Thank youNetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of Upgrade. I had no idea what to expect from this book as this is a new author for me and this is also not my usual genre. I loved the writing. Although it was a little too “sciencey” for me, I was able to get past that and really enjoy the book. I really liked how parts of the future were depicted, especially the food supply! I found the story chilling, and it felt possible because it was so skillfully written and slowly worked up to the main plot. If you are a Science Fiction fan, this is a great read for you. If you’re new to Science Fiction this would be a good book to start with, just keep in mind there is a LOT of science in it!

Blake Crouch could very well be this generation’s Michael Crichton. When Crichton warned about cloning in “Jurassic Patk” over 30 years ago, it seems we may have listened (or, at least, thought seriously about the topic and its possible horrors— no dinosaurs have since been hatched). Crouch’s incredible action novel is about gene-editing in a future time when environmental disasters have already overtaken the world (New York and Miami are underwater; the current wine regions of Spain and France are devastated because global warming has made grape growing move further north; wildfires have ravaged the entire American West). Gene-editing has become as simple as hacking — any bright, bullied and demented teenager can create a virus to kill or maim his high school tormenters. Black market gene editors are creating dragon pets for billionaires.

In this world, there’s an attempt to regulate and make gene-editing illegal: instead of an EPA, we have the GPA (the Gene Protection Agency). Logan Ramsay is a special agent of the GPA, and his inclusion as a special agent (he was previously a scientist) is to make amends for what his mad scientist mother caused 20 years ago — in a good-hearted attempt to alter locusts to stop an agricultural virus, she instead caused an out-of-control plague that resulted in the Great Starvation, during which 200 million people died.

When Logan is hunting a bad guy’s mysterious delivery, he finds it and it explodes — he’s quarantined and his DNA is scanned to make sure he wasn’t maliciously edited. He seems fine, but then he senses changes weeks later — big ones: perfect memory recall, increased strength, expanding intelligence. Logan has been “upgraded” — but why and by whom?

I’m not much of a sci-fi fan, but “Upgrade” drew me in like “Jurassic Park” did decades ago— there’s enough current day realism mixed with the warnings we already hear about ethical science issues, much like climate change. The book is exciting and fast paced — there’s no overt preachiness, but a lot of poignant and thought-provoking moments. I predict this book will be a huge hit and I can easily imagine it as a film! 5 stars.

Thank you to Random House/ Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only one pair were “Scandinavian blue,” and there’s an interesting discussion of “what if you could make blue eyes ‘infectious’” — and in a few generations everyone would have blue eyes (therefore eliminating all mentions of green-eyed femme fatales in future novels!)
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO “Upgrade’s” landscape has been altered by tremendous climate disasters; if anything grows it’s welcome.

What do you get when you add DNA alterations, a post-apocalyptic setting, and a moral dilemma? Blake Crouch's newest novel, UPGRADE, sets out to solve that equation, and will be available in July! Special thanks to @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

After a raid where Logan Ramsay was infected with some type of virus, there do not seem to be any consequences. Yet Logan Ramsay is changing. He's noticed a difference in his mental abilities for weeks now. When his employer notices, it sets in motion a chain of events where humanity's future literally hangs in the balance. Can Logan protect humanity's future?

Blake Crouch's newest dystopian, near earth science fiction novel is so completely engaging. I sped through it in less than two days because I had to know what happened. The first person narrative connected me with Logan, and each action packed chapter kept me flipping [electronic] pages. I think the additional aspects of suspense and moral dilemmas were also especially fascinating. While this was my first Crouch book, I am more than ready to dive into his backlist! More detailed review is up on my blog {link in bio}!

4/5 Stars

CW: pandemics, violence, death

Pulse pounding and electrifying. This is exactly what I hope for in all sci-fi novels and Upgrade did not disappoint. This new book from author Blake Crouch is just as magnificent as his previous novels and is a must read.

I have enjoyed Blake Crouch's previous novels, so was thrilled to be offered this ARC for an honest review. No one does the heady sci-fi thriller like Crouch. He has a distinctive and unique take on the genre, incorporating interesting details with fast paced action. Upgrade was no exception. While it took me a few chapters to get into the world and understand what was going on, the rest of the book flew by. This novel raises ethical and moral questions for the reader, and I found the ending satisfying. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in science, human potential, and a pulse pounding journey.

