Blake Crouch makes science fiction incredibly accessible with explanations simple enough for "lay" readers to understand without making it feel like he's talking down to readers. This story is tense and fast paced, filled with big questions for readers to ponder. An excellent book.

I am such a fan of Blake Crouch's books. He has a way of combining compelling plot lines, sympathetic characters, and believable science fiction scenarios with action and thrills that propel the story along and make it impossible to put down.

'Upgrade' is set in the near future, when genetic modifications are not only possible but have already wreaked havoc in the world. The main character, Logan Ramsay begins to experience some strange side effects after a police raid ends in an explosion. Suddenly he finds that he is mentally sharper, his memory has improved, and he doesn't need as much sleep. It seems that someone is using him as a guinea pig for genetic modification.

It is a race against time to find out who is behind this act, because the stakes are high. If this can happen to Logan, it can happen to anyone...and he has already seen the devastating consequences of genetic manipulation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and look forward to Crouch's next book!

I will admit that I am not much of a sci-fi fan and the ease at which something can be spread to change the human genome is a terrifying concept because of how real it is. <i>Upgrade</i> tells of superhero concepts - super human abilities, retaining infinite amount of information, speed reading, increased senses. It's all a bit exciting to imagine but with that come real responsibility and the heartbreaking decisions that follow because it might be the only way to save the world.
I could safely say that this book made me a fan. I could see it being played on out screen and even more terrifying in reality.

Agent Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency (GPA). After his mother's gene adaptations went horribly wrong, leading to the Great Starvation that killed millions and forever changed the world, he was sent to prison for her crimes. After his release he joined the GPA to atone and to prevent another catastrophic gene editing event from happening again.

When a raid goes terribly wrong exposing Logan to gene modification, he has to not only manage those changes but adjust to becoming one of those he has been hunting.

Crouch tells a story heavily influenced by COVID, fears around genetic manipulation and ultimately the question of what direction the human race is heading and what to do about it. Just because we can do something, should we and at what cost? We're taken on a trip from government enforcement, science, and morality, as we follow Logan as he evolves and uncovers the larger plan for humanity that may save the race or doom it.

I struggled somewhat with this story. There was a lot of info dumping that felt chunky and didn't blend well with the story and I'd asked myself if the level of detail added any value and often thinking it didn't. Other scenes skipped so much detail it didn't feel realistic, again pulling me out of the story. While there were interesting points, I wanted a more complex, deeper story.

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i am a huge fan of blake crouch and this did not disappoint at all! it’s extremely fast paced much like his other works and the sci-fi is very accessible while still being interesting. i liked this more than recursion but not as much as dark matter. still an excellent read!

What would you do if you woke up one day and were … better? Stronger, faster, smarter – every aspect of who you are improved. And what if that improvement wasn’t just a one-time bump, but a continuous evolution? If that one day became a week became a month became a year? And what if the cost was your humanity?

That’s the central event of Blake Crouch’s latest sci-fi thriller “Upgrade.” Set in a world where well-meaning science nearly destroyed the world by trying to save it, it’s precisely the sort of book we’ve come to expect from Crouch – an action-packed thriller built on a thought-provoking science fictional foundation.

Extrapolating the potential ramifications of scientific discovery and then exploring the consequences is one of the blueprints to create exceptional sci-fi. Of course, one has to have the architecturally authorial talents to follow such intricate plans if one is to craft true excellence. Suffice it to say, Crouch has once again understood the assignment.

In a near-future marked by catastrophe, Logan Ramsey works as an operative for a law enforcement division aimed at tracking down and neutralizing rogue geneticists. See, the world very nearly came to an end because of gene manipulation – billions died and billions more almost met the same fate – and so forces were mobilized in an effort to ensure that such a thing would never happen again. And Logan has his own very specific reasons for engaging in this sort of work.

And yet, science marches on. The genetic genie is out of the bottle.

