Thank you to the publishers for sending me this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

This is a really solid sci-fi novel. I'm not the best with science so some of it just went over my head, but it did not hinder my enjoyment. The characters, their motives, and their actions all make sense. I love the sibling relationship between Logan and Kara and how the upgrade impacted it. The ending was really great as well.

I feel like I would have enjoyed this novel more if there were additional descriptions of the world and how the dystopian society impacts average civilians. It was perhaps a bit too focused on solely the upgrade while there were other interesting things going on in the world.

I would recommend this book to those who love heavy science, dystopian societies, and action novels.

This book is set in a dystopian world where genetic modification is normal, genome hacking is rampant and used as a form of bioweapon. We are following our main character who gets his genes modified. He develops better concentration and memory, is better at multitasking, reads much faster. He discovers that this is happening to other people too and is part of a much larger plan which he is determined to stop.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year & I am not disappointed! This was so much more emotional than I expected. And one thing that I find with Crouch’s books so far is the strong emphasis/presence of family/partner. It makes the themes relating to the sci-fi aspect in relation to our humanity hit that much more. Following Logan as he grapples with the changes happening to him and his discoveries as he learns more about what has been done to him was, in a way, also a personal journey for me. It opened up discussions about humanity, our own desires to make our world better, how that can be selfish and constrained by what we know and discover ourselves. I think that was one of the book's purpose/goal and absolutely succeeded in that.

Hands down, one of THE best books of 2022. Every human should be required to read this.

Blake Crouch has this way of righting Sci-Fi as if it could be real. You can picture what he's writing for us 25, 30, 50 years down the road. That's why I love his writing. Normally, Sci-Fi is not my thing, but if Crouch writes it, I'm reading it without even needing to know what it's about. Full stop.

Very interesting concept, but something felt a little scattered and disconnected. I wanted a little more or something else.

This book was really good but I do feel slightly dumber after having read it. This is very much a book for smart people - I guess you have to REALLY like science if you request to read this one! It's very much about messing with genes and what happens in society when people do that. It was very good and fast paced though, and a very easy read. 4 stars.

Logans mother was a super genius. Involved in genetics. Due to millions of crops dying, resulting from something his mother created and people dying,Logan spent a few years in prison and his mother committed suicide.
Now working to help catch hacks, Logan finds something happening to his brain and body. after a bust goes wrong.. Day by day he is becoming a super human, something he akways wantd but now he sees how wrong this is. Can he stop it or is the world doomed

This was fine. This isnt the first Crouch novel I’ve read so I’m aware of his style. He does a good job explaining the science and the backstory between Logan, his mother and his sister was intriguing. The ending to me is what fell flat. This was a high stakes situation throughout and I’m not sure Crouch knew how to bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

I love Blake Crouch books and was so excited to read Upgrade!
While this novel did not quite reach "Dark Matter" standards for me, personally, I still really enjoyed it.

This takes place in a future state of the world and the ramifications of things Logan's mom has done affected the world population and the environment itself.
Logan starts to notice changes in himself and soon, he can no longer ignore them. His genetic makeup has been 'Upgraded" along with his sisters'. The upgrades have choices and consequences that will keep you pondering this book after you finish it.
Thankful for the ARC!
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This book was amazing. I loved the premise and loved the execution. The character development was fantastic for Logan, but I wish there was a little more from some of the other characters, but maybe that was the point. The ending was a tear jerker and for a sci-fi book to do that for me is rare. Well done!

Blake Crouch wrecks my brain in a way that makes me want to thank him for the experience.

Upgrade takes us into the realm of genomes and bioengineering. While the concept is heavy on science, the content is presented in a way that’s easy to understand.

The story is sci-fi, for now, but we can easily see how it could or even will happen. It’s definitely a thriller. It’s also thought-provoking and intense.

I love the way Crouch blends science and psychology, with a sprinkle of future possibilities, to give us stories that make me feel like my head will explode!

Just by the description alone, I was very excited to read this book. As I read more and more of this fantastic novel, I found myself unable to put it down. Upgrade is a great novel about what could be possible by enhancing the human race and what consequences and morals that may come from those choices. Well done! This is my first Blake Crouch book and certainly not my last!

