This was my first read from Blake Crouch. I am not a science fiction reader, but Upgrade had me questioning my genre loyalties. About 20% in I was hooked .... I love when a storyline can hook me that quickly.

Upgrade’s story centers around a man, Logan Ramsey, infected virally with a synthetic disease that alters his genetic structure. Logan must interpret his own mutations, while also working to save society from the same fate.

Crouch managed to make a complex plot, centered around genetic engineering, easily digestible and extremely engaging. The characters weren’t extremely likable or unlikeable, but their actions and thoughts were fascinating which propelled me through the book. This novel could easily be included under so many genres: suspense, thriller, philosophy, science fiction and even a bit of family drama. Regardless of your genre preferences, read to the end. It’s a beautifully, haunting book about humanity.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is definitely my favorite of Crouch's books. It was much easier to get into and follow than Recursion and Dark Matter. If anything, it was a little freaky how realistic it felt.

Buckle your seatbelts people, because Blake Crouch takes you on a sci-fi ride as only he can! This one is about DNA and genetic mutation and all that jazz. It’s very science-heavy, but also easy to understand for those of us who barely passed biology in high school. Or was it physical science? Doesn’t matter, I got low C’s in both.

Upgrade is set in the near-future when Logan Ramsey begins to notice that he is changing. He’s becoming smarter and stronger and basically an “upgraded” version of himself. He’s not sure what’s going on at first but when he discovers someone else who has also been upgraded, he soon begins to get some answers. And realizes that a much bigger fight is at stake; the fight for humanity’s survival.

I liked this one. It’s definitely a page-turner, the plot moves really fast and the last quarter of the book reads like an action movie script. My only complaint is that it seemed a little preachy and repetitive about climate change and how awful humans are in general, yada yada… I mean I know, we’re the worst, but I’m tired of reading about it. It seems to be a theme lately in popular fiction. I read for entertainment and relaxation, not to feel guilty about my carbon footprint.

WOW - another amazing book by Crouch! I tore through this book. Read half yesterday and finished it today. I went into this novel mostly blind, and it was a wild ride. Logan Ramsay is a great character - Crouch really puts you into his mindset. This book touches on so many current events/elements: the environment; human capacity for compassion/selfishness; what it means to be human and what humans should do. I don't want to say too much - this is a thrill ride. The epilogue is perfect.

“'You are the next step in human evolution.'

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.

But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.

The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.

Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.

Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.

And even as he’s fighting, he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?"

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are mine.

Blake Crouch has a particular flair for presenting very-near-future we're-almost-at-this-stage couldn't-it-be-possible Science Fiction. Whenever I read his work, I ask myself, "What if this actually is fact?" Then I think of the world we live in and realize, "Whyever not?"


UPGRADE is a novel of Evolution-gone-wild, not over eons of gradual adaptations, but over months, weeks, days. It will blow your mind as you too ponder, "How soon will this be "real life"?

Logan Ramsay, son of Miriam Ramsay (whose genetic experiments led to the deaths of more than 200 million people), is the victim on an explosion during a GPA raid, and at first he feels normal….until he starts beating his daughter at chess. Then he starts to notice other changes. A routine doctor’s appointment leads Logan down a wild path leading to his sister and wild genetic experimentation. Will he save the planet….or will he doom it to mass extinction?

This book, while not as crazypants as both Dark Matter and Recursion, is probably one of Crouch’s best! Every step he takes is down seems plausible, especially since the story is build on the back of current events (climate change and the ethics of changing human DNA). It is action packed, and while it does contain a lot of complicated science, Crouch manages to explain it well enough that most lay people are able to understand where things are going. I highly recommend this one, especially if you are a fan of Crouch’s earlier books.

Logan Ramsay is doing his best to undo the evils his mother has created. Her research allowed her to create "upgrades": Ways to hack genetic material to improve certain aspects of living things to better allow them to survive in a world that has gone downhill after worldwide cataclysmic events and environmental disasters. The only problem is that the upgrades didn't go according to plan, and her experiments backfired, accidentally massacring millions. Now Logan's job is to track down anyone else involved in gene editing. During a stakeout for a known gene editor, Logan is accidentally injured during an explosion and learns (to his horror) that HE is now a victim of an unwanted "upgrade". He goes on the run, trying to find out what it means for him and whether it was really an accident all along.

