Upgrade will have you thinking long after you put the book back on your shelf. Logan Ramsay is the son of an infamous scientist who destroyed more than 2 million people. The effects of her science experiment to save the world are still being felt throughout the globe nearly twenty years later. Logan Ramsay is on a raid and gets infected with "something" and when the GPA finds out that he is changing, he has to run for his life.

I can't say much more as it will give away key points to the story. This sci-fi thriller is unputdownable. The science behind the story makes sense, and while I do not know if anything that Crouch writes is actually backed by science, it reads like it is. I enjoyed all of the genome sequencing paragraphs and the minute details of Logan's changes to his body and mind.

What I Liked:
- the premise behind the story
- the science related information about DNA, genetics, etc
- Logan's character

What I Didn't Like:
- I felt like the relationship between Logan and his sister Kara was rushed and didn't really make a lot of sense. We didn't get a lot of background info on the relationship Kara had with her mother and I think that would have helped the reader see the relationship between Kara and Logan more fully.
- The ending (in NYC). It felt like something was missing. The action was well-written, but I felt like the scene just lacked something.

This book is creepy because it feels like something that could happen in the near future (within our children's lifetimes). I LOVE books like this, so it's a highly rated read for me.

This book was so freaking amazing! This is his best one yet! It was fast read that I couldn’t put down. I can picture this book made into a movie.


Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine publishing for a Digital copy of this book for my honest opinion

SF meets Philosophy in Blake Crouch's newest summer release UPGRADE. Science fiction isn't so fictional in recent years and in Crouch's near future he makes it sound all too plausible. Like Heinlein and other grandmasters before him, he takes his chosen subject, in this case the human genome, and waxes philosophical on why humans act as they do. He makes quite an argument and has many interesting points. But the story is intermixed with chase scenes and enough "blowy-uppy" things to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The time we're living in is humanity's last gasp. Has Blake Crouch figured a way out? Or is it death to humankind? Great book! And one you should be on the watch for.

Blake Crouch delivers an exciting and fast-paced thriller with a dose of science in Upgrade. Logan Ramsay, after recovering from a virus with excruciating symptoms, starts noticing some improvements: better clarity of thought, increased memory recall, stronger bones. He has, as the title says, gotten an upgrade.

The story and premise is engaging, before I knew it I was halfway through. It startled me: can this story really conclude in the time left? Yes it did but at a cost. I’m left wanting to know more about the motivations and relationships between Logan and the people around him. That felt like such a shame, because the story ends up feeling a bit shallow, like something is missing. Regardless of being light on character development, I enjoyed Upgrade. For me, I think it would be a perfect vacation novel as it reads like a summer action film.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for providing an ARC!

If you got all tingly at the mere sight of this book, what you really want to know is if it’s an upgrade or downgrade from Dark Matter and Recursion, right? Here’s my quick take:

Dark Matter ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Upgrade ⭑⭑⭑⭑

Recursion ⭑⭑⭑

I’ll get back to you tingly people in a moment, but for anyone completely lost right now (Hi Mom!) I’ll take a moment to explain that Blake Crouch is an extremely popular author of modern sci-fi novels that are accessible to mainstream readers that only dabble occasionally in the genre (Hi Self!). He really does lean hard on the “science” part of sci-fi though, so your brain can get quite a workout reading them.

2016’s Dark Matter was such a page-turning thrill ride, and it made me feel super smart! Then 2019’s Recursion came along, which to me felt repetitive in parts and over my head in others. 2022’s Upgrade started like a thrill, lagged a little, but then won me over in the end.

The science of focus in Upgrade is genetic engineering. In the near future, the government has had to establish an ATF-like agency to regulate and crack down on civilian manipulation of DNA. I mean, you can’t have people just willy-nilly making weird unnatural shit in labs! Our book’s hero, Logan, is a member if that agency, and during a raid he gets blasted with DNA-modifying particles that make his intelligence - you guessed it - upgraded.

There’s no denying that there’s a bit of a “save the earth” agenda to the story, so if you don’t agree at least on some level that human kind is on an unfavorable trajectory then this book is most definitely not for you. It’s also not for you if you don’t like a little adrenaline in your thrillers, because this is some action-packed drama. No surprise, adaptation rights have already been snapped up by Amblin Entertainment.

What is surprising is the epilogue. Nine times out of ten epilogues are completely unnecessary turds, but this one was so thoughtful, heartfelt, and unexpected that it nudged my rating up a full star. Now that’s a worthwhile upgrade.

