I like this writer and went looking for more of his books. Solid story, good science too. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There's this new trend I've noticed lately in sci-fi books that I'm not enjoying, and this book falls prey to it. The main character is plunged into a situation and spends the entire book being introspective without the book really going much of anywhere. This book felt like it wanted to be a Tom Clancy novel with even less soul.

Our hero is genetically upgraded without his permission, which causes him to become intellectually and physically superior to other humans in every way. He encounters another person with the same upgrade, but they're at odds about whether to find a way to upgrade all of humanity to become better people and thus save the planet from our climate change woes and extinction or not. Much introspection and chasing each other ensues. And I don't agree with our hero's stance on the issue.

The final 10% of the book is nearly unreadable as our hero climbs the stairs of a tall building in search of his foe, cocks his gun a lot, pretends to be a Tom Clancy hero, and lists off the floors as he searches. 10. 12. 13. Nobody on 14. 15...

I've been a fan of Blake Crouch for a while and was extremely excited to read his latest book as an early reviewer, but this thing needs to go back to the editing table. Heck. It needs a complete reboot. There are some interesting concepts here, but it feels like it was lacking the right vehicle to carry them. I'd honestly rather see the results of a genetically upgraded humanity than follow this storyline.

Reading this was a chore. Yes, I'll buy the next Blake Crouch book, but I can't recommend this one at all.

4/4.5 ⭐️
Upgrade is set in the future where genetic modifications are outlawed. Logan, an agent for the Gene Protection Agency, is infected by a virus in an explosion during a raid. The virus upgrades his intelligence and analytical abilities. Soon, he is on the run and in the middle of a cross country chase to save himself and world. The genetics/ DNA explanations were well done. The epilogue tied the story together well.
Upgrade made me think about the impact and ethics of genetic modification.
I highly recommend this fast paced, science based, dystopian adventure!
I also loved Dark Matter and Recursion.


Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early release ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4521111133

The message is right on target. Great story and thrilling ending.

Should garner some votes as best book of 2022

Thank you NetGalley for providing and early copy to review.

The author has done an amazing job laying out the story in such a great way to pull you in from the beginning. A scary concept that makes you wonder how much has actually already taken place in real life. I enjoyed reading this book very much.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This sci-fi thriller was a hit for me! It is fast-paced and centered around changing DNA to "upgrade" humans. There is family drama and high stakes for the future of humanity which keeps the action going. Lots to enjoy here so I highly recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

This book started out a little slow, but quickly took off. It does have some technical jargon but I was not overwhelmed or made to feel stupid. I enjoyed the ending. Just wish it was possible to happen in this age of hate around the world.

Easy five stars for the new one by Blake Crouch. this guy keeps getting better and his ideas are great. this one has alot of science in it, but told in a way thats easy to understand. Very fast paced and right to the point. loved it.

Wow! Blake Crouch did it again. This was a wonderful, deeply scientific novel that causes the reader to ask deep questions and think about the meaning of life. I blew through this novel very quickly, and I really enjoyed reading it. I’m a little disappointed in the ending, it definitely left me wanting more and feeling like the story was incomplete. Still, a very enjoyable read that I will purchase for my library and recommend to my science loving readers. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this arc and provide an honest review.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch is one of the best books I've read in the last 10 years. Given the current state of the world, it is not hard to believe in the least. The characters are well developed, with heroes and villains who are perfectly flawed, usually likable, and definitely easy to identify with. The plot is interesting, exciting, and entirely plausible. But the best part is the end where are all of the ethical conundrums are resolved thoughtfully, and, I believe, correctly. This book is one about which I will ponder for quite some time. I would love to see it as a TV series or a movie. My only regret is that I can't give it more than five stars!

I admit that I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi books, but I have read many that I've enjoyed. This was not one of them. While the premise is intriguing, the story is slow and there are way to many passages that are just scientific explanation. Clearly the author is knowledgeable and the details give credibility to the plot, but there are just too many lengthy passages that read like a biology book. I realize there's a need for some "science" in science fiction, but I don't want the science to overwhelm the story. The story needs to be captivating enough that the science is just an afterthought. I'm sure others will love this book. The scientific explanations are clear enough to make the story scarily real -- I'm sure someone is working on "upgrades" to human DNA as we speak. I just found myself skipping pages just to get to the plot.

I would almost call this book science fiction which is a genre I would not normally choose. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It held my attention from start to finish. At lot of times when I read a book with these type of details which are way over my skill set I would skip right past but I found myself reading every word. I think it was complex but yet easy enough for everyone to understand. I admit I rarely if ever guessed where the story was going next. I would recommend this book.

