I received an eARC of Upgrade by Blake Crouch from the publisher, although I also purchased the audiobook and a BOTM edition. All opinions are my own.

Upgrade is another great sci-fi thriller from Blake Crouch. The author has a great talent for blending what reads like authentic science into his narratives while still creating a suspenseful and engaging story. This one features a dystopian near future in which the study of genetics is highly regulated and gene engineering is outlawed. The protagonist Logan is an agent of the Gene Protection Agency, and embarks on a series of events that will change his life and possibly the world. Compared to Dark Matter, which I read and loved, this one felt a little more technical and the stakes of the plot didn’t have the same urgency in my opinion. With that said, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it to readers of Crouch, Weir, etc. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am not a science fiction reader but I always make time for the latest Blake Crouch.

The message in this book is what sells it. Crouch doesn’t shy away from some of life’s biggest questions, such as what does it mean to be human or what costs are worth it to save our species.

Definitely heavy in the science and technical writing, but it doesn’t detract from the book

I love the author's books. Dark Matter and REcursion are a personal favourite.

I went in expecting to be wowed by this one too but it wasn't what I expected. It was more like an action movie that had me engaged throughout but I wanted a little more from the story. There is a lot of chemical, biological and medical terminology which threw me off.
Having said that I will still recommend this book because it's a really creative book making it a really entertaining sci-fi thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise was interesting, all the sciency data was not.

I did like the MC Logan Ramsey, and how he was forced to come to terms with how the actions of his mother affected him.

The first part of the book was action-packed and the twists happened pretty quickly. Unfortunately, it is just the set up for the rest of Logan's journey, which is pretty linear and predictable.

Science plays a very prominent part of the story, but the author kills us with it. He rattles off large chunks of DNA sequences and genetic info, and it was so boring and distracting from the actual story. Like, I would have totally just believed that Logan figured out a problem, I did not need to follow his exact thought process to get there.

The epilogue saved the ending for me, but it still wasn't too surprising. Overall, this was a 3.5 stars for me, it was interesting, and I did like the morality issues Logan had to deal with, but the book was made too long by the laborious explanations of all the science.

Blake Crouch is SUCH a story teller.
His books are such a ride. I have never been bored by one of his books and this was no exception.
He had such a way with taking way out there crazy concepts and making them into such a realistic, heartbreaking, relatable human story,
Great character, great pacing. All around sold read, equal party’s terrifying and emotional. Definitely read this.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book. Unfortunately, I got to this WAAAYYY too late, but better late than never I suppose. Let me start of by saying that this was my introduction to Blake Crouch. I feel like maybe my expectations were a bit skewed since I've heard nothing but good things about Recursion and Dark Matter and I went into Upgrade blindly. This book just maybe wasn't the right starting point for me personally, or just maybe the topic of this one didn't work as well as I may have hoped.

For these kinds of stories, I think it benefits the reader to go in with as little information as possible to avoid any spoilers, so for that reason, I am going to skip discussing the synopsis. If that's something you're interested in, feel free to check the back of the book or Goodreads, but for my own experience, I opted not to.

I will say that at times I felt like this book was entirely too smart for me and often paragraphs went right over my head. I found myself skimming through sections on DNA and parts to do with Logan's "upgrade" and what had been affected inside his body. I can't even begin to pronounce half of the words used, so I certainly wasn't understanding them. I did find that most of this information didn't take away from the plot and didn't leave holes where I couldn't follow along with what was going on.

I think the concept of the story was unique and interesting, and I found myself invested in Logan as he changed, his family and his sister. These parts of the story really drew me in and captured my attention, even if how much I liked Logan as a character lessened the more time we spent with him. In all honesty, I think I enjoyed the first chapter though the most because it was more action packed and did a great job of drawing me in and making me want to continue, even if the middle slowed down a lot and didn't hold my attention as completely. I also REALLY enjoyed the last chapter. I thought it was a fitting ending even if it wasn't entirely what I wanted or would have expected.