My thanks to the author and Ballantine Books for the gifted advance copy to review via NetGalley. The expected US publication date is July 19, 2022.

This really scared me, it could happen. Well written and the science is explained in an easy to understand way. Great book!

a very meh scifi
the pacing overall was so iffy - it felt way too quick at some parts and way too slow at others, especially in the middle of the story
the emotional stakes and stakes in general just didn't hit for me??? like he just kept saying cgat over and over and i have no idea still what that means
like ok go off king adenine guanine whateverthehecknine
super quick read but nothing super impactful imo

(Posted on Goodreads on February 12th 2022)

Much appreciation to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine for giving me a chance to read this early.

Blake Crouch is, by far, a masterful writer. I’ve always saw him as the author equivalent to Christopher Nolan. He is able to create a technical story with a formidable design, but able to preserve the chemistry in his characters.

Dark Matter and Recursion both showcased a beautiful singularity that encompassed a solid theme. Each book differentiates the other, but both orbit a science fiction idea of society’s biggest questions. Upgrade is another link to this motif that is, if anything, another wonder.

Everything I loved about Blake’s writing is in his latest work. Pacing, characters and story is all excellent. Yes, there’s emotion. Yes, there’s intrigue. Yes, duplicity. Yes, this and that.

Yes, if you like Blake Crouch, trust in his work.

Out of Blake Crouch's 3 standalone sci-fi thrillers, Upgrade is my least favorite, however an overall solid read. I loved the focus on genetics and ethical engineering.

I devoured this book over the weekend! I was simply fascinated. The chapters are long but somehow still too short. Heavy on the science but written in such a way it is easy to follow yet eloquent. The attention to detail is fantastic.

Thrilling and pulse pounding with twists at every turn. At the heart it is a family drama set in the near-future that is a profound exploration of science and philosophy and of what it means to be human.

Read this if you are fascinated by genetic engineering, evolution and like your sci-fi with a dash of heart.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
I am shocked - shocked I tell you - by how much I liked Upgrade (I'll explain in a second). Written by Blake Couch, Upgrade is set in the future- not sure how far into said future - and the world is a much different place. All vehicles are electric, they have hyperloops that travel at the speed of sound, commercial airlines are all supersonic with some much faster planes that fly in low-earth orbit, lower Manhattan is flooded due to climate change, and DNA editing has become a problem. So much so the government has created the Gene Protection Agency and outlaws the science. Which brings us to GPA agent, Logan Ramsay.

Ramsay is the son of the foremost expert in the field of DNA manipulation. While working as an underling for his genius mother in China, she edits the DNA of a locust and creates a famine that kills 200 million. Disgraced, she commits suicide and Ramsay is sent to prison for his mom's mistake. Fast forward 20 years, Ramsay and the GPA are raiding a suspected lab when he is injured by a bomb. After a few weeks in the hospital and all tests are normal, he is discharged and soon begins noticing things are changing. His body and mind are enhancing by the day and he is now considered a threat. Ramsay has to go on the run to find answers and to stop this enhancement from destroying mankind.

Back to why I'm shocked. I do not like anything sci-fi. Never seen Star Wars or Trek. Just isn't my thing. I would have never considered reading Upgrade had the publisher not reached out to me. After reading the summary I was expecting a dystopian world like Total Recall with lasers and spaceships flying all over the place. What it actually was was a badass thriller with a crap-load of science and quite a few twists. And I say that as a scientist. I was also surprised by how much I learned, which is always nice. It's a good thing when you can be entertained and learn something new.

The only gripe I have is around half way through, the story ground to a stop. It was a slog for the next 30ish pages. Then as fast as the story came to a half it took off again. It was like Couch flipped a switch.

If sci-fi isn't your thing but love thrillers, give Upgrade a shot. I bet you'll be as glad as I am that you took a chance on Upgrade.

My sincere thanks to Blake Couch, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Upgrade.

