I am not a fan of science fiction. But I am a fan of Blake Crouch. He has the ability to take us just further down the road, envisioning a possible future without requiring lots of imagination. Climate change has been allowed to proceed unabated and everyone realizes that there probably won’t be many more generations of Homo sapiens.
This time around, the subject is genetic engineering. Logan Ramsey was an undergrad, his mom a hotshot genetic engineer when one of her experiments goes horribly wrong resulting in the deaths of millions. Now, it’s twenty years later and Logan works for the Gene Protection Agency, a government agency that catches rogue genetic scientists. During a raid, he gets infected with a virus. Within a few months, he’s noticing changes to his memory, his concentration, his strength.
What makes Crouch’s story work is that it envisions large changes on the small scale - one individual’s story. Logan was wonderfully complex - guilt ridden over his mother’s catastrophe, unhappy in a job he holds only to resolve himself of his guilt, but still able to love his wife and daughter.
“The greatest threat to our species lies within us…it’s denial. Selfishness. Magical thinking. We are not rational beings. We seek comfort rather than a clear eyed stare into reality. We consume and preen and convince ourselves that if we keep our heads in the sand, the monsters will just go away. Simply put, we refuse to help ourselves as a species. We refuse to do what must be done. Every danger we face links ultimately back to this failing.”
As the story goes on, it does require a suspension of belief. Parts of it read like a James Bond movie. But by then, I was invested in Logan and what he was facing. I found the ending particularly satisfying.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

It is easy to categorize Blake Crouch’s novels as sci-fi thrillers. At the heart of his new novel, Upgrade, the story is more action than science fiction, with Logan Ramsay, our narrator, working with the Gene Protection Agency to stop people from illegal gene modifications. The novel is set in a future where scientists and criminals might be the same person. His mother was one of these people, and it feels like Logan has chosen his job as penance for the mistakes his mother made.

While on assignment with the GPA, he is injured, and shortly after, some strange things start to happen. He is getting smarter, stronger, faster, and has recollection of absolutely every piece of information he has ever received. This injury might not have been an accident at all. To quote an old adage, “With great power comes great responsibility,” so he is trying to keep doing the right things with his new powers, even when others are trying to use him for their own plans.

Blake Crouch’s novel does have some sections of heavy science elements, like when he is explaining DNA and what criminals are doing with it, but he is masterful with his pacing. There is not one time when the pages of information about what is going on at the science level get too long before he turns it off quickly with an action scene. While reading Upgrade, I knew that there was always some danger right around the corner, so if I needed to work through a couple of pages of information, the action would be right back. This kept me engaged in the story throughout the novel and made for a novel that is truly built like a page turner.

I also like that even though the structure of the novel leans toward action and danger, there are moments of cinematic and environmental intrigue. Logan travels around the United States, but this is kind of a post-environmental disaster version of the US. There are times that he travels to the bigger cities, like Las Vegas and Manhattan, and his descriptions of them and the way people live now in this new future is enough to where I want more Blake Crouch novels set in this world, I like that there are not only sections that have become inhabitable but also people who have not given up on these areas. It is as if we still find a way to overcome the adversities of our environmental woes, regardless of how bad it gets. The environmental climate aspects are not a focal point of the story, but in the end it is the backbone to everyone’s motivation. This dark backdrop makes the actions of Logan, regardless of the outcome, feel pretty bleak. Blake Crouch does not shy away from the science of how the world is changing for the worse in this novel, but at the central core, the story is about humanities continued hope for a better future.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gah! What did I just read?! This is my first Blake Crouch book and it will not be my last.

As someone who does not usually pick up sci-fi, I was hesitant to pick up this book but I know people rave about Blake Crouch so I figured I would give it a chance and I am so glad I did. This book sucked me in right away and I finished it in 48 hours - it was that good. While this book was clearly sci-fi (and well researched), I found that there was enough of a storyline for me to follow along and not get bogged down in the details.

If you are a fan of Blake Crouch, sci-fi books or just looking for something different to pick up - I would not hesitate to grab this book!

This is an exciting, futuristic novel in which gene editing has become a problem around the world. It is now a crime because of an experiment that accidentally caused millions of people to starve to death.

And now, Logan Ramsay, who is a member of the Gene Protection Agency, in the line of duty, has been unknowingly exposed to something that seems to be changing his body and mind -- “upgrading” him into a superhuman being. But was it an accident? If not, who is responsible?

This is a fast-paced, page-turning story that is scary because it feels so real. The wrong outcome could affect everyone on the planet. Could we be next?!

