A Blake Crouch book seems to always have a solitary hero battling malevolent shifts of time, matter and personal relationships with engaging, often startling plot twists. And along the way, many a plateful of scientific theories and concepts are served up in an accessible action-packed fictional stew. His newest book, Upgrade, follows this format, except the stakes this time lie in our own DNA and the race is for the preservation of our species in a dying planet.

Logan Ramsay is a happily married father and rehabilitated member of the GPA (Gene Protection Agency), which was formed after his late mother, a genius genetic engineer, let loose genome-modified locusts to help protect rice crop loss, which had the unexpected consequences of causing the food ecosystem to explode, resulting in The Great Starvation in which 200 million people died. As a result of this, all genetic research was severely curtailed, with the GPA seeking out and punishing scientists who used this technology for any means, including live-saving medical ones.

Logan and his partner Nadine are frontline enforcers, which means they investigate and follow up leads on clandestine genetic experiments and materials and also on scientists, some of them formerly legitimate and celebrated, some of them from a black market horror show. On a shakedown from a shady DNA dealer, they get a tip about some suspicious activity in an abandoned Victorian house, but when Logan breaks in he also becomes a target for a force that wants to break his own genetic code.

And it does, massively, with the result that his IQ and reflexes exponentially skyrockets, as his status with the GPA becomes increasingly dangerous and uncertain. And thus the chase begins, with relationships, alliances, and family bonds, constantly shifting as an on the run Logan tries to read his DNA like a cryptogram to puzzle out the changes that pulls the nightmares of the past into the present. “What if 2% of my genome had been changed? Would that render me an entirely new species?” Logan wonders. And here the experience of reading the book is so vivid that it unfurls like an adrenaline-laced movie. Like Logan, the pacing is hyperfast, the perils manifold, and though sometimes the plot movement is tech-heavy, the eventually payoff is large and surprising.

Throughout the narrative, Crouch artfully integrates a believable portrait of the devastating details, large and small, of the continued toll of ongoing climate destruction, such as “New Venice,” the ghostly abandoned flooded waterways of what used to be Lower Manhattan, or the last rusted remnant of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, or the abandoned ski lifts and snowmobiles in Colorado, or the 300% upcharge for real meat at a restaurant, He does the same for the ongoing erosion of personal privacy, including the perfectly legal GPA’s algorithm for “Predictive Criminal Modeling” of its citizens which includes monitoring and accessing everything from phone records to internet searches to CCTV surveillance tracking .

It is odd that during these difficult times as we grapple with the consequences of our own short sightedness regarding governmental policy, human nature, genetic engineering and the climate crises, reading a book on the possible consequences of this can captivate and even encourage us. It is a acknowledgment to Crouch’s skills that it does.

Blake Crouch is a new author for me, and all I can say is WOW. This book absolutely blew me away.

I was on the edge of my seat and could not wait to see how this very unique portrayal of humanity was going to end. If this is how the future will pan out, I am absolutely terrified (I will be dead though, so there's that).

I do not read much science fiction, but I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to read this one. I admit to skimming over most of the scientific terms, but I was still able to grasp the premise of the upgrade. If you like action packed science fiction thrillers then you will enjoy this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for my eArc. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The story, like the usual Blake Crouch novel, picks up quickly and keeps the intense action going. It is so fast paced and intriguing, I wouldn’t be surprised if people started saying that they read it in one sitting. I also happen to already like Crouch’s writing and I am therefore used to it, but I will say his novels can be a sort of slap in the face if sci-fi isn’t the genre you typically go to. That being said, it’s easy to get used to and isn’t the most difficult I’ve read. One critique I do have is that the writing and dialogue can feel a bit clunky at times. There were moments when it would sort of take me out of the story and make my reading experience not as enjoyable. I feel like it could also be predictable at times, which is in a huge negative but it is something to keep in mind. All in all, this is a fun and intriguing read and I found myself looking forward to the part of my day that allowed me to continue.