Blake Crouch wrote two of my favorite hard science sci-fi books of the last few years in Dark Matter and Recursion and even if Upgrade does not rise to the heights of those two books, it is an enjoyable, if emotionally distant, journey into genetic manipulation.
The story was initially very exciting, with Crouch developing an entire alternate future in which humanity discovered how to alter DNA in a more precise way than we can now only to have that technology banned due to reasons the book explains. Logan Ramsay is working for the Gene Protection Agency to try and stop individuals working with the technology, until he is "upgraded" with a litany of changes to his DNA. Do I know if these changes are realistic? Not even slightly, but like Crouch's other books he does a great job of explaining the science in a way that makes you say "Yeah, I guess so, why not." The book slows down in the middle section, but then picks up for a big finale that I thought was executed well.
Crouch wrote the transition from Logan's normal manner of thinking to his upgraded state of mind very well because there are clear distinctions as thought processes and memory changes. I think he wrote it very well, but it ended up leaving me emotionally unengaged with the work. It fits with the story, so I cannot fault Crouch too much, but I think his other books worked so well because of the main chracters of those stories being relatable protagonists that you could empathize with.
The central conflict Crouch explores is how humanity should respond to the reality of a world that is slowly falling apart. The epilogue seems to suggest Crouch has an answer to this question. THe passages where Crouch engaged with this issue were great to read and think about. Overall, another good book from Crouch that I imagine will be huge this summer. Probably an easier scientific concept to grasp than his prior thrillers, and I will continue to look forward to whatever Crouch writes.

This was an interesting read, and I really liked the information about genetics and the knowledge that the world of Upgrade could eventually become reality. However, I couldn't really get attached to the characters. 3/5.

In Upgrade, Blake Crouch stretches himself from sci-fi thriller over to dystopia. The novel follows a similar set up in Crouch’s prior books. We follow a law enforcement father who has a tragic past and is pulled into a covert research plot which has the power to upend society.

Upgrade’s specific take on that story arc follows Logan, an officer part of the Gene Protection Agency - an arm of the US’s burgeoning surveillance agencies focused on stopping illegal genetic modification. All goes well until Logan is attacked during a raid and his own genome starts changing.

Crouch leans into his strengths in this book - it has quick pacing, ongoing learning, and the whole book felt like a makeover, in which you see someone become the best version of themselves. He also manages to strike a good balance between tortured past vs. current challenging choices through Logan.

What makes this book even more interesting to me was Crouch’s foray into dystopia. Much of the book is a commentary on climate change and its immediate effects. This book is not set centuries in the future. In fact, Logan could be the 5 year old you see at the playground this week. The novel is set within our lifetimes, and Crouch fills the novel with various nods to currently failing systems - social security, the flooding of lower Manhattan, rain in January in Colorado, which all builds to a dystopia which is at once familiar and strikingly alien.

Despite having many thrilling aspects, the action of the novel is fairly tightly contained between Logan and his sister Kara. Due to this scale, the novel frequently feels unbalanced, as the sibling’s actions have global consequences of which only the two of them are aware.

Overall, Upgrade didn’t cause me to question my view on time or space the way previous Crouch novels have. However, the conclusion of Upgrade might be just as novel, if not imbued with the same star power. There’s a deep hypocrisy in the ending, which I just couldn’t overlook. I commend Crouch for his solution to climate change, but I’m not sure if the intent can offset Logan's choice.

Upgrade

Reading Walter Isaacson's book, The Code Breaker, last year helped me get a better grasp of the science behind Blake Crouch's newest book, Upgrade. As with his other works, this one is a nail-biting, mind-expanding, science fiction adventure with a lot of heart. In other words, it is classic Crouch and didn't disappoint.

The author has a brilliant way of mixing nerdy science, a touching romance, family drama and a suspense story that drives his readers to philosophical contemplation that asks, "What is the meaning of life? What make us human?"

Upgrade tells the story of Logan Ramsay who was forcefully upgraded via gene editing to develop above average human abilities then tasked by a genius scientist to save humanity. He is faced with a dilemma to either do the same to the rest of the world, or find another solution where the possible consequences wouldn't be as catastrophic.

Logan acts selflessly to his own loss and that makes him a hero we all want in our stories. Crouch develops Logan's character so well that I see myself in his shoes, both the sacrifice he is willing to make and its heart-wrenching consequences.

Some favorite quotes:
- Algorithms knew us better than we knew ourselves.
- Being smart doesn't make people infallible. It just makes them more dangerous.
- Maybe compassion and empathy are just squishy emotions. Illusions created by our mirror neurons. But does it really matter where they come from? They make us human. They might even be what makes us worth saving.
- To laugh and drink. To talk about nothing. It was almost as if that need for connection and touch was our...their...lifeblood.
- You can't kill humanity to save humanity. Human beings are not a means to an end.
- To save humanity, I needed my humanity.
- If I lose the ability to hurt, I also lose my grasp on joy-those brief moments of contentment that make consciousness worth the voyage.

