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!

Let me be clear, I love Crouch’s works. The blend of science, suspense, and plot driven narrative keeps me rolling nonstop. (Read this one in 24 hours, for instance.)

This one, compared to DM or Recursion, didn’t have as much relationship or family connection, which is understandable due to the plot. I missed that aspect but the science connection was on point, very relevant to today’s climate.

Highly recommended for a sci-fi readers, those looking to try sci-fi, or just those in need of a face paced read.

I really enjoyed this book. Character development was good. The plot was very interesting. Not a lot of typos.

This book is phenomenal. I loved everything about it. I definitely recommend this book to anyone. The writing was just flawless, things were described in such great detail. You can clearly picture in your mind what is going on throughout the book. Its definitely a scary thought if this were to happen in our future.

Humanity is on the verge of extinction. Geneticists have found ways to alter human and animal DNA with hopes of making the world a better place. When people use this technology for the wrong reasons, the GPA, Gene Protection Agency, intervenes. Logan is a detective with the GPA, arresting criminals and scientists. Until one field op goes wrong and he finds himself suddenly changing. Is it for the better or the worse?
Logan sets out to find who did this to him and why. He is on the run from the GPA and from his past. He is forced to come to terms with who he is becoming and what it could mean for mankind.
Blake Crouch is an amazing writer. He tells the tale with detailed characters, mind boggling science, and in depth action. He takes you on a wild trip and at the end of that adventure, he leaves you thinking.
I loved this mix of intrigue and science. I loved the way the characters came alive as I was reading. If you like futuristic tales that are plausible, then Upgrade is a book for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

The thought of genetic biowarfare is something that is both very, very real/possible but also something horrifying! Upgrade is a very profound, possible, scifi novel about the future of mankind and what one brilliant scientist does trying to save Homo sapiens. This book will make you question every moral fiber of your being, wondering what you would do if you were put into the situation of our main character Logan Ramsay. A perfect blend of scientific material/facts, action, and scifi horror, Upgrade makes for a very realistic and entertaining story about what could happen in the future. Blake Crouch is truly a master of writing realistic, gripping scifi thrillers.

I had been searching for a book that would suck me in, that I couldn't put down, that I wanted to devour. I unexpectedly received an ARC of this book (THANK YOU!) and immediately started reading it... and didn't stop until I had finished! THIS BOOK DELIVERED! WHAT A WILD RIDE! The characters and descriptions of place and time were fantastic. I kept saying to myself,"This COULD happen someday..." and that's a really scary thought. Blake Crouch is THE PERFECT author to give us a taste of what the future in the wrong hands could look like. I had NO idea how the book was going to end, but it was SATISFYING!

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of Blake Crouch’s latest dystopian thriller, Upgrade, in exchange for an honest review.

Take a moment and think about all the issues currently plaguing society. Now, imagine those issues on steroids. The end result is essentially the plot of #Upgrade, only the steroids have been injected with gene editing technology. Side note: #Upgrade also contains some elements that are reminiscent of #DeanKoontz’s Jane Hawk series.

The novel is divided into three parts and is told from the perspective of the protagonist, GPA Agent Logan Ramsay. Pay attention to the quotes attributed to each new part. Not only do they provide context on different themes and the inner turmoil of the characters in the affiliated chapters, but they are also worth contemplating in real life. For instance, the quote ascribed to part one warns of the dangers associated with creating new life forms.

Part one also introduces the reader to the concept of gene editing and how the world in the novel reacts to advanced innovations in science and technology (spoiler alert: very much like our own). Additionally, part one sets the tone and pacing for the remainder of the novel since this is where Logan’s new life and superhuman form begins. Full disclosure: I am biased when it comes to the brilliant writer that is Blake Crouch, however, the first three chapters are not written in his typical style. Make it to chapter four and I promise it will be worth it!

Part two ponders the question of whether an intelligent being is smart enough to comprehend instructions to create itself. There is also a one-year time jump between part one and part two. The events of part one force Logan to lay low until a news alert indicates that the gene-editing virus has spread, which prompts him to travel to the epicenter of the “outbreak.”

Part three is reserved for the final showdown, the climax, which is genuinely so action-packed I had to stop reading twice to make sure I understood the lay of the land. Warning: the showdown may cause readers who struggle to suspend their disbeliefs while reading fiction to roll their eyes. I personally enjoyed it and cannot wait to see it translated via screenplay.

Apologies for being so vague, but given that the story primarily focuses on two characters, any plot points I discuss will reveal too much and ruin the novel. If I had to title part three, I would name it, “Battle of the Demigods.” The dilemma? Save the human race through ethical measures, or cull some of it to ensure a future for those who survive.

As mentioned, I think Blake Crouch is an absolutely brilliant author. While this was not my favorite of his novels, it is still worth reading for the relevant topics alone. Educate yourself. Embrace what the author preaches in the epilogue. We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand any longer. We must act now to preserve our rights, freedoms, and protections of both present and future societies across the globe.

Blake Crouch has done it again!! This novel is absolutely phenomenal and will pull you in as if you're part of the plot. With every turn, Blake embedded a twist that gripped you, heightened your senses and kept you on your toes. Once you open this gem, you are at the mercy of these characters! Intimate, boundless, gripping, thrilling suspenseful laced with epic portions of masterpiece, Upgrade is a must read asap!!

My heart is full and this Bookstagrammer is so excited for others to read this gem!!

Thank you so much for this ARC!!!

At once heartbreaking and heartwarming, Blake Crouch has crafted a poignant novel of love, longing and hope.

Upgrade is the story of Logan Ramsay, an agent with the Gene Protection Agency who suffers an injury during a raid that forever alters his life and the course of humanity.

