This fun sci fi thriller kept me on my toes but I don’t see this book sticking with me for a very long time. In this book we follow Logan in the near future as he’s trying to research new virus. That is till he is led into a trap and an explosion exposes him to an unknown virus. Nothing appears to be different at first that is until Logan begins to notice that a lot of his skills have been enhanced. We follow Logan as this mysterious virus leads to past family drama dealing with gene mutation.

I love Blake Crouch’s writing it fun fast paced and keeps me on my toes . I always fly through his books but can’t remember anything about them a month later. If you are looking for a quick fun thriller with light sci-fi this is the book for you but the concepts don’t seem to stick. Saying that I will most definitely pick up any books Blake Crouch writes in the future ! I would like to thank the publishers and Net galley for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed Blake Crouch since reading Dark Matter - a super sci-fi book with interwoven romance that never once made me feel dumb. I enjoy science fiction, but it can have a way of making even the smartest person feel like an idiot if it’s not written properly. Crouch is a genius at writing science fiction that’s intriguing and smart, but still accessible by folks who aren’t into the sciencey parts of sci-fi.

Upgrade is classic Crouch. It’s incredibly smart. Love and family are integral to the storyline. The action is fast-paced and thrilling. And of course, the science is sciencing.

Upgrade is so enthralling because it feels like it could be real, and that’s a horrifying thought. It was impossible to “look away” as the horrendous events of the story unfolded. This was a fictitious look at a man-made disaster at its worst. Scientists trying to support climate change efforts, but destroy the earth instead, rendering the practice of science virtually illegal except for a few chosen practitioners. Upgrades giving super human strength and smarts, potentially to the wrong people.

This was just a really hectic and horrifying book. It felt too real, and was done so well. Blake Crouch is just incredibly smart and writes incredibly smart stories. Go into this one with your eyes open and a reminder for yourself that it’s just a story (for now).

This is a solid Limitless-type outing. I'm a sucker for gene-editing improvement stories in general, so when I learned that Crouch was turning his hand to a completely different sub-genre of SF, I couldn't wait to see what he'd come up with.

The premise of Upgrade sounded exactly like something I would love - Logan begins noticing some changes after an explosion during a raid, and has to hunt down the person responsible. Add in Crouch’s usual knack for high-stakes, non-stop action, and I was certain this would easily be one of my favorite books of the year.

And then it wasn’t. The beginning was so promising, but I found the middle part just ended up dragging enough that I actually put the book down multiple times. There were so many things in this book that I usually love - family drama, genetic experiments, and commentary on humanity’s current situation. Everything just wasn’t quite clicking for me. But I figured it would be worth pushing through because the endings to Dark Matter and Recursion were both so good. Unfortunately, the ending just didn’t work for me either.

All of that being said, I do think that the majority of readers will absolutely love this book! As in all of his recent books, Crouch does an excellent job of taking hard science fiction concepts and making them relatable while wrapping everything up in an action rich narrative. While Upgrade didn’t quite work for me in book form, I am still looking forward to seeing the movie version when/if it comes out!

Upgrade is set in the future, after “The Great Starvation” has killed two hundred million people. This famine was unintentionally caused by a genetic engineer. That engineer was Logan’s mother. She was a brilliant scientist, but her experiments had devastating consequences. Now, genetically modifying anything is a crime and Logan works for the Gene Protection Agency.

Logan is exposed to a gene modifying virus on the job, and starts to notice changes in his mind and body. He has become sharper than ever. He has better concentration, vision, and strength. With this new version of himself, Logan is the only one capable of saving humanity by stopping a plan that is already set in motion.

Action, drama, suspense, and science combine in this fast-paced technothriller.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books to allow me to read this novel. Published October 22, 2022.

I may not understand or be a full on fan of science fiction, but I am sure a fan of Blake Crouch. The way he writes science fiction makes you believe it is probably someday going to happen. Or could very easily become the truth. I have read all three of his science fiction novels and loved each one, although I will admit it took some coaxing to get me to read the first one.

In this novel the Ramsay family are all scientists. Marian, the mother, has developed a genome upgrade and tried it out on her children, Logan and Kara. It takes and they feel the upgraded affects. Then she starts to develop another upgrade, but leaves it to her children to finish. Kara wants to use it on the worlds population - even tho it may kill millions of people - Logan is against it, deciding there has to be another way to save the population of the world from what will be a guaranteed total demise.

If you are like me, there will be many many words and implications that will go right over your head in this novel - never to be understood. However, you can understand enough to know that this is a fast paced, deeply moving, novel that feels true to life. A page turner at it's best.