So all in all, I think that I will check out the other Blake Crouch books that I have picked up already even if this one wasn't really for me.

Although science fiction is not typically my genre, I decided to give this one a chance and I am certainly glad I did. It got me out of my element in an enjoyable way. I felt like there were enough elements of suspense and action that Blake Crouch's approach to science fiction is one that can be appreciated by many!

Upgrade was no exception to that rule. Full of suspense and twists, this was engaging throughout. All while being immersed in a world with technology so well described and built by Crouch that I could really imagine it while reading. I felt like I could get lost in it, with writing that kept me wanting to read more.

Again, not my usual style but so well done that I really would not let that deter you if science fiction is not your thing! this book has so much more.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

🧬 I don’t know if this author’s books make me feel like a genius or a dummy! This dude writes complex, technological stories! You cannot skim this book lightly! Like his previous books, this requires your complete attention!

🧬 While I loved Dark Matter and Recursion by this author, Upgrade didn’t quite reach the same level for me (although I still really liked it). To me, this book felt more like a lecture in advanced genetics than a sci-fi thriller and all the technological explanations got a little tedious. Yes, me, the STEM advocate and engineer got bored with all the technical information! I don’t get it either, but it is true.

🧬 I did think the ethics of “upgrading” people was interesting. Just because we can do something, doesn’t always mean we should.

🧬 I also appreciated the human aspect of the story – particularly regarding the main character and his wife/daughter.

🧬 Oh, and I loved the Missouri references – particularly Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque in Kansas City! Such a great restaurant!

🧬 Overall, this is a superhero book. A hero who saves the world - wrapped up in a very technical genetics course with a decent number of thrills and emotions sprinkled in for excitement and humanity.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse #Ballantine for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Absolutely love Blake Crouch. Every one of his books is a new take and is so fascinating! Upgrade is no different and I devoured it in a day. If you've loved his previous, this will not disappoint; and if you are new to Crouch, trust me this book is going to be a gateway into the rest of his fantastic writing!

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

Ok, I don't read sci-fi as much as I should. This one gave me some Last of Us vibes (without the zombies). Maybe because I've been watching the show.

This book revolves around a virus that can either upgrade you or wipe out humanity, depending on your genes. The clock is ticking to either stop it or let it spread and start a new world.

I really enjoyed all the scientific and mathematical information in this story. I think it added so much and made it more believable.

The story itself was decent, but the thing I liked most was the ending. The lessons and information shared was so good! I don't want to spoil it, but it really makes you think about life and the future.

Giving this one 3.5-4 stars

Wow, this is a unique tale that is unlike anything I have read before! I really connected with the writing style and flow of the book.

I’ve been meaning to get back into reading Black Crouch after Wayward Pines and his new book Upgrade was a great way to do that! It’s a sci-fi thriller that brings into question the ethics and consequences of genetic manipulation to “upgrade” a person’s DNA. Crouch’s new book is fast-paced and filled with action and science lessons. A pretty quick and thought-provoking read depending on the audience.

Characters
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel very attached to our main character or any character honestly. Our protagonist Logan finds himself unknowingly upgraded (which is illegal) and as a result of his upgrades, some of his senses get heightened. But he also loses what makes him human, i.e. his emotions. Understandably once you have a character become less in touch with their humanity and only focused on their mission it’s hard to feel connected to them. So rather than characters and their development compelling me to continue on, it was mostly the don’t-let-the-bad-people-win plot that forged the path onwards.

Plot
The concept of genetic engineering and creating the perfect human is not a new sci-fi theme. While it didn’t feel stale in Upgrade, it also didn’t feel particularly innovative. Clearly, Crouch took the time to explain the science. But at times I felt that maybe I needed an upgrade in order to understand it as the story progressed. I could see people who are not into sci-fi not enjoying the science lessons throughout. (Or if you are listening to it on audiobook you might not want to hear long strains of ATGTTCCCCGAT when discussing DNA sequences.) I think also a downside of the concept of upgrading the main character then makes them feel almost like a superhero. This reduces the amount of suspenseful nail-biting for the reader. How can they not succeed if they are essentially superhuman?