My thanks to Random House/Ballantine, Blake Crouch and Netgalley.
I didn't like this book much.
That's an oddity for me, as I've loved darn near everything that I've read of Blake's since I discovered him back in 2013. I suppose it was bound to happen.
That's not to say that I wasn't interested in this story. I liked the story well enough. What I absolutely hated was all that DNA science. I was bored to death! I kept falling 😴 asleep! That has never happened with a Crouch story before.
Yeah. I'm giving this one a soft pass. I see other reviewer's think it's great. So, don't let my boredom deter you!

Honestly, Blake Crouch can do no wrong and I will read anything he ever writes!

Logan Ramsey undergoes an amazing upgrade that makes his kind sharper, his body stronger and his awareness more acute, he’s just not sure why he was the target of this transformation. With so many questions, Logan goes out in search of who’s plan this was and what does that mean for humanity.

Sometimes I wonder how Blake Crouch’s mind works. How does he come up with these concepts that sound so plausible on paper. Maybe he knows something we don’t…..🤔

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Yikes, it was such a struggle to get through this one. I really loved Dark Matter, then Recursion was good but not great, and now, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I couldn’t get into it so much because of all the science lingo. This book might be good for others but not for me.

I was given the NetGally kindle ARC, this is my honest review:

This is a very good novel that succeeds because the plot depends on the main character, and he's someone most of us can root for. Tension ramps up and certain aspects were hard to predict, which I always appreciate. Most importantly, the author stuck the landing. A lot of research went into this, but I didn't get bogged down in details. Those of us non-conversant in DNA or anatomy or biology can skim those parts and pick up enough to follow what's happening. I think at times the MC goes into irrelevant details, particularly when he's in distress. But the only real flaw I noticed was 5% in, when a strike team is surprised by their target building. They don't even have StreetView in the future? In a surveillance state, when these are government people?

Other than that, highly recommended.

Blake Crouch has wowed me again, producing yet another compulsively readable page-turner. I don't know how he does it, but he always manages to fuse science, speculation, and eerie plausibility together in such a way that my poor neurons can't do anything except explode at the effect. It'd be rude if I didn't love it, if I didn't care to have my mind stretched, bent, twisted, and blown so much--but I do.

I absolutely live for it!

I've come to expect mind-bending futuristic thrillers from Crouch at this point, and I'm so happy to say I wasn't disappointed. I flew through this book so fast it felt like it was MY genome that'd been upgraded, not Logan Ramsey, the protagonist's.

Logan works for the GPA, an organization that cracks down on genetic engineering, which has been deemed illegal for everyone in the near future.

The story starts when he's knocked unconscious by an explosion during a raid. After he wakes up in the hospital, he slowly begins to notice changes to his body and alterations in his DNA. His memory is sharper, almost photographic, his IQ is higher, his need for rest has diminished, and his muscle mass has increased exponentially. It isn't long before he uncovers the truth: that his genome has been hacked for a reason, that he's been targeted by someone he knows for a purpose, and that he's the first test subject in an experiment that's meant to institute an "upgrade" for all of humankind.

What follows is a smart, lightning-paced tale about genetic engineering. The good, the bad, the ugly. Plus all the moral and philosophical complexities that surround it. As a result, readers soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a genetic war that puts Logan, his family, the planet, and the future of the humanity at odds.

Upgrade was such an adrenalizing, science-y read! I loved it because it forced me to ponder big "save the earth, save humanity" scenarios that probably aren't that far off. (The future depicted in this book is almost here, my friends.) For instance, which is more beneficial to humanity's evolution: logic or empathy, intelligence or compassion? Could our only hope for survival truly lie in genetic manipulation? And what would happen if some viewed human beings as nothing more than "a means to an end?" What then? What next? Would you fight for the world we already have or for one that doesn't exist yet?

Unputdownable. This one certainly will be double helix-ing 'round my brain for a while yet!

So incredibly thankful to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for granting me early access to this ARC.

