I was a HUGE fan of Dark Matter and Recursion so I had high hopes for this one. It ended up falling a little flat to be honest. The premise of the story is incredible and I definitely enjoyed the intrigue behind what was going to happen next but I didn't care about the characters. There was nothing that made me feel like I should care about them, which was disappointing.

The beginning 2/3 of the book moved really slow and then SO much was packed into the last 1/3 that I felt overwhelmed.

“You are the next step in human evolution.”

Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Police. They shut down unscrupulous gene-editing labs so what happened with Logan’s mother, never happens again. While Logan spent a little time in prison for what happened, his mother chose to drive off a cliff.

During a raid gone bad, Logan is infected with something. When he wakes up he feels different. More aware. And has a deep ache in his bones. When his boss finds out, he is put in isolation. Lockdown really. But he keeps evolving. Getting stronger, needing less sleep, able to give his full attention to more than one thing at a time. His genome has been hacked.

This isn’t a random attack. This goes way back. But is it even possible? His mother died, right? Unable to do much but answer questions and submit to tests, his abilities just get stronger. Until someone breaks him out. And that someone is his sister. He hasn’t seen her in a while but apparently, she got the upgrade as well. And now she wants to continue her mother’s work. Logan does not. With an uneasy truce between them, they head off to find their mother and the truth.

What she will set in motion could kill millions of people and maybe save the planet. But is the cost too high? Logan thinks it is.

I am not a SciFi reader, except when it comes to this author. I have no idea how he comes up with this stuff, but I can tell you why I fully immerse myself in each book. I felt every change. The tension and heartbreak he carries from leaving his family for the good of the world. You are right there with him. Urging him on and wondering if I would do the same thing.

His books are so good because there is a real possibility that this could happen. And that is scary. Maybe we will all have to evolve into something more to ensure our species survives. And now I can’t stop thinking about that.

NetGalley/ July 12th, 2022 by Ballantine Books

Blake Crouch has a talent of taking the most interesting intellectual and philosophical quandaries of our modern society and blending them into a fast-paced thriller. I loved the ideas in this one and I literally could not put this down. Loved it!! I will definitely buy both a print and ebook copy for my library.

This had A LOT of sci-fi elements and while I enjoyed reading about it during the 1 half I got so tired of it in the 2nd half.

But I really enjoyed the concept of this and I feel like it would make an amazing movie coz it was filled with action and fight scenes left, right and center.

It was interesting to see how Logan had become somewhat of a super human and it brought up so many interesting questions like what if Logan’s Upgraded DNA was introduced to everyone, can the planet be saved? Is it up to us to be in charge of smthg like this ? . It def gives you a lot to think about and I feel like you can learn a lot from this.

The twists in this were a bit predictable but I enjoyed reading them.

Def gonna be picking up his other books Dark Matter and Recursion!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled to receive an advanced release copy of Blake Crouch’s Upgrade. He’s become a favorite writer of mine.

Upgrade imagines a world where people can edit their genes to make themselves more intelligent, run faster, heal quicker, and become more dangerous.

Logan works for the Gene Protection Agency, shutting down labs and stopping geneticists from abusing the technology. He gets exposed to an unknown virus and starts to notices some changes in himself. And finds that he may be the one person who can stop this virus from from being released worldwide.

I enjoyed this one! It hits the stands on July 12th.

#blakecrouch #upgrade #advancedreleasecopy #bookstagram #netgalley #stlbookstagram

Much in the same vein as Recursion and Dark Matter (the latter of which remains my favorite of these three), Crouch takes a plausible premise of something currently starting now (gene editing) and follows it out to it's possible uses and misuses in the not to distant future. The book is action packed and is a quick read. I blew through it in about three days. While some characterization wasn't the smoothest and a bit heavy handed,I thought it was interesting and the epilogue was awesome. I really like where he took it. So I recommend checking this out when it's released in July especially if you like to imagine hypothetical futures kr enjoy action packed reads.

Blake Crouch has a very compelling writing style that has always been one of my favorites. Upgrade didn’t completely live up to the memory of his works for me. I really liked the concept of banning genetic modifications in a near future world and the consequences of illegal modifications, however, I didn’t completely enjoy the execution. This could be because I’m a scientist by day, but there were soooo many explanations for all the scientific terms and they felt unnecessary sometimes for a relatively short read. It causes a break in the story and it was really distracting for me. On the other hand, as a scientist, I loved reading about all these things that I work with and deeply understand. It was a fun bit of representation. The book also felt preachy in a lot of parts and I felt like the same message could’ve been delivered in a more palatable way, as I’ve seen in other recent reads of mine.

4 chilling futuristic stars

I am the first to admit that I just dabble in science fiction, so the science in this one is over my head for the most part. I don’t feel like I had to understand it to enjoy the story though. It was so engrossing that I read it in one day! My first from this author but it won’t be my last.

