This is the first book I’ve read by Blake Crouch, but it won’t be the last. The book takes place in the not so far future, where a scientist genetically engineers a crop, which had disastrous consequences leading to worldwide famine. The field of genetics was quickly outlawed, scientists were jailed, and genetic engineering went underground.

Logan had studied to be a scientist, but now works at the Genetic Protection Agency investigating genetic manipulation. In a botched raid he is infected by a virus that increases his strength, memory, and intelligence to unprecedented levels. Soon he has to carefully analyze each person’s motives as he tries to avoid capture and searches for answers.

I enjoyed how the author was able to weave the genetic engineering of humans into beings with superior levels of physical strength and intelligence, with the possible effects on human nature/emotions. Included are the concerns about how humans are destroying the world and facing possible extinction, and how do we address those issues. The book combines science, family, and a mad race to save the future.

Thanks to Penguin/Random House & NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book; this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy of this book. I love Blake Crouch. His books are fast paced thrillers with a dash of science/technology writing. While fast reads, they are thought provoking. His previous two books focused more on neuroscience/quantum mechanics, this one focusing on genetic modification. I always enjoy reading different author's takes on how our future will unfold, and was happy to hear that climate change is mentioned and acknowledged.

Upgrade

<b>”We don’t have an intelligence problem. We have a compassion problem. That, more than any other single factor, is what’s driving us toward extinction.”</b>

He’s done it again. What I love about Crouch’s writing is that it’s both smart AND engaging. While it’s clear he thoroughly researches his books and tries to introduce the science in an understandable manner to the average layman, at his core Crouch is a gifted storyteller who is always pushing an existential journey and discussion on what makes us human.

In a way, I viewed Upgrade as more of a thriller and bordering horror at times, yet I could not flip the pages fast enough. I was outright sweating and on the edge of my seat throughout. The horror for me comes in seeing just how close to reality this is.

The idea of genetic wars and the modification of human DNA, the creation of a surveillance world and Genetic Protection Agency that tracks scientists and biological/genetic terrorism is frightening - but is is that far fetched? No. The discussion of climate change and its effects which are just around the corner - flooded major cities, scorched forests, synthetic meat and global famines, is well done AND definitely anxiety inducing. In fact, at times this felt exhausting, but still I couldn’t put it down. Crouch forces readers to confront just how passive we actually are to these realities.

Logan as a brilliant scientist and struggling human was relatable and his arc was interesting to follow. While there is a lot of heavy science, this keeps coming back to Logan’s struggle between scientific superiority and human ethics and what it means to be a human, which I appreciated. Crouch always introduces elements of science that at first sound so appealing and perfect, but peels back the layers to show the trade offs and sacrifices needed in exchange.

<b>”I suspect that, if we all had perfect memory, we would all grieve the older versions of who we used to be the way we grieve departed friends.”</b>

With that said - is this perfect? No, there is definitely more backstory I wanted, especially with Logan’s mother, and it would have been nice to see glimpses of hope and advancements that lie just around the corner in the nearby future. It’s a lot of doom and gloom, rightfully so, but still, some genetic advancements to today’s serious illnesses and conditions would have been a nice treat to see.

All in all though, those felt like minor dings in what is an imaginative story that taps into our most basic morbid curiosity.

But also, sex dolls wrapped in synthetic human muscle and skin, revenge wasps, antibiotic resistant flesh eating bacteria for bullies, FUCK ARE YOU OK BLAKE?! Also, how is it that even in the future the DC metro area has hyperjets and loops to travel the world yet we’re still taking the DC metro? WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ESCAPE THAT MONSTROSITY.

I can’t wait for Crouch’s next book, it’ll be sure to challenge and excite. Thank you so much Penguin Random House for my galley.

When I grow up, I want to write like Blake Crouch. Seriously, this book is brilliant and thought-provoking, by turn frightening, fascinating, and philosophical. Highly recommended.

✨ A MOST ANTICIPATED 2022 READ✨

And it was all I’d hoped it’d be from one of my fave authors! I already know this will be a top read of 2022 for me and I’m beyond excited I got to read it pre-publish thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House.

