logan Ramsay believes that “Higher intelligence doesn’t make you less greedy or self-centered or evil. It doesn’t necessarily make you a good person” and that is why he sets out to stop his sister from unleashing her upgrade on the world.

Crouch’s novel is a compelling look at a potential future world after science goes horribly wrong. This is a fast-paced and thrilling story that inspires some scary thoughts if you indulge them. I look forward to reading more from Blake Crouch in the future.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I never read Science Fiction. I don't like science fiction. I was hooked before the end of the first chapter.
This book is about the genetic nightmare of changing our DNA, RNA, and our genes. Whether we want it done or not. Our control, our mind, our ability to do and be what we choose is gone.
The thought of this happening is terrifying, and sadly, possible/probable if we don't start paying attention. This is about a man whose mother is a genius geneticist who goes too far, and takes her children with her
You will not be able to put this book down until one or two specific scenarios are done. Then, you have to dive back in as soon as possible.
One of the best books I have ever read!

When I read science books, I like to stick to fiction. Even moreso, I like to stick to books that feature plot elements that feel so unrealistic they border on fantasy. Yet, I want those fantasy books to be so fleshed out they feel real. Even as I know this is unrealistic, I want it to feel possible.

Upgrade feels possible. Blake Crouch does an amazing job of weaving in the science and the fiction here. I was thoroughly engaged not just with the premise, but also with the characters. Even as I enjoyed the facets of Logan's character early on, I more enjoyed pinpointing the changes in Logan over the course of the novel. Those changes play such a key role in understanding the plot and your personal interpretation of the events. Are you with Logan? Or against him?

It was a fast, thrilling read that raised a lot of questions for me. Some of those questions are left largely unanswered (and to be fair, how could they be?), but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing me with an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Upgrade was an attempt of mine to branch out to a different genre of reading. Alas. It was a no go. I couldn’t get into the futuristic venue nor all the AI or intelligentsia of the future. It wasn’t my cup of tea.

FASCINATING!

GRIPPING. IMMERSIVE. TIMELY. An intriguing look into the future; a (not-so-distant one).

Bestselling author, Blake Crouch—no stranger to sci-fi, delivers UPGRADE, an intelligent, high-octane action-thriller exploring morally complex decisions. Both without being aware, enhanced with genetically engineered upgrades, a brother and sister square off against each other in a dangerous battle of conflicting schemes to save humanity from itself.

Set in Denver, we meet Logan Ramsay, who lives Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Beth, and daughter, Ava. They are a happy family.

Logan is with the Gene Protection Agency (GPA) a world where genetic modification has wreaked havoc on the ecosystem. He is tasked with finding people illegally manipulating human or other genes.

Logan's mother, Miriam, was a brilliant scientist who invented Scythe, a biological DNA-modifying system. She was responsible for the "Great Starvation" nearly two decades before when she tried to improve the resistance of a rice plant to a particular virus and instead devastated the world's rice supply.

Two hundred million people died, and Logan was working with his mother and was held partly to blame and was sent to prison. In an attempt to do penance for what happened, he became an agent of GPA. His mother took her own life. Before her death, she promised to release "a viral gene drive" that would offer a "significant upgrade" to the human species.

Now, he investigates and takes down people running dark gene labs, seeking to change the human genome.

HE HAS BEEN UPGRADED: During a raid, Logan is exposed to a virus. In the beginning, the side effects seem to be few, but then he notices unusual things. He can quickly read and retain info, beat his daughter in chess, and remember things in vivid detail.

When someone arrives to break him out of the containment facility, Logan will be forced to make a decision: allow the genetic upgrade to spread through the human species, even though a certain percentage of the population will die horrible deaths, or destroy the virus.

MIND-BLOWING!

With mind-blowing scientific research, Crouch not only has all the scientific facts but also makes his characters real, facing moral complexities. Plot-driven and character-driven.

Normally, I am not a science-fiction fan; however, a huge fan of Blake Crouch (and we are from the same small hometown)! Everything he writes is brilliant.

What is so scary about this novel is that some things are happening in our world today; (not just in the future). We are not aware of how close they are. It is interesting to see the ethics surrounding these scientific advances. Some are good things, and some are evil and can cause harmful ramifications and deaths.

Another winner by the talented bestselling author! Whether you are a sci-fi fan, this is a must-read. A complex plot, action-packed, and superb writing. Cannot wait to see what comes next.