Logan Ramsey works for the GPA - Gene Protection Agency. He wanted to be a brilliant scientist but when put beside his mom's brilliance, he knew he couldn't make the cut. But he did work for her, with devastating results. Now he tries to apprehend anyone who might be involved in gene editing. But on his last job, there is an explosion, Logan is injured, and then Logan notices his body and mind changing. Everything about him is improving at a mind boggling rate. Now his own agency wants to study him and use him in their war against those who would tamper with genes. Upgrade is both a thinking girl's story and an action thriller which hits too close to home with some of the subjects it broaches. Once again, Blake Crouch has written a story that will have you pondering its themes for a long time to come..

Upgrade is my first book by Crouch and it won’t be my last. It was an interesting concept that left my turning pages and wanting more. Can’t wait to see his other books

Blake Crouch is one of the only authors that can convince me to read science fiction. I tried Recursion randomly. Then Dark Matter. He's great so I tried Upgrade. I am NOT disappointed in the slightest.

So what is it exactly that gets an "upgrade" in this novel? The human race. And not like "I upgraded to the newest iPhone so my life is so much easier." More like...stronger, faster, smarter, just BETTER. Somehow this happens to Logan Ramsay. His very DNA has been somehow altered as he becomes a test subject for this new "upgraded" humanity. But is this what we truly need?

This novel went so quickly because it was so good! I would HIGHLY recommend it, even if science fiction isn't your normal cup of tea.

If Blake Crouch writes it, I am going to read it. Dark Matter is still the one I recommend the most, but Upgrade is a solid addition to his sci-fi compendium.

Upgrade explores the idea of hacking the genome - what's the risk, what's too far, and what's the line at which we are no longer human.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

A fascinating, near-future world. Intriguing concepts. An action-adventure, race-to-the-end story for sure.

Where it fell short was in that unnameable, creepy-but-this-could-really-happen vibe. It definitely had that, but didn't "hit me" as hard as I would want for a 5-star selection. I also didn't care for the main character's choice at the end of novel - it was a little crunchy and granola-eating, kumbaya kinda business. But... up until that point I appreciated the bit of fun poking at militant, "true believers".

Definitely worth a read for sci-fi and/or action-adventure fans.

Blake Crouch does it again. Upgrade is the perfect mix of humanity meets science, and leaves the reader considering what would I do (or not do!) for the future of our species? Crouch’s writing is immersive and cinematic—I’ll continue to read anything he writes with good reason.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Reading a science fiction thriller, a person might expect to be thrilled. Or intrigued. Or even just entertained. Upgrade did none of those things for me. I think there are many reasons for that, but it largely comes down to a lack of creativity. Like it's probably smart to explain all the genetic ins and outs behind your sci-fi whatever, but lecture-y info dumps are not the way. Either I knew it already and was bored by the explanation, or I didn't know it and was bored by the explanation. Another thing: action scenes in movies have their own inherent excitement. It's my experience that in books you need something more to make it engaging. You have to care about the characters or the outcome. Otherwise, it's just boring descriptions of guns and cars that I couldn't care less about. Finally, the book's message has the energy of a man repeating something a woman already said but LOUDER. The concept is nothing revolutionary, but it has a distinct white-man flavor in its delivery. More on that later.

Expect your basic genre content from the near future: excessive government oversight with obliterated privacy protections, corporations with so much insidious and blatant data-gathering that they know everything about you down to your genetic code, law enforcement that uses A.I. to predict subversive behavior (Minority Report, anyone?), and dumb humanity killing the planet obvi. In terms of villainy, we have a too-smart scientist who nearly single-handedly set off a global famine with her actions. She's characterized as hyper-rational and ambitious to a fault. Her son, Logan, is our protagonist, both ashamed of his mother and ashamed of himself for not living up to her flash-bright intelligence. When Logan is on the job during a raid of an illicit genetics lab, he's hit with a bioweapon that alters his DNA. It turns out to be an upgrade that makes him stronger, more intelligent, more aware, and able to compartmentalize his emotions to the point of shutting them out. In essence, Logan becomes a diamond-perfect new superhuman, though he had no say in the matter.

Unfortunately, our protagonist becomes one note in his super persona. Like yes, I get it, he's super smart now. Cool. Everyone else is beneath him and his speedy mind. Of COURSE, a cishet white guy imagines himself our collective hero. He becomes the champion of humanity's compassion in a morally dubious battle with the two women embracing drastic action away from all kinds of feelings. And nbd but one of them is a veteran who probably has PTSD from her time as a POW, so her mental health is not likely calibrated in a pro-feelings type way compared to the guy with a loving family who lives in the suburbs.

The whole book comes down to whether humans need to be more rational to save ourselves and our planet or whether we need to be more empathetic and community-oriented on a broad scale. And I guess I just don't get how there's a question here? Or how some white guy is the one to have sorted this all out on behalf of everyone? Tl;dr: I was bored and unimpressed with the framing, execution, and resolution of this bland science fiction not-so-thriller.

Upgrade is a fast paced sci-fi thriller that focuses on gene editing and the overall plight of humanity. It has some deep thoughts for a thriller. While I enjoyed the story better in Recursion by the same author I felt Upgrade was faster paced.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.