Another excellent sci-fi novel by Blake Crouch. I raced through this book. The plot, characters, pacing, setting, everything was soo good. I did not know much about the science behind DNA and genes, but I didn't need to, to enjoy this book. All of Crouch's books are so visual, it feel like your watching a movie. I will recommend to sci-fi and thriller fans. Excellent book!

Logan Ramsay wakes up in a hospital bed, surrounded by doctors in hazmat suits, feverish and in pain. In the era of genetic-modification, he's been infected by a virus with unknown consequences to his genome. As the days pass, and as Logan recovers, it becomes clear that it's not just one thing that's changed- It's nearly everything. Everything about his brain and his body is smarter, faster, and stronger. But who infected him and why? Should his upgrades be unleashed upon the human population or is it up to Logan to stop it?

Blake Crouch has done it again, ya'll. While this still doesn't beat Dark Matter for me, it's a damn good attempt. While I still have no idea what 100% of the scientific mumbo jumbo means, Crouch does a good job of balancing it with laymans terms so that your eyes don't roll to the back of your skull and you still can understand what's going on. He really is the king of writing modern, accessible, and Black Mirror-esque sci-fi that speaks to even those of us that aren't sci-fi readers.

While I did predict the "twists", they were executed so well that I wasn't bothered by it. Rarely do I believe an epilogue is necessary, but Crouch nails it in Upgrade.

Finally, this reads like an action movie. Literally cast Matt Damon in it and call it a day!!! In this house, we do not acknowledge Bradley Cooper's 'Limitless' or Justin Timberlake's 'In Time', but imagine a plotline that combines a superhuman in a race against the clock to save humanity... That's pretty much what we're working with here.

Overall, a 5/5 read and one I'll definitely be recommending to fans of his work!

Another great read from Blake Crouch. A very accessible fast paced thriller with extra portions of Science in the premise. Crouch comes up with a very original story-line and executes it very well, you will find this book hard to put down and quick to Finnish. My major criticism is that perhaps he overdoes it with the very detailed highly researched science at the expense of the Character development. Despite the fact that the characters personal relationship with their family is central to the plot, that area seems somewhat under explored. I would recommend this book, but fans of Crouch might find this book doesn't quite meet the high standards of his previous work.

I absolutely loved this book! Turning away from the focus that his last few books (Dark Matter and Recursion) had on physics, Upgrade zeroes in on genetic science, and imagines a future wracked by environmental collapse and genetic mayhem. This book asks some really philosophical questions about what actually makes us human, and what keeps us from feeling compassion for the destruction that our species has caused on this planet. The action was fast-paced and fun, the imagined future was described in such a detailed way that it was like watching a movie in my mind, and the existential bend was one that I really appreciated. I'll be highly recommending this book to everyone I know!

Wow! Wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into when I started this book. It was quite a thrilling, yet sobering adventure into the near future. This book dealt with very complex science concepts served up in an easily accessible way for everyone to follow along. Overall the book at its core was a story that placed value on humanity in a way you don't see too often turning on the news at night. Some of the events were a bit triggering because the reality laid out was very believable and sadly not too far off from where we are as humans today. But also it was a story of hope and redemption. 4.5 out of 5 star read for me!
Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

In an age with ever increasing genetic technology, Blake Crouch speculates what would happen if we could upgrade our bodies as humans; not how we look, but how we process information, how fast our reaction time is, the ability to know what your partner or friend is thinking before they even speak in addition to increased muscle tone, multi-tasking on an insane level, and little need for things like sleep.

Upgrade is a fast-paced thriller that forgets to start at 0 and instead begins at 60. It is a quick, page-turning read that will appeal to both action enthusiasts and science aficionados. Logan is a sympathetic character who is torn between his ties to his wife and daughter and his obligations to destroy his mother’s damning legacy.

With every novel, Crouch’s writing continues to improve. He effectively balances character development with a healthy dose of cutting-edge science and technology amidst a background of edge-of-your-seat fighting and destruction that is worthy of any big budget blockbuster.

In a day and age where technology is advancing at a rapid pace and our world is becoming increasingly more divided, Crouch takes a candid look at what it means to be human and what it would take to save our species from destruction.

Definitely recommended for fans of Crouch’s previous works such as Dark Matter, Neal Stephenson, and Andy Weir.

**Huge thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Blake Crouch for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.**

In an unspecified, but near future, climate change has ravaged our earth, and rogue geneticists are desperately trying to save humanity. Logan Ramsay, of the Gene Protection Agency, has a storied familial past. In a failed GPA raid, a genetic “upgrade” is forced on him, then crazy shit ensues. A brilliant take on a pandemic-ish story. Really enjoyed! Just wish it had been longer. The ending felt rushed.