Check out the exciting interview with the author—The Durango Herald

Film rights have already been acquired for this popular sci-fi/thriller. Crouch will adapt the screenplay and will also exec produce. Past screen adaptations of his work include Wayward Pines, Good Behavior (loved), Recursion, and he is also adapting and executive producing Summer Frost.

Thank you to #RandomHouse and #NetGalley for an ARC to read, enjoy, and review.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
July 2022 Must-Read Books

Wow, this book was a little mind-blowing, and I'm so glad I read it!

In a post-The Great Starvation world, Logan Ramsey works for the GPA, stopping suspected geneticists from working on altering genetic codes. When he starts being able to multitask better and needs less sleep, he's not sure if it means anything - until the changes don't stop, and Logan realizes his genome has been hacked. What's worse, it doesn't seem to be the end game, but a step in a much larger plan. Logan's new genetic upgrade makes him the only person who can stop what's happening. But what if humanity's best hope is allowing the upgrade to continue?

While some sci-fi can be a little dense and off-putting, I loved how accessible Crouch made the science in this book. I'm certainly no geneticist or virologist, but that's okay, because everything I needed to know was explained really well, in terms that I could understand, or at least follow.

To me, a good book is enjoyable. But a great book also has meaning. And while Upgrade is technically about a genetic upgrade that gives people superhuman intelligence and strength, it's also about the environmental crisis and the threat of human extinction. Crouch does a fantastic job weaving realistic fears about humanity into a sci-fi thriller so it's never preachy. Through the "gene war," Crouch sets up a world where people are doing what they think is best for the survival of humans, but conflicting schools of thought pop up. Upgrade made me think about important questions and ask what I would do in any of these situations, and I absolutely loved that.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Blake Crouch for an ARC of this books in exchanged for an honest review.

Upgrade Review

Upgrade by Blake Crouch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Upgrade is a sci-fi thriller set in the not so distant future where gene editing becomes common place, and the fight to keep it contained for the good of humanity.

This was my first Blake Crouch book and I was very impressed by it. Crouch does a great job of setting up the central mystery at the beginning and slowly unraveling it as the story progresses. The topics addressed were very intriguing and makes you wonder if this technology could be possible someday in the future. The twists and turns were done well and kept me guessing right to the very end.

I loved the world building as well. Finding out what the world is like during this time period was fascinating and not too hard to imagine actually happening one day.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it makes me want to check out more of Crouch’s back catalogue and see what other good stories he has.

Thanks to @NetGalley, @Random House and @Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and author Blake Crouch for gifting me with an ARC for his newest thriller, Upgrade. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

While I was excited to receive an invitation to read an early review copy, as I really loved Dark Matter, in all honesty I was probably the wrong reader for the right book. I just didn’t connect on the page with this sci-fi thriller. I know if this was a film I would have been amused and entertained however as a novel I found the story improbable and the language judgmental and critical. I’ve seen so many outstanding reviews for this book that I suggest you look to others as well. Book is available July 12 and ‘mI definitely looking forward to a big screen adaptation.

This book was out of my usual reading genres. I’ve been trying to broaden my reading choices and this book sounded interesting. I did enjoy the book overall. There is a certain amount of plausibility to the genetic ‘upgrade’ presented in this dystopian story. Can you imagine science attempting to manipulate our genetic makeup in an effort to make humans ‘better’ and what would be the potential repercussions of those ‘upgrades’? Add in racing against time to stop the upgrades being unleashed on an unsuspecting world causing the deaths of billions of people when the those upgrades don’t work for everyone. This is what Logan Ramsay faces. This book is well written, the characterization is good and the subject matter is intriguing (though I did feel overwhelmed at times with all the technical terminology and jargon). There’s enough action to hold your interest and keep you wanting to know what’s going to happen next.

Okay, we get it Blake, you researched the hell out of a lot of stuff and threw it into this book. Did it make the book accurate? Only a small percent of people who actually read this will know. Did it make the book better? Nope. For example: "I aimed at her left rectus femoris, the muscle that flexes the hip and extends the lower leg at the knee." Cool cool cool. Couldn't you have simplified that? I get it, the MC had his genes mutated so he is hella smart now. But it didn't make me smarter by reading it. It made the book too descriptive, with too many mundane details that I didn't care about. The details that I did care about, like the DC-related ones, were inaccurate AF and didn't make any bit of sense. Like if you lived in a neighborhood 6 minutes away from a metro station in Arlington (with parking), would you drive 20+ minutes to park at the Arlington Cemetery metro instead? Nope. Did Blake just want to include it in the book to throw in some DC landmarks? Yup.