Do I like Sci-Fi or am I just a HUGE Blake Crouch fan? I cannot tell but I feel like he can absolutely do no wrong. This book, much like Dark Matter and Recursion, are up there on my list of 5 star; mind blowing books. Crouch is an auto-buy for me and this book definitely did not disappoint. I will be purchasing a hard copy as soon as it becomes available!

🧬Upgrade🧬

“We were a monstrous, thoughtful, selfish, sensitive, fearful, ambitious, loving, hateful, hopeful species. We contained within us the potential for great evil, but also for great good. And we were capable of so much more than this.“

Where my STEM nerds at?! Wow. I feel like my brain was upgraded just reading this one. Blake Crouch delivered another wild ride. I’ve been a huge fan since I read Dark Matter - they way he brings about these scientific topics in a way where you can nerd out and also start to wonder “what if”.

In Upgrade, Logan Ramsey finds himself in a world of previously unexplored genetic modification. After a SWAT raid gone sideways, he miraculously recovers, only to slowly realize he is thinking more clearly, remembering details previously forgotten, and somehow beating his daughter at chess. As his self awareness grows, he is taken on a wild ride to discover why and what this means - for himself and the future of humankind.

Check this one out if you are looking for:

🧬 A fast-paced, sci-fi thriller
🧬 A “what if” look into genetic modification
🧬 The war between logic and emotion
🧬 A look at how to handle the problem of, “The future was here, and it was a fucking mess.”

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine books for this ARC! Upgrade will be on shelves July 19!

Book received for free through NetGalley

Oh my gosh. It was so hard to put this book down once I got started. So believable, relatable, and the perfect amount of science. It somehow gives my hope it the world while crushing it too. Another great one by one of my favorite authors.

The author has done an excellent job of looking into his crystal ball and giving the reader a view of a possible future. He has also looked into the microscope to give us a view of the human mind and heart. Working for the GPA ( Gene Protection Agency, protagonist Logan is charged with catching law-breaking geneticists in a future America. When exposed to a freakish explosion, his own genetics are changed; thus the title of the novel. His enhanced abilities are the start of a great thriller as he chases the people responsible and reflects on what it means to be human.

A fast-paced, sci-fi thriller from one of the best.

Logan Ramsey is a government agent that has been “upgraded”—he’s smarter, faster, and stronger than he has ever been before, but how will he use his new abilities?

Crouch imagines a futuristic world dealing with the inevitable consequences of global warming (famine, flooding, and more) and addresses the elephant in the room: What can the human race do about it? How far can science be taken, and what are the potential consequences of our own attempts to save ourselves?

This is an extremely fun quick read. I have no complaints about this book except that it doesn’t quite live up to the magic of Dark Matter or Recursion. It’s a straightforward thriller—there are no unexpected twists, and it’s clear what is going on at all times. Again, nothing wrong with the story itself, but it’s missing the big WTF moments I loved in Blake Crouch’s other works.

The chase and fight scenes are, as always, top-notch, and they are on full display in this book. It’s pure thriller, but Crouch also manages to highlight deeper questions about human nature and the future of the human race.

Definitely worth a read—I am satisfied with this book, but as always looking forward to whatever he comes up with next.

Having absolutely loved Blake Crouch's "Dark Matter" and then "Recursion" somehow even more, my hopes were almost insurmountably high for "Upgrade." Nonetheless, Crouch has done it again and delivered an absolute knockout of an action-packed, sci-fi read.

The one thing I wish to stress to readers who can't wait to get their hands on "Upgrade" is that it's great--excellent, really, but it did not blow me away in the same indescribable way that his other two novels did. Why? The biggest thing I can pinpoint is the originality factor; I've already seen this title loosely compared to something between The Matrix and Limitless, and I'd heartily agree with that comparison (especially the Limitless piece). Crouch's writing and plot-building in the sci-fi realm is truly second-to-none, but because of this strong similarities, this concept did not feel as mind-bending and fresh as the foundations that "Dark Matter" and "Recursion" stood upon. Complex? Without a doubt. As usual, Crouch has his remarkable gift for making incredibly complicated scientific topics digestible to the everyday reader on full display. The way he weaves dense genetic science into an immediately-explosive plot is impressive, and captivating from the very first few pages.