Author: Blake Crouch
Genre: sci fi / thriller
Mood: adventurous, mysterious, challenging
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Pub Date: July 12, 2022

#readandsiprecommends to read if:
• you don’t think sci fi is your thing but want to give it a try - see below for why
• you were enthralled watching the augmented human experience of Bradley Cooper a la Limitless
• Project Hail Mary was one of your favorite reads of 2021

Review: Crouch’s Dark Matter is one of my all-time favorite books - just bought it for my shelves and thinking about a re-read this year! And I’ve been hard pressed to find something quite like it since reading it years ago (aside from Andy Weir’s space adventures also incredible and top faves of all-time).

Crouch has a way of writing sci fi that’s both high level intellect - and accurate because he collabed with genetic experts - while being digestible to someone without a background in science. While I love learning the science behind, I don’t want to be bogged down by too many details that’ll go over my head and Upgrade strikes that balance for me.

This story is so unique to anything I’ve read and the near-future relevancy to the current state of our humanity is uncanny. And the way Crouch was able to tie the story to bigger picture philosophical implications made it all the more powerful.

The world the main character Logan lives in is already in an apocalyptic state after his genius mother’s genetic work leads to a massive wipe out of the population. Trying to save humanity from extinction altogether his mother worked up a complete genetic upgrade and Logan’s one of the first to receive it. I found myself rooting for Logan’s character from the start, seeing his love for his family and how it’s upended.

It’s up to Logan to find a way to save humanity without losing his humanity. I felt that emotional pull to him and his journey - and yes I even cried a bit.

My only piece of constructive feedback which I’m sharing directly here and not in any reviews is that some transitions felt a little choppy. I found myself going back to re-read to figure out how it got to where I was reading. If there’s a way to smooth those out within the chapters while still keeping the thrill I think it’ll read a little easier !

I pre ordered this book before being approved for the e-ARC and I am happy I’ll have this one on my shelves.

🚨 TW: death of a parent, mentions of torture

Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a fun and exciting read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. This was my first encounter with Crouch's novels and it has definitely peeked my interest to read more. Logan Ramsay must figure out who is behind the planned attack on his body that alters his genome. The first and third parts were much better reads for me.. the middle got bogged down with a bit too much science terminology and references. For those that understand or like DNA/genome science, I think would better relate to that part. Overall, a thrilling read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review an advanced readers copy.

In the not-too-distant future, Miriam Ramsay, a renowned geneticist, makes a catastrophic error that ends up causing a Great Starvation event that kills 200 million people across the globe. Her son, Logan Ramsay, has lived in her shadow his whole life and is put into a wild position when he and his sister are given a parting gift from their mother that can completely reshape life as they know it (again).

The premise was exciting, especially as someone that adored her Genetics classes back in the day. Even though I've seen previous takes on the whole "unlocking intelligence" concept (primarily the movie Limitless), I still enjoyed this spin on it.

What lost me is that the book didn't feel entirely fleshed out and sometimes felt unbalanced. There was a lot of focus on specific genetic information, but I didn't always feel tension when the whole situation in the book should be the most tense event ever. Boosted Logan, of course, had crazy high intelligence, and he was able to instantly recognize what another character was about to do. It's a cool skill, but there wasn't much anticipation. Some of the relationships also seemed rushed, which made me have a hard time caring for many of the characters.

I think this novel would make a super entertaining movie. Despite my quibbles, this was still a unique book that I'm sure Blake Crouch fans will devour.

To be honest right up front, I didn't like this as much as his last two books. Don't get me wrong, it was still super fun. Blake Crouch's writing is the equivalent of watching a really good prime time sci-fi thriller on Fox or something, but I just found the concept of genetic manipulation to be initially really interesting but not really end up where I was hoping it would. I think a part of that is because I didn't particularly like the protagonist. It's basically the same type of dude that Crouch puts in every book, but he comes off as borderline insufferable every time he goes on about how badass his upgraded DNA has made him. I know it's just him describing what's happening to him, but the way it's written just makes him sound like a pretentious chode sometimes. All that being said, it was still super fun and I would be absolutely shocked if it didn't get adapted by somebody. It's very fast and very visual, so I don't even think it needs to be a show and could easily be a 2+ hour movie and cover the story pretty well. Thanks for the ARC!