We meet Logan Ramsey; he works for the GPA – Gene Protection Agency – making sure the world is safe from genetic manipulation. During a raid in Denver, there is an explosion and Logan is exposed to something.

It takes a while, but soon Logan is starting to notice changes in his body and in his brain power. He’s stronger, can read quickly and remember all of it, and he can make complex calculations in his head. Is this an upgrade?

Soon the reader is on a thrill ride with Logan, trying to figure out his upgrade, complications from his past, and what this means for the future of mankind.

This one made me ponder the science of gene therapy in both the negative and positive. Could it save our species? Or could it be our downfall? I raced to finish this one, but I know it will stay with me.

Like this author a lot. Read "Dark Matter" and really got into it. Also read "Recursion" and liked it as well. So, I was hoping I would like "Upgrade". And I did.
Although we know that the main character is being "upgraded" (no spoiler there), the twists and turns that follow kept me interested.
I highly recommend!

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

Meet some mad scientists from the future. Since they think they are right and you are disposable, as collateral damage of their experiments, maybe you won't meet them or you will meet them in the most unfortunate of ways. There is no end to what they will do to achieve what they want, just try to stop them and you will die. Or course, you may die anyway.

Logan Ramsey works for the GPA - Gene Protection Agency. He wanted to be a brilliant scientist but when put beside his mom's brilliance, he knew he couldn't make the cut. But he did work for her, with devastating results. Now he tries to apprehend anyone who might be involved in gene editing. But on his last job, there is an explosion, Logan is injured, and then Logan notices his body and mind changing. Everything about him is improving at a mind boggling rate. Now his own agency wants to study him and use him in their war against those who would tamper with genes.

While Logan is gaining so much when it comes to his body and mind, he loses everything else that is important. But there is no time to mourn losses, he's the only one who can stop widespread destruction for the gains that rogue scientists want for humanity, even if what makes one human is wiped with their artificial means of evolution. Even though I don't understand most of the science, this story is easy to understand on other levels. It's both a thinking man's story and an action thriller and hits too close to home with some of the subjects it broaches. Once again, Crouch has written a story that will have me pondering it for a long time to come.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

Another fun one by Blake Crouch! While I did feel that he was trying a bit too hard with the messaging of this book (you don't need to club us over the head with the points you're trying to make, your readers are smarter than that), I did find this mind-bender enjoyable. It bears all the hallmarks of a good Blake Crouch--it's a fast-paced read that will make your brain hurt in a good way.

Spoilers: Fast paced and easily readable. Fairly decent story with lots of science thrown in for good measure. Once again Blake Crouch has built a situation where the main characters spouse ends up with someone else and the main character is forced to observe from the outside. Why is this such a recurring theme? The story here could have been so much better without the Beth and Ava parts or with them not just immediately ending up with a new family member. I mean it wasn’t even that long ago that her husband was reported dead! Beth did not waste any time.

The sibling side of the story was sad and kind of trite. Expected and predictable. Still a fun read overall.

GPA = Gene Protection Agency

"I didn't want to become someone's lab rat."

Logan has been targeted with an "upgrade." He could feel his neurons firing, his IQ shot up to at least two hundred, his memory seemed to be preternatural.

"What am I. What am I becoming."

I was really into the fast action on steriods, and could feel Logan's tension as he wondered what he had been infected with and if his genetics were altered. He is having wild dreams, new emotions about the changes he is experiencing. He is filled with ecstasy, euphoria, horror, terror and joy all at once. Can Logan save humanity? Does it all come down to him?

Expect the usual mad science, genre blending, tense, and wild "think outside the box" read that Crouch does so well! The pace does plod a bit in the second half with all the genetic lingo, BUT still a roller coaster story, a little frightening (especially after the real life pandemic), but well worth the read. Go Logan!!

Phew that was intense and crazy!!! From the beginning all the way to the end, this was such a fast, exciting, and insane thrill ride!!!! Having read a few of Blake Crouch’s other books, I was expecting something great and I was thankfully not disappointed.

Logan is our main character and he’s just your average Joe, having medium intelligence and just about everything else. Then the upgrade happens and it gets really intense, really quickly. I don’t want to give too much away, but basically this is a world where genetic engineering is possible in some super wild ways. Apparently our very dna is editable as adults, which is just so crazy to think about. Who knows, maybe we’ll really get there someday.

Anyway, so next thing we know, everyone is after Logan, he’s basically trying to save the world, and his sister thinks she’s saving the world too. Seriously, there are mind blowing realizations one after the other in this book. Like they just keep coming after they start. You will not want to put this book down!!! The characters are interesting, they seem like they could be real, and the plot drags you in all the way!

I can’t say much more without giving it away, but I highly recommend this, especially if you’ve read and loved Crouch’s other books.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Blake Crouch for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion. I love every minute of it!!!

