Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy.

This hooked me from the jump. Much like in Recursion, Crouch kept me in with his ability to explain the more next-level science fiction elements in layman’s terms while not letting it do a disservice to the story. If you like science fiction or thrillers or stories with strong family dynamics, this is for you

I really enjoyed this one! I loved Dark Matter by him so I was nervous and excited to read Upgrade, but I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations.

In true Blake Crouch fashion, Upgrade is a while ride from start to finish, and pushes the boundaries of reality. I love his writing so much because although there is a lot of very science-heavy discussion and concepts, he never loses the connection to the emotions of the characters. It would be easy to get lost in the science and action, but this book kept a strong emotional undercurrent, and kept Logan relatable even as he develops superhuman abilities. I love that his books really make you consider, “What would I do in this situation?”. This book tackles some big questions and really makes you think.

I thought the science was explained well, so I was able to keep up and understand without feeling bogged down in it. There was also a good mix of action to keep the pace moving. It got a little slow in the middle, but it was overall still a quick read. I highly recommend it to fans of sci-fi and Blake Crouch!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for a honest review!

The first book I read by Blake Crouch was "Dark Matter", which came highly recommended by a friend, and which I binged in a four hour period, unable to put it down. In his latest book "Upgrade", currently set to release July 12th, 2022, I found another deeply binge-able, fast-paced yet profound read. It's certainly reminiscent of "Dark Matter", with a main character on the run from his employers, but in "Upgrade", his theme centers around the long-term impacts of climate change and its inescapable human component, juxtaposed with the ethical debate of "how far is too far" when it come to bioengineering applied to the human genome. Crouch's writing deftly manages the tension of exploring highly researched scientific concepts while maintaining a narrative that drove me from page to page, immersing myself in this "fictional but not unimaginably impossible", sometime-in-the-near-future world he's created. Fascinating, emotional, riveting until the last page, this book satisfied while leaving me wanting more.

*I received this complimentary uncorrected proof from Random House- Ballantine in exchange for my honest review*

Thank you Random House for gifting me a copy of Upgrade by Blake Crouch via NetGalley, I had a lot of fun diving into this world of genetic manipulation and gene editing "gone bad" as though fictional, a lot of the early unease and description of the world right now felt very real during this pandemic time. I loved how this is an action thriller grounded in science and also in a way at its a heart a story about family, parent/child relationships, and identity, those are some of my favorite topics to read and also teach.

Three stand out aspect of the book:
1. I liked that the book started with action blended with introducing the various background stories (that were all connected) and lead into going on a fast paced journey as Logan (MC) realized what had happened/was happening and had to process a series of other events connected to his experience. I thought the pacing was strong and even with setting a backstory I though Crouch did this quickly, clearly, and kept building into the later cat/mouse type thrills.

2. I thought there was a lot of value in the exploration of the role of Logan's mother Myriam, I thought that aspect of the plot added useful depth to his character and the plot, it made it more personal and allowed Crouch to bring in themes on impostor syndrome and family relationships (the good and the bad. I am not used to reading an action thriller that also weaves in these themes thoughtfully and I thought there was a lot of value in that aspect of the novel.

3. I loved the bigger ideas about science, the impact of humans and science on well humans themselves (and climate and species, that is part of the story too), the dystopian post Famine mood, and the bigger questions about self and the role of genes and biology on how we think about and experience ourselves. I love big questions like this and that this worked within a fast paced action thriller is impressive.

I highly recommend this as a great summer book, I know it is great for fans of Blake Crouch and Neal Stephenson but I would also say it's great if you are newer to his books (as I am!) and if you like action thrillers similar to perhaps Crichton's science thrillers or the Annihilation books from VanderMeer or action/political thrillers such as Baldacci's book

A very enjoyable, fast-paced, meticulously researched, emotion-packed novel.
The manipulation of DNA, a much more complicated thing than I could ever fathom, is handled deftly--not precisely and not coarsely--just enough so the reader can follow what's going on without becoming bogged down in the minute specifics of human genetics. In other words, this wasn't a genetics textbook and although detailed, it never bogged the reader down.
And given the advances in genetic research, the plot was highly plausible--frighteningly so--and the vision of the near future, from all indications, was spot on.
The story? Excellent. Great characterization, great plotting, back stories that added to the tale without being overwhelming, and intriguing "glances" throughout the book that hinted at the characters' motivations and allegiances but never zeroed in on any until the climactic final 20% of the novel.
The sole criticism I have is in one small military factual error and this is going to stick in the craw of anyone who ever served in the US Army. About halfway through the book, a Command Sergeant Major was speaking at a press conference. The next paragraph begins, "The National Guard commander stepped away..."
Despite what their rank sounds like, a Command Sergeant Major is not a commander. They're the senior noncommissioned officer OF a command (i.e., they work for the commander). And they wouldn't be giving a news briefing--doesn't remotely fall within their duties.

It’s hard to beat Blake Crouch when it comes to sci-if thrillers. His pacing is great: you always want to turn the page, and I devoured this in two sittings.