Part one of this book is outstanding. It's fast and full of intrigue. Unfortunately it doesn't hold onto that steam through the rest of the book. It is also needlessly science heavy and feels recited by rote. Some science was absolutely needed to make the book but it was just too much and not engaging enough. I'd recommend this to sci-fi lovers but if that's not your jam, maybe give it a miss.

In this episode, I was both impressed and slightly underwhelmed by an excellent thriller…
Friends, friends, friends.

Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress.

When I got an email inviting me to read Blake Crouch’s new thriller, I was cautiously optimistic. I was mesmerized by Dark Matter, but never got around to his next book Recursion. Both of these thrillers seem to focus on time, choices, decisions, and love. Dark Matter was a dark, intense mind-bending thriller that had an immense amount of heart and I feel bad that I never got around to Recursion.

By the time I’d finished reading the premise of Upgrade, I was excited to see what the actual book had to offer. The synopsis had shades of the movie Limitless and that idea of human potential and the numerous pitfalls within really got me excited.

I blazed through the book in about 24 hours and after finishing the book, I had a slightly predictable response: It was a really good book with an intricate exploration of gene editing, personal relationships, and danger. I was invested in protagonist Logan Ramsey’s life and story from the very first chapter. His infamous mother loomed large in the past of this dystopian world where cities like New York were partially underwater. In fact, Logan Ramsey’s past created the wasteland and the chaos that sparked Upgrade.

This book started off in a compelling guns-blazing way. As the layers got peeled back chapter by chapter, I appreciated the incredible nuance and humanity that the author brought to this world and to our main character. The cause of Ramsey’s upgrade and the reasons for his evolution were deeply thought out and a huge part of this story was exploring the pros and cons for unilaterally infecting humanity with a genetic upgrade.

For every protagonist, there is an antagonist, but I can’t discuss spoilers here. The breakneck speed of this book meant that I never really had time to process potential plot developments and that was the best possible choice for this book. Upgrade had plenty of twists and turns, but by the end, I was left cold because this book, like its protagonist, had grown beyond humanity, and certain choices that Logan made left me sad and wistful.\

This book is definitely as philosophical and contemplative in the midst of the chaos as Dark Matter was. However, the dramatic stakes felt small by the end and it was far less vast than I’d hoped when I started reading. Something about unlocking human potential through gene editing felt like it was going to be a vast story with much more of a global impact, but the characters that became the focus weren’t quite as compelling as I’d hoped.

Upgrade, then, was an exciting read with a fabulous premise that just felt a little smaller and contained than I’d hoped. However, I still enjoyed it immensely and I could not put it down.

It comes out on July 12th, and I feel like I’m in a special club to get to read it so far ahead of its release.

I hope you all pre-order and enjoy the ride in July.

Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.

Peace, Love, Pages.

I was so excited to get this ARC of “Upgrade” by Blake Crouch. This is the third book of Crouch’s that I’ve devoured on the edge of my seat.
Logan Ramsey is an ordinary man working for a government agency until his genome is hacked and he begins to upgrade. To say anymore would be a spoiler, so I won’t This is a suspenseful, science fiction read and I look forward to the author’s next novel.

Crouch has an incredible ability to distill complex scientific concepts down to easily understandable ideas. He uses these concepts to explore our humanity (or lack therof) within an incredibly fast-paced and riveting plot. This results in a thriller that you truly cannot put down as you reflect on what makes humanity worth saving.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this Advanced Reader's Copy I received in exchange for an unbiased review.**

Yes! This was a thrilling science fiction read that locked up my weekend.

While I very much liked the whole genome upgrade story and the race Logan is in to stop the plan after it's set in motion, my favourite aspect of this story was the family at the center of it. It made for very interesting situations and constantly shifting sands as the story progressed. The future presented here is one that feels possible in disturbing ways and while it made for an uncomfortable read at times, I appreciated it. It was well done and made for some memorable passages.