Crouch did an amazing job with the story and descriptions in this one. Just a warning: hang on tight, because it is a total rollercoaster ride!

I'd like to thank NetGalley, Blake Crouch, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Blake Crouch does it again! As one of my favorite sci-fi authors, I had high expeditions of this book and it largely delivered,

I loved the setting of the book in a dateless high-tech future where ever-advancing technology and human interests have resulted in the decimation of natural resources and human life.

As with Dark Matter and Recursion, I felt completely captivated with this story from beginning to end. While the book certainly requires a hefty does of willing suspension of disbelief (despite the genre), I still very much enjoyed it.

The last fourth of the book felt a bit too “guns blazing” for my taste, but overall I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it. Fans of the movie Limitless and/or Minority Report are sure to devour this one.

4.5 stars

Love Blake Crouch and his sci-fi twisted mind. Always gets you thinking about how close we are to some of this craziness. This wasn’t my fave of his but definitely thought-provoking.

Ok, let’s chat about Upgrade, Blake Crouch’s latest novel, currently available to pre-order and out July 12. Blake Crouch is always a pretty solid read for me. His books are just my type of science-fiction: they’re set on earth, the only real world-building is the technology at the core of the book, and they are very much thrillers. I loved Dark Matter and thought that Recursion was ok. Upgrade is solidly in the middle of the two. I absolutely flew through this one.
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The book centers on Logan Ramsay. He works for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) and while conducting a raid, a bomb goes off, and he is injured. And as he heals, he also begins to change both physically and mentally. His genome has been upgraded, but why? And at what cost?
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If you’re looking for a fast-paced summer read that will also make you think, this might just be the book for you. (Thanks, @netgalley, for letting me read this a bit early!)

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

WOW!!

Not too far in the future, there are a lot of problems plaguing the world. Worldwide famine has killed billions of people, some of it as a result of scientists attempt to wipe out the pests which had depleted the food crops but instead made them wipe out even more. Logan Ramsay's mother was the driving force behind that debacle and he went to prison for helping her. She drove her car off a canyon road to avoid prosecution.

But now Logan works for a powerful federal organization that is trying to stop DNA modifications. And then one day he is ambushed and he finds that HIS DNA has been modified. He is faster, stronger, smarter, but why? When his employers discover the changes, they once again jail him, but this time to use him as a lab rat and find out what has been done. One dark night he escapes from the captivity with the aid of another person who he soon realizes is his sister. She had also been modified and their mother is the perpetrator!

But this is only the beginning of the plan - and Logan is the one man on earth who can stop it.

Mr Blake Crouch Does it again. The Book is AMAZING! I enjoyed the book so much. Its dark and engaging

What I love most about Blake Crouch's writing is that despite it being fiction, it is eerily believable. The story and setting feel real, like I can actually picture it happening. Upgrade is such a story: a sci-fi thriller about a man who is genetically upgraded and tasked with saving all of humanity. It’s evident that Blake Crouch thoroughly researched the science behind this one to make it as realistic as possible. The book is well-written, the plot moves quickly and once again it leaves you pondering what you just read. Expect the usual mind melting, tense and wild ride that Crouch delivers so well.

Upgrade is a cautionary account, exploring the controversial & thought-provoking topic of gene editing and the dangers that come with it. Crouch takes things one step further by also examining the philosophical aspect of what makes us human - empathy and compassion - and if it's worth giving up in order to solve the world's problems. Do the benefits of DNA adaption outweigh the loss of our humanness? It reads like an action packed film and I think it would make an excellent movie! It's a little heavier on the science than his other books in a way that felt more like information overload, however it's still an immersive and accessible read.

While overall entertaining & enjoyable, it didn’t quite pack the same punch as Dark Matter and Recursion did. I personally felt it lacked the emotional connection I so badly wanted it to have. I didn't care enough about any of the characters to feel for them. Regardless, it’s still a compelling and thrilling sci-fi worth picking up and I recommend it!

**Thanks to NetGalley, Random House - Ballantine and Blake Crouch for this ARC in exchange for my honest review**

I picked up this book with the intention of reading the first chapter; next thing I knew I was halfway through the book! It is an edge of your seat thriller that really keeps enticing the reader with what happens next. A must read!

Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency, a government agency that chases down rogue scientists who are suspected of working with and altering genetic material. While working a case, Logan is exposed to a genetic upgrade that rewrites and rewires his genetic code. His sister has also been upgraded, and the story follows Logan as he battles his sister as she tries to spread the upgrade across humanity.

