This was a riveting read. I haven’t read Blake Crouch since the first in the Wayward Pines series so it’s been a while since I’ve read his intricate writing, dense with scientific verbiage.

The plot to this one was wild and imaginative, but so intriguing and I had such a great time. The idea of the changing of your genetic code on such a level that alters all of your functions to a higher level is incredible. But there is so much more in this one…

This was a great dive back into the world of science fiction at the hands of a true great writer in the field. Blake Crouch can do no wrong when writing in his vein of entertaining expertise.

This was both a dense read but also easy to follow. It follows Logan who is living on an earth many years in the future that is dealing with a new world order. Logan was living under the shadow of his family name until a raid changes his life forever. After his “upgrade”, Logan must figure out if he will use his powers for good or evil. There’s lots of genome talk and explorations on human capacity to make choices. Could have done less genome talk and more relationships talk but it was a thrilling read! There was plenty of action and with an ending that kept me on my toes. Perfect for sci fi readers and even those who don’t but enjoy thrillers.

Upgrade
By Blake Crouch

A Breathless Read into Our future

SUMMARY

Miriam Ramsay, a world-renown genetic engineer, believed that the world’s future sustainability is extremely bleak. Hunger, disease, war, and global warming is prevalent. If people were smart enough to understand what was happening she believed more could be done to save the planet. Miriam is now gone, and things are even worse. Most of Manhattan and Florida are underwater.

Logan Ramsay, Miriam’s son, is a government agent with the Gene Protection Agency. He has been the victim of an ice bomb explosion that injected him with a genome-modifying virus. The virus is rewriting portions of his DNA. Physically he hurts everywhere, but his brain is sharper than ever. He can concentrate better, read faster and remember everything. Who was responsible for the genetic altering ice bomb? How is he being altered, and for what purpose? When Logan is kidnapped from an observation laboratory, the purpose of the virus injection becomes apparent, and he must make a difficult decision.


“ 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.“

REVIEW
UPGRADE is a breathless science-fiction ride into what may very well be our future reality. If this book isn’t on your reading list, it should be. Readers will love the challenge of an action-packed, emotional, and thought-provoking read. Author Blake Crouch keeps your eyes on the page with a timely and morally meaningful message.

Couch showcases Logan Ramsay’s character, who singlehanded propels the timely narrative through the minefields of being genetically altered and into a world at risk of ultimate destruction. Before the ice bomb Logan was a bright, sensitive, and dedicated family man whose favorite activity was playing chess with his teenage daughter. Now that Logan has been upgraded, he has to make a gut-wrenching choice, that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Ballantine Books
Published July 12, 2022
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Both of his other books felt refreshing. They were both fast paced and mysterious. With both of those, I couldn't figure out how it would end. Particularly with Recursion, I loved how we explored time travel in what felt like a completely new way. I felt like both the thriller aspect just didn't hit as hard. I thought the sci-fi element was there. And it was very poignant as gene editing is a real thing and there have been many ethical debates over what should and should not be allowed.

In this world, gene editing has been taking to new level, where you bioweapons have been created to target specific genes to hack. People also illegally edit their genetics in order to bring out certain traits. Logan has been "upgraded" against his wishes and has become something of a super human. That is pretty much where the sci-fi feel stops. The world is teasing at dystopian in the fact that the food people eat is fake and things like that, but Crouch didn't lean into that at all, instead choosing to focus on this cat-and-mouse chase between Logan and his sister.

Kara has also been upgraded and wants to go in a different direction than him. She wants to give the upgrade to everyone and see who survives in order to make a better humanity while Logan doesn't want to. It didn't really get "thrilling" until near the end and I thought the pacing throughout was very slow and repetitive.

Sadly, I don't feel like this lived up to his other two sci-fi thrillers. I didn't hate it by any means, but I had a hard time connecting to Logan. Perhaps that was because of the upgrade that he felt emotionless and apart from the world, while in the other two books I was easily able to get inside the main characters minds.

I did really enjoy the epilogue, however. It gave a great perspective on humanity as it stands now. We do very much have a compassion and empathy problem, especially in this country. Maybe if people decided to come together instead of tearing each other down, we could actually make a better place to live.