Overall
Upgrade by Blake Crouch was an interesting read. Innovative in the sense of twists and turns perhaps but not adding anything new to the genre of genetic engineering/manipulation. While I was not attached to any one character throughout, the plot and the wider implications intrigued me enough to want to finish the book. At times the perfect-ness of the main character through his upgrades makes him less human. This casts less doubt on his ability to succeed in his objectives. The epilogue, however, does help to assuage these concerns for character building in the book. Better late than never?

I really enjoyed this one. Not as much as Dark Matter but it was still good. This Sci-Fi Thriller was also action-packed, which kept me interested. The pacing was slow in different sections besides that I felt that this was more fast paced. The science behind this makes you think. What I do appreciate is that it didnt go over my head. That is usually why I don't read these types of books often. Blake Crouch has done this very well.



Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantene publishers for this ebook for an honest review.

As a HUGE fan of Blake Crouch (still making my way through his backlist, but ALMOST there), I NEEDED this in my hands ASAP! However, this was only alright.

Set in a future where genetic modification has become over-used and is now outlawed, we follow officer Logan who is hacked into giving him an advanced operating brain and bodily functions. He must this go into hiding as he attempts to figure out who modified him and about the secret underground world of genetic modification.

On paper, this should have been a GREAT read. However, it felt like Blake never pushed the story as far as it could go. Instead, this all felt very confused. The story starts out very noir, then turns sci-fi, become a revenge story, then a political thriller, and ends feeling like something out of Mission Impossible.

It also didn't move along and feel as cinematic as a lot of Blake Crouch's other recent work.

I didn't dislike Upgrade, but it was just very confusing and I could never feel like I believed the story. And it wasn't really fun enough that I WANTED to.

Hopefully his next work will regain some steam and momentum!

I wanted to love this book just as I had his previous work but felt that it slowed in the second half and was wholly unremarkable.

Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Science fiction is a tough genre to master- especially when you combine dystopia to the scheme of things. What works for Blake Crouch’s Upgrade is the infusion of human emotions- the bond between a father and daughter and the sibling drama are major highlights. Blake Crouch takes us into a futuristic world where a misconstrued genetic experiment by visionary Mariam Ramsay, has wiped out a large chunk of human population and resources. So much so, genetic modification is now a criminal offence and our protagonist, Logan, son of the aforementioned, along with his colleagues at Gene Protection Agency are the helm of protection against such rogue acts. Upon the failure of one mission, Logan finds himself infected by a strain which gives him superhuman abilities. But was it a one off mission gone wrong or was it the beginning of something bigger as Logan is pitted against the visions of his mother and sister in a battle to save humanity and restore compassion.
Upgrade asks the rather uncomfortable question of whether emotion for our close ones is enough or are we running towards extinction by not being compassionate for the billions around us and our future generations. Crouch’s book is highly entertaining and at no time feels preachy or scientifically complex.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

#Upgrade #NetGalley

Blake Crouch is one of my very favorite authors, but he just missed the mark with this one. I felt like he was rushing it. Usually his character development is perfection, but I didn't care about this character or his family. Interesting premise, but poorly executed. I'll be back for his next one--hoping this was a fluke.

Black Crouch is the king of making you think & contemplate life & this book was no exception. It was a thrilling sci-fi novel & I can't wait to read more by him! This book was super fast paced & kept me hooked from the start. I loved all the medical information included & was surprised it didn't get to be boring or confusing. I will continue to read all his books!

Meet some mad scientists from the future. Since they think they are right and you are disposable, as collateral damage of their experiments, maybe you won't meet them or you will meet them in the most unfortunate of ways. There is no end to what they will do to achieve what they want, just try to stop them and you will die. Or course, you may die anyway.