If you like science fiction books with a lot of action, then this book is for you. It's not my normal type of read, but I do like books that take place in the future.

Can you imagine being about to concentrate and multitask better? Be able to read every little facial expression of others? Be more fit and need less sleep? Logan Ramsey has been given an "upgrade," but not by choice. His mother, a famous geneticist, wants to save the human race by messing with the genomes of everyone in the world. But at what cost? Would you be willing to give up everything and everyone for this upgrade?

I admit that part of this book was a little too detailed in the genome category, but I think other people would find it really interesting. This book is action-packed, and I would be surprised if it wasn't turned into a movie one day. Many people have compared it to Michael Crichton or Ray Bradbury books.

I was given this book for my honest review. I gave it four out of five stars.

Blake Crouch is sooooo good at writing sci-fi with wide-appeal. This book is about a family of scientists, doing and undoing their mistakes of the past. I loved that the themes of family and right and wrong were supported by the science elements, and not the other way around. I was immediately engaged in this book from the start, and I loved thinking about the question - if you could enhance your capabilities, would it be worth it if you lost what made you most human at heart. I'll definitely continue to read new books from Crouch whenever they come out!

I loved Dark Matter. I really, really liked Summer Frost. I was lukewarm about Recursion, to my distress. And now I'm conflicted about Upgrade. It's a good story, one I liked reading. But it's very dependent on your being willing to listen to medical-terminology-laden lectures to get the full impact of.

That isn't an easy ask. Genetics is a field where the Acronym Anteater sends his tongue into overdrive, clawing down mound after mound of random alphanumeric snippets and that incredibly long, sticky tongue smooshing them into a lumpy paste of confusing same-but-different ever-shifting compounds. I got lost multiple times.

But the work I put in looking stuff up and the time I spent reading whatever "for Dummies"-level materials I could kept me grounded in Author Crouch's not-distant future of humans suffering for the hubris of a few visionary souls. It's important thought-experiment material, all of it, and Author Crouch doesn't think we should wobble blindly on our unicycles down a cobblestone alleyway when we could, and should, think and talk about what can and what might should not be done to our bodies.

I know it sounds like I am trying to foist an "eat-your-spinach" book onto you this time. I promise that I am not. What I am asking each and every one of the book's potential readers to do is to be ready to think about how a man whose hubristic scientist mother was his idol, his exemplary scientist-in-service to humanity, would reach the conclusions and decisions he does when he learns he's been used as a genetic experiment...like the one that got her reviled.

When he grasps that his continued existence has been rendered debatable by the unauthorized, illegal actions of people with an agenda that he will serve, whether dead or alive.

He's no longer himself, husband-father-government agent of law enforcement. He is An Example, a Test Case, a now-capital-lettered being without any say in the matter, and the matter is life and death for us all.

Those stakes got your interest? They got, and kept, mine. Up, in fact, until 4am they kept mine.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very fast paced and interesting futuristic sci-fi thriller. If you enjoyed the author’s previous book, Dark Matter, I think you will enjoy this. There’s a lot of science jargon but he explains it in a way so you aren’t lost.

I am not sure what I’d do if I was in the situation posed in the book. I liked the ending and found myself hoping for the main character and the future of the world represented in the book.

The fictional scientific advances in this book are fascinating but also horrifying! IEDs that eject ice crystals infused with asymptomatic super viruses?! Of course, an asymptomatic super virus doesn’t sound far fetched after living through COVID.

Though set sometime in the not too distant future, it’s themes are oddly timely. The main theme being the environmental and humanitarian crises in which we find ourselves (and have for some time) and yet we can’t get on the same page to save ourselves or our planet. While the problem Crouch highlights is definitely timely and relatable, let’s hope we craft a better solution than what’s attempted in this book … because (as I’m sure you can guess) it doesn’t go well!

I also loved how Crouch managed to weave into all the science and suspense, a really complex and emotionally charged romantic and familial story. I wish he shared more from Beth, Ava, and Kara. But, overall, really entertaining and layered.

Thanks to @Netgalley and Ballantine Books for my ARC!