The novel is told in three parts. Parts one and three allow Logan to show some emotion and humanity, so it is easier to understand the character and root for him. Part two removes his humanity, makes him harder to like, which is basically the point of the whole book. The book is an action-adventure thriller, that keeps our hero and the reader on their toes. It is easy to envision the story as a blockbuster movie. The science is complicated, but understandable enough to keep the reader engaged.

I liked the conclusion of the story and the things it made me think about. It will lead to some great discussions for book clubs. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

My favorite Blake Crouch book yet. Mind-blowing and riveting this futuristic story involving genetic engineering is unputdownable with non-stop action and wrapped up with a great ending.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Logan, a GPA agent, attempting a takedown of a suspected location where genes might be edited. When they arrive at the location, they find no one and when Logan goes into the basement with Nadine, another GPA agent, he discovers a box which has started counting down. He tells Nadine to get away and unfortunately he doesn't make it. Luckily it was not a bomb, but instead Logan was hit with ice remnants that contained gene editing material. Logan wound up in the hospital and when he was cleared to get back to work, his supervisor became aware of changes in Logan's gene makeup, he had been upgraded. Because of this is was abducted and GPA began to study him. This went on for a long time when he was rescued by a stranger.

Logan discovered that his sister has also received an upgrade in addition to their learning that their mother had not died as they originally thought. While Logan was examining his new makeup of gebes, he was able to decipher a message that pointed them to a location. When they got to that location, they discovered their mother had died, but she left a parcel for them and inside was a computer with their mother telling them about why the upgrade and that the parcel contained the necessary information to make a difference to homo sapiens. Logan wanted to destroy it, but his sister had other ideas.

Follow the rest of the story and see Logan's attempt to discourage his sister of her plan. Read of the final standoff that Logan and his sister and discover what the outcome was.

The story was great as well as an excellent ending.

"If I didn’t know any better, I’d say someone was trying to turn you into a superhuman."

Upgrade is what I expect the resulting offspring would be, if V.E. Schwab’s Vicious / Vengeful duology had a baby with Gattaca . This sci-fi thriller imagines a world in which eugenics, genetic selection, and gene editing combine to form individuals with extraordinary abilities, and it was (like everything Blake Crouch does) absolutely mind-blowing.

"Whoever did this to me was overwriting nature’s programming and taking control of evolution itself. That was a precarious game."

This book sent me down so many Google / Wikipedia rabbit holes. From gene drives, to the eradication of malaria mosquitoes through genetic manipulation, to virtual torture, to DOJ surveillance measures… I learned about so many concepts that I never dreamed could be real! (But they are.)

"Even the simplest genetic changes carry with them unintended, unforeseeable consequences..."

Upgrade also required a little more suspension of disbelief than I expected. Not for the science or the technology - I believe that much of what Crouch describes there is either possible already, or will be within my lifetime. But how does a guy on the run, using a stolen identity, with no phone and no credit cards, manage to procure a lethal dose of ricin, a portable DNA sequencer for his road trip to Montana, and next-day delivery of high-quality dermal fillers for a total DIY face swap?

"Just happen to have one of those lying around?"

Either Amazon Prime has really upped their game or Crouch is taking some serious liberties with what’s actually possible in the commerce industry. Despite some intense unbelievability at times, the plot is filled with nonstop action and tension that kept me hooked the whole way through.

"We have this moment to right the ship. Either we upgrade our collective intelligence to a level where we can all band together and save ourselves, or the next century will be humanity’s last."

AND HOLY SHIT, THAT ENDING. Just a couple of sentences that I didn’t see coming, and suddenly I don’t want to live in the real world anymore; I want to live in the world that Crouch’s Logan Ramsay has reengineered. Just a fascinating story, filled with fascinating concepts all around. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5!

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A huge thank you to Blake Crouch, Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Blake Crouch hits it out of the park with this sci-fi thriller. This is quite the page-turner! The book is full of eye-popping action and yet philosophical and relevant questions are raised about the human dilemma and our quest to save our world.

Logan Ramsey is part of a plan to save humanity set in motion by his mother, the genetic genius Miriam Ramsey. Logan works for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) and during a raid he is infected by a virus that modified his entire genetic structure. After being pretty sick for a couple of weeks, it seems he has had no effect from the gene editing. Then about a month later he starts to notice various changes. "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." Logan is the only one who can stop what is happening, but in order to do so he has to become something other than himself.