✨ BOOK REVIEW: Upgrade by Blake Crouch ✨

Thank you so much to Blake Crouch @blakecrouch1 , Random House Publishing Group @randomhouse , and NetGalley @netgalley for this e-ARC!

Sci-Fi is something I've found myself enjoying more and more every time I read it, and this book only strengthened that enjoyment for me! I was never really a science-y person growing up (even though the subject in and of itself is super interesting), but Crouch does such an amazing job with catering to the general population, regardless of how much or how little they understand the technicalities of it.

The main character's voice was so unique and continued to evolve throughout the book, giving readers an inside perspective to a changing mind. I breezed through this book because I was just intrigued by how this was all going to resolve itself. While part of the resolution felt anti-climactic (especially after some action-packed scenes), the end of it was worth it -- and was one I strongly resonated with.

This is one to keep an eye out for when it comes out this summer!

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I am a huge fan of Blake Crouch's prior books and I couldn't wait to dive into this one. I don't want to say I was disappointed but I definitely wasn't blown away and didn't feel the magic I felt with his prior two. I found the pacing in this one to be a little off - there were parts that I was so engrossed in and then others that simply dragged. The ending was great but felt a bit rushed and I could have used more explanation of what he had been doing for the last three years. I do love Crouch's writing and he does an amazing job of weaving science into his novels in a way where I don't feel lost even though he's not overexplaining concepts. Overall I'd give this one 3.5 stars and will definitely look out for his future novels!

If you'd like to scare yourself is about the possibilities of using gene therapy to permanently alter humankind, this is the book for you!

Upgrade is set in the near future, when climate change has half of Manhattan and other coastal cities under water, and genetic alterations led to a mass starvation event.

The Great Starvation occurred when Mariam Ramsay genetically altered some locusts to deliver a virus to improve a rice crop. But instead it mutated and killed off crops all over the world.

But Mariam killed herself, and her son Logan works for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency), trying to make amends for her mistakes and his part of it. During a routine arrest, he is lured to a basement and is infected with a gene-altering virus. But instead of hurting him, it has made him smarter, stronger, faster - better in every way.

Soon Logan is running away from his former employers, who want to study his mutations and keep him locked up in a black site. He finds out his mother is still alive, and is the one who infected him. And his sister Kara has gotten the same "upgrade." Now he and Kara have to decide whether to continue their mother's work.

This story definitely makes you think about what limits need to exist in science to keep even well-meaning experiments from leading to grave unintended consequences. It makes some pertinent points about humanity and our lack of effort to curb climate change. And it is a rollicking good thriller to boot!

The only thing that might keep people from enjoying this book is the discussions of genetics. It sometimes gets very technical, which might turn off a casual reader. But I found it fascinating!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this wonderful thriller.

First of all Blake Crouch can do no wrong.. I cannot stop thinking about this book. I have told everyone that they must read it when it comes out. I have already pre-ordered a few copies to hand out as gifts. This book is brilliant.

I love Blake Crouch's writing and am so grateful to have received an advanced reader's copy of Upgrade from @Netgalley and Random House Publishing!

Upgrade is right on par with what you'd expect from Crouch. It's fast-paced, propelling, and intense. His lead character is thoroughly developed and endearing. Like several of Crouch's main characters, Logan is a family man, deeply involved in his family life, he loves his wife and adores his daughter. His past until the accidental death of his mother is rife with self-doubt and expectations he can't reach, all he has ever wanted is to be a light to her instead of a shadow. Several events unfold which propel the story quickly. Government conspiracies, DNA editing, military involvement, not to mention the impending end of the world threat. What's not to love. Crouch's writing style is abrupt and fast-paced, but still, he has the ability to flesh out characters and events in a way that makes you hold your breath to the very last page.

I would highly recommend Crouch to anyone who loves science fiction, especially sci-fi based on legitimate sciences... in some cases, he reminds me more of a theoretical physicist than a fiction author with the way he sees the future. Man, I'm rambling, anyway, pick this up and read it. Or any of his other books. I promise you won't regret it.

In the midst of genetic warfare Logan Ramsay’s genome has been hacked by his own mother, a famous DNA specialist who in a past experiment caused the deaths of 200 million people. Pursuing this woman he believed dead, he is accompanied by his sister Kara who’s demonstrating the same unique abilities he has felt since his body has been tampered with. After finding his mother, Kara attempts to kill him and once again he’s on the run. As he travels throughout America, he witnesses suffering, “grim survival” and evidence of humanity ruining the world with no idea of how to fix it. Kara starts a gene war by planting a fatal virus in a remote section of Montana; she has hopes of thinning the population to correct the problems on earth. Blake Crouch’s novel may find an audience but it will not be this reader. I find a plot weighed down by technological and scientific jargon, along with too many codes and numbers. I was frequently confused and at times disturbed.