What a thrilling ride! I’ve read all of Crouch’s books and he never disappoints. This one may well be my favorite. It’s a thriller sci-fi cat and mouse game that you won’t be able to put down!

The topic is fascinating because it’s about gene editing, genome hacking and upgrading human beings. The earth is in trouble so the thinking goes if we upgrade humans to be smarter then they will find a solution. But there is one problem and it’s a big one — many will die from the upgrade. This is truly a moral dilemma. Our protagonist Logan thinks there has to be a better way because so many will die. But his sister Kara firmly believes that the only way to save humanity is to upgrade everyone and pay the price of losing people in the process but as she sees it, it is for the greater good.

At the center of the novel is this moral dilemma as personified by Logan and Kara. Each one of them is so convicted in their beliefs that they try to convince each other but to no end. Each is determined to stop the other one.

Crouch is a great storyteller and his characters are well developed. While it is clear that he did a lot of research before writing the book, it does not get bogged down in scientific detail.

I highly recommend this book as well as Crouch’s previous novels. I was very pleased to see that Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is developing the book into a theatrical movie so hurry and read it before the film comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch #jaylammreviews

I have been a fan of Crouch's previous work but this story was just a bit past my science fiction threshold. I found myself confused a lot of the time and skimming the areas that included the most science. It wasn't the book..it was me. I just didn't enjoy it. 

Crouch has the best plot lines, they are interesting and really make you think about this world we live in. This was true for this book as well. This showed where our society is going and what we could be in store for. The food shortages, the take over of technology- it's all very scary. 

I loved the plot, and the idea of this story but it just didn't work for me.

I loved the plot and character dynamics in this one; however, this novel was WAY too sciencey for me. It was 80% science and only 20% plot. Had it been about 50/50 with science and plot/character development, this would have been a 5 star read for me.

*Will post full review on social media platforms soon.*

I don't typically choose to read Sci-Fi/thriller type books, but I've heard great things about Blake's writing so I decided to give it a try and I really like it. Blake is a great story teller and knows how to hook you in almost immediately. I liked how fast paced the story was and I did not want to put it down because of that. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

In this propulsive and entertaining sci fi thriller, it’s the not too distant future and genetic modification of any kind is against the law. Main character Logan works for a federal agency dedicated to investigating and stopping any one practicing genetic modification. But after he is attacked during one such investigation he begins to suspect that something happened to him - and that he has received both a mental and physical upgrade, just like the title suggests. But who did it to him, why, and what does he need to do next to protect himself and the world?

People are always telling me that I would like Blake Crouch’s books, but somehow I had never read any before and this was my first one. Well, I can see why people like them and I will definitely be checking out his previous books! I seriously couldn’t put this one down and read it in one day. If this one is representative of his other books, I can also see why people who are not usually science fiction fans always say they like him - it’s both more thriller than science fiction, and the science aspect of the fiction is more grounded in reality than say a book set in the far future with aliens. It reminded me a little bit of Marcus Sakey’s Brilliance Trilogy, so I’d say that if you liked those books, check this one out, and vice versa.

(I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.)

”The greatest threat to our species lies within us."

What a mind-bender! Loved it. Leave it to Blake Crouch to write another nonstop sci-fi thriller packed with philosophical observations on the human race. Don't let the science fiction label put you off, this one is another unputdownable book, with complicated genetics explained for the layperson. (And did I mention my husband and I read the book AT THE SAME TIME? #NerdAlert)

Dark Matter and Recursion are two of my favorite Blake Crouch books so I was beyond thrilled to grab Upgrade. This book raises many moral and ethical issues, and has a fantastic Epilogue. I love books that challenge my way of looking at the world. I also love books that require a little extra effort, and I found myself looking up the meaning of lots of words and phrases. Genome! Hyperloop! R-naught!

Set in the near future, the world has changed in many ways. Miami and Lower Manhattan are under water. Google Roadster coupes travel the roadways. Desertification has changed the landscape. Blake Crouch takes many things that exist today, and expanded upon them in this frightening new world that Logan Ramsey lives in.