This is a thought-provoking book that deals with morality and what it is to be human. The consequences of having power and wielding it. The subject matter is well-researched and genetic engineering is definitely a difficult concept and had to be hard to make it readable. Terrific plot and great suspense made for a great thriller. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on July 12, 2022.

Black Crouch is an auto-buy author for me. I love, love, love his books because while they are super fun to read, I always learn a ton of stuff about very complicated scientific principles. I am by no means a scientist, and in fact, I am way better with words than numbers. But Blake Crouch has an immeasurable talent for taking extremely complicated, dry concepts and explaining them clearly enough for someone like me to understand and even thoroughly enjoy reading about. In his previous books, Mr. Crouch educated me about the multiverse and time travel. This time, I learned all about genes and gene editing, all while having an amazing time.

Even beyond trying to explain complicated scientific principles to the general public, this book also examines the ethical conundrums scientific advancements in gene isolating and editing can bring about, in much the same way as one of my favorite shows, Black Mirror. This book really makes you think about what could happen if certain developments are made, what kind of pandora's box could possibly be opened, and whether some things should just be left as they are.

I don't want to give away much more than that about the story for fear of spoilers so I'll stop there with the explanation. The bottom line is that Mr. Crouch will continue to be on my auto-buy author list and I will share this book with all of my book friends, whether they be good with numbers, or not. Read this book ASAP!!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for this honest review!**

A too-familiar action movie/card game trope is the question “what would you do if you could do anything?.” From movies like Limitless to books like Flowers for Algernon, one of creatives’ favorite pastimes is pondering this question whose answer seems to be similar across the board. Turns out Blake Crouch is no different.

Crouch has given us mind-blowing, far-fetched (in a good way) thrillers like Dark Matter and Recursion, but his latest, Upgrade, feels like a stale idea he tried to run with. And while he added his own familiar sci-fi flair, including lots of in-depth biological descriptions and explanations, I grew quickly bored with the premise.

The plot centers around Logan Ramsey, an employee of the Gene Protection Agency who works to bring scientists/criminals practicing gene editing to justice. The story takes place in the near future and everything feels fairly plausible, like Crouch’s other books, but when Logan’s genome is “upgraded” inexplicably and he begins to show signs of heightened intelligence, things take a turn for the worse.

If you’re a reader who likes books that would serve better as Bradley-Cooper-action-movie plots, be my guest, but if you’ve preferred Crouch’s other titles I’d advise you to skip this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another Crouch book, another time I didn’t think I’d read Sci-fi but here I am. Crouch is the only sci-fi author that is an automatic for me, and once again, I’m not disappointed. I’m not sure where this would rank for me Crouch books wise, because they’re all so different yet following a similar structure.

I was very impressed with this story because so much genetic research had to be done. And although Crouch did all the scientific research, the science jargon was overwhelming yet easy to follow. He was able to allow our main character, Logan, to explain science in a very reader friendly way. Because of said science, it’s both smart and engaging. I mean, how does Crouch come up with this stuff!?

In a way, it’s kind of scary how close we are to this kind of reality. Because if you think about it and as Logan asked many times, what is our ultimate destiny as a species? With everything happening in the world, we’re our own worst enemies and this story is no different. Crouch is absolutely right about one thing: we can’t do nothing.

The only thing I’d change is part three. Compared to part one and two, it was a bit clunkier and sped up. Crouch’s imagery is generally amazing but I felt like I was more so being told rather than shown.

If you liked previous books by Crouch, I’m sure you’ll like this one too.

Big thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

Content warnings: gun violence, hostage, pandemic, death, gore, grief, car accident

I think everyone feels like they could use an upgrade after reading this one! This was my first Black Crouch novel and I was not disappointed. I don't read much sci-fi so I felt this one was a good mix of that, in addition to the pacing of a thriller -- even when complex, scientific terms were necessary to the story, Crouch managed to provide everything in layman's terms for my non-scientific brain.

Set in the not-so-distant future, the devastation on the world and the increased technology was absolutely believable, even with the manipulation of human DNA. I found myself riveted from the first chapter, all the way to the very end. Had I not been a working individual, there is no doubt this book would have been read in one sitting. Crouch's writing ebbs and flows without hiccup creating a tense story from beginning to end. It was an action-packed, a massive thrill ride with some twists and turns along the way, some you see coming but never diminishing with how it plays out. It would not surprise me if this one gets turned into a motion picture.

Read if you like:
Sci-Fi
Thrillers
Action-packed
Dystopian
Science
Human Evolution

Ultimately, this one came down to what it means to be human and how we can save our humanity. I'll certainly be reading Crouch's backlog.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine, Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book!