There is a LOT more to this book than that, but it is HARD to take such a complex story and condense it into a summary. Blake Crouch's work takes a lot of concentration to keep straight, and there is a lot of science involved that, if I'm honest, I don't really follow. It's a lot like reading Andy Weir, except Weir takes super complicated science and makes it easier to understand. I can't say that for Crouch (at least in my opinion). It was a good book, not great, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been so hard to follow. I know the science is important to the plot, but if you're like me and you want to just enjoy a story without thinking too hard, it may be tough to get through this one.

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley, in return form my honest and unbiased opinion.

Science fiction might be my new genre after reading Upgrade.
If you want genetics, dirty bombs and a science thriller, then this is the read for you!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Upgrade, by Blake Crouch, is a compulsively readable sci-fi thriller about a potential new upgrade that can, or should be made to humanity in order to stave off our future extinction. It is close enough to some recent events that it makes this story absolutely gripping, but far enough removed from the Covid-story that it doesn’t feel overly familiar, or too tired from its proximity to real life.

Despite it’s scientific theme and the relevant data and jargon, Upgrade is an understandable and entertaining, fast-paced novel. There were admittedly a few short sections that I skimmed, but they were few and far between. And though I disagree with some of his premises, hypotheses and conclusions, Blake Crouch writes a riveting story that is surprisingly moving and also thought-provoking.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest offering by Bake Crouch, and in fact, read it in almost one sitting. His sci-fi is really the only that I read in this genre and he has now proven to be an auto-buy author for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the Random House publishing group for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Set in the future, when climate change has caused major changes in day-to-day life, Logan works for the Gene Protection Agency, an agency tasked with monitoring all genetic research (as gene modification is now illegal), to protect earth's people.

As the world is still reeling from the effects of 'The Great Starvation' Logan questions a suspect, who sends him to a location suspected of being a genetic lab. During the raid, an explosion is triggered, and Logan is hit, with his bio-hazard suit shredded by shrapnel. Initially he is fine, but after a month or so, he notices changes to his body. His bones ache as they become more dense, his memory and recall improve, his physical abilities increase, and his mental acuity increases exponentially. Logan has been 'upgraded'.

I won't spoil the plot - as this is a fast paced thriller with some great twists and turns. Crouch asks some interesting philosophical questions, such as what it means to be human, how communities should work, what we need to do to combat climate change.

I'm still thinking about the ending. Always a sign of a great book! While it went in a direction I didn't expect, and that provided a satisfying ending, I'm still not sure if that direction was true to Logan's character. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was the first one I have read by this author, but it won't be the last.

Logan is a very lucky man. He was hit by a bomb that infected him with a virus. What made him lucky was that the virus didn’t kill him or change his genetic structure. He is released to return to his family and then he notices some small changes … nothing major. He can finally concentrate long enough to finish a book, he can multitask, and he can beat his daughter at chess. Then he finds out the truth. His genome has been hacked and he is told “You are the next step in human evolution.” Logan is off the chart smart, now, and it will be up to him to try and stop the larger plan that has already been set in motion. Will Logan be able to stop this human evolution? What changes will he need to embrace in himself to protect everyone else?

Upgrade is a science fiction story that was also a wonderful escape. I loved the near future aspect with science that was only a little beyond what we do now. This story could be our future if we stay on the track we are moving and that makes this book that much more believable. We don’t need to suspend disbelief to accept aliens or far space travel. Everything happens in our true backyard and readers will want to get to the end to discover what happens next.

I received an ARC of this from Ballantine. I had heard of Blake Crouch and knew they had written quite a bit of stuff, but have never actually read anything by them. So, I went into this with no preconceptions of what to expect.
It starts off the action rather quickly with a raid on a rogue scientist's lab by a new-ish government agency set to deal with the ramification of illegal gene editing. This is set in the near future after a series of ecological disasters have occurred because of gene editing of crops and insects.
Logan Ramsey, the lead character and agent on the raid, is caught in an explosion that is later determined to contain a gene-editing bomb. Hi sbody begins going through changes and he becomes a fugitive from the very agency he worked for. After his escape, he begins to track down who did this to him and uncovers a conspiracy to unleash the edits on all of society.
It was a very fast read, with decent action and a moving plot. It wasn't particularly surprising or intricate, but it was fun. Definitely a great summer read, or something to pick up to get away for a bit.

With all the controversy around genetic manipulation, this book should have no problem finding a home with readers who enjoy thrillers of a medical or scientific nature. There are already consumers worried over eating foods that have been modified, debates over how far medical care should go in treating genetic diseases, and this summer we even have "Jurassic World: Dominion" showing the dangers of messing with Mother Nature (in a big way).