This wasn't my first Crouch book but I think its a great place to jump if for people who want to try him out. For those already familiar, it's likely to be another good one. I'm glad I read this but will miss having it on my TBR later in the year when it debuts. It's going to be a good group read.

Recommended.

<i>Many thanks to Penguin Random House (via Kathleen Quinlan) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.</i>

This is a well written, well told, interesting dive into the possibility and ethics of using gene editing to create improved humans. There's a lot of gene science, and it feels accurate, though what is described in the book isn't possible with the understanding of genetics or the technology we have today. I'm no genetics expert, so I couldn't guess at how plausible it is to map the entire phenotype to genotype or upregulate or downregulate a bunch of genes and get the kind of changes described. It certainly seems unlikely with no trial and error. I'm also probably misunderstanding this, but from the way it was described, genes are either on or off, up- or down-regulated, so it seems the effect of modifying a primary and secondary copy of that gene wouldn't make much difference. But what do I know. Really, the very specific science isn't that crucial to the story, just the acceptance that something like this is probably possible in the not-to-distant future. The only real ethical dilemma explored here relates to how many people would die from the virus used to propagate the upgrade, but there are a lot of socioeconomic and political ethics and enforcement questions also. The concept of gene drives seems particularly alarming. The use of exceptionally fast computing is also explored a bit, to map the entirety of human phenotypes, and to quickly locate the rogue geneticist in the act of releasing the virus. It feels like we're on the verge of that kind of capability as well, with quantum computing. With the subject matter it might seem this could be a difficult slog, but this is all presented in a very lay person, simplified manner, so it's very accessible. Highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher for an advance reading copy of Upgrade for review consideration. This does not influence my thoughts or opinions.

Upgrade is unputdownable; an engrossing techno-thriller that is Limitless on steroids with a heart-racing, pulse-pounding race to the finish. If Andy Weir is the go-to for mind-blowing science thrillers set in space, Crouch has raised the bar for those set domestically.

Recursion was my top read of 2019, and for good reason. It was a mind-blowing experience, to say the least, and has been / still is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I say that because Crouch has been one of my go-to authors for some time now and I am always waiting to see what he comes up with next, whether that is to simply enjoy another one of his release or to see if he can somehow top his previous.

While Upgrade doesn’t surpass the utter brilliance I found in Recursion, it stands on its own as a phenomenal thriller with hard science and thrilling action. There are times where bits and pieces will fly completely over the average readers’ heads, but the storyline itself is so captivating that you won’t have to muddle through the details to understand what is going on. It is a fairly clear-cut path from beginning to end, but that doesn’t mean Crouch hasn’t taken the time to carefully craft plenty of twists, turns and explosive realizations throughout.

The story itself is fantastic, but what kept me going was the emotional connection I had with the main character, Logan. Since having a daughter, the ties that bind me to parents in books is so strong and if I can meet that character on some emotional level, I’m down for the count. I can’t imagine at all what he is going through as a character, but, like… I get it. Once you become a parent, you will do whatever it takes to keep your kid safe and see that they have the best future possible.

I believe that is why the ending hit me so hard as well. The epilogue, and even Crouch’s acknowledgements, were like a punch to the gut. Talk about plausibility all you want with regard to the plot, but the fact of the matter is, the issues he brings up throughout are definitely things we fail to address on all sorts of levels and it made me a bit of an emotional mess by the turn of the final page.

This will definitely find its way into my top reads of 2022 (I know, it is still soo early) as I can’t imagine twenty-five (25) other books will be able to completely engross me like Upgrade did. Even if you’ve never read Crouch’s books (which I HIGHLY recommend you fix post-haste), this should be THE summer thriller on your wishlist.

WOW, what in the 'relevant to our current state of humanity' did I just read?!

I already know this book is going to be one of my top reads for 2022, and it's only February.
I am going to do my best to review this book without spoilers, but the TL;DR of it is, even if "near future - scifi" isn't in your normal reads, I highly recommend this book. The way it tells a near future story, while dropping bigger picture ideas for the reader to ponder on is masterful.

I am in awe at the profound themes, and in no way saw the depth coming from the blurb. Every detail of this story felt like a future that is one of the many possibilities for us. Blake did his due diligence when researching for this book, and again within the text as Logan ponders out that big question, "Is it possible to save humanity from itself?"

