Blake Crouch is my absolute favorite author ever!! Upgrade is yet another amazing novel from Blake Crouch and I loved it. I ate up every word! The story is of Logan, a geneticist, who, in the future world, is now working for the government tracking down illegal Genetic Labs so that people don't get out of control changing DNA and doing illegal things with it. Logan's mother was also famous for being a geneticist who made one huge mistake while trying to save millions of people, ending up killing millions of people instead. And then she died and let Logan take the fall. Logan has rebuilt a somewhat peaceful life as an agent, with his wife and daughter, but then gets an unwelcome upgrade to his DNA which changes his entire life and turns it into a crazy sci-fi action movie that is an amazing ride! DO NOT miss this fantastic Blake Crouch novel!!! I could not put it down!!! Can not wait for his next book!!!

Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a book to be excited to read in the summer of 2022. I have been a little slow reading books and I whipped through this book in two days. Logan Ramsay life changed when he stepped into a basement and shrapnel punctured his hazmat suit. He has no idea what will happen to him or what he has been hit with. The story goes on to tell the tale of his current life, his younger years, and somewhat his future life. I am keeping this brief so nothing is given away.

It is a fast paced book with twists. I would say this leans towards sci-fi. I think this will be a big book of the summer.

I was given an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. #Upgrade #BlakeCrouch #NetGalley

The book blew me away. I found it to be profound, with heart-pounding action, and a lot to think about when it was finished. Central character Logan Ramsay is a likable guy working for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency). Policing Genetic Engineering, Logan takes part in a raid that turns out to be a setup. The aftermath of which is the jumping-off point for the story. As we learn about Logan's past and his family, it becomes clear that he has a lot of baggage that affects all of his decisions and actions. The secondary characters are well developed as well. I felt the reasons for the character's actions were well explained and explored by the author. While the story has many action-filled moments, we are given other moments of reflection which provided a great balance. The Epilogue floored me and made the ending perfect.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC.

4.5 stars

This fast-paced, sci-fi thriller imagines a future of gene-editing and manipulation. Like his other books, Upgrade walks that line of feeling fictional, yet scarily plausible. And science is so thorough and believable that it feels like the events could actually happen. It's awesome and unsettling in the best way.

The plot is full of action, suspense, and plenty of twists. I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved the family aspect. And as the story went on, I found myself invested in the main character as he worked to navigate the path he was thrown into.

While the science aspect is approachable and easy enough to follow, there is a bit more of it than I remember being in Recursion and Dark Matter. It's not a bad thing, just something to note because it does get quite thorough at a few points. But I also think that the level of detail adds to realness of story and feels in line with the character's development.

I haven't yet decided my opinion on the epilogue. On one hand. I loved it. It made me emotional and answered some questions. But it also gave me more questions. And it caught me off guard. It made me stop and think. Which was probably the goal, so….. well done Blake.

Overall a great read. Highly entertaining and thought provoking. If this book was a movie it would be the save the world, action-packed blockbuster of the summer.

Upgrade is out 7/12/22.

Thanks to Random House, NetGalley, and Blake Crouch for the advanced copy.

3.5 ⭐️

So, this one was different. At least, for me. I’ve only read Recursion and Dark Matter by Crouch before this (both amazing 5 star reads, by the way), and those I’d classify as more mind-bendy & time-jumpy. Upgrade is a straight up sci-fi action/suspense novel that reads like a movie. I feel like that’s important to know going in.

Imagine waking up in quarantine, at a hospital, after an explosion at work. You were exposed to some sort of unknown virus. After some time, you start to notice heightened abilities. You’re stronger. You’re smarter. Essentially, you’re some sort of upgraded human. When others start to find out, you become a target. In the wrong hands, this sort of genetic engineering information could be catastrophic. A great premise!

The quintessential scientific moral dilemma that drives the book, though, was a little problematic for me, as I often found myself siding with the villains. I couldn’t connect to the main character in this book, the way I have in Crouch’s other novels. I suppose because this one was more action, it didn’t dive as deep into character development.

I read that film rights already exist for this one which makes absolute sense. I’ll definitely be watching it at the theatre.🍿 I’m sure a lot of readers will enjoy it.

📚#BOOK REVIEW 📚
Upgrade by Blake Crouch
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 352 / Genre: Sci-Fi
Release Date: July 22, 2022

It’s only March but I will go out on a limb now and bet that this ends up being my favorite book of 2022. Seriously. I was already a #BlakeCrouch fan because of the #WaywardPines series so I went into this book with high expectations and was not disappointed. We’re talking genetic manipulation that results in superpowers in a post-pandemic world where the salvation of humanity and earth itself is on the line. Fast-paced, smart, exciting, eerily relevant to today’s pandemic crisis. Great book! Definitely add to your #TBR. It comes out on July 22, 2022, and if you haven’t read the Wayward Pines series yet, you can read it now. As usual, the books were so much better than the TV series, which I also enjoyed anyway.

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

Upgrade was such a good book! I don't think I've ever read a book by Blake that I didn't like, and I hope I never do. From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked and couldn't put this book down. Even though I'm not a huge fan of science being thrown my way, this was just way too easy to read. Seriously, the pages flew by and before I knew it the book was over.

In this, you will meet Logan. Now he works for the GPA, the Gene Protection Agency, but it doesn't really seem like he loves it. He's definitely more of a scientist than a soldier but due to his past, he does what he can with his life. Speaking of his past, I won't spoil anything about it but just know that it always catches up to you. It's what happened to him and he definitely needed to evolve and adapt from it all.

With each twist, turn, and betrayal it's hard to figure out who you can and can't trust. So much happened throughout this book that I wasn't even expecting the ending that we got. Which definitely made me an emotional hot mess.