Let me start by admitting to being a Blake Crouch fan--his more recent novels have been mind-blowing science fiction, but I don't know how he's going to top Upgrade, which was, quite simply, among the most brilliant, futuristic science fiction novels I've read since his novels, Dark Matter and Recursion, as well as every novel Arthur C. Clarke ever wrote. It more than earned a 5-star rating.

I'll also warn prospective readers that you might find some, if not all of the medical/technological/biological jargon in this novel baffling, but stick with it, because this cautionary, dystopian, futuristic tale and it's message are all too possible about our future on this big blue marble spinning in space, its human inhabitants given, in this novel, a mere 150 years until extinction.

Logan Ramsay is the son of Miriam Ramsay, perhaps the world's most brilliant geneticist, whose genetic editing attempt to control a specific insect species from devouring crops in the Far East led to 200 million deaths and what became known as the Great Starvation. It also led to the federal criminalization of all gene editing, and the formation of the Gene Protection Agency, for whom Logan works. All Logan ever wanted was to learn enough to someday join his mother in her work, but his IQ was no match for hers. and an encounter with another brilliant geneticist and a raid on a possible dark gene lab lead to Logan being infected with a genetic upgrade, which soon has him locked up and studied like a lab rat as the effects of the upgrade being to manifest themselves, and that's only the beginning of this fascinating and gripping read.

As Logan's upgrade continues to improve his body and mind, an outbreak of some weird pathogen in the most remote town in the U.S. has him heading for middle-of-nowhere Montana, where he soon realizes that the inhabitants of this town have also been subjected to some sort of genetic upgrade, one that's turning some of them mad and eventually killing them. Someone is following in this mother's scientific footsteps and he believes he knows who that is. And so the chase is on to find and stop this mad scientist before they infect the entire world population, ignoring the fact that doing so will eventually result in at least one billion deaths.

This cautionary tale is both a fast-paced action thriller, and a study of the human condition and conscience, both with deep psychological and sociological implications. It warns of our impending doom as a species unless we act soon to turn things around and strive to make vital changes that, if you follow the news, make our possible demise all too possible. It's a brilliant piece of writing, and Blake Crouch follows in the steps of such giants as Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison and Isaac Asimov, who saw what our possible future could be, and strove to warn us in time--if we only listened.

This is a brilliant, emotional and frightening look at our near future, gives us much food for both thought and action, and it's final paragraph had me smiling through my tears. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Set in the not too distance future, Logan Ramsey becomes upgraded. He is able to think more clearly, absorb more data, and read and speak faster than any 'normal' human. His physical abilities have also improved. Who did this to him and why? He grew up the son of a 'mad scientist' - his mother wanted to improve the world - the environment, animals, and humans could all benefit from her. But things went wrong.

This book takes you on a journey of 'what-if' and makes you think what could possibly happen if science got out of control. I enjoy Blake Crouch's books because they are easy to read while also making you really think and imagine the life he creates. They are fast-paced and thrilling with some crazy twists.

Logan was a great character and I felt sorry for the way he became isolated in the world. A great sci-fi read that I highly recommend.

Blake Crouch continues to write science fiction that is fast-paced and movie-like in its readability. Upgrade tells the story of a not-so-distant future: gene editing is far more advanced but also illegal. Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency (GPA), and in a lab raid gone wrong is targeted by an 'upgrade' to his own genome. His memory is near-perfect, he can split his attention to do two tasks at once, and his IQ is off the charts. Things take a turn when Logan learns more about why he was targeted for this upgrade, and what it could mean for the future of humanity.

If you love speculative science fiction, you'll love this book! Exploring how different people would react to a gene upgrade and how that could potentially save (or destroy) the human race was so interesting. I thought the message this book left was hopeful and again reminded me why I love the science fiction genre.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

• thought provoking sci-fi thriller
• action packed
• perfect epilogue

This is the second sci-fi thriller I've read (the other being Dark Matter). I really felt like I was on the run with our MC all across America. The heart of this book is family and ethics. I love when books make me THINK and I definitely feel smarter after having read Upgrade!