"We lived in a veritable surveillance state, engaged with screens more than with our loved ones, and the algorithms knew us better than we knew ourselves."

Logan works for a shadowy government agency and has finally come to terms with the worldwide havoc wreaked by his mother, the brilliant and revolutionary Miriam Ramsay. She invented a DNA modifier that ended up causing a global hunger crisis that led to the deaths of million of people. The system is now outlawed. But somehow Logan has become changed as well, and must go on the run from the same government agency that he once worked for.

"We had gotten so much right. And too much wrong. The future was here, and it was a fucking mess.

Miriam Ramsay intended to help save the human race and the planet. But her actions led to unspeakable, unintended consequences. Is dabbling in DNA ever justified? This book raises these issues and many more. This is an intelligent, non-stop thriller that has lots of twists and turns. Logan's adversary is a surprise and I won't give away any spoilers. 'Upgrade' is incredibly creative and thought-provoking and I could not stop reading until I finished the last page. The ending was very satisfying and so emotional!

"We contained within us the potential for great evil, but also for great good. And we were capable of so much more than this."

The best kind of sci-fi is the kind you can imagine happening...maybe in your lifetime. Upgrade is that kind of book. It sets a slippery slope on high and takes the reader on a ride. This book is about genetic manipulation, real-world experimentation, legacy, ego, and the human condition.

Before the events in Upgrade, there was The Great Starvation. Hundreds of millions of people starved to death because of genetic modification in insects gone horribly wrong. The son of the scientist who caused it now works for a government agency that makes sure no more gene editing is done. And then he becomes infected with something that causes an upgrade in his DNA, making him smarter, faster, more capable. He is imprisoned in a lab to be studied as his abilities continue to expand.

When he discovers that he isn't alone in this and that someone else is keeping one step ahead of him, it is a cat-and-mouse race to see if he can stop his adversary from infecting more people at the cost of potentially a billion lives.

This is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller with enough of a foot in the real world to make it feel like there's more than just a chance of something like this happening.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another science fiction novel from Blake Crouch that I loved! Just like Dark Matter and Recursion I was intrigued by the premise and wanted to keep reading it until I finished it even though I have other things I needed to be doing! Where Dark Matter played with the multiverse and Recursion played with memory and time-travel, Upgrade plays with the idea of genetic modification. I have to admit, hearing about all the things Logan was able to do had me wishing for those kinds of upgrades myself!

Now I want to go back and re-read Dark Matter and Recursion because I am reminded of how much I love these books! I also want to re-read Summer Frost, his sci-fi novella that was my favorite out of the Forward Collection.

Again, not being a very good NetGalley reader. :/

I read this one back in May and despite the absolute apocalyptic horror it brought me, I enjoyed being back in Blake Crouch's mind. This really felt like a big alarm for our current times, which I appreciate simply because it acknowledges the actual shitshow we're in with both climate change and the pandemic.

<I>Upgrade</I> centers around Logan Ramsay, the son of a famous scientist who happened to be responsible for the deaths of a ton of people. After Logan is involved in an explosion, he begins to evolve into a superhuman as a part of a larger plan to "upgrade" humanity to fix the apocalyptic shitshow.

It's not only a great science fiction thriller, it has a really wonderful commentary on what it means to be human that I hope people hear.

If you enjoyed <I>Dark Matter,</I> I bet you'll like this one too.

Blake Crouch has done it again. After Dark Matter and Recursion, which were 4.5* reads for me, Upgrade had big shoes to fill. But he is so good at the science-based thriller that I should not have worried. This storyline is based on genetics in the future when scientists can and do manipulate DNA. As with his other novels, it leaves the reader wondering "what would I do?" if in the same situation. Crouch always thinks through how the science impacts the protagonist in a personal way. I think that's why so many readers who wouldn't consider themselves sci-fi readers still enjoy his books. He makes the situation seem relatable, even while being "out there".
Thank you to #RandomHouse for early access to this novel through #Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read anything by this author before picking up this book. I got some Michael Crichton vibes off the subject matter of genome altering and the ultimate should we-shouldn't we? Except this plot surrounds a genome police officer, who is tasked with stopping people doing exactly what's happening to him. The sci-fi premise of this will have you questioning humanity and scratching your head for a bit after it's over. Happy to see someone who can pull off the complex science for an excellent sci-fi thriller.