Ultimately, "Upgrade" is an astounding feat, and my third-favorite Crouch sci-fi novel. Very much worth the read; it will still take you on an exhilarating journey of epic proportions (while not losing an emotional appeal that renders Crouch's books exciting AND profound) that certainly doesn't pale in comparison to its predecessors, but doesn't quite outshine them, either.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House for the advanced reading copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

I loved that the action started right off the bat in the beginning of the book and kept up the pace. A lot of science heavy explanations, but I liked that they were quickly explained in layman’s terms immediately. It didn’t detract from the story for me at all. I really loved this book and will always look for more from this author!

3.5 stars. I was really looking forward to this, and it started out relatively strong, but ultimately the premise and story were just much less interesting than his other books which I greatly enjoyed. Recommended for someone looking for a fast-paced science fiction thriller, but it lacked the mystery of Pines or the original twists and turns of Dark Matter or Recursion.

This was my third Blake Crouch book, and considering I absolutely LOVED Dark Matter and Recursion, I was ecstatic to be given the opportunity to read an eArc of his latest novel, Upgrade. One of the things I love most about Blake Crouch’s books are how he takes a concept all of us have probably briefly pondered for a second or two(the multiverse, time travel, severe gene editing), and develops it into an entire universe where many of our questions are answered in some sense. His books honestly remind me of a really good episode of Black Mirror! Another thing I love about his books is how fast paced they are, and its impossible to put it down for too long. Upgrade definitely had a bit more science talk than his others, but it isn’t too much as to confuse readers or take away from the story. Logan was such a sympathizable protagonist, and I really respected him for the choices he made in the better interest of his family, and how he held out on a hasty solution to a global problem to make another at the expense of less lives. Crouch has a way with making me emotional, and I definitely teared up with this one. I very much despised Logan’s mother, and for being such a “smart” individual, many of her decisions seemed extremely dumb/naive(more so selfish than anything). But as a whole, I reallyyy enjoyed his newest novel, and I also appreciate how there is almost always a clear underlying message at the end of his books, this one being how our lack of compassion and sentiment for others is more of a threat to our existence that a lack of intelligence. Empathy is one of the biggest components that actually makes us human, and we would be lost without it. High intelligence levels can’t make up for that! One more plus was that his daughter Ava had the same name as me so that was also pretty cool lol. So anyways… go read this book asap!

Upgrade
by Blake Crouch
Pub Date: 12 Jul 2022

Blake Crouch has become on of my favorite authors in recent years. He taught me to love sci-fi, so I was beyond excited to receive this ARC of UPGRADE. This story is an exciting thrill ride from beginning to end.

Logan Ramsay is the son of the infamous Miriam Ramsay, whose genetic modification work resulted in a worldwide famine. Logan now works for GPA the Gene Protection Agency. During one of the agency’s raids, Logan is injured by an explosion. He soon begins to realize his genes have been “upgraded”. Memories, mental agility, and physical abilities are all affected.

The story unfolds as Logan gets stronger and smarter, all the while trying to hold on to his humanity and save mankind.

I enjoyed this book so much and I’d like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sci-Fi thrillers are probably hands down, my favorite books to read. When I got invited by the publisher on NetGalley to read this book I was ecstatic as I’ve wanted to read Dark Matter and Recursion for a while.

Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency that is tasked with saving the world from gene modifications made by underground scientists. Once he steps into a basement on a mission and all he remembers is the hiss of aerosol. He wakes up in a hospital room with doctors wearing hazmat suits. No one is quite sure what happened to him, but one thing is for sure – he is different. Over the course of a week or so Logan begins to notice things are different, he feels his bones and he is able to see and hear more than ever before. He can also remember everything he has ever read and experienced. Logan is captured by the same agency he worked for and is suddenly plunged into life as a lab rat. Logan escapes with the help of his sister and is on the run. But can he trust her? He hasn’t seen here in years and all of a sudden here she is….