This one was not for me. I know everyone hyped it up, but I just couldn't get into it. It was just a little too much science fiction for me.

This book is incredible. Crouch really blew me away with his discussions on intelligence v. empathy, and how both are needed in this world. I loved the plotting of this book. I honestly was never sure if he was going to unexpectedly shake things up on me. Although he usually pulled some of the more interesting punches, and everyone outside the main character is a bit one-note, I always understood when he pulled the punches and it got me interested in other ways the story could go.

Holy crap, Blake Crouch does it again.

Continually giving us mind-bending, realistic sci-fi that leaves you wanting to set the world on fire - what an achievement. I love the little nods to the ravages of climate change on our landscape - the talk of artificial meat being the norm, the Bellagio fountains only using real water occasionally (the rest is holograms). The world felt realistic and still in the future without having to say "The year is 2100". (IDK if that's the year it's set in please dont come for me).

Some may say this was very heavy on the science, and I can understand that - there were many parts of the science I didn't understand, but they didn't keep me from understanding the story or the dangers the characters were in.

I was in a major reading rut when I picked this up and boy did it cure me. I read this in less than a day - I couldn't put it down. Signature fast pacing and world-threatening stakes. Short and powerful.

He did it again and I can't wait to see what his nightmare brain comes up with next.

Blake Crouch has a way of sucking me into his "humanity has advanced tech prowess but bad guys who lack ethics got ahold of the tech" sci-fi novels. Simultaneously I come to care about the main characters, and the result is I tend to stay up too late to finish these books. Upgrade was no exception. There's a portion of the storyline where the main character is off by himself and the plot seems to drag in that section. I pressed on because I wanted to know how the book ended and I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed this book, but not as thoroughly as I enjoyed Recursion.

If you could become uber-intelligent and physically superior to most, would you? Would you share your newfound abilities with others, if you could?⁣
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Blake Crouch tackles just this issue in his newest novel, Upgrade. This was a fast-paced, edge-of-my-seat kind of read, with never a moment’s rest to be had. Pure energy, through and through. Can Logan Ramsay save humanity from destroying the world (and itself) by introducing a upgrade to humanity such as this on a large-scale basis? Would it be a win or a fail? Would our brains take over our hearts? It’s up to Logan to ultimately decide, and he will take you for one hell of a ride along the way.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch. Pub Date: July 12, 2022. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟. I know this author is must read for a lot of people, but for me I think his work is too science dense and I feel very lost whenever I try to read his work. This is a sci-fi read that spans topics of ethics, evolution, philosophy and AI/genetic modification. Unfortunately I just couldn’t follow this one, but if those topics interest you then definitely pick this one up! Thanks to #netgalley and #ballantinebooks for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #igreads #theupgrade

If I had four or five PHDs I still wouldn’t understand a fraction of all the scientific data in this book. Quantum computing applications, intersection of science and philosophy, a war of genes and mutations, a war with natural selection, a slap dash heart racing sci-if thriller. I just wish I understood more of the background garble. Despite all that, it was an action packed story that never let up.

In the most simplistic terms this book examines stakes that are larger “than ideology, territory or even religion. The stakes were the future of our species. Where we were going. What we would become.” Set amidst a decayed and decaying country, much of which is unrecognizable to us in this century, a titanic battle between siblings is being waged. Each is only concerned with the salvation of the human race - it is all in the perspective and they are diametrically opposite.

Rounding up as I thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the copy.

Okay, I thought that I would love everything Blake Crouch has ever written...but this book is the exception. I just couldn't get that into it. Logan wasn't my cup of tea!

Blake Crouch is a sci-fi genius. This is a mix of sci fi and thriller. Who wouldn’t want an upgrade to their genetic makeup? If it comes with the task of saving the human race maybe you wouldn’t want that kind of upgrade! A dark family thrill ride that involved the future of humanity... I will say I preferred Dark Matter and Recursion but I felt Upgrade was right in the same wheelhouse. I never felt bored. It is set in a dystopian near future. Excited to see what Crouch comes up with next.