From his person life, to his professional, Logan is doing his best to make up for the black mark on his name. When his world gets turned upside down from a raid gone wrong, he works through it the only way he knows how—not repeating history. By the end of the book, I was in tears from his personal growth.

While I am not the most science jargon savy person, I never once felt lost with the discussions in the book, and was surprised to see Logan's thoughts aligned with my own from the interpersonal level of humanity. Blake does a wonderful job of explaining just the right amount for those that don't have a background in genetic manipulation, all while keeping true to the characters voices in the story that do have that background.

Overall, the story is well laid out, perfectly paced—I read it in every spare moment I had just to figure out what was going to happen next—and addresses one of the many elephants we have in the room with us. The characters are diverse, relatable, and feel like the people in your own family.

There is no way I could rave about this book enough. You're going to love it, if you enjoy books that pull at your emotions, and leave you feeling hopeful for humans.

I love thrillers with science and this one was in a dystopian future that the mc's family had a part in with an invention. This made the government put major restrictions on geneticists and scientists. This was non-stop action and I loved all the science even though I know nothing about science. I was fascinated about all the upgrades that were made and even the whole underground world of geneticists that Logan searched for before he went on the run. His sister was a badass.

That epilogue I totally agree with! I am a weirdo and have a bigger base than 150.

I just had a buddy read for Jurassic Park with my same group and I keep reiterating to my husband what Macolm said. That the Earth will not end with global warming and climate change, the Earth will just be uninhabitable for us to live in and humans will die off. That's the thing people don't understand cause the Earth doesn't seem like it will die, it's us that will die.  This book made an interesting point asking why don't we care? Why don't we care about the generations after us that we don't know yet that aren't born?

Thank you randomhouse and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

“Upgrade” is a futuristic sci-fi thriller told from the Point of View of Lucas Ramsay, an agent for the Gene Protection Agency (GPA), which is tasked with investigating any genetic research, which has been outlawed following “The Great Starvation.” The “Great Starvation” was caused when Lucas’ mother, a prominent geneticist, unleashed a virus that mutated and caused crops to fail worldwide, leading to widespread famine.

During a raid on a suspected genetics lab, Lucas is infected with a virus that carries a genome modifying system that infects the cells in his body and re-writes specific portions of his DNA. His resulting burgeoning mental and physical abilities makes him an enemy of the very agency for which he works. What ensues is a fast paced, action packed adventure as Lucas tries to evade the authorities while uncovering the reason why he was targeted for gene modification and stop the persons responsible before another global catastrophe is unleashed.

The book does an excellent job describing Logan’s feelings as his abilities expand as a result of his genetic upgrade, such as memory retrieval, problem solving, knowledge formation and physical acumen. It also shines a light on his struggle to maintain his compassion and humanity in the face of these superhuman changes.

I have enjoyed Blake Crouch’s work since seeing his Wayward Pines series turned into a television program, so I was excited when I was provided the opportunity to review an ARC copy of his latest novel. This latest book does not disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for giving me this ARC copy for my review.

Logan Reed hasn't been able to beat his daughter at chess in years. But, suddenly after an incident at work, he can do it without thinking. And that isn't all he's suddenly capable of. Blake Crouch weaves a tale of genetic engineering, chaos, more than a little bit of terror, and appreciation for the grid-less parts of Manhattan in "Upgrade." Because pure rationality isn't the best way to live a life.

Fascinating and Timely Read
This was my first Blake Crouch novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Even though the nature of Upgrade is very scientific, I could follow along easily, in part because of information I’ve garnered through broadcasts (not by mainstream media) about the Covid vaccine, but also in large part to Blake’s concise writing and story-telling style. I found Logan to be a relatable and likeable character, and his story is refreshingly different than anything I’ve read for quite a while. Logan’s world was not difficult for me to imagine. DNA altering is happening in the world today and is even warned about in the Bible (Transhumanism–mankind altering God’s creation). This was an exciting, fast-paced and chilling read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you! for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I wish it much success and will post reviews upon publication.