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse / Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

Logan Ramsey works for the Gene Protection Agency (GPA) in a futuristic world where gene alteration is illegal. He is hit during a raid and injected with a DNA modification virus that upgrades his intelligence and physical abilities. He realizes this is related to his past and his family and he must figure out how to stop this from happening on a global scale.

This is my first book by Blake Crouch. This was a really interesting concept for me and I enjoyed the idea of how gene modification could be used for good and bad. I have a biology degree and work in healthcare so I really liked the heavy science in the book. I do think you can follow and understand, as well as enjoy it, even without any background. It is smartly written, faced paced and thought provoking. I’ll definitely read his others.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC for an honest review.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Upgrade by Blake Crouch is an action-packed thriller about a secretly started Genetics War on humanity. Suppose people are made more intelligent, stronger, and faster. Does that mean they will make better decisions on a global scale, or do the forces behind the human upgrade have it all wrong?

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover looks science-like, and the blurb on the back of the book confirms that the story is a sci-fi thriller. I love the premise. I find genetics endlessly fascinating, and it seems like the story will be about upgrading humans on a genetic level.

Actual Reading Experience:
I loved the premise mostly because I love studying genetics and believe that messing with nature always has unintended consequences ranging from mildly undesirable to catastrophic. So, you can see where a story like this would immediately draw me in. And it definitely did – even when the narration became so technical that it went in one ear and out the other (metaphorically speaking). That just added to the authenticity, which in turn added to the scariness of the story.

The pacing was a bit discombobulating for me. It alternated from fast-paced, violent action scenes to almost overwritten in-between periods to a highly technical discussion on genetics. So, sometimes the pages just flew, and other times I got bored with the inaction. Then, I would hit the technical parts. My reading dramatically slowed as I tried to use my most basic genetic knowledge (gleaned from a college class on genetics many moons ago) to grasp what I was being told.

However, I found that the family dynamics/story grabbed my attention even more than the gene manipulation story. The family story is more reflective of the human condition. However, the Gene War tale provided an excellent foil that better shined the spotlight on the missing part of the Upgrade plan.

To Read or Not to Read:
Overall, I found this book endlessly fascinating to read and contemplate. I don't know that I agreed with the main character's conclusion, but it gave me a lot of food for thought about my actual opinions.

I absolutely loved this fast-paced, interesting novel. I want to call it “fun” but can a pre-apocalyptic story be classified as fun? If so, this is it. The plot was scarily plausible, and Logan’s relationships with both his family of origin and the family he created kept the story from being too technical and cold. There was a lot of science in this book, but it wasn’t overwhelming or off-putting at all.

A suspenseful action story that would probably make a great screenplay. As a novel, it didn't always work for me—I thought many of the core events and twists were more obvious than interesting. And I thought the focus on certain types of intelligence as valuable (based on things like IQ scores!) was pretty confusingly and disturbingly pro-eugenics—the core of the novel is the main character basically fighting against a eugenics movement, but there's also a lot of idealization of good genes and certain kinds of brains, and thus a strong sympathy for the idea. In a shorter form (like a movie!) the message would probably be less garbled.

Blake Crouch’s newest fantasy novel, Upgrade, will be unleashed on the public on July 12, 2022.

Sorry I couldn’t help myself.

Logan Ramsay is feeling great! He is able to concentrate better, multitask, read faster, and sleep less. However, Logan’s enhanced well-being isn’t due to diet and exercise. His genome has been hacked!
Here’s the catch: This hack isn’t random. Logan has been targeted for a reason relating to his past and family history. Will Logan be able to stop history from repeating itself? Can he and should he stop the hack from spreading?

ALDH4A1. Just one little gene that I have mutated. But those 7 characters mean everything to me. Because it causes a rare genetic defect (Fun Fact: I am part of the Mayo Clinic Rare Disease Database).

In the past, doctors have generally treated the symptoms of a genetic illness. For example, if you have Wilson’s Disease where you can’t process copper, the doctors will remove the copper from your bloodstream and put you on a low copper diet. However, there is a new technology coming out called CRISPR. Big thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation! It works by cutting out the mutated or “bad” DNA and replaces it with “good” DNA.