This future-based, fast-paced thriller starts off with a bang when Logan Ramsay is targeted by a weapon that extensively reprograms his DNA to turn him into a "superhuman", both physically and mentally. But as he learns the purpose behind his "upgrade", Logan must not only face his past, but also decide: if saving humanity means changing what fundamentally makes people human, are you saving them? Logan Ramsay is a likeable and honest hero, the plot is "out-there" yet believable, and the science is explained well and much of it has a basis in fact. At the end, the book makes you take pause and think about the consequences of society's current attitudes and culture on the long-term sustainability of the planet and humans as a species. It's not often that a mainstream thriller has so many layers, from action to science to philosophy, and Blake Crouch has done an excellent job of building them into an enjoyable and thought provoking story.

I think this is my favorite book by Crouch! I flew through it in one sitting and very quickly, I literally couldn't put it down! I may be biased as I work in biotech but I loved all the science and DNA talk. Crouch is definitely a must read author for me.

Upgrade, by Blake Crouch, was a fun, fast-past thriller. In a world where it's become easy to alter your DNA, doing so is illegal, and for good reason. Logan's own mother was the architect of a scheme to alter DNA to help increase food production, but it had world-wide disastrous results. Now, to alleviate his guilt, he has become part of a special law-enforcement unit to catch people changing DNA. This could be done for profit (there's a market for genetically enhanced animals), or for terrorism. Either way, it's almost impossible to put that genie back in the box.

How do you get past the baggage of your family? And what are you willing to give up in order to save the world? I really enjoyed this book, and could easily see this as a highly entertaining movie. If you enjoy thrillers and speculative fiction, you are in for a treat.

What I Liked:

Set-Up:

Logan lives in a world where scientists (specifically, his own mother) have tried, and failed, to use DNA splicing to fiddle with Nature. Changing DNA has become easy, and many people would love to use the technology to do anything from create enormous alligators, to obtain super human abilities. I loved all the science, gadgets, and back-channel government organizations. This is a world where one should be paranoid!

Characters:

Logan has tremendous guilt over his part in starting a global disaster. He blindly followed his charismatic mother, a scientific genius, as she tried to play god. Now, after doing prison time for the incident, he is doing what he can to mitigate the damage he has done. But it will never be enough.

Logan is the ultimate people-pleaser. First, he worships his brilliant mother, seeing (too late) that she is an egomaniac. He also can't match his sister, who is a badass military officer. He is constantly trying to be someone he isn't. He even does this to his wife and child. The guilt is killing him. I loved that Logan didn't have all the answers. He is the sidekick who tries, and fails to become the hero. But, in doing so, he has the one thing his mother and sister don't, a moral compass.

Story:

There's a lot of twists and turns in this story, which I loved. You often don't know who the good guys are? And I don't think the "good guys" really understand if they are doing anything wrong. It's that old adage of the ends justify the means. Which never really absolve one of accountability. If you have to use that excuse, you've already lost the argument.

This was a quick and absorbing read, and would make a perfect summer vacation escape.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine for Upgrade by Blake Crouch in exchange for an honest review.

I love sci-fi, but I don't read it as often as other genres. My preference is soft sci-fi instead of hard. I thought Upgrade did a great job walking the line between too much science and not enough. (My eyes glaze over when it's too much.) And everything stated sounded logical in the context of the story.

Logan is an interesting mix of emotions. He both loves and hates his mother for what she was like as a scientist. To always know that you're not quite smart enough under so much pressure from a hyper-intelligent parent must be so stifling. He deeply loves his wife and daughter.

Then when he's upgraded, his perspective changes in unexpected ways. Yes, he's more intelligent. Yes, he's stronger. But there is more. I was riveted to see how Logan would solve his personal problems as well as the challenges for humanity.

I love sci-fi because it explores ideas. Upgrade delves into what makes us human and how we are the largest force destroying our planet and it's livability.

I recommend this book.