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was one thing after another, and I hated having to put it down. I did enjoy the ending and it did nicely wrap everything up and put a bow on it.

@netgalley, @blakevcrouch, @upgrade

Another great book by Blake Crouch!! I think this was an excellent sci-fi story, easy and scary to picture in the events unfolding in a not too distant future. Crouch also does a splendid job of presenting his characters, I love the way the main character unfolds with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing the ARC to me for review.

I have never read a Blake Crouch novel before, but I keep hearing how great he is.
So thank you netgalley and Blake Crouch for the opportunity to read this book.
This is an edge of your seat Sci-fi/thriller with hints of a dystopian world. I could not put it down from page one. It reminded me a touch of the movie limitless. It is packed with action and just keeps moving forward. There was never a dull moment. I cannot wait for my next book by Blake Crouch, which I ordered immediately upon finishing this one.

Another excellent book by Blake Crouch! Upgrade explored the idea of genetically modifying the human race to become better in hopes of saving a planet that has been ravaged by climate change and on the path to human extinction, but is the risk worth it? An edge of your seat thriller as two parties are fighting for control over the future of the human race. Could be a bit to sciency at times (which I love) but if that’s not your thing you can easily skip over some of the descriptions without losing the plot!

Blake Crouch has a very distinct way of writing sci-fi that is paced super well, accessible, and thrilling. This book fits in nicely with that style and it was a quick read! There's a lot of science talk in this but it never felt too complex to follow the story.

The premise is pretty straightforward: In a not-so-distant future version of our world, Logan Ramsay gets into an accident that modifies his genes and upgrades his memory, senses, and physical capabilities. It does not take long before he finds out who was behind the attack, and he sets off on a journey to track said culprit down. Of course, this initiates a sequence of events including some unexpected twists and reveals. It's fascinating to see the different ways that the upgrade affects Logan's life and how his abilities grow.

If you like a lot of action/chase scenes/fights, you'll enjoy this one a lot! People who felt intimidated or uninterested in the time/space bending elements of Recursion and Dark Matter may like this one more because it doesn't have those features and is less twisty. It feels more like a tech thriller (or even a superhero story) than anything.

One thing I didn't totally love about this book was the clear influence of COVID on the writing. I could easily tell that this was written during the pandemic. There are also references to Meta and Google that seemed a little forced. However, these small details may not bother everyone!

This is a book that will drag you around on a rollercoaster of non-stop action and genetic modification. It was thoroughly entertaining and I think it'll be really popular this summer as a popcorny thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Kathleen Quinlan for the opportunity to read this book in advance and review it! A short review will go up on my Goodreads now, with the full version updated about a week before the publication date. On publication day, I'll make a dedicated post on Instagram about this book that will also have a full review.

#Upgrade is a riveting sci-fi thriller novel that takes many of the technological and societal themes of present day and shows us a glimpse of the future. In particular, the plot of #Upgrade focuses on Logan Ramsay, a GPA agent, who ends up having his genes edited by new technology and becoming superhuman. The story is told in the first person by Logan who takes the reader on the trip throughout the U.S. and his journey of becoming superhuman. I don't want to spoil too much for the readers, but that is a basic overview of the plot. If you are a fan of futuristic themes or of the author, I highly recommend reading this book!

After mind- and reality-bending works like Dark Matter and Recursion, Blake Crouch's latest, Upgrade, almost feels like a step backward conceptually. Granted, it's hard to top the Big Huge Ideas fronting either of those two prior books, but that doesn't mean Crouch has given up or is content to play things safe. Upgrade is a less paradoxical puzzle-box, even if it does have just as rich a scientific sandbox to play in, as this time around Crouch turns his focus inward to the human genome, what it means to be human, and the lengths people will go to save the world.