Logan Ramsay lives in the shadow of a catastrophe and pays his penance through work with the Gene Protection Agency, and one day, he becomes the victim of a gene editing attack and finds himself changing.

I think this would have worked better in third-person: when you read all of Logan’s thoughts, it’s hard to believe he’s the quick-thinking genius he’s supposed to be.

<I>I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</I>

Another awesome Crouch book! I love how he keeps coming up with new sci-fi ideas. His plots never get old. I did feel like first half was a lot of background and having a little science background myself helped me understand the premise. The last half picked up and was a fast paced thriller typical of his books. I really enjoyed this latest one, and am so grateful I could have an advanced reader copy.

Wow, this was a wild ride! I am a fan of this author and this one did not disappoint! It sucked me in right away and kept things tense throughout. He did a great job using science and explaining the plot without it feeling like a lesson. I enjoyed how the topics were black and white, and it made you think about what side you would take. The perfect length and kept me engrossed the entire time. Highly recommend!

I enjoy Blake Crouch's science fiction. Both the science and the fiction are always well-developed and well-executed. That was the case here, don't get me wrong, but this time around I found the balance to be much more uneven than in previous books, and that's where i had some issues...

I was highly intrigued by the concept - as I generally am with his work. His imagination fascinates me and his ability to blend current state-of-the-art technology with futuristic possibilities is fantastic - in all senses of the word. But this time around the balance was weighted heavily in favour of science, often at the expense of the pacing of the fictional narrative and the characters' interactions, and I found that more difficult to work through than in previous books.

The extra emphasis on the science frequently pulled me out of the plot and the action in a way that I didn't really enjoy. It was fascinating at first -but after a while the descriptions of what all the genes translated into and the machinery necessary to enable the scary technology being described started feeling monotonous.

On top of that, once we knew what the upgrades were and made possible, the cat and mouse felt a lot less suspenseful and a lot more repetitive and anti-climactic than I expected. I still enjoyed it, but I must confess this was not my favorite of his novels...

The ending felt a little pat and the epilogue, while heartening, didn't feel like it fit with the tone of the rest of the story. It made me smile but it didn't feel very plausible in the universe that had been established... Or maybe I'm just way too cynical!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Blake Crouch. His Wayward Pines trilogy was a massive yes for me, and I really enjoyed both Excursion and Dark Matter. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me.

I really enjoyed the concept and most of the execution, but I think what really pulled me out of the story was the constant reminder that Logan had been upgraded. I understand that's the point, but after a while, knowing what his heart rate was and how it had changed from the prior paragraph got to be distracting for me.

His moral of the story was on point though - we as humans fail epically at empathy for humankind as a whole, and we're driving ourselves to the point of extinction and refusing to sacrifice for change.

I liked this one, but didn't love it, so I gave it 3.5 stars. I rounded up to 4.

Would I recommend it? Yes, it's still a fantastic story... just go in knowing there's some info-dumping that might pull you out of the tale for a bit.

So... I was never into science throughout school and have never been into science fiction books.

Blake Crouch has changed my mind!

This book is very science heavy - specifically, genomes/gene editing. Some of this stuff I haven’t even thought of since biology many years ago. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed how Crouch introduced the information. It did NOT read like a textbook you’d be forced to learn from in school. Yes, it provided the same information but in an interesting way. I have never wanted to learn more about genes than I do now after reading Upgrade!

I always try to guess the ending when starting a book. I was not able to do so with Upgrade. The book reads between a slow burn and a fast read.

Pre-upgrade, the main character (Logan) is likable and an average American family man.
Post-upgrade, Logan is a badass fighting to protect those he loves and the rest of humanity.

If you aren’t super into sci-fi but love a good thriller, try Upgrade!

Blake Crouch never disappoints. Fast paced with some sci fi. I might even rank this one above Drake Matter & Recursion, they all 3 are so great!

I loved this new e arc book of his! Thank you netgalley and publisher.

Summary: "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. 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...what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?... lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential."

Highly recommend ... 5*. Read in 1 day.

First let me thanks Netgalley, and Ballantine Books for the privilege of this ARC of Upgrade.
I have read many of Blake Crouch’s books and thoroughly enjoyed them all. I have come to expect a particular style in his works. However, Upgrade was a real surprise in both style and story. Crouch spread his literary wing and moved past expectation to my delight. First going into this book, I started to feel that this is heavy SciFi. Well, that is true, but it is so very much more.

I found the level of work, and research the author clearly put into this book nothing short of astounding. To be able to craft his work around, and encompasses details of virology, and genetics yet make it enjoyable and sound as if it were his life’s work, amazing.

Exploring the nature of man, what drives him, and man’s failure to action in preservation of the species, coupled with the arrogance of the individual, I feel is the cornerstone of the story. A story right for the times we are living in.

One of the best works I have read from Blake Crouch.

