Upgrade
by Blake Crouch

5/5

“The greatest threat to our species lies within itself.”

Logan Ramsey is a man trying to rectify the guilt he feels for participating in his mother’s work that resulted in “The Great Starvation” by working for what is essentially genetic police. In the middle of a mission to apprehend a man suspected of dealing blackmarket genetic editing materials, gets blindsided and ends up with genetic modifiers in his system. The upgrade.

This novel was probably my most highly anticipated read of the year. Blake Crouch is my favorite author, and this book is precisely why.

Pacing is something Crouch does better than anyone. Upgrade has many layers to the plot, but none took the backseat for too long. Just when you start to think you’re missing something, clarity is just around the corner.

Probably my favorite thing Crouch does is RESEARCH. Obviously with science fiction, it’s necessary, but he really goes the extra mile. Crouch is able to distill an incredible amount of background knowledge in a way that is palatable to all readers, without it feeling like info dumping or condescension.

*mild spoilers*

The character development and relation to each other is top tier. Each character is morally grey with redeeming qualities. Prime example: Miriam Ramsey. I really want to hate Miriam for being so arrogant. She caused a massive worldwide food shortage and didn't stop meddling with genetics there. HOWEVER, her motivations are very relatable: she just wanted to better the planet to prolong humankind.

“Hunger, disease, war, warming...ninety-nine percent of humanity reads about our crumbling world in the morning headlines, then ignores it and gets on with their day.”

The battle of morality is a massive theme in this novel. It hurts because neither side is right or wrong, and there wasn’t time or sample size for research before implementation. The fact that siblings would fight to the near death over this shows the gravity of the decision.

“We have a compassion problem. That, more than any other single factor, is what’s driving us toward extinction.”

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the review copy!

Completely love every book Blake Crouch has done and this hit every mark. I loved the science tech talk that was thrown in here. I loved the characters and the idea of healing as I am sure most of us could relate to wanting to heal ourselves if we ever needed.

UPGRADE by Blake Crouch is a futuristic novel packed with information about genetics and humans in the future. Since I rarely read science fiction, I was surprised how quickly I was drawn into this story. I was hooked in Part One by the personalities and building suspense. I almost quit reading the book because Part Two became a long lecture on the state of the environment and the lack of willingness to reverse the problems. I'm thankful I kept reading because Part Three reeled me back into the plot. I do like the ending and that I learned a lot about our possible future due to governmental overstepping, scientific and medical advances, and the nature of human life.

This is the first Blake Crouch novel I have read, but it will not be the last.

"Upgrade" is another brilliant science fiction novel from from Blake Crouch! I'm not typically a fan of science fiction, but Crouch's books are the definite exception. This will be one of the best books I read all year. Both creative and incredibly smart, "Upgrade" is compulsively readable from start to finish. I finished it in just a few hours because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. I was utterly captivated by Logan Ramsay's character and found myself breathless with suspense as he faced the many challenges he encountered while trying to save human kind. This book is definitely a nail biter to the end!

Along with a completely engrossing plot, Crouch's tightly woven story contains a warning to the human race as well as the very real solution to many of our real-life problems-compassion for one another.

I was absolutely dazzled by this this richly detailed novel and I know the characters and plot will stick with me for some time. Like all of Crouch's books, this one left me with a real book hangover! Five of five bright shiny stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this tremendous been in exchange for my honest review.

In the near future, a miscalculation with gene slicing intended to solve hunger lead to unimaginable disaster. As a result, governments globally forbade the manipulation of DNA. The Gene Protection Agency (GPA) is in charge of monitoring scientists and tracking black market activity to ensure the world is safe from another tragedy—at least one that originates at the cellular level.

Agent Logan Ramsey, following up on a lead, trips an explosive device with shards of ice that pierce his hazmat suit. At first, he experiences what seems like a flu, but he recovers, and his DNA scans show no changes. He can tell, though, that things are different. He feels more alert, requires less sleep, and experiences improved memory recall.

Only one person he knows—a person he thought was dead—has the skills and intelligence to manipulate his genome so completely. And she didn’t target him by accident. She has a mission for Logan.

As Logan upgrades, he must decide what it means to be human, and if the cost of the mission is worth the potential gains to humanity. However, he’s not the only one given marching orders. If Logan doesn’t fall in line, he could pay with his life.

On the run from both the GPA and the underground group who knows about his upgrade, Logan has to use all his new abilities to stay alive and out of the reach of his enemies while protecting unwitting human beings from a dangerous fate.

I’ve read all of Crouch’s previous books, and this is my favorite. The plot is exciting and fast-paced, placing Ramsey, in his words, at war. The book has near-miss, breathtaking moments and gripping fight scenes.

Ramsey, a sympathetic protagonist, always had outsized ambitions without the natural intellect to realize them. Upgraded, he can finally achieve his goals, but he has to weigh both his personal losses and those to society.

Once you close the book, you can’t help but wonder if Ramsey was ethical and made the correct decisions, which gives the book a lasting impact.