Upgrade has such a great discussion of the good uses of DNA and some of the potential pitfalls. Currently, cloning is outlawed, but if CRISPR goes forward, and we can tweak some of our DNA, how far is too far? Could you program your DNA so that you could have the creativity of Walt Disney? The mind of Leonardo DaVinci? Play pro basketball? Have higher cheekbones? Where is the line? And who gets to draw the line? And who enforces the line?

All very interesting questions.

Upgrade is my very first Blake Crouch work, but I hope it isn’t the last. The book is incredibly interesting, and it has short sentences and paragraphs which keep the action flowing. It kept me guessing until the end.

In addition to the little problem of the fate of humanity, there is some first-rate family drama! This book really reminded me of Girl One by Sara Flannery Murphy so if you enjoyed Upgrade I highly recommend giving that a go.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Listed as the number one seller on Amazon in ‘Evolution’ 🤣, Blake Crouch has now officially taken the crown from Michael Crichton in creating thrilling page turners with enough techno babble to feel both utterly confusing yet totally legit. In his latest, Logan Ramsey becomes his unwitting hero, an upstart married man who works for a government division called the Gene Protection Agency.
Like all Crouch books I think it’s best to go in blind and let the twists surprise you. And trust me, there are plenty here. Set in an undefined future Crouch alludes at times to the effects of global warming including a Manhattan half submerged under water, but this is merely passing background to what is ultimately a man on the run thrill ride with a slight drizzle of philosophical musing. I really enjoyed this despite feeling that plot overrode character development, but for a book that is the lit equivalent of a summer blockbuster I can accept that. Expect to see this littered across beach bags this summer. Thanks to @randomhouse for the advance copy. #Upgrade comes out on Tuesday

This was a very timely concept considering all the paranoia of the covid vaccine changing one's dna. The story takes place in the future where lower Manhatten is flooded. It raises a lot of ethical questions without preaching. I really enjoyed the ride even though the end is left a little open.

I've been delving into more science fiction recently and I'm so glad I decided on this book. Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a fast paced, exciting, thought provoking story. It questions how to tackle the existing crisis the earth has been hurling towards by the choices humanity is now, and has been, making. Is changing the entire DNA of humans to be smarter, faster, stronger, just about better at everything, an answer, even at the demise of a big percentage of its subjects? This story is big into medical and scientific terminology and while I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up, it was all really well laid out and explained and I didn't find myself lacking in comprehension. Logan is such a wonderful protagonist and character, struggling to remain his old self full of wonder, understanding and empathy, while being "upgrade" into an evolved species. I really enjoyed this from beginning to end!

Rapidly paced and excellently plotted, Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a masterful science fiction that can help anyone forget about the science fiction we are currently living in. This book was extremely enjoyable and felt at times like watching my favorite dystopian action films from childhood. The nostalgia that this helped unsurfaced was completely marvelous. The world-building was fascinating, and the concept of the gene war really drew me in and held my attention to the last = I was constantly wanting to know and understand more. I am so happy that this is a book of the month pick and that so many people will be led to pick this excellent book up this summer.

Who doesn't think a little upgrade sounds good? A Me 2.0 with better everything -- strength, endurance, cognition, the works. On the down side, you are also better at turning off your emotions and compartmentalizing your empathy. You may know just what needs to happen, but there will be no consideration of the consequences for others. And what if your upgrade thinking is completely in conflict with another's. That is one epic interpersonal conflict that is shaping up. Logan Ramsay has been upgraded. What will he do with that information to help save the planet? He can't just do nothing. Some of the bits that moved the needle from 4-star to 5-star for me were the incorporation of the C.S. Lewis quote from "The Abolition of Man," the Epilogue, and Logan's relationship with his sister.
Do you like your sci fi in relational bites? How about with a hefty dose of adrenaline and a sprinkle of Nicholas Sparks? This is the book for you. With this new release, Blake Crouch has come close to dethroning Dark Matter as my favorite. Close enough to be second place. Sorry, Recursion, you are knocked down to the bronze podium.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Upgrade was my first Blake Crouch reading experience, and what an experience it was! This is a fast-paced, twisty sci-fi thriller that is constantly moving and taking the narrative in new and unexpected directions. It'd be pretty hard to feel bored with this one!