Author Blake Crouch has taken a what-if scenario and run with it. What if a geneticist found a way to protect crops, but something went horribly wrong? What if a worldwide food shortage was the result of those good intentions? What if countries were so scared that they created a policing agency to track down genetic labs and experts and keep them under control? And what if your mother was the scientist who started the whole avalanche of disasters and changes?

Logan Ramsay is that son with a dark family legacy he is trying to overcome. When he is exposed to an unknown contminant, everyone is worried about the consequences. And they should be - he begins to experience changes that can only mean his genetic code has been manipulated. But by whom? And why? And once the enhancements kick in, he sees that he may be the only one to save humanity from all its past mistakes.

There are a lot of scientific terms and concepts woven into the narrative, so readers should be prepared to encounter chemistry, biology, and other fields related to genetics. But the story does not take place isolated in a lab/clean room. Plenty of fights, stealthy manuevers, and trying to work out whom to trust are also a large part of the plot. And, as Logan changes, he does some soul-searching about his past, his colleagues, and what is the best way to protect his family and the human race in general.

If you enjoy your action and suspense mixed in with science, global effects, and personal sacrifice - then pick up a copy of Upgrade.

I read Dark Matter for a book club last year and really enjoyed it so I jumped on this one. It did not disappoint. Some of the science went over my head, but as that was a part of the character, I didn't let it bother me. The gene-science was very Jurassic World (without dinos) - even helped me understand the movie better. Also had a very profound message, What he learned in the end is what we all need to learn to save us all.

Blake Crouch's newest novel sticks with that creepy sci-fi feeling of this could totally happen that he does so well. The setting isn't in a world too different from ours with a big caveat of genetic manipulation being outlawed due to some serious consequences of genetic editing gone wrong. The main character Logan undergoes involuntary genetic editing that sets off a chain reaction that has serious implications for the human race and the world. It's in his hands to decide how the evolution of humans needs to be manipulated or maintained in order for life as we know it to go on. The book feels realistic and well researched, it got slow in the middle for me and the concept was inspired by the most recent pandemic and a lot of hot topic issues so it was a little much for me at times. The idea of fixing the human race and genetic editing is a pretty cerebral conversation, but I really appreciated the solution that was presented at the end. I was given this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It completely played out as a movie in my head. I can see Tom Cruise/Chris Pratt/Chris Hemsworth playing the MC. It was sci-fi, with lots of scientific terminology but it was sooo easy to follow. I just love Crouch’s storytelling style, his words flow and I Love his writing as expected from reading Recursion. I ordered Dark Matter as my BOTM add on and I’m very excited!

Oh my goodness I really, really enjoyed this book! I didn’t know what to expect, I went in blind and I’m so glad I did. It was amazing!

I have loved Crouch's other novels as well as the Wayward Pines and Good Behavior on television. This one didn't disappoint either! Logan Ramsey works for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) as the world lost many people to The Great Starvation which was a mistake by his mother who is now dead. He locates his sister, Kara but both of them have their own DNA changed without their knowledge and they are smarter than the speed of light! One would think this would be a wonderful chance to save the world, but we all know there are consequences for just about everything! I'm not usually a sci-fi fan but I will read anything Crouch writes as his mind is incredible and I raced through this one!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A fast-paced sci-fi thriller that was well plotted and interesting. Even though it concerns gene-splicing research to improve the human body and mind, the author provides enough of a scientific explanation to make it seem plausible now. The plot confronts lots of considerations, not the least of which is the ethics of human modification without consent. Despite what sounds like heavy subject matter, it is very readable and very entertaining. In fact, the very last couple of pages are what bumped this novel up to 5 stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House for the ARC to read and review.

I decided to go out of my comfort zone with Blake Crouch’s latest sci-fi thriller novel, Upgrade. I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi, I find myself getting easily distracted with it and when it’s heavy on the science, it can sometimes go over my head. That being said, Upgrade was so good! It was intense and while it was definitely science-based, I was able to comprehend everything that was going on, and really appreciated the amount of research and knowledge I can only assume went into this. I flew through this and was constantly wondering how Logan would get himself out of the mess he was in. I hope they make it into a movie, my husband would love it. I’m looking forward to picking up more of Crouch’s work and excited to dip my toes into a new (to me) genre. Thank you to Penguin Randomhouse, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for my review copy. Upgrade is expected to be published 7/12/22.