Imagine a world in which gene editing was very easy so people not knowing what they are doing can do it and it can be done with the contracting of a virus. This is the world in which Logan Ramsey lives and it is all because of his mother. Over twenty years ago Logan's mother created a machine that allowed for easy gene editing and tried to save a rice crop in China with this technology. Things did not go as planned and over 200 million people starved to death.

Now gene research is illegal and Logan works for the government organization that tracks people down who are doing these edits. On an assignment in Denver, Logan is caught in a ice bomb that makes him sick but causes no major injuries. He recovers but not long after starts to notice changes in his abilities. His genes have been changed making him better. Who did this to Logan and why.

The story is compelling. moves quickly, and is a fast, enjoyable read. I highly recommend this to any reader of fiction and not just sci-fi readers.

Rounding it up because once I was engaged it was pretty good.

What I think Crouch did well with this book, like his others I've read, is that he made the science of it all believable. That, in the future this thing we're currently working on understanding better is fully realized and we're making alterations to it.

It read very new jurassic world movie, and even had some hybrid bugs. I can't say it's my favorite, but it really wasn't bad. I'd recommend to other readers who have enjoyed his work.

3.5 stars, rounded upward

I loved Dark Matter, Crouch’s award-winning science fiction novel based on the notion of parallel universes. When I was invited by Net Galley and Random House Ballantine to read and review Upgrade, I jumped on it.

This is a story that hits the ground running. Logan is a scientist, and he’s also a husband and father. He leaves home one day in the normal fashion, and he never gets to go back home. He’s been kidnapped, more or less, by his own government; they plan to use him in experiments, but then he’s busted out of there by a badass ninja type that turns out to be his sister.

Surprise!

The pacing is swift and at times, the story is electrifying. However, the first half of the book is more interesting than the second half. My main criticism is the unhappy appearance of one of my least favorite tropes, the Bad Mommy. How has any living author missed the fact that this device has been done to death? Without this annoying feature, I would rate this book 4 to 4.5 stars.

As always when I read science fiction, I cannot tell you whether the science aspect of this novel is credible or entirely made up. I am a humanities animal through and through, so with every scientific explanation of a development in the plot, I just nod along. Okay. I believe that. Of course, I’d believe anything when it comes to scientific explanations. I have no idea how much is actual science, and how much is pseudo-, and I am okay with that. After all, it’s also fiction.

Crouch’s fans will likely appreciate this novel, and those without my own aversion to the trope mentioned above may very well like it, too. It’s for sale now.

This absolutely lived up to the hype. Crouch does such a great job of creating a new world and fills it with people who you can connect with and make part of you.

Blake Crouch delivered again with this page-turning speculative fiction thriller. In the not-so-distant future, the main character Logan works for an agency that investigates and prevents genetic modifications. He is attacked on a job and begins to think that he has been subject to this very thing. I could not stop reading this one! My only complaint is that Crouch's main characters are very similar. I would love to see him branch out with a very different character.

This was definitely a very creative and in Crouch like fashion a fun ride of futuristic engineering!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really love all of Blake Crouch’s books so I was highly anticipating his newest release and this did not disappoint! The writing and character development is phenomenal, certain aspects of the story just fell a little short for me, hence the 4 star rating. I would still highly recommend to anyone who like science fiction or chemistry in particular for this book.

initial thoughts: while I am not usually a science fiction fan, Blake Couch may just be the exception.

really enjoyed this one.

“what do you call a heart that is simultaneously full and breaking? maybe there’s no word for it, but for some reason, it makes me think of rain falling through sunlight.”

Well-solid 3 stars! This was probably one of my least favorites by Crouch, unfortunately. Even though I love sci-fi, I felt like at times there was a ton of sci-fi then read like a movie script. It was an interesting concept and interesting/ fun read-engaging, and interesting discussions could be made from this novel-just not my favorite. I still can't wait for his next book to come out though! This is a sciency sci-fi read-so if that's your thing-would highly recommend this one too you.


Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sci-fi 4.5*

I fell in love with Blake Crouch's novels after reading Dark Matter. That book was a mind f*ck in the best way. Crouch has a way of taking a very possible near future and twisting it in a way that is both scary and compelling.

In Upgrade, Logan Ramsay has been given an injection that has altered his genetic make-up. It has made him stronger and smarter. So much so that he becomes a wanted man. His mother caused a worldwide catastrophe that killed millions and he has been being watched ever since.

