This story takes place in a world in a not to distant seemingly future. The world is falling g apart in ways that you can currently see. Deserts are expanding; rain (not snow) is falling in the Rockie mountains, in January; Manahattan is under water and only a fit place to live for the massive homeless community.
Geneticists have learned how to re-write DNA code and are using it to try and improve the world, until it back fires badly. I genetically altered insects were developed to end a crop blight. Instead they kicked off a global famine. Gene editing became a crime and scientists in that field, criminals.
Logan is the son of the scientist who started the famine. He works for the GPA, the police force that captures and monitors gene labs and scientists. Until an "accident" during a raid turns him into one of the hunted outlaws. As he changes he becomes aware of a misguided egalitarian plot, but only he has the ability to stop it before the unintended consequences would cause more harm than the good intended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine / Random House for the opportunity to enjoy this action packed, sci-fi e-ARC.

Blake Crouch is back with another thrilling science fiction adventure. Logan Ramsey is a complicated and interesting character who works to find and convict people accused of genetic engineering, while also being the son of the most infamous genetic scientists to ever live. When he begins to notice changes to his physical and mental abilities, Logan finds himself on a dangerous and epic adventure to discover who is behind his transformation and what this could mean for the rest of the world.
Upgrade is a compulsive, action packed thriller that explores the meaning of humanity and how we are often our own worst enemy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

You are saying CRISPR, you are saying genetic engineering, you are saying super humans. And I’m saying YAASSS! Speak to the nerd in me! Tell me that one well intentioned but arrogant mother who likes to play God left a note in her children’s DNA sequence by either exposing them to explosions or “bees”. Tell me how the intelligence comes with baggage of arrogance and some people use it interchangeably. Tell me how scary it is to not know what’s going on in your body when these changes are actually turning into something way better than you are.

Also I could not feel more seen as a fellow engineer: “I scored a 118. Above average. In the top fourteen percent of the world's population. My mother hid it well, but she must have been severely disappointed. Her IQ was rumored to be in the low 180s. I got straight As in high school. Into Berkeley, the college of my choice. I was disciplined. I tried. And then I met O chem. Organic chemistry. I didn't fail or anything. It just didn't come easily. Plenty of students washed out. The top few in my class breezed through, and I should've been one of them considering my ambitions, but my B- was hard fought.” ORGO CHEM COST ME VALEDICTORIAN STATUS WITH SAME B-

I loved this line where God complex was explained perfectly: “"You're making the same mistake she did. Being smart doesn't make people infallible. It just makes them more dangerous.” Problem with today’s world is all those who are remotely smart either stay silent or do idiotic things. Just read this book; it is scary yet mind opening.

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley!*

This is the third novel I've read by Crouch. The others I absorbed via audiobook - this one, I read as an ebook. I don't know if it was reading it vs. listening, but this one, though good, I found uniquely irritating.

It's the story of a man who is genetically "upgraded" against his will, by someone who believes such an upgrade would save humanity from certain eventual extinction. It's an epic tale, and a great idea, but the delivery fell flat for me. So much time is spent describing Logan's new abilities, it was obnoxious. His character comes off as perfectly righteous, not quite believable even considering his upgrade.

Overall a good book, but I preferred Crouch's previous works.

Technology has progressed to a point where gene modifications are incredibly simple, however they are heavily regulated, mostly due to a devastating incident Logan Ramsay's family was involved in creating. To repent Logan is working as essentially a gene editing police. Following an operation that turns out to be a setup, Logan realizes he's starting to get better at a lot of things, focus, strength and memory. Soon he realizes there is a lot more to why this is happening and it might have really big ramifications for the world if he can't interfere.

This one was incredibly fast paced and made for a great action read! It was a lot simpler in logic than his previous two books so if you're intimidated at all by his books this one is a great start! I felt less attached to the characters than i did in dark matter and recursion, which is the only reason why I've rated a little low!

Thank you so much Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

I’m the first to admit that I am not a sci-fi reader. But after seeing so many great reviews this one, I wanted to try it and see if I would still enjoy it. I did not. There’s a lot of science. And it hurt my brain. But also was super repetitive and predictable.

But I know tons of people who loved it. I tried something new and it wasn’t for me, but I’m sure if you like Science Fiction and Blake Crouch, it’ll be a hit.