Black Crouch does a really amazing job of telling science fiction stories that are very easy to digest for someone who maybe doesn’t know a whole lot about the genre. I found he continued this storytelling in Upgrade; he really delved into the world of genetics and the science behind it all. I will say, that is somewhat a detriment to this book because he talks about the science a little bit too much. It was all very easy to understand, but it got to the point where it was paragraph on top of paragraph describing things, and I just wanted the plot to keep moving (even though the plot already moves at a very fast pace). The beginning of this book had me hooked so much that I wanted to finish the story, but the middle and ending just weren’t what I expected from Crouch. I will continue to pick up his books because I love the thrill of them, but I just would have liked a little less science and little more of the characters/the plot.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a very highly recommended thriller and science fiction novel about genetic modification and so much more. This is very likely the best science fiction novel of 2022.

Logan Ramsay works for the GPA, Gene Protection Agency, perhaps to atone for his mother's actions. Two hundred million people died when Miriam Ramsay used a biological DNA modifier system in an attempt to eliminate a leaf blight on a rice plant. The virus she created in locusts was responsible for the “Great Starvation” and devastated the world’s rice supply as well as other crops. Logan spent time in prison for his role in this since he was working for her as an intern. Now his job is to stop scientists who are creating genetic modifications that are risky and could wreak havoc on the ecosystem.

In a raid on an illegal lab Logan is infected by a virus that carries a payload encoding the most powerful genome-modifying system ever created. It has been designed specifically for Logan and infects the cells in his body editing and rewriting portions of his DNA. The result is a change in Logan. He is enhanced mentally and physically. He can read, recall facts and details, concentrate, and engage in multitasking easier. When his enhancement is noticed, government agents lock him up.

When someone breaks him out of the facility, it is revealed that his mother didn't die, as he always though. She was still working and choreographed this enhanced intelligence to preserve the human race. Now Logan needs to stop the plan that has been set into motion to significantly upgrade the human species.

Logan Ramsey is a fully realized character and narrates the action. Readers will sympathize with him and understand the complexity underlying the moral questions he is confronting, as well as the sacrifices he is facing.

Upgrade is an exceptional, engaging and entertaining science fiction novel. Once you start reading you will be unable to set this compelling novel down. The intricate plot features heart-stopping suspense while moving at a rapid pace. The concept behind the plot is believable, which makes it alarming, and as the plot develops it becomes even more irresistible, credible, horrifying, and, ultimately, unforgettable. I was totally entrenched in the plot from beginning to end.

Excellent novel and certainly one of the best science fiction/thrillers to come out this year. Crouch has put the science into his science fiction. Don't miss Upgrade, especially if you are a fan of science fiction and Blake Crouch.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

Set in the future, Logan Ramsey lives in the shadow of the global havoc he and his genius mother created through generic modification. Now he works for the GPA, a government organization that protects the world from illegal gene modification. After a raid-gone-bad, he notices changes to his body and mind. As he learns more about what is happening to him and the part he now plays in the race to save humanity, he has to decide how far he is willing to go.

I enjoyed reading this book. I think Blake Crouch did a good job of explaining genetics enough to keep it from being overwhelmingly confusing to someone who knows nothing about genetics while also keeping a good flow of pacing. I understood enough to get the gist of what was going on, and never felt lost while reading.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine and NetGalley for the advanced copy. This book publishes on July 12, 2022.

Logan Ramsay, an agent of a federal investigative agency, is hunting down geneticist criminals when he gets struck by a modification that will physically and mentally alter him forever. Ramsay is now on the run trying to find answers to what is happening to him and the planet.

I do not often read Sci-Fi, but I have enjoyed Crouch's previous work, Dark Matter. I loved the thrilling aspect of his stories, with a side of science mixed in. However in this new novel, Crouch uses science that doesn't ever really feel explained. I also found the science playing into the plot and just making everything convenient for the main protagonist. This definitely pulled me away from the story.

I loved the premise of this book and the gut-wrenching losses Ramsay experiences certainly brought tears to my eyes. I also loved the discussions on global warming and the future safety of our planet. However, it took me a long time to read, and I found myself just skipping over the long list of genetic terms used throughout the book.

