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.

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.