Blake Couch's newest book is a Dystopian thriller. The plot is about genetic engineering during a time when Earth is a dying victim of climate change. I loved the explanation of stranger indifference, apathy and neglect of our planet. Although sci-fi is not my genre, I thought Upgrade was excellent. Blake Couch even made the science of genetic manipulation understandable. The story was very suspenseful and the protagonist was so authentic that it was easy to care about him and his deep love for his family. I can't give this book more than 5 stars or I would. Excellent writing and stay up all night reading with some new science knowledge. Thanks @Netgalley, @Randomhouse and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this amazing ARC. My review will appear on Amazon and Goodreads.

Enjoyed the book, started with a very strong start with a interesting premise ...kind of took downturn along the way but ended with a satisfying ending

What if the human being was capable of much more? What if we could solve physics equations in merely a second. What if we could solve multiple? What if we could climb a 10-story building without breaking a sweat? What if we could save the world?

In a world where gene-editing is illegal, Logan finds his body and mind changing after a mysterious accident at work. Changing to become superhuman. Who's the person responsible for these upgrades, and to what end? What follows is a well-paced thriller that raises interesting questions about what it means to be human, and what it means to be 'more'. Set against the backdrop of a world on the brink of eventual extinction, the book deals with themes of survival, offering up characters with differing viewpoints on whether the ends justify the means when it comes to the fate of a species. The good thing is the author doesn't slant the arguments, leading to an interesting conundrum that seemingly has no right or wrong answer. I found myself engaged with the debate, and frequently changing my mind on who is more right, the antagonist or the protagonist, in line with every conversation they had.

Having really enjoyed Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, and finding his novel Recursion a decent read, I would rank this book in between the two. The story doesn't become too convoluted the follow, as I found it did with Recursion, but isn't as original in its premise as the other two books are. The World-building that 'Upgrade' does is done wonderfully and is very fascinating. The character's personalities can mostly feel a bit flat, but there are moments where our protagonist Logan shows a lot of humanity as he struggles with the burden of his mission.

Without getting too spoilery, my biggest criticism about the book comes with its 'epilogue' chapter, which I felt like ended the story on a much more less interesting note than if it had been left out entirely.

I would give this book a 7/10.

It's a future that's not so far off the mark. In Blake Crouch's stunning novel about genetic manipulation, Logan Ramsay works for the government tracking down and imprisoning those who participate in illegal genetic tampering. Society is in a downward spiral, and all attempts to hack genetic coding have been outlawed.

But after a raid gone wrong, Logan is injured. He finally starts to recover and realizes he's feeling much better than he should. Than he did years ago. His faculties are sharper, his memory and ability to process off the charts. Whatever happened during the raid might have impacted him on a level beyond the surface--into his very DNA.

And then he learns just what happened during that raid, and who was behind it. And what it will mean if what happened to him starts happening to others who aren't prepared for or able to handle the fall-out.

UPGRADE is a masterful tale of what could go wrong if humans start interfering with our own evolution. The characters are deftly drawn, the science more than intriguing. It's a fast-paced story that will leave you on the edge of your seat, turning the pages to see what happens next. Motivations and actions skew the perspective on who is the villain and what responsibilities we all have to make the world a better place. I absolutely LOVED this book and couldn't put it down.

A Recommended Read!.

A Sci fi thriller / speculative fiction about genetic engineering. I really loved the beginning, then felt the middle lagged, then picked up again at the end. I felt some parts were unbelievable, even by the rules/standards set by the book. Overall I enjoyed it very much, but not as much as Dark Matter and Recursion.

I always recommend this author’s books (even to folks who don’t read SciFi) and this one did not disappoint. Upgrade is about a crumbling world and a misguided attempt to save it. It’s about what someone is willing to live with to make humanity better and what they’re willing to leave behind. It answers a question of whether increased intellect is enough to save us or if it’s something more. I just loved this one so much.

I was excited to get Blake Crouch's new novel Upgrade, because I'd enjoyed both Dark Matter and Recursion. This is another science fiction adventure, based on a thoughtful, futuristic what-if.

I wasn't into Upgrade in the beginning, mostly because Average Guy Who Gets Superstrength has been done and done and done. Logan has a Peter Parker transformation, where he's just a little quicker, a little stronger, and everything is just a little easier for him. If this feels like extremely well-covered ground, don't worry, that's just the opening, and the novel develops this character in new directions and asks interesting new questions next.

First, we quickly discover that Logan's not a random guy.  There's an important reason our Logan is the one who received this upgrade, and it starts to lead to a wider world of Logan's family secrets and the world's scientific past. I bought the worldbuilding from the start, because it's a near-future that's not so far from our own world.

Logan's not the only one who's gotten the genetic boost, either, but he and his sister have opposite ideas about what to do with their new abilities.  There's a layered exploration of what these genetic boosts could do for humanity, to improve or destroy lives. A lot of the enjoyment in this novel is watching Logan figure out what he can do and how he's going to use that. I can't add much detail to that isn't a spoiler, though.

I enjoyed watching fast-paced scifi adventure unfold, around the futuristic philosophy question, just like in Crouch's other novels.