While this was not my favorite Crouch, I think if you enjoy Sci-Fi books, you will want to pick this one up!

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for access to the EARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75 stars)

Upgrade is Blake Crouch’s latest thriller and it focuses on using genetics for good or evil. Main character Logan Ramsay experiences both in the course of the story. As the son of a famous geneticist, he was a tangential part of an apocalyptic genetic failure. As a result, the world changes considerably. Still, Crouch’s fiction time period is identifiably close to our own.

Nevertheless, climate change and this genetic disaster cause governmental and social changes, as well as changes in food availability. As a member of the Genetic Protection Agency (GPA), Ramsay’s job is keeping anyone from making more changes to the DNA of living organisms. Functioning much like our current day DEA or ATF, the GPA searches for criminally inclined scientists and takes them and their work into custody.

One night, a rogue geneticist gives Ramsay’s team a tip about a lab’s location. When they raid the lab, Ramsay is gravely injured. Surprisingly, he recovers, which alerts the GPA’s suspicions. But no one worries as much as Ramsay, because he realizes the attack changed his very nature—his DNA. He must figure out why and evade capture by his own employers.

My conclusions
Upgrade is heavy on science and the perfect read for a genetics nerd like me. 2022 is my year of genetic topics, primarily because of my interest in genealogy. Modifying DNA, more or less on the fly, is a scary and topical thriller plot line. Still, prepare yourself for extended sequences that read like an Intro to Genetics course.

On the other hand, Crouch creates a likable and flawed hero with Logan Ramsay. He’s suitably shocked at his circumstances rather than excited about the genetic changes. As a result, Crouch introduces the necessary ethical and philosophical questions. Ramsay’s worries certainly make the plot more realistic. But make no mistake, the imagination behind how Ramsay copes is considerable.

Dark Matter introduced me to Crouch’s writing, back in 2016. I picked it up on Friday evening and accomplished nothing but reading all weekend. So, every subsequent book from this author must measure up to that experience. This time, especially in the last 50 pages of Upgrade, every time I had a spare minute, I grabbed a few more paragraphs.

So, if you like compulsively readable thrillers with plenty of science details, then make Upgrade your next book.

Acknowledgments
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group—Ballantine Books, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review. Upgrade debuts on July 12, 2022.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine books for the early copy of this one.

As a big Blake Crouch fan, I was looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed! This may be my favorite of his after Wayward Pines trilogy. I just flew through it!

Really loved the story with the altered DNA. There was a lot of action and I didn't feel any slow spots in this one. I liked the characters. I especially loved the message at the end.

The nitty-gritty: Even though the story didn't feel as polished as his others books, Upgrade has some nail-biting action scenes and plenty of emotional moments.

Blake Crouch’s Recursion and Dark Matter were both five star reads for me, and so I was expecting and hoping to love Upgrade just as much. Maybe it’s because it just wasn’t as polished, tightly plotted or well written as the other two books, or maybe I’m more picky these days, but Upgrade—while highly entertaining—didn’t quite live up to its predecessors. Still, I did have a blast reading it, so for pure entertainment value it has my stamp of approval.

Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency, a group that goes after people who are suspected of doing illegal gene editing. It all started with Logan’s mother Miriam who discovered and patented a DNA modifier called Scythe. Miriam was determined to find a way to modify crops and improve their output, hoping to solve the world’s food shortages, and so she concentrated on Shenzhen, China, developing a way to genetically change rice to be blight resistant. But something went horribly wrong, and instead of increasing the food supply, she ended up decimating it, plunging the world into a food crisis called the Great Starvation. Because Logan was helping her, he ended up taking the fall and went to prison for his mother’s crime. Now gene editing is illegal, but that doesn’t stop people from performing it under the radar, hence the need for the GPA.