Upgrade is the story of a future world torn by famine, blight, drought…where infectious diseases spread and humanity is in the brink of extinction.

Upgrade is the story that imagines the solutions to the problems we humans face and poses a question: can we save us from ourselves?

Upgrade is the story of family in all its complexities. Can bonds, once formed, ever break? If we find ourselves no longer the same as we were once before, does the love remain? Is forgiveness possible?

Upgrade shares the tenderness and human observations of Ishiguru with the mastery of scientific understanding of Weir and blends them into something beautiful and tragic and uplifting. It is science fiction at its ABSOLUTE BEST!

With breakneck speed and adrenaline dumping action sequences, Upgrade stole my attention and only bedtime could pry it from my hands.

Have some tissue ready too—Crouch’s ability to render the human condition down to its basics will getcha! The last sentence WRECKED me 😭

5 glowing, teary, beautiful, thrilling, entertaining stars!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A special thanks to Kathleen Quinlan who invited me to review this gem! My opinions are my own.

I loved it!

I found my best sci-fi work of the year! I even loved it more than Dark Matter and Recursion!

I’m warning you my friends: before starting this book you need a real upgrade as a reader. Giving your entire concentration and attention to fully enjoy any Blake Crouch books is a true talent you have to sharpen!

Sometimes I wonder how a normal human being can create those mind blowing, grey cell exploding, eyes popping, jaw dropping plots! But interesting fact about Crouch’s books, he also gives us the most heartbreaking couple stories. Yes this ultra genius guy who can use words like enigmas you barely solve till the smoke comes out of your ears, is also an undeniable romantic. ( the ending of the book was great proof! Instead of my smoking ears, I have red eyes right now)

His new book didn’t disappoint me! I definitely need brain transplant sooner ( don’t worry my old one was a little useless! Each time I read the chapters of the book, I asked myself “what, ha!, whatttt” and slapped my head! )

I think entire readers need their own upgrade version for fully appreciating everything written here!
Let’s take a quick look to nail biter, heart throb get, mind spinning plot:

Logan Ramsey, son of genius scientist Miriam Ramsey who massacred millions with her miscalculated experiment, working for GPA: a special organization fighting against gene editing.

When he questions Henrik Soren who is presumed to make a recent transportation of mining bacteria, he has no idea the delivery address Soren gives them will change his life forever.

Explosives blast off at the basement he’s addressed and shrapnels puncture Logan’s hazmat suit and then… Bamm! He faints and opens his eyes at the quarantine.

Doctors tell him he’s infected by a virus not to make him sick but to modify his very genetic structure! Logan works against the people who specialized gene editing tool knows Scythe and now he’s the victim of that people who try to change entire genetic structure of human beings.

Luckily after running a fever, fearful nightmares later he finds out the virus is gone! He didn’t change! He’s still same 118 IQ’ed man, playing chess and getting defeated by 14 years old daughter, happily married man.

But one month later, his bone density level gets higher and he suffers from body aches. Then he stars changing immediately!

He has better concentration, night vision, photographic memory, needing less sleep, having increased muscle mass ( he can do one hand pushups and run faster than his twenty years old self) and higher pain tolerance. He turns into a super human and he’s not the only one suffering from this kind of transformation.

And unfortunately if he wants to learn what’s truly happening to him, he has to face with his dark family past but that also means he’ll find himself in the middle of genetic war as a possible casualty!

I’m stopping right now! My head truly hurts! As like his other books that story gave me book hungover! But trust me without too much headache you have no gain to enjoy this ultra smart and thrilling ride!

As a devoted fan of the author, I wish I can give this book more than five stars to express how much I loved it!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Read this in a day. Fast-paced plot and intriguing science as to be expected from Crouch, but also poignant moments of pondering the question, what does it mean to be human? Can humanity's flaws be "fixed," and if so, should they be? And who decides? A twist ending I didn't see coming. 5 out of 5 stars.

A science fiction thriller set in the near future, “Upgrade” provides an intriguing look into what might be the future of the human species. It is set approximately 20-30 years in our future (Beyoncé has just completed her farewell tour). The human genome has become a new battleground as we’ve learned how to edit our own genetic codes, to fight disease, etc. and make the world a better place. One problem is the age-old issue of people trying to make changes to what nature intended: the law of unintentional consequences. In fact, one brilliant scientist, Miriam Ramsey, accidentally created a mass-starvation event by altering the genetic code of locusts in China. Consequently, much of the world is currently starving and genetic manipulation has been outlawed.

The novel follows Logan Ramsey, Miriam’s son and an agent of the newly created Genetic Protection Agency. Logan participates in a raid and gets exposed to the SCYTHE virus. At first, nothing seems different but then he begins to notice the changes: better memory, better observational skills, better cognition all the way around. His bones are growing denser, as well. His genome has been hacked.

This is largely a thriller novel, as Logan learns to use his new enhanced abilities while getting tied up in a race against time to stop would-be saviors of the human race who want to use genetic enhancements to save the species. There is a lot of biological science thrown around throughout the novel, but I never felt it was overwhelming and in fact, I felt I followed along quite well even if I don’t have a complete understanding of gene structure or know my GRIN2B gene from my FOXP2.

Beyond the page-by-page thriller action lays the major theme of the novel. Why does the human race seem incapable of taking action to save itself from all the burgeoning threats that will very likely doom it to extinction. The point of humans being able to truly care for only a limited number of people is clear. The world watches breathlessly while a single child is trapped in a well but ignores the fate of several hundred thousand who are victims of a pandemic. The latter is just a statistic. How do we change that behavior…or should we?
This was a fun novel to read, fast paced, and with intriguing concepts. The level of research on the part of the author is mightily impressive. Blake Crouch fans will not be disappointed.