Anything by Blake Crouch has been frequently revered by friends of mine, yet I haven’t read anything by him until now. Let me just say…Wow! This story packs a punch. It brings up the realms of possibilities when man plays with human DNA in effort to perfect the species to survive the possibility of eventual extinction. Logan works for the GPA, Gene Protective Agency where they monitor those who try to create and implement viruses and such that would affect human genes. In essence, they are trying to control or regulate human science. Logan became an agent in an effort to overcome the guilt from a catastrophic event in which his mother, a renowned geneticist, caused a mass calamity worldwide attributed to millions of deaths. Twenty years later, during a raid, Logan is exposed to a virus which infuses within him that quickly changes his genetic makeup. He’s been given an upgrade where he is smarter, stronger, almost indestructible. This had been a dream that his mother had talked about in theory. Now Logan is seen as a potential threat to the government and needs to be stopped but there is a bigger threat out there – someone else has also been given the upgrade and desires to implement this worldwide. But Logan realizes there is more to being a super human than high intelligence and he is the only one who can save humanity before it’s too late.
Fast paced, this story grabbed me from the beginning as it wove its way through all the intricacies of science. This sci-fi thriller about the human genome experience had me reading this story in one sitting, staying up quite late. Can your DNA be altered? This book makes you think of all the possibilities and ramifications and that as humans we are not always in control, no matter what which makes some of this scary. I loved it. The characters are well developed and the plot is well detailed. I’m thinking that I will have to check out Crouch’s other books as well now. This is a book that will make you think long after the last page and is certain to garner a lot of excitement for discussion.

Many thanks to #netgalley #blakecrouch #upgrade #randomhouse for the possibility to read and review this book.

WOW!!!! He's done it again, and I think this might be my favorite Crouch novel yet.

Logan Ramsey is changing at his most basic level, his DNA. His reactions are faster, his thoughts are deeper, and his IQ is rising. But if the laws of physics teach us anything, it's that nothing happens in a vacuum and actions will have reactions. As he races to find out what's happening to him, he risks losing his job, his family, and his life. But as answers begin to form, it's not only personal risk on the horizon. Humanity itself might be in danger, with the upgrade sequencing itself in his DNA, he might be the only person that can stop it.

Brimming with excitement and in-depth exploration of human genome manipulation, this sci fi thriller had me up late and whizzing through pages. Perfection in brain bending storytelling, fans of Crouch's other novels won't be disappointed in his latest suspenseful feat.

★★★★

I screamed when I received the notification for this e-ARC! I have been such a big fan of Crouch since his ‘WAYWARD PINES’ series. If you loved Ethan Burke, meet Logan Ramsay! (Thank you, Crouch - they totally reminded me of each other) Although, this doesn’t top ‘DARK MATTER’ for me, it still holds a steady 4 stars because Crouch doesn’t disappoint. I love that the sci-fi jargon is just enough to keep my interest peeked and just enough so I don’t feel stupid. I knew nothing about DNA but somehow became an expert reading this. Who would’ve thought that editing genes can be so detrimental to our entire existence?

Highly recommend if you are looking for a character driven story. Crouch can definitely write up an amazing male character with his eyes closed and hands tied behind his back. I can’t wait for his recent 3 releases (including this one) being adapted to the big screen!

While not quite as unputdownable as Blake Crouch's last couple books for me, Upgrade was still an enjoyable read! What I love about his books, is that the fictional scientific premise sounds like something that could be real, so it's always so cool to see how it plays out.

In this case, the MC Logan lives in the not too distant future where advancements in gene editing and the consequences from that shape his world. It was almost scary how realistic his world looked. With a few more decades of climate change, for example, our world may look a bit like his. But they are dealing with a technology that allows DNA to be rewritten meaning that new species can be created along with new scary viruses that can either help or be devastating to humanity. The story explores the idea of what extent we should go to save the human race. Logan fights against what he feels is the wrong way and at the end, what he discovers was a really interesting approach to solving humanity's downfall.

The story was fast paced and high stakes. The science behind the premise was easy to understand. Biology isn't as interesting to me as time travel and parallel universes, which were the topics of his previous books, so that's the only reason I wasn't as sucked in. So while it's not my favorite of his, it was still super good!

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Blake Crouch is a must-read author for me. Upgrade fits well within his recent wheelhouse. I picked this one up before bed, then proceeded to stay up well into the night reading because I could not put it down.

4.75 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Blake Crouch is the master of strangle happenings. Wayward Pines is one of my favorites, and I was so excited to get to read Upgrade. Spoiler alert… I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s the mid-21st century. Logan Ramsay is an agent for the GPA. The GPA protects our world from those who wish to genetically alter the human race and other things. Genetic alteration is no longer legal after the great starvation.