One day on a raid, Logan and his team are surprised when a mysterious black box in the building they’re investigating suddenly explodes. Logan makes it out alive, but not before he’s injured by the shrapnel that come flying out of the box. Recovering in a hospital, Logan is given some grim news: he’s been infected by illegal DNA and now he’s under observation. Soon after, Logan begins to notice weird changes taking place in his body. He can remember everything from his past in great detail; his bone density has increased at an alarming rate; and even stranger, his DNA appears to be changing into something not quite human. When his estranged sister Kara makes an unexpected appearance and proposes an ambitious and dangerous plan, Logan finds himself running for his life. 

If I could describe Upgrade in one word, that word would be “uneven.” The first half of the book  is full of technical jargon and set-up and packed with characters—many of whom aren’t really important to the story. I found a lot of the action to be confusing as well. Logan finds himself “trapped” in a hospital not once but twice, as his genetic changes catch the interest of the GPA and other scientists who are afraid to set him lose on the outside world. I’m fascinated by genetics, but my poor brain could barely handle all the info-dumping and scientific details, not to mention many unnecessary passages full of unpronounceable words:

“My hunger—another sensory artifact that I was now blindingly aware was simply the serotonin (5-HT) and catecholamine neurotransmitters in my serotonergic neurons, intestinal myenteric plexus, enterochromaffin cells in the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, and blood platelets—telling me to eat.”

Clearly these paragraphs are meant to show Logan’s increasing intelligence, but still.

I also found the world-building to be thin, although I love the fact that the story is set pretty far into the future, at least that’s the impression I got. Some of his ideas were fascinating, like a futuristic Las Vegas with some creepy abandoned buildings, but there weren’t enough details to satisfy me. Also, odd things like planes travel at 95,000 feet (with no explanation as to why and how) and even some little details that jolted me out of the story, like a cop using the twirling finger gesture to tell someone to “roll down you window,” something that was common before automatic car windows were invented and a gesture that I would think has died out by now. I know these are nitpicky complaints, but they bugged me, what can I say.

But let’s talk about what I liked. Once you hit the 50% mark, the action takes off like a rocket and doesn’t slow down until the end. Crouch knows how to write exciting action scenes and he does a great job in Upgrade. One of the best sequences takes place in a high rise building, and I had flashbacks of one of my all time favorite action movies, Die Hard, it was that good!

I also loved the dynamic between Logan and his sister Kara, who are at odds with each other and want different things from Miriam’s upgrade technology. Logan and Kara spend most of the story trying to kill each other—Kara is after Logan and he’s hiding from her—so you can imagine how tense their scenes are. Both characters have been “upgraded” and are on equal footing when it comes to intelligence and physical ability, and watching them use those abilities against each other was thrilling and stressful. Add in the fact that they are siblings who used to love each other, and the emotions are running pretty high.

There is even more emotion surrounding Logan and his wife and daughter, who think he died in the raid explosion. You can tell Logan is horrified by the fact that he might never see them again and that the government is preventing him from telling them the truth. These scenes were simply heartbreaking!

Crouch also gives readers lots to ponder. Should scientists “mess with Mother Nature” in order to improve human life, or is it just too dangerous? Kara thinks that infecting the population with the upgrade will solve all our problems, but Logan knows differently and is the only one to stand between Kara and her misguided plans. Miriam created her upgrade to combat disease and starvation, both worthy problems to tackle, but Kara wants to take her mother’s discoveries to the next level, which might have disastrous results. 

After a thrilling (and yes, over-the-top and slightly far-fetched) conclusion, the story ends with a heartfelt epilogue that I really loved, the sort of epilogue that gives you hope for the future. I thought it was brilliantly written, and I wish the rest of the story had been at this high level of storytelling. But despite the story’s negatives, Upgrade is still worth reading and definitely worthy of my four star rating.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

This was an absolute thriller. It was about the GPA-Gene Protection Agency where agent Logan Ramsey works. Logan’s mother Miriam was a scientist and she killed lots of people from one of her experiments. Logan had been upgraded and was finding out he had lots of extra strength, abilities to process things from years ago, word for word and emotions had changed. You will meet his sister Kara and she too has been upgraded. Lots of nail biting action in this book!
I don’t want to give anything away. But this was truly the first science fiction book I have ever enjoyed. It certainly makes you think about things and what our future might hold for us.
I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