Science fiction, though long neglected by me, is one of my favorite genres. I love the gaze into the future and seeing how it could all go wondrously right or horribly wrong. That being said, I find myself hesitant to pick up sci-fi because the ones I gravitate towards tend to be thick and I am intimidated 😂 Then, I learned of Blake Crouch and his blend of sci-fi and thrillers. Two of my favorite genres mashed into one book? Yes, please! That’s why I was ecstatic when I received the e-ARC for Crouch’s latest release, Upgrade. I’m happy to report that it hit the spot!

This novel follows the story of a man named Logan Ramsay. Logan has lived his entire life in the rather infamous shadow of his genius mother. So much so that he spent time in prison after a genetic modification she designed ended up killing over two million people. Logan now works for the government, hunting down rogue scientists who continue to tamper with DNA. One day, while on the job, he is injured and his very genes are hacked. Now Logan is evolving and that puts everything he cares about at risk.

Wow, this was quite the ride! This was exactly what I needed to get my sci-fi hit without bogging myself down. It was quick, entertaining, and still rather thought provoking. I mean, when you’re discussing gene modification and changing the very core of what makes someone who they are, you’re bound to bring up some interesting topics. I would have maybe liked to spend more time on exploring some of them, but then this would have been a much longer book, haha. I thought the author did a great job of balancing action, high stakes, and introspection on some heavy topics. It certainly kept me engaged from page one until the very end!

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of this story, but that would have fallen flat if I hadn’t liked the characters just as much. I was completely invested in Logan’s story, even if there were moments when I wanted to shake some sense into him. I thought he was a fascinating character and a great conduit through which the reader could start parsing their own feelings about the abilities of science and the future of the planet. Though the other characters in the novel didn’t feel as whole as Logan, did I still thought Crouch did an excellent job of making them all come to life on the page.

Overall, this was a thrilling story that also speaks to some very relevant topics, like climate change. I was absolutely immersed in the story and found myself, on more than one occasion, reading way past my bedtime. That is always the mark of a good book to me!

Logan Ramsay's mother was the most brilliant mind of her generation. But her misstep cost Logan his freedom for a few years, and cost a lot of the world's population their lives. Logan begins working at the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) to atone for his perceived sins against humanity.

I don't think there are many authors who could break down genetic modification as clearly as this author did. I felt science-y and smart just reading it, while knowing this is a subject wayyyy over my head. But Logan would make some gene observation, and I'd be like, "Of COURSE!" Definitely one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read, which leads to my 5 out of 5 star rating.

I could barely put this book down, and even the ending was satisfying. With that said, I hope to get back to his previous works at some point and see if I love them as much as I loved Upgrade.

I really enjoyed Dark Matter and Recursion, so was looking forward to digging into Crouch’s latest work of speculative fiction. I don’t know if it’s the passing of time, or if it’s just this book in particular, but Upgrade read to me like a Michael Crichton novel, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. Rather than an intriguing and thoughtful sci-fi mystery, Upgrade felt alarmist and mostly devoid of any mystery. Maybe I’m a different reader than I was when I read Crouch’s previous work, or maybe this one just isn’t as good. Either way, I didn’t enjoy it.

I was beyond thrilled to receive this ARC via Netgalley. I will always read anything released by Blake Crouch and I am never disappointed; this book is no different. I love the complexity and thought-provoking plots in all of his work: Science fiction that lives right on the edge of impossible and possibility. Genetic modification... good intentions behind the invention yet dangerous and immoral implementation. This book follows Logan Ramsey who is a loving father, a devoted husband, and now finds himself something of a super-human who doesn't know who he can trust. Intriguing is an understatement. This will absolutely be a re-read for me!

"The greatest threat to our species lies within us."

Blake Crouch is a reliably great author. I really enjoy his books and seeing how his brain works--a lot of what he writes about is well and truly over my head and comprehension, but he writes in such a way that it's easy to follow along and I respect that! Upgrade is a very scientific, high-stakes story with twists and turns and sentimental beats, which is pretty much on par with all of the books that I've read so far by Crouch.

Ultimately, I liked this book, but I do have to say that it lacked the emotional charge that I got from Dark Matter and Recursion. Somehow this book kept me at a distance all the way through. I wanted to be more attached to Logan, but I just did not feel that same connection that I need in the previous novels. Maybe I would have been more affected if I was able to spend more time with his immediate family.

I loved the questions this novel posed and the ethics and morality of it all. Does saving humankind justify the brutal means to get there? I thought that some of the answers the book posed were very poignant and probably my favorite aspect of the story. It's especially wild to me that this book feels legitimately plausible in the future--terrifying! All in all, Upgrade is a solid thriller that will keep you invested enough to read late into the night.

3.5 stars! I'm looking forward to the next Crouch book, as always!

Such a wonderful book! I loved the plot, and the characters. The idea felt original and exciting, and was well executed by the author.