In the end, I'm so happy that I got the chance to dive into this. Each page was addicting and now I'm sad that it's all over with. Not even sure what to do with my hands at the moment either. All I'm going to do now is just sit and wait for Blake to write another amazing book.

Our ability to read out this sequence of our own genome has the makings of a philosophical paradox. Can an intelligent being comprehend the instructions to make itself? —John Sulston

So for me this book is a 3-star book and a 5-star book rolled into one. I'll settle on the difference at 4.0 stars.

If you're looking for a book that is a page-turner, with buckets and buckets of action and some sciencey goodness mixed in, this story is definitely for you. It's exciting! And it's clear that Crouch did a lot of research as well, making all the sciencey bits ring true. This is where we're looking at 5-stars.

The book fell apart a bit for me when it came to character motivation and interactions. Without dropping any spoilers, some of the motivations and reasoning for some of the characters just didn't ring true, and it more than a few time pulled me from the story because I was thinking: "Seriously? That would be your course of action?"

My two cent summary? The book is well worth the read, but maybe don't delve too deeply into characters motivation.

This is my third Blake Crouch novel and I was very excited when I got news of his new release. Upgrade immediately sucked me in and I enjoyed the mix of dystopian and science fiction. The novel kept me engaged throughout and I also liked the format of the novel and how it was broken into different parts. I thought it was interesting to have siblings pitted against each other but it did bring out more empathy in me for the situation as the reader. I think the ending was left nicely open ended in regards to the world's problems still needing to be solved but the major conflict in the story being resolved.

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.

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.

Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion.
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?

Upgrade is fast-paced, and stunning in concept and delivery. Highly recommended. #Upgrade #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

I love Blake Crouch’s books - they’re like nothing I’ve ever read before. Somehow he makes very complex science come to life and writes thrillers that have you on edge with a dose of moral dilemma thrown in. Upgrade is another great read that I couldn’t put down- just so good..

Creepy take on what humanity’s future could be. I can easily see this story becoming a movie. This book was not quite as horrifying as Blake is capable of writing, but it was still exciting and interesting and should appeal to fans of science fiction stories,

I received an ARC of this from the publisher and NetGalley.

"Upgrade" by Blake Crouch is an exciting biotech hightech thriller with a bit of milfic, spy craft, and survival thrown in for good measure. The story starts strong in the first sentence and the author never takes his foot off of the accelerator. With the immediate survival of the main character and the long term survival of the human race at risk, this book was quite hard to put down. The writing was clear, the technology exciting, the motivation strong, and the journey thrilling. I look forward to reading more by Blake Crouch.

I thank Black Crouch and Ballantine Books for kindly providing a temporary advanced electronic review copy of this book.

Blake Crouch is an excellent writer and this book again showcases that. Although there is a lot of scientific lingo, the book is fast paced and enjoyable. I loved the idea that humans can be upgraded and what that allows them to do as well as the philosophical questions that upgrading poses. Wonderful book!

I give this five out of five stars for making the read difficult to put down and something I was thinking about when I wasn’t reading it. Like Crouch’s Recursion and Black Matter, Upgrade dives head first into a hard science possible future. All of the gene sequencing and DNA references he made are palatable for mass audiences, and made better by a fast moving plot that is entertaining in a thriller blockbuster movie kind of way.
I was surprised by how some of the plot aspects and ideas emotionally provoked me. The posturing of intelligence against human sentiment got me agitated, then angry, followed by sad and eventually really satisfied and amused at the end. I grew attached to the protagonist, Logan pretty fast. It hurt to see him morn his ties to his wife and daughter and how the change in his genetic abilities also created a massive separation from them. I was vested in Logan and what would happen to his various friends and family connections after the finale. For me all of these different emotions were great proof I was in deep with this book, and I suspect Crouch did a lot of bleeding on the page as he crafted this.
I enjoyed the future earth with humans on a rebound after a worldwide famine caused by genetic tampering. I pray I never have to grow acclimated to the meat substitutes described as a necessity. I liked how technology had continued to flourish post famine and transports existed that moved near the speed of light, while old beaters were the modern electric cars of today. The third act was very visually interesting with Logan swimming his way through a flooded Manhattan Island. Overall a satisfying read that I whole heartedly recommend. Fans of Crouch’s work will not be disappointed, and I consider this my favorite among his recent works.

I read very few science fiction books, but I keep coming back to Blake Crouch. He tells interesting, compelling stories that are written in a way that even people without science brains can understand them, and this book is no different. I did get a bit bored by some of the science, and I think it could have been told without some of it, but other than that, I definitely enjoyed this book.

This book is hard to rate. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was over the moon when I was chosen for an arc. And it started it so well. I loved the first half. Then.

The upgrade happens. And now the relatable MC turns into the worse kind of know it all. Not in a charming way like the Martian. But just like a horrible character that just. Ugh. He was just so superior to everyone. His mom. His sister. Even the way he talks about his wife and his kid after the upgrade is just so condescending. He’s just so unlikeable. I had to force myself to finish this and it didn’t get better. He just continued to be totally just yuck. And I like unlikeable characters. But not him.

So the first half. Five stars. Second half is zero. Rounded to three

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This typically isn't my genre of book to read however I found this book really good! I might add I really liked the writing style of Blake Crouch. I recommend everyone take the time out of their day to read this.

Crouch is great as always. Propulsive and engaging. I read it in one sitting. Will definitely recommend it!

Another ridiculously fun page-turner from Blake Crouch, UPGRADE is an entertaining mix of sci-fi and thriller, close enough to the edge of possibility to be keep-you-up-at-night scary.