First of all, this is a new author to me and secondly, I was out of my comfort zone reading this book because Sci-Fi is not my usual genre. Since this book was a thriller, too, it did pique my interest and kept me engaged, but I have to admit that I just thought it was too unbelievable, stretching my imagination way too far. That being said, the book was enjoyable, scary and filled with the possibility of the future of genetic engineering. Logan, the main character is a target of a group that hacks into his brain. He likes some of the new things he can do, like having a photographic memory and a higher tolerance for pain. I would enjoy those benefits, too, but not at the cost he was having to pay. There are some surprising twists in the book, a backstory involving his scientist mother and a multitude of details that lost me at times. I did find that paying attention to the small details helped me to follow the story better. Since I am not a fan of the genre, I did not expect to like the book but was pleasantly surprised by the fast pace and complex plot. I think fans of sci-fi will definitely enjoy the book since it has all of the elements of a good science fiction book, especially the creative one that requires the reader to just imagine if this were to happen. Logan is a relatable character, a regular guy who suddenly transforms into someone he doesn’t even recognize himself. I would rate the book higher, but it seemed too lengthy to me. Maybe that would not be true for fans of the genre, but by the end, I just wanted it to be over so I could go back to my regular romance and suspense.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I LOVE Blake Crouch's previous books, Recursion and Dark Matter, so I was eagerly looking forward to reading this one too, and it does NOT disappoint! The timely subject of climate change is addressed in a unique way--what if we can't encourage humanity to care enough to save our planet, could we instead modify human brains to be knowledgeable enough to see a viable solution and carry it through? Would it be the cure or would it curse our world? If we could try this, should we? Is it truly in our best interests? These questions and more will have readers pondering long after reading this book. The science is expertly woven throughout the story of life, love, family, sacrifice and humanity, yet explained in a way to easily convey to most readers the scientific basis for the actions.

Logan works for the gene protection agency to track down illegal gene editing operations. Formally, a genetic researcher, he grapples every day with the horrible legacy of his mother who tried to genetically engineer some insects and ended up killing billions, starting a famine, and killing the gene editing industry. Soon Logan is embroiled in a series of events that put the fate of humanity at risk.

This was decent. As someone who works in a field where genetic engineering is part of our job, I had a hard staying in the story whenever the science was referenced or explained. The story is much more a slow burn compared to previous novels and has less of the thriller energy that I have come expect from Crouch.

There is some interesting discussion about some timely challenges in our society and the nature of humanity and the imagining of the future of genetic modification fun. Overall, it's a fun action novel that seems to be much more plot focused with a deep dive into Logan's mind as his life changes. It was decent and would recommend for folks into a quick action scifi that delves into biotech.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the advanced e-copy of this novel!

Blake Crouch does it again! He and Andy Weir are my go-to sci-fi authors that always promise me a thrill ride along with an education.

In this story, Logan Ramsay is an agent in the Gene Protection Agency and he is working to alleviate the guilt he has for his mother's crimes. Both are brilliant geneticists who were working to improve the world for humanity. But just how much change can you make before humans are no longer humans? Logan struggles with this concept as he is the victim of a gene editing. Suddenly he is able to access all of his brain power and his bones and muscles are stronger. He can no longer relate to humanity the way he used to and he's on the run from his former agency. He must prove his innocence, figure out just who edited him, what their next target is and how to stop them.

Part nerd read, part spy thriller I could not put this book down once I picked it up. I was so interested in the outcome and the science. Giving it 4.5 stars because I wanted just a bit more about Logan's future in the epilogue but this one deserves its place on the shelf beside Dark Matter and Recursion.

Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this novel, I did go on to purchase a copy. All opinions above are my own.

This is an absolutely cracking read. The plot is incredibly fast paced, with plenty of twists to keep it engaging. I read it in a day and kept thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. While there’s plenty of propulsive story, like any good thriller, there’s also a core of understanding the value of family and questioning what it means to be human.