I enjoyed this book immensely and just confirmed again how much I'm a Crouch fan. Why then do I gave this four stars and not five? The answer is in the spoilers below. You have been warned.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Throughout the book, Logan resisted and fought her beloved sister to the death in order to stop her from secretly infecting the world's population with gene-editing viruses, which she hoped would help humanity save itself from extinction. Yet, in the end, Logan did the very same thing, albeit with different genes to target.

The story would've been better if, instead of doing it without their knowledge, Logan offered the upgrade to anyone who wants to improve so they can collectively save the world. That would align more with what I expect his heroic and principled character would have done.

***EDITING ISSUES, QUESTIONS***
In location 3886, it says that Logan received his first nonviolent touch since being upgraded. This is not true since in location 2700, it says that Miranda embraced him.

In location 4708, "he hornets" should be "the hornets?"

Why did Logan's mom use a bomb to inject him with the virus while sending just a simple bee to infect his sister? Why take a risk of possibly infecting the wrong or more people with the bomb?

Towards the end, Logan dumped his sister's viruses into the East River to rid of them. Was he sure it wouldn't survive there and infect people anyway? She could've made them to be extra resilient since she knew her brother was determined to stop her.

I have the same experience reading Blake Crouch as I do reading Any Weir - I have no idea if any of the science is anywhere even approaching real or logical, but I always feel like I learned a lot at the end. UPGRADE, as a story, is great and kept me reading. I felt a little disconnected from the main character, but I think maybe that was intentional. This one also hits a little bit close to home in terms of current events and the feeling that the Earth is, in fact, falling apart around us.

After having his DNA modified by a gene-editing bomb, Logan Ramsey is on the run and running out of time to keep humanity, well, human.

This sci-fi thriller kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced through the chapters to the end. Upgrade is easily an early favorite for my top ten list of 2022.

Wow! Blake Crouch does it again.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blake Crouch, and Ballantine Books for my advance reader copy!

Logan Ramsey works for the Gene Protection Agency, a government organization designed to protect the country from geneticists and criminals illegally exploring forbidden genetics research. On a raid of a potential illegal lab, Logan steps into a basement unaware his life is about to change forever. He hears the hiss of aerosol, an explosion, feels a shrapnel that punctures his hazmat suit. Next thing he knows, he’s waking up in a hospital bed surrounded by doctors in their own hazmat suits. He learns he’s been infected with a virus designed to modify his genetic structure. As time passes, Logan sees changes in both his mental and physical abilities. He’s becoming something more, something better. Who did this to him and why?

This story took me on a wild ride. From the start, I was hooked. I felt every emotion, from fear to shock to compassion to despair. In typical Blake Crouch fashion, the story was action-packed, full of suspense, and twists and turns galore. I was at the edge of my seat, not knowing what would happen next until the very end. Similar to Crouch’s other hit novels, the story heavily featured science ideas and topics, but in a way that was easy to understand to any reader. Without giving away a spoiler, at one point I did notice a similar notion/idea from Pines, so I’d be very curious to have a conversation with Blake Crouch about his thoughts on the fate of humanity.

While the ending provided a satisfying conclusion, I was left with a couple unanswered questions that I will forever spark my curiosity.

4.5 stars but rounding up. The only reason it wouldn’t be an automatic 5 stars for me is a decision made at the very end of the book, revealed in the epilogue, that seems to contradict the very premise and moral of Logan’s journey. But that aside, it was a fantastic read.

Out July 12, 2022, this is not one to miss!

Blake Crouch has a new adrenaline ride of a novel that is a frightening portrayal of what our world could look like in the near future.
Logan works for the GPA- The Gene Protection Agency, a branch of the government protecting DNA and gene editing from occurring by rogues and back room labs. Logan is on the front line of a raid when a bomb injures him and modifies his DNA. The modification has changed him in ways to make him smarter, stronger, even beyond a normal human level.
But a genetic upgrade has a cost. Before unleashing it on all of humanity, Logan realizes that there’s a downside. That’s when things turn deadly…
I love Blake Crouch for fast-paced action novels. I’d recommend this one to fans of thrillers, science, etc.

Blake Crouch can do no wrong in my opinion, and Upgrade is further proof of that. I don’t have any real critique for this amazing new book; it’s that good. The characters were well fleshed out, the pacing was perfect, and his writing impeccable. Crouch is so good at the scientific research behind his stories that I feel smarter just for having read them. Upgrade was no exception to this. Of course, I have no clue if any of it is accurate or even possible, but even if it isn’t, it all sounds completely plausible from him. Amazing novel. I already cannot wait for his next.