My rating (****) -- Excellently written and paced. I saw no copy editing errors. Since I broke my wrist, I took a few days before hunt-and-pecking these comments. What remained after the enjoyment of a thoroughly compelling story was that the themes of climate change and emotion-over-logic spoiled the memory of the book for me. They seemed obligatory rather than genuine.

Logan Ramsay works for a government agency tasked with apprehending criminals. Twenty years ago, is brilliant but misguided mother altered the DNA of a locust, and it led to millions and millions of deaths. She committed suicide while Logan went to prison because of his role in her research. Now, his guilt keeps him working for the Gene Protection Agency, a job that he does not love.
Another day, another mission, and unfortunately for Logan, someone has made sure that this one goes wrong. While his injuries heal, his genetic makeup starts to change, making him extremely focused, able to recall every tiny detail he has ever been involved in, and with a new ability to learn anything in record time. His employers think he may be a threat, and soon he is sequestered away from his wife and daughter will no hope of escape. Until someone breaks him out of the facility and the truth will mean he can never go home and will live his life on the run, trying to stop a genetic disaster.
There was quite a bit of science that went right over my head, but it didn't slow me down. The effects of climate change were catastrophic, and I am not going to get into every detail of what goes wrong and what goes right for Logan. I will say he is forced on a journey to save the world, and it really will cost him everything. I was quite surprised at the ending considering how much he went through. I am still not sure if he made a wise choice, but looking at the whole picture, perhaps it was honestly the only choice. This wasn't my favorite Black Crouch book, but it provided a lot to think about and made me wonder where our world will be in a hundred years. For the most part, this was a fast-paced thrill ride along with Logan.

Wow, this was a rollercoaster of a ride. Started off with a flash-bang, and just kept on going. I absolutely loved it. What I especially liked about this book (and the author's previous works, Dark Matter and Recursion), is that the books are very heavy with science terminology, facts, ideas, etc. but the book never gets bogged down in them. The reader can still follow along without feeling inadequate.

I thought the storyline was extremely fast paced and overall, was really good. Very much enjoyed this. Solid 4 stars!

Fast paced thriller that's easy to read. Some of the "science" was a little overdone, eg, dont need page long lists of genes. Logan's characterization and introspection was good, rest of the characters were pretty flat though.

"Upgrade" presents a tough-to-put-down thriller that will most definitely keep you going to the end. Mr. Crouch clearly feels concern for the modern realities of self-destructive human behavior and provides a glimpse into some of the possibilities. For many of us, this novel probably won't seem like futuristic fiction or that far off from modern reality. With intriguing topics like climate change, bio-genetic engineering, human modifications, species survival, etc., this novel presents a creative and, dare I say, realistic version of what may emerge shortly. One of the sections begins with a quote from Harari's "Homo Deus" and seemed an appropriate introduction for the fictional account while balancing Harari's non-fictional predictions also. So, for a quick, intriguing, and engaging look into some futuristic fiction, I say yes to Mr. Crouch's "Upgrade".

Logan Ramsey always felt inferior to his brilliant mother. Then one day the unexpected happens he gets "Upgraded" after an accident. Now he can recall all details of memories on any given date, he can recall every article he has ever read, he is stronger, faster, and smarter than ever before. His mother had a plan but will he be able to finish the plan?

This is one of those books that long after finishing it you will be wondering what would you do if you were in Logan's shoes? At how many deaths is it worth the risk?

Blake Crouch has done it again with another intriguing story. This sci-fi thriller will make you wonder how close we as a human race are to coming to the way the characters in the book live. It's scary and enlightening of what could become our future. At times I was a little confused by all of the science but in the same token it was fascinating! I've really enjoyed his writing because it really makes you pause and think about what's to come in our life.

Blake Crouch has another winner on his hands. Upgrade will be another best seller and probably a major motion picture. Upgrade is a nightmarish glimpse into a possible future. This book is a warning of what might happen. Beware.

Another great story from Blake Crouch! Once again a lot of the science went over my head, but what a page turner! All of this seems entirely plausible which made this a bit of a scary read. Highly recommend!

I had really high hopes for this, but I think that the science outweighed the story here. There was too much detail of the genetics which took away from the overall flow. Still entertaining but not what I experienced from Crouch’s other books.