I don't know if this was meant to read as a horror - nothing in it is inherently horror-ish - but it absolutely read as a horror for me.

With the vibes of Dark Matter and a realistic dystopian "how advancements in science and technology could go wrong" plot, Blake Crouch has once again made my brain hurt and questioned what makes us, us. I really appreciate the way that he as clearly as possible explains the science without treating his readers like they're dumb.

I need someone else to read this so I can talk with someone about the scientific and philosophical themes in this novel.

4.25/5 Stars

Upgrade is focused on Logan Ramsay, an agent for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency). Logan's disparate family has been involved with gene manipulation for a long time, so it is not a surprise when he has a run-in involving his mother. After this event, Logan starts to notice changes in reaction, intelligence, among many other characteristics. Everything just explodes from there in this fast-paced, SiFi story that will keep you guessing.

I loved the way Blake Crouch made the story interesting and engaging, yet left you pondering some of the biggest questions and debates that surround DNA/gene research, discovery, and technology.

This was my first Blake Crouch novel, and I will definitely be reading more of his work based on my experience with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You can always rely on Crouch for mind-blowing, emotionally impactful science fiction. With Dark Matter and now Upgrade, why am I still hesitant on Recursion?

Thank you for this opportunity! My Readerly gist is the one by invisiblemonster.

I've never read a Blake Crouch novel that was not intense, tightly packed and mind bending. Wayward Pines, Dark Matter, Recursion... this man has a gift for delivering compelling sci-fi to people who don't read sci-fi (*points at self*). This one was supremely geeky and broke my brain (again, but not as bad as Recursion). Delightful.

Blake Crouch’s latest sci-fi thriller set in the near future reads like a bellwether of terrifying atrocities and fantastic capabilities human beings might actually achieve someday soon. Upgrade is the third book I’ve read by the author, and he always manages to entertain, surprise, and illuminate me. Action-packed with a lead character to rally behind, I didn’t want to put this book down.

With the world being the dumpster fire it currently is and has been for the past few years, the imaginative things that occur in this book don’t really seem that far-fetched. I mean, at this point it seems like anything is possible, right? But while other books of this nature have just depressed me, this one was a welcome distraction. And I couldn’t ignore the similarities between Upgrade‘s futuristic world and the one we currently inhabit.

Logan Ramsay doesn’t love his job at the GPA, the Gene Protection Agency, but he takes the life and death choices he must make very seriously, knowing personally the consequences of where one wrong decision can lead. Throughout the book he battles within himself over the hard choices he’s forced to make, often having to choose between himself, his family, and humanity. He’s a flawed hero who’s easy to root for.

Crouch does a wonderful job of building tension, keeping the reader guessing about what will happen, and keeping the reader turning pages. I thought the book was just the right length, with plenty of time to get to know the characters, but no lulls that I felt I needed to skim. And while Upgrade is a sci-fi thriller, it also contains some very moving passages about humans and our struggle to persevere.

While I was reading, I could see scenes playing out like a movie in my head, so I was happy to discover it will be adapted by Steven Spielberg! I have a feeling Upgrade will be the thriller to read this summer. And it deserves all the hype!

I just love Blake Crouch books! For some reason I have been having a hard time connecting to this story. The writing is wonderful as always but I think my mindset wasn't quite prepared for a futuristic story right now. I read quite a bit but to be fair to B.C. I think I should come back to this book at a later date and start fresh so I can be more open-minded about the story.

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this digital copy from the masterful and talented Blake Crouch!!

4 stars for the wonderful writing!!

Upgrade

[Blurb goes here]

This is a page turner, fast paced and interesting. Although, in my humble opinion, has one great flaw. If two upgraded persons can't agree on something, is humanity really in need for an upgrade? This insignificant little detail was obvious to me, but it isn't addressed until the last few pages. Still a good adventure and a good read.

Thank you for the free copy!

Upgrade by Blake Crouch @blakecrouch1 is released into the world today!

A big thank you to @penguinrandomhouse for sending me the @netgalley widget!

Read if you are a fan of:
🧬sci-fi
🧬virology
🧬genomes
🧬the battle of good v. evil
then I think this is the book for you.

While at sometimes the scientific jargon was a little much but I took advantage of the dictionary feature on my kindle and had no trouble jumping right back into the story.

I don’t want to give anything away but this was another fantastic Blake Crouch read and I think lots of readers will enjoy it!

This book was bananas🍌!! Ok, dad jokes aside, I really enjoyed Upgrade! And like all Crouch books, this fast-paced sci-fi thriller grabbed me from the get-go.

Logan lives in the near-future and works for the government, hunting down scientists engaged in illegal gene editing. He has been infected with an unknown virus that is upgrading his mind and body, giving him superhuman levels of intelligence. But at what cost? And who’s behind the virus? Dark secrets about Logan’s past begin to unravel during this twisty story. Logan realizes that it is up to him to save humanity and stop this virus from being unleashed onto the world.