Turns out he wasn't the only one given an injection and now Logan must battle to save humanity. But that is how the other party feels as well? What is the best course? Who is to know? Who decides? Is it the truth or do our own perceptions color that logic?

It was fascinating! Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.

Another science fiction book that really surprised me! I am not the biggest fan of this genre, but this one kept me guessing.

When the MC experiences an explosion, I was rapt. Then when we discover what happened with his mother and tracked her location...heartbreaking.

The journals to his family. Ugh. This book is so intense!

Such a quick read for me! I'm not the biggest fan of science fiction, but I liked this one! This is my second from this author, and I found it to be really enjoyable.

I would definitely read more from this author. I cannot believe how atmospheric this was and how the author was able to take something I know absolutely nothing about and have me fully invested.

This book was really interesting. I had a hard time following some of the science and DNA elements, but I really enjoyed the storyline and the character's backstory and family problems.

I didn't love this quite as much as Recursion, but it is evident this author is super talented!

Thank you to Netgalley and PRHAUdio for the ARC of this insane book. I read Recursion last year and loved it, so I was so excited to get my hands on this one!

This was truly a wild ride. I wasn’t quite as invested as I was in Recursion, but I really enjoyed it.

I loved the MC’s family drama and challenges, but the science piece was a little difficult for me, as someone who has very limited knowledge of DNA and how it works.

If you like sci-fi, you’ll love this one!

A 5-star, mindblowing sci-fi thriller

I didn’t read science fiction until some friends recommended a few authors to me. One of those authors is Blake Crouch. He had me mesmerized. By science stuff I’m not interested in! I’m still not a sci-fi lover but I’ll read any book that has his name on it!

Most of the medical terminology made my head spin and I can’t tell you if one word of it is possible but it is captivating!

Logan’s mother, a genetic engineer, is famous for her extraordinary mind and scientific accomplishments until one of her experiments goes horribly wrong. Then she killed herself, leaving Logan to face the consequences.

Years later, genetic engineering is illegal and the government has formed the GPA (Gene Protection Agency), which is responsible for apprehending genetic scientists operating unlawfully. And they employ Logan. During a raid on an illegal lab, there is an explosion that infects him with a virus designed to modify his genetic makeup.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in this amazing read!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch is another mind-bending scientific thriller! This time it is about DNA and genomes and what happens when people can "hack" into other people's DNA. I very much enjoyed this story, as I have all of his books. It paints a horrifying picture of what could happen in the future. Some readers may be turned off by the scientific explanations. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes science fiction and thrillers. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I think I like the futuristic setting of this book more than the actual story itself. I like the idea of genetic changes being regulated by a special police and electric cars and face detection surveillance, but the upgrade story through gene mutation was kind of not so interesting.

Upgrade is set in the near-future and the future isn't looking great for humans. Or the planet. This book is full of suspense, science and great characters. Once I started reading, I couldn't put this down and for me, I found Upgrade to be a bit easier to read as far as the science aspect of the book. I loved this book as much as I loved Dark Matter and Recursion and I found Logan to be a very relatable character. Much of this book was frightening to me because I kept thinking, "you know, this COULD happen." And that was terrifying.

I also think Blake Crouch's books are fantastic for readers who don't like sci-fi or who have never read sci-fi. There are so many aspects to the characters and the storyline. At its heart, Upgrade asks the reader to ponder what it means to be human, how we need to care about one another and care about our planet.

I've always thoroughly enjoyed anything by Blake Crouch - especially Dark Matter (one of my all-time favorites) and Recursion. Obviously Crouch has set the bar pretty high for any new releases so I was expecting the same. with Upgrade, it fell a little short compared to the last two but was still a solid book overall. Great concept, interesting characters, and a lot of action. The action/adventure was laid on a little thick at times but did not take away from the overall direction of the plot. 4 stars

T'hanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m a huge Blake Crouch fan so this one was eagerly anticipated. While not as compelling as “Dark Matter,” I enjoyed it nonetheless. One of the things I like about Crouch is the detailed science that makes the story plausible. This one did not disappoint in that regard. The characters were a bit one-dimensional, but I don’t read Crouch for his characters. When I want a page-turner thriller, Blake’s the man. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read.