When Logan and his team raid a suspected gene manipulator’s lair, they are caught in what turns out to be a trap. Logan bears the full brunt of an explosion, a genetic bomb whose malicious intent is difficult to discern. He is held in quarantine for weeks, even after tests conclude that he is unharmed.

Unharmed, but not unchanged.

Soon, Logan begins to notice changes in himself. He’s stronger and faster. His intellectual capabilities are increasing. He requires less sleep and less sustenance. However, others have noticed as well – the people he works for are very interested in seeing how this develops. It isn’t long before Logan decides that he will have to solve this mystery for himself, even if there are plenty of folks out there – on all sides – who are much more interested in their own agendas.

And all the while, his capabilities continue to grow. But who did this to him? And why? And what are they planning next?

I’ll confess to a bit of intentional vagueness with regard to the plot of “Upgrade.” Like Crouch’s other work, there are more than a few narrative turns that are best left unspoiled. Believe me, you’re better off not knowing – that’ll make the moments of discovery that much more fun.

No one digs into the dark side of sci-fi quite like Crouch does. He has a real knack for starting from a scientific reality and spinning it forward into something altogether fantastical. One of the joys of his work is the fact that it all feels so goddamned plausible; sure, it’s a few steps removed from the reality of the present, but you’re given a real sense of the path that was taken to get to this not-so-far-flung future.

It's fascinating to consider that we’re only in the embryonic stages of genetic manipulation. The science is still so raw and new, with few practitioners really out there on the bleeding edge (well, as far as we know, anyway). But here’s the thing – scientific progress is slow right up until it isn’t. It only takes one generational genius to make that quantum leap and redefine the way we understand the world … and there’s no way of knowing what that redefinition will ultimately entail.

Of course, Crouch has other writerly gifts as well. In particular, he has this incredible ability to put the reader inside the heads of his characters. Reading “Upgrade” is a thrill ride because we are almost literally riding along – we’re passengers inside Logan’s head as he moves through a world that is steadily slowing as his own changes are accelerating; his motivations are evolving along with the rest of him, for better and for worse.

And again – leaving aside all that other (excellent) stuff, the truth is that “Upgrade” is just a flat-out barnburner of a story. Idea-driven sci-fi is awesome, but it can get a little navel-gazey; Crouch is great at surrounding the thoughtfulness with well-crafted thrills and loads of action.

If an author keeps delivering on a consistent basis, they are eventually going to become appointment reading. Blake Crouch is there, a writer whose work I eagerly anticipate as soon as I learn that it’s coming. His work has always been strong, but he’s blasted three home runs in a row in a genre where any author is lucky to hit one – “Dark Matter,” “Recursion” and now “Upgrade.” He’s as good at what he does as any writer currently out there.

Let me start by saying that my husband and I loved Dark Matter! Upgrade grabbed me right away with the storyline and the look into our not too distant future.

Unfortunately, I got lost somewhere in the middle and just was not able to stay invested in this storyline, simply because I am not a science kind of gal.

If you enjoy science fiction and mystery, I recommend this author and this book. This one just didn't do it for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for this advanced readers copy. This book released on July 12, 2022.

3 for neutral, was unable to access my netgalley account for months, until today. Because of this, I was unable to see which books I needed to read. I apologize for the inconvenience and hopefully will not have any more issues in future.

This was so fast paced and hard to put down!

I was a little worried with all the science talk (I’m not a science girlie), but I was totally able to keep up with the story and everything happening.

I'm a big Blake Crouch fan (especially Dark Matter), so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Upgrade. This story is about Logan, who was infected by a virus to modify his genetic structure. He has a small reaction (fever and nightmares), but seems to recover quickly, However, after a few weeks, he turns into some sort of a super human. He can run super fast and do one-handed pushups. But, in order for him to know what's really going on, he needs to take a deep dive into his family history... which isn't as easy at is seems.