Upgrade explores what it truly means to be human. Is it our intellect? Or our ability to empathize? Crouch keeps up the pacing while examining deep questions around climate change, bioethics, humanity, and our extinction.

I was deeply invested in Logan’s story, and the scenes about his family at the end had me in tears 💙😭. The epilogue left me questioning whether he did the right thing.

Overall, I loved this wild ride 🖤🧬! Thank you to Random House, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Upgrade - Blake Crouch
4.5/5⭐️
Pub Day: 7/12/2022

In a near future Logan Ramsay is an agent with the Gene Protection Agency. The GSA's goal is to stop rogue scientists from modifying genes after the science is outlawed following a worldwide famine where gene modification had unforseen negative impacts.

When a bust goes sideways Logan ends up the target of a genetic upgrade which leaves him, in the words of Kanye, harder, better, faster, stronger. But this is not a random act and Logan finds soon himself fighting a quest for genetically modified evolution.

Upgrade is a quick moving sci-fi thriller. It wasn't love for me, but the plot moves fast enough that I kept turning pages, eager to see how things ended up. I definitely appreciated the central idea which seems something akin to humanity currently facing its own extinction, the evolutionary traits that no longer serve us well, preventing us from seeing and acting clearly, and that we also have within us to do better.

A fascinating story of what could happen within the scientific world. Gene manipulation, disease development, scary thoughts to think this really can be happening. Very interesting complex characters and a story that could happen. A real page turner and a must read!

Upgrade is about human genetic engineering. In this case, a geneticist has figured out how to enhance human genes to achieve the best of everything. Strength, speed, perception, cognition, disease-resistance. You name it. Well, not everything and that is the problem.

Logan Ramsay is the first ‘beneficiary’ of this upgrade. It makes him a target and a science experiment. He loses his family. He goes on the run. Eventually Logan learns more details about the upgrade and the creator’s intent.

Trying to avoid spoilers, I will just say that when I read this part of the story, my first thought was this – what about the unforeseen consequences of the upgrade. After all, before the story started, Ramsay’s mom had been responsible for a world-wide starvation apocalypse – all because she was trying to fix a problem.

Ramsay will be the first to come to the same conclusion I did. This leads him to the tense, action-packed path to save the world in his own way. Logan is one of my favorite characters in books I have read this year. As part of his upgrade, he is forced to reign in emotions. And even though I did not realize it at first, even this defense was from his heart. And it led him to create a solution with a lovely twist that gave me an ending to smile about.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

"𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘜𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥."⁣
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#Upgrade is the newest novel by Blake Crouch. Similar to Dark Matter and Recursion, Upgrade is a believable yet thrilling science fiction story. Taking place in a not so distant future where gene editing has become easy to accomplish but is illegal due to the dire consequences that can occur when doing so. Crouch does an excellent job mixing real science with fiction, causing the reader to really question our own knowledge and morals in a future world that may someday become our own reality. I definitely recommend Upgrade if you have enjoyed Crouch's other books. You definitely won't be disappointed.⁣
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𝟓 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⁣
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𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Penguin Random House 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.⁣⁣
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@randomhouse @blakecrouch1 @netgalley @bookofthemonth⁣
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📚 Available in stores on 7/12/22 📚⁣⁣
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Man, this book sucked me in from the very first chapter and I was enthralled the whole way through. I finished it days ago now; and I’m still processing what I read!

Ultimately, this book centers around the demise of the human race and the debate over how to save it. The sci-fi element deals with gene modification and the morality surrounding that issue— along with how it can be used for good and bad. And who gets to decide that.

All of this was completely fascinating! Crouch is a master at blending the scientific elements with the humanity of the story.

He also paints such an eery picture of a futuristic world, wrecked by climate change. Lower Manhattan— under water. Las Vegas abandoned after Lake Mead dried up. All of these things are plausible, and reading about it was impactful.

As the main characters struggles with the problems in this book he keeps coming back to this: we can’t do nothing. And man, that hit home. Look at the problems we face today: gun violence, climate change, a lack of equal rights— we can not continue to do nothing.

My one and only very small complaint is that there were parts that went by a little too fast for me. I think they could have been fleshed out a little more. Overall though, this book is OUTSTANDING.

Blake Crouch is excellent at what he does, and is becoming an auto-read author for me.

This exciting technothriller exploring genetic engineering and the future of humanity is the first story I’ve read by Blake Crouch, so I can’t compare it to any of his previous work, but I found this story fun and exciting. I was immediately drawn into the story, wondering what was going to happen next. The plot offers plenty of well-paced action and excitement, and I found the science easy to understand and believable enough. I liked that the author mentioned genetic SNPs that I am familiar with.

I appreciated how the author explored not only how the genetic upgrades affected Logan, but also how he was affected by past events and his relationships with family and even random people he encounters. A couple of scenes at the end were surprisingly touching, and I loved how the story concluded.

Be aware that this book contains many scenes of violence and frequent swearing.

Thanks to Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley, which I volunteered to review.