Upgrade is set in the near future when gene editing has become a common and invasive problem, enough so that any gene editing is now illegal. Logan Ramsay works for the GPA, or Genetic Protection Agency, which monitors and arrests those caught gene editing. One day while on a regular mission, Logan receives a non-consensual and illegal genetic upgrade from a virus-laced bomb that changes life for him in some pretty drastic ways–including, but not limited to, imprisonment by his employers because of said genetic upgrade since it is new, and has unknown implications to both Logan and the world. …And also because his mother is known in the genetics world for creating some gene-edits that ended up causing a massive famine around the world that resulted in the starvation of millions of people.

There aren’t too many things I can say specifically about the plot or Logan’s journey because it would be way too easy to give away spoilers, so I’ll try to keep things a bit more general while still giving a thorough review. I really loved getting to read about Logan’s upgrade and to see how it affected his daily life in so many different ways, especially the small things like the change in “sensory gating” and how it sometimes felt like he was getting overwhelmed with all of the new information he was able to take in constantly. Crouch was very thorough in exploring what this type of upgrade would be like, and I found that one of the most fascinating aspects of Logan’s gene edit. At the same time, I sometimes felt like this gene edit really made him a super man with almost no weaknesses and then I just started expecting him to understand or figure everything out easily, which then led to a slight decrease in tension in some scenes. This issue does level out a bit as the story progresses, but I can’t really say how or why so I’ll just leave that thought there.

Crouch’s prose is very accessible and avoids any overuse of excessive description or flowery prose, which I think fits well with the tone and content of this book. He tackles a lot of really complex and multi-faceted ideas and concepts in this book and does it all with ease. It's a very big topic to take on, and despite the many science lessons (which I'll discuss later) I think Crouch was able to successfully tell this story in a way that is fairly easy to follow and makes for a quicker read.

I found Upgrade to be a fast-paced read, but at the same a read that felt somewhat slow moving at times as well in regards to plot, and I understand how confusing that sounds. This book has a lot of thriller aspects in the sense that the plot is always twisting and turning and Logan seems to always be on the move and uncovering something new and momentous, which creates the fast-paced feeling of never really slowing down. That being said, the overall plot felt like somewhat of a slow burn at times. I felt as though it sometimes took a long time to really get to the point or understand where something was going with the story. There were so many diversions along the way that I occasionally lost track of what the greater picture was, almost as if there was a meandering quality to the plot.

Blake Crouch goes pretty hard with the science explanations in this book, something that I both appreciated and felt went over my head a couple times, but it fit well and added a great deal of legitimacy to the narrative. It did feel a bit like Crouch would stop the story to give a small science lesson and although I found some of these interesting, I will say that they interrupted the pacing and flow of the story quite a bit, and I often found myself getting more distracted or having to slog through it occasionally.

All of the above being said, the highlight and strong point of this novel for me was the discussion of ethics and morals around scientific advancements, human potential, and where the limit should be placed on the lengths people should go to save the future of humanity. Crouch excels in exploring these topics through his characters and the actions they undertake, and I think this is the part of the story that he executed best.

Overall, I’ve given Upgrade 3.75 stars! This is a very solid sci-fi thriller that I think any fans of Blake Crouch and the genre will love. From what I hear, his previous books like Dark Matter and Recursion seem slightly stronger so I will definitely be checking those out (hopefully) in the near future because I really enjoyed what I read in Upgrade!

Wow! Another page turning gripping story from Blake Crouch! This one grabbed me, similarly to Run, and didn’t let go until the end. As with his other novels, Crouch has a message for humanity to relay and this one had tears running down my face. If only some of what Crouch imagined could be real, our world might heal. This book contains a lot of scientific information, so science nerds will love that part. I think this would be an amazing movie to help all the terminology make sense through visuals. Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on July 12, 2022.