Logan and his partner Nadine are called out to investigate the possibility of a genetic drop in Denver, Colorado. They arrive at the drop house but cannot find anyone there. Nor any evidence of a lab. In the basement is a strange cube and a camera recording. The cube unfolds and inside is an ice bomb. Nadine gets out in time but Logan is hit.

When Logan awakens in a hospital, he is in isolation. Apparently he’s had some sort of virus. He recovers, but over the next month or so, he starts to notice changes. He’s more alert and aware. Something is happening to him. What was that ice bomb and what did it do to his DNA?

This is sci-fi at its best. Hyperloop travel, DNA alteration, global warming wiping out cities. It’s a brilliant look at a possible future for earth and the human race. A scary one at that. But Crouch truly understands how to write a novel with a topic way beyond my comprehension, yet something that I can truly enjoy. This one is amazing.

I think I’ll go rewatch Wayward Pines now.

Yes yes yes. This was such a fun ride. I've read both Dark Matter and Recursion and this one is definitely now in the top spot.

Logan's genetic DNA is hacked and now has the fate of humanity on his shoulders because of who his mother was, a famous geneticist.

Crouch has a way of crafting a lifelike world where you can imagine these crazy scientific situations happening - in a terrifying and fun way. Yes, there is a lot of science but you don't have to be a genome expert to enjoy this one. Honestly this reads almost like a thriller to me with the pace with which I was turning the pages.

This needs to be a movie ASAP!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great one from Blake Crouch! I don't often call a book compulsively readable, but Upgrade fits that definition in every way. This is a smart, sci-fi thriller that is plausible and does not get dragged down by too much science. Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC.

Upgrade is my new favorite Blake Crouch book! It is edge of your seat, nail biting, sci-fi greatness. There were so many times during this book where I would run up to my fiancé and go "OMG guess what happened?!?" To be fair, I think he is a little tired of me now interrupting him with Upgrade antidotes, but I just literally had to talk to someone else about it immediately.

Logan Ramsay gets a little genome upgrade. It reminded me a bit of the movie Limitless where Logan now has superior capabilities and more ability to understand what is going on around him. I do not want to give anything away about this book, but I found the genome upgrade fascinating. Crouch gave just enough scientific information to understand what was going on without it bogging down the book. Very fast paced and thrilling novel!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Groups, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not a huge sci-fi reader. When I do pick one up, I like the writing of the science to be accessible, and science that feels like it's reasonably possible in the not-to-distant future. I really enjoyed Dark Matter and Recursion, and Blake Crouch has done it again with Upgrade. I loved how this was told first person and going on this ride with Logan. Lots of twists and turns, a total page turner. And raises some interesting philosophical and existential questions to ponder!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

This is my third Blake Crouch novel. While I think recursion is still my favorite this book is still a masterpiece. I truly feel Blake writes to the highest level of his readers. I have three advanced science degrees and I feel like no other author engages my brain the way he does. I love that he always seems to write himself into a corner that I think couldn’t possibly be fixed but always manages to eloquently deliver the plot resolution. This book had a lot more social commentary than his usual but I felt it was very timely and well done. Will absolutely be recommending upgrade to my complex science-fiction loving friends.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this book!

I am not a huge Sci-Fi reader. That being said, I will read anything Blake Crouch writes. Crouch continues to engage me with their works, and Upgrade does it again.

Blake Crouch’s newest novel explores what a super-genius might do to save the human race from extinction. It all starts out reading like a fast-paced movie, but soon one major flaw after another crops up in the super-genius fan. Despite all the ups and downs of the plot, I found the full story to be a satisfying and quick read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of Upgade

When I read the premise behind this book I was excited being the science nerd I am...stick tampering with DNA in and I'm here for it! (the description reminded me of GATTACA)

This book was really enjoyable but also very scary! After an explosion, MC Logan Ramsay feels off and not really like himself. He can think clearer and sharper, reading and talking faster too. Functioning on less sleep and much improved memory - why is this happening - his body went through an "UPGRADE!" But his was no accident, he was a target individual for genome hacking based on his family. This upgrade does not stop with Logan but expected to be done too many around the world. This upgrade will change everything and is believed to save the species after all the damage humans have already cause. However, when people start exhibiting strange side effects and the death toll rises, Logan begins to question if this is really a good idea. Logan is the only one who can stop this event from occurring. He faces numerous challenges and makes difficult decisions along the way. However, he realizes that he must use his new abilities to save the human race.

Another great read by Blake Crouch