I try to go into each Blake Crouch book with fairly little knowledge about it just to be surprised. Sometimes that doesn't serve me because I get confused and then reading the synopsis on the cover helps me untangle my thoughts. Upgrade was one that I feel was better read without a lot of information, so that was good news for me. Upgrade was much easier for me to follow than a few of the other Blake Crouch novels I have read. It was a fast-paced thriller with good characters that you can root for and against. I appreciate the moral questions that are asked from both the protagonist's viewpoint and the "bad guy's" viewpoint. I think they are good questions that can not have 100% correct answers. Would it be better to modify human DNA if it would save the planet or should nature (including human nature) be allowed to take its course?

I love that Blake Crouch typically brings a lot of real scientific and statistical facts into his novels which give them more of a sense of believability rather than them feeling like pure sci-fi. The one area I wish had been done better was character building. I never understood enough about any characters motivations and backgrounds or what would have driven them to make one choice or another. Things are hinted at, but I would have liked a little more.

Upgrade was a really good entry in the Blake Crouch catalog that will keep those of us who love him coming back for more!

I usually love Blake Crouch books but this one was just okay for me.
The pacing seemed a bit off and really flip flopped between too slow and too fast. The ending felt a little rushed and even the epilogue I think could have been longer to better complete the story.
I really enjoyed the concept and since genetics something I am very familiar with I was really intrigued by science explanations and how that was woven into the story.

I also liked the main character but felt like both him and all of the side characters were a bit underdeveloped which made it hard to invest in the story.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite book by this author but I'll definitely try more in the future.

One of my book friends said in order to read this book you needed to be Upgraded. I loved this! Thanks Jean. It is so true. I definitely don’t have the brainwidth to come close to even remotely understanding the science behind the subject here, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story so very much. It also frightened me so very much too because it makes one wonder how close science is to this kind of genetic change. While some of it would be so fascinating some of it would be so scary too. Ah, anyway! Enough of the what if thinking. Although that’s one of the very fun things about this book, that it does make you think about a lot of things.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of thrillers, science and technology and things that make you go hmmm. I really enjoyed this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advanced readers copy of this book.

Blake Crouch is a master of the futuristic techno-thriller, and he does not disappoint with his latest, Upgrade.

Logan Ramsay works the for the Gene Protection Agency. The GPA evolved from an event called “The Great Starvation,” which Logan’s mother, Miriam Ramsay, was responsible for when she unveiled a new DNA tool meant to upgrade and improve food development. Instead, the tool only decimated crops worldwide, and millions starved to death. Logan now helps the GPA root out non-compliant genetics researchers and bring them to heel. Until he becomes the unwitting victim of a genetic upgrade program himself. With his new super skills he is soon on the run from the very agency he worked for, and from allies he once trusted.

Upgrade gives a peek at what the world could look like down the road, and where the human race is going – or not going. It is a fast-paced cat and mouse, with the heightened stakes of said cat and mouse (whose roles are interchangeable) being family. The story is written from a tight 1st person POV, which is effective because it lends to Logan’s sense of isolation: in how he feels about his mother and her legacy, and his own physical and mental changes, and how they separate him from allies, coworkers and ultimately from his own wife and daughter.

There are a lot of scientific terms and concepts, which Logan readily explains to the reader. The genetics are fascinating, but it’s easy for the non-sciencey type to flounder around the terminology. My suggestion: just roll with it. The main character knows what he’s doing/talking about and I’m willing to trust his explanations and their implications.

There is an interesting twist towards the end, and my first reaction was…what? It seemed a counterintuitive goal for Logan. But in a world with few choices and fewer positive outcomes, the decision is, perhaps, understandable, if not redeemable.

Upgrade is a fun, philosophical, thrill-ride of a read, but at its heart it’s about what it means to be human.