2.5 stars
Upgrade started off well but then devolved into a fairly basic thriller story. The scenario is in the not-too-distant future, which has seen widespread famine caused by crop failure, among other environmental disasters - and the crop failure was caused by scientists trying to be helpful, by using genetic changes! The son of the truly brilliant scientist who unwittingly caused that crop failure is an enforcement agent for the Gene Protection Agency; early on in the book, he is ambushed and winds up being injected/infiltrated with a gene altering material that gives him an “upgrade.” Unfortunately the narrative was marred by the frequent inclusion of WAY too much technical/scientific word salad.

The best parts of the book were the author’s descriptions of the ruined cities, such as flooded Lower Manhattan and the landscape descriptions of northern New Mexican and southern Colorado.

Based on this book I wouldn’t read others by this author, but many people have given Dark Matter and Recursion much better reviews so I might give either One of those a try at some point.

I wound up listening to the audiobook, courtesy of my public library, on a long car ride and the narrator, Henry Levya did a great job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyed this sci-fi thriller from Blake Crouch! This was a fast read and very enjoyable with good character development in addition to the thrill ride. Crouch is good at making things that seem impossible possible and the technical easy to understand. Not my favorite from him but an interesting read nonetheless.

A great Sci-Fi that does a good job of focusing more on the characters and the action than the confusing technology.

There were a few times that I was hoping for a bit more character development than just constant action but overall, it was a great ride.

I really enjoyed this Crouch novel, but I prefer Dark Matter and Recursion more. It was a quick sci-fi thriller, more technical than the previous novels.

This is my second Blake Crouch novel. I found it intriguing but did not love it as much as Dark Matter. This one was thrilling and intriguing.

Blake Crouch is definitely an auto-read author for me at this point! However, this one unfortunately was not my favorite of his, but I think only because I wasn’t in the right mood for an action-packed sci-fi. This one also felt like there was a lot more technical science talk that I found myself skimming over. A fun and interesting premise though, and kept up with the fast-paced nature of his other books! Will absolutely pick up his next one.

Another wonderful sci-fi thriller from Blake Crouch! Crouch is wonderful at making the unbelievable believable. This was a fast read and very enjoyable.

I can honestly say I am excited to see this in movie form as reading this was so incredible. A psychological thriller with twists and turns. The main character wakes up feeling like his mind and knowledge have shifted and increased in a way that he is sharper than he was. He is the only one who is able to stop what is about to happen. Will he be able to stop the world from spinning out of control?

[1.5 Stars]

I found this underwhelming.

I've now read Blake Crouch's three main sci-fi thrillers. I started with Dark Matter (which I loved), then picked up Recursion (which was fine), and now Upgrade. My main issue with these books is that they all feel the same because all of Crouch's main characters have nearly identical narrative voices. Add this to the fact that they also all follow comparable story arcs......and it's starting to feel like "been there, done that".

I think the science was rooted enough in truth that I could believe the stretch in imagination. Which was nice. And the action was fine. But that's about where my enjoyment ended. I didn't care for the main character or his struggles. I didn't get wrapped up in the tension. I will probably forget a lot of this.

Overall, I'd say if you're interested in reading Crouch's sci-fi thrillers, pick the one with the premise that interests you most and stop there. You'll be able to guess what goes down in the others.

This is a solid story, fairly engaging overall but really, really science-y sci-fi. Almost overwhelmingly so at times.

It's the story about Logan, who at some point in the near future has been given an upgrade to his DNA that gives him various amazing abilities. I don't want to tell you too much about the plot because it would give away the best parts, but suffice it to say that in the end the book features an all-out battle to save humanity. It's pretty realistic and should put a bit of fear into readers, because everything that happens does feel plausible if not eventually possible.

I really liked the ending and the hopefulness it provided. I'm a fan of Blake Crouch's work, and while I thought this was a decent read, I have liked some of his other books better.

Worthwhile to read, especially if you like science fiction. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator does an excellent job with all of the scientific jargon.