In this near-future sci-fi thriller, humanity is recovering from an ecological disaster known as the Great Starvation. Logan Ramsey's mother was responsible for the global destruction, and in the wake of the laws prohibiting genetic modification that sprang forth as the result of her work, he is now paying penance for his role in her crimes by working as an agent of the Gene Protection Agency. After a raid on a rogue genetics laboratory goes wrong, Logan discovers his own genome has been hacked - but why who, and for what reason? His mind and body have been exponentially upgraded, and even as he's forced into running, he has to find out why he has been targeted for these changes, and what it might mean for the rest of the human race.

Like his previous thrillers, Upgrade is both smart and smartly compelling. Crouch has a keen knack for pacing, and his narrative here delivers regular shocks to the system as Logan gets closer to the truth. There's plenty of action, twists and double-crosses, but also a surprising amount of emotion and empathy. Crouch explores the existential crises of rationality versus emotion as Logan's modifications force him to realize he is no longer human but super-human. It's an interior war comic books fans will recognize, and at times Logan's journey parallels that of Watchmen's Dr. Manhattan (not to mention one office scene straight out of The Matrix). As his intellect grows, soon even conversing with an intelligent adult becomes akin to speaking with a child, and his changes - both physically and mentally - separate him from the very same human race he's hellbent on saving from further calamity and the global destruction of our species.

The potential applications of using genetic modification to grapple with the effects of climate change presents one hell of an intriguing pandora's box. There's all kinds of unforeseen effects and possibly even larger disasters of a wider scale that are even harder to comprehend. It's impossible to turn back the clock on all the damage mankind has done to the planet, and that's where Upgrade's most pressing question lies. Do we have the will to work together as a species to at least try and mitigate some of these effects and leave our children a brighter future, or are we just gonna sit around and hope for a superman to do the work for us? Because that last bit only flies in fiction, and if we allow the choice to be taken away from us altogether... well, that just might be even worse for all of us in the long run.

Just another great techno thriller from a modern master of the genre!

In a near future where gene therapy technology has advanced to new heights, with the ability to change someones genotype, we are presented with the driving suspense of this book. It's a fast paced action packed read that will make you think about humanity's future and what we should be doing to right the ship.

If you're looking for a great techno thriller centered around advanced gene editing and gene hacking technology, and the consequences that comes with it, this book is for you.

I was intrigued by the concepts behind this novel (gene editing, climate change, society’s apathy towards doing anything meaningful to slow down Earth’s destruction).

However, the story itself didn’t click with me. One problem with making the main character superhuman is that it also made him kind of blah. There wasn’t much depth to him other than his ability to do everything really well and remember everything. I didn’t dislike him, but there was not much that drew me to him. He was good at everything: kind of boring to read about that.

Also, because the character’s upgrade meant he could access any memory or info he had read, much of the action was propelled by a random fact that he once encountered years ago. This made the story frustrating and lessened my connection to the character. He became more a robot than a person.

On a similar note, I got really annoyed by the character’s ability to read micro-expressions. This made him a walking lie detector. There was no fun in reading about why he reacted towards other characters since it seemed to always boil down to his uncanny ability to read a micro-expression. It seemed a little lazy as a storytelling device.

Finally, the ending was too on the nose. If you hadn’t already figured out the author’s pretty obvious message, the main character literally spells it out for you. It made me feel like the author did not trust his readers enough to pick up the message themselves.

Overall, I liked the premise of the story and its relevance to society today. However, almost everything else about the novel fell short for me.

I'm a huge Blake Crouch fan and was excited to receive an ARC of Upgrade from Penguin Random House. It did not disappoint! As with previous books, Crouch does a masterful job of combining fast-paced action with intriguing science fiction, with the emphasis on science. Once again, I wonder how Crouch comes up with such amazing ideas!

The story is told from the point of view of Logan Ramsey, an ordinary guy who has something extraordinary happen to him and then has to deal with the consequences. Set in the near future, it gives an idea of what the climate crisis might look like and explores whether humans can genetically engineer their way out of it. Lots of unexpected twists and turns along the way made it hard to put down, but it's much more than a thriller, and the ending really provided food for thought. Highly recommend!