Okay. So first things first, I love Crouch and his writing and this one does not disappoint on the thriller aspect. You get some amazing plot twists and the storyline was great. It's creative and has the touch of realism I enjoy with science fiction.

What I had a hard time with was the science aspect and why I can't give it a perfect 5 stars. Science jargon usually doesn't affect me and I usually don't mind it. This book is based on genetic engineering and with my medical background the concepts weren't foreign to me. It was just on a deeper level. I'm not sure if it was harder for me to grasp, because it was heavier than usual, because I read it at the beach and pool so I was more distracted, or both.

I would love to see this translated to film. The story is left open-ended to where I could see a continuation and I would happily read it! I just would suggest reading this book where you will have no distractions or you will be rereading passages throughout.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

This novel was nothing short of a masterpiece for me. The message is timely, essential, and written in such a beautiful way. Sci-fi is not my favorite genre. However, Blake Crouch has the remarkable ability to make the unbelievable seem like a commonplace occurrence. I also love how the concepts are always presented in an understandable way. Overall, fantastic story, fantastic author, and never disappointed 🙂

Blake Crouch took the science of Dark Matter and the thrills of Recursion, and the end result is Upgrade! The author's writing is on-point as always. I loved the focus on science and genetics while also keeping the plot realistic enough to keep you believing in it. Upgrade is an incredibly relevant novel that will stick with you even after the final page is turned, and an essential addition to the Blake Crouch catalogue.

I can describe this book in one word, fantastic! Crouch has hit it out of the ballpark again with his latest book, Upgrade. He never fails to surprise with his imaginative and realistic plots. To me, this book is what makes me want to read Science Fiction.
Unbeknownst to the main character, Logan Ramsey, he has received an upgrade. In short, his genome has been re-sequenced. Not only have errors been erased in his genes, they have been improved. His mind is sharper. He finds he can recall things from his childhood like they happened yesterday. His comprehension is now off the charts. What he struggled to understand before now seems so simple. But that is not all, his physical attributes are vastly improved. He is faster, stronger and heals quicker. However, is this necessarily a good thing for the entire population?
In order to avoid any spoilers, I am not going to say anything further. I will tell you that the pacing of this book was more like a thriller and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the time. It is a compelling story, filled with thought provoking ideas and a perfect blend of science and fiction.
The character of Logan was so well thought-out and perfectly executed. Crouch does know how to put you inside the head of a character so that you understand their problems and feel their emotions as if they were your own. It left me wondering what choices I would have made if I had been in Logan’s shoes. I love books in which I connect with the MC and I question myself in the process.
Crouch explored a lot of interesting ideas in this book. I especially liked that he asked the reader, is intelligence better than compassion? Also, can we lose our humanity if we become too smart? Because of these issues, and others, he raises, this is the perfect book for a Sci-Fi book club. There are a lot of interesting avenues to explore within the pages and you could talk for hours about some of them.
However, this is a great book for people who are not necessarily Sci-Fi fans because the science in this is not in your face. This is one of the most thought-provoking books I have read this year. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced book that also speaks to your heart.
I received a free copy, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch was what I’ve come to expect from this author. Fast paced, lots of action, weird science and a strong main character.

Logan has been attacked with a gene mutation virus that is changing him, making him stronger and smarter. He has to find out what he’s becoming and what the master plan is before this virus is unleashed on an unsuspecting public.

Logan was relatable and genuine in a future world with greater technology than we have currently. I truly enjoyed spending time with him on this journey. Supporting characters were good too. I liked them all so much that I can’t really say I had a villain in this story.

For fans of eco horror, sci-fi and adventure books. Wonderful read!

Upgrade was my 3rd read by Blake Crouch. He hasn’t done me wrong yet! I read Dark Matter and Recursion earlier this year and both were excellent. You bet I asked for Upgrade as soon as I saw it on NetGalley. Definitely will be picking up a physical copy but I couldn’t resist trying to read it early.
Upgrade reads like an action film. It’s constant chaos and I really enjoyed it. The book is about genetic modifications and “upgraded” humans. It was very fast paced and held my interest the whole time.
Release date is 7/12! Definitely would recommend. It’s a standalone you don’t need to read any of his other books first!

4.25/5⭐️

Hard to believe this is my first Crouch novel, and I really enjoyed it. This story takes place sometime in the future when the world is struggling due to environmental negligence.

Logan Ramsay works for a bureau in charge of tracking down gene hackers who can practically play god with any species. He is infected (from a surprising source) and is “upgraded” to a smarter, faster, stronger, etc. (basically $6 million) man in the name of saving mankind/the planet. He is forced to leave his family and run as he feels he is no longer the man he was and wants to keep them safe. As he discovers he is not the only one “upgraded”, will he try to stop the involuntary global upgrade (that can be deadly to some), or should he join in the effort to possibly better mankind.

I found this an interesting and engrossing premise with a plot full of adventure, danger, twists and betrayals….and some heartbreaking moments as well. My only negative was the solution Logan comes up with in the end. It felt too contrived and to be honest, not far off from the involuntary upgrade mentioned above. Does a warmer, gentler upgrade really negate the issue of free will?? But otherwise, well-written and a definite page turner.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for providing the free early arc of Upgrade for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I am not a fan of science fiction. However, when it comes to Blake Crouch, his novels are more science than fiction. While Upgrade was not my favorite, it was still an INCREDIBLE read. It kept me engaged, and my jaw actually dropped a few times toward the end of the book. Make sure you carve out time to read Upgrade because you won't want to put it down once you start.

Another futuristic tale that grabs you quickly and have characters/siblings facing hard decisions about right and wrong.

CONTENT WARNING: bioterrorism, suicide, forced confinement, blood, mention of torture, violence, gun violence, bombs

I’m not typically one for sci-fi, but there’s something about Blake Crouch’s writing that makes them somehow easy to understand, even when he talks about the most difficult concepts. After starting with Dark Matter, this was a walk in the park. I mean, if people with guns were chasing me, you know?

This story takes place at an unspecified point in the near future. A scary and changed version of the future. Climate change, technology, and medical advances have changed the landscape of the US, leading to increased surveillance and the creation of a new government agency in accordance with the Gene Protection Act. And Logan Ramsey is a man who works for the government, ensuring the enforcement of this new act. Things are going well, mostly, until something goes terribly wrong. He’s subjected to an upgrade at a genetic level, and it creates major changes at all levels of his life.

When he realizes that he was specifically targeted for a reason, his increased cognitive processing skills start to put the pieces into place and he realizes that this has the ability to affect everyone on Earth, not just him and the people around him. However, it’s really easy to get sucked into Logan’s character and his internal struggle—with his own changes, with his past, with what he has to do, and how he feels about the situation that he’s been forced into.

The book is extremely fast-paced. I read it in a single sitting, mainly because I just couldn’t put it down. There is a lot of action, and the plot twists caught me completely by surprise. And don’t be scared off by the technical information and scientific aspects of the story—Crouch phrases even the most difficult concepts into bite-size tidbits that make it easy to understand even for a layperson. I never found myself getting overwhelmed or caught up in jargon, instead focusing on the bigger picture the entire time.

“We were a monstrous, thoughtful, selfish, fearful, ambitious, loving, hateful, hopeful species. We contained within us the potential for great evil, but also for great good. And we were capable of so much more than this.”

What started out as the story of a single man ultimately turns into a struggle to save all of humanity, even as Logan races against time. I fell in love with this story, and now that I see what Crouch is capable of, I’m definitely going to have to rush to the library and check out more of his backlist!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.


Description from NetGalley:
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?

This is my first Blake Crouch book, but this certainly impressed me. The pacing was great, and the world definitely felt lived in despite the apparent recent loss of tons of people due to gene modification. The gene and future science was explained well enough that it didn’t derail the story, which sometimes happens for me in sci fi books. If you like Michael Crichton, you will probably like this book.

Overall: 4/5

This is the origin of a different kind of superhero.
After an explosion, Logan Ramsey is invected with a virus and finds himself changing... well his DNA is. He is becoming smarter and able to recall things he has only heard once years ago. When he finds out that his changes are due to something/ someone in his past, and that he isn't the only one that has been upgraded, Logan has to decide what side he is on... Does humanity as a whole need to be upgraded to be saved? Or is there another way?

This decision leads Logan on a journey, he has to leave his family behind to keep them safe, and when the same virus that changed him is about to be unleashed upon the world, he has to figure out who he can trust and how he can save as many people as possible... and figure out if he can help the world survive without killing a good chunk of the population...

There were some slower parts, but when there was action it was really good. There was a lot of the techy medical stuff that did get a bit heavy at times, but Crouch made most of it pretty easy to understand and figure out. I especially loved the way it ended. After reading Upgrade, I'll definitely be checking out Blake Crouch's other books.

A man is nearly killed by a virus but after he recovers, he finds he is smarter, has a better memory, concentrates better -- basically an upgraded version of himself. Now he needs to decide if the virus will save humanity or destroy it. And decide if he can do anything about it.

This was a cool premise and the author did a good job with the tech aspects of the virus, but ultimately the book just didn't work for me. Maybe I missed something but I never understood what this upgrade was saving humanity from. But the biggest problem was I just never could warm up to the main character and without anyone in the book to care about or root for, I had to force myself to read though it.

After an incident at work, Logan notices he’s quicker, sharper, smarter. He soon realizes his dna has been hacked. The reason why goes back into his past and has major consequences for the future.

Blake Crouch is one of my favorite authors from his two last books. Unfortunately I didn’t love this one as much as Dark Matter and Recursion, but it’s still good and worth a read! Look… I know his books are science fiction, but the previous ones were pretty light with the techy stuff. This one was heavy with genes and dna. I didn’t understand a lot of what was going on. The action was still there. The relationships and emotions were still there. I just wish I understood a bit more of the background.

“Right and wrong are constructs born of human sentiment. Nothing but stories we’ve made up and assigned meaning to. They don’t correspond to any objective reality. The only thing real is survival.”

Upgrade comes out 7/12.

This book is such a perfect mixture of philosophical sci-fi action thriller. I have been a Blake Crouch fan for years, and this is officially my favorite of his. Logan Ramsay has been trying to outrun the guilt he feels for being the son of Miriam Ramsay for two decades. As an agent for the Gene Protection Agency, he tracks down geneticists who are likely to be editing genes which is now outlawed because of his mother’s gene editing disaster that lead to The Great Starvation. But when a raid goes wrong, Logan is infected with a virus that could drastically change his DNA. As Logan unravels who infected him, the story takes a deeply contemplative look at human nature, greed, selfishness, compassion and morality amidst a stunning sci-if background.

Add this to your TBR right now!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was a huge “downgrade” (get it?) from the last two novels I read by Blake Crouch. The main character was insufferable after he received the upgrade. If I could count the times he mentioned someone’s pulse rate or their micro-expressions, the number would be higher than his purported new IQ. Also, his newfound abilities just seemed to allow him to do and to know everything that will help him achieve his goals. Anything the main character needed, somehow could be achieved through what he remembered from a YouTube video he saw 10 years ago or a class from high school.

I liked the description of “New Venice” , or lower Manhattan, near the end of the novel. This was the only aspect we got to see of the world in Crouch’s not too distant future. I wish more of the story would have taken place in these derelict, watery alleyways.

I also liked the ending even though it seemed to be a stark contrast in tone to the rest of the novel (considering what MC did to his sister in the end).

Blake Crouch gives us another action-packed tale. He's an author I recommend slyly to folks who don't read science fiction. Try this speculative fiction, I say. And invariably, after reading one of his novels, I've made a convert.

So. Upgrade. It's set in the very near future, one just slightly more accepting of climate change. A GMO-produced famine killed a large swath of world population, and all genetic amendments have been banned.

Enter Logan Ramsey. He's both the son of the now-dead scientist who caused the Famine, and a government agent hunting down darknet rogue scientists. An ambush attack forces DNA edits into his genome, and what follows is a Jason Bourne-esque attempt to figure out truth, intent, and integrity.

Perfect for those who want more reality than Ready Player One and the science and thrills of the Martian.

Definitely going on many holiday gift lists!

4.1/5

Another great book by this author. I can't imagine where he will go next!! I don't usually read science fiction but if the author is Blake Crouch it is a definite yes for me. He writes about science that would be way above my head but he makes it, not easy to understand, but easy to read and I always feel like I know what is going on. That is what makes him a great author. My all time favorite is Abandon but the books he has published lately are amazing. One thing I have to say is I don't usually cry while reading sci-fi but this one did it.

I did write some notes while reading this book.

loc 368 - intensivist - intensive care specialist

loc 1135 - "Whoever did this to me?" I think I know!! No spoilers

loc 2624 - "Put simply: Our situation was fucked, and we weren't doing enough to un-fuck it."
I think we are now in this situation.

loc 4059 - Asian Giant Hornet!! A murder hornet - yes!

loc 4081 - "I bit the heads off the hornets." !!!! Gross

Blake Crouch please keep these stories coming. I can't get enough.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

Upgrade was my first book by Blake Crouch. Although I heard a lot about him and his books, I never got around to really reading one. So when I got the chance to read his latest work I couldn’t resist any longer and had to give it a try. And what can I say? I enjoyed it immensely.

I liked the concept and thought it was a unique idea for a story. At times the book was a little heavy on the science and I didn’t enjoy it as I had in previous books, but it didn’t disrupt the flow of the story too much so this is only a small point of criticism.

The characters were great, even though we don’t meet a lot of side-characters for long. But Logan was a great lead and I loved seeing his growth and character unfolding. How he started to see things and how he defined his own humanity was inspiring.

The story wasn’t thrilling at all times, but I never had the feeling it dragged along. It was just slow at some points which fit the tone of the narrative much better.

4½⭐

𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺

Ɱ◎◎ĐႽ…
⬧Science Fiction⬧Gene hacking & splicing⬧Not your basic upgrade⬧Near Apocalypse⬧Like limitless but…

Upgrade is a mindf*ck of a story. The pacing is brisk, the writing is super smart, and the near-future world he has created kind of scared the bejeezus out of me because it felt all kinds of possible. And yet it still managed to have heart and be mind-blowingly interesting. This dude with his upgraded mind could read a book while simultaneously listening to another book and comprehend both of them, well actually he could do more than comprehend, he could recall everything that happened in them with complete accuracy. Freaking insane is what that is. I sort of wish I could do that.