I really enjoyed Upgrade by Blake Crouch. Logan Ramsey has been “upgraded.” His genes are now that of a super homo-sapient making his intellect, recall, memory much more superior than it was. His sister, Kara has also been upgraded. But is this good or bad? That’s the conflict on this story.

I was fascinated by this premise. You can’t do nothing. You have to choose. Humanity can’t be saved by killing humanity. All great thoughts that Blake Crouch presents in a very entertaining story.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the e-Arc.

I was fortunate enough to receive a free ARC to read and review this book, but unfortunately, I couldn't get into the medical and scientific jargon. I knew this book had potential so I didn't want to not review it. I waited until the audiobook was available and boy am I glad! This story was intriguing and I didn't want to pause it for real life.

I'm not much of a fan of scifi stories like the future or dystopian type novels, but this story didn't feel very scifi-ish. It actually felt very near near future and like something that could happen.

I would love to have more Logan Ramsey as he takes on the genetic problems in the world. I know this is a singular story and it wraps up nicely, but it'd be nice for him to tackle another problem. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Michael Crighton. This story gave me Andromed Strain feels; very entertaining and thought provoking.

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book by Blake Crouch. It had a great mix between plot and character building. As a main character, Logan was complex and multi-faceted especially in the face of difficult decisions. This is a must read for science fiction and adventure fans.

Blake Crouch did it again, love his books so much and this one did not disappoint even though it took a while for me to get to it.

I swear his books are just the best. I do not read Sci Fi. I leave that to my partner. Every single time I read a Blake Crouch book, I think I must be missing out on this genre.

Superb writing. Fantastic story. Just 100% well done. No spoilers here but I will say a gene war sounds intriguing and scary.

Also as always audio is wonderful. Thank you to Penguin Random House for the audio arc.

5 huge stars for me.

Blake crouch had impressed again! This one jumped right into the action and I loved the whole premise. It was mind bending and twisty, yet I could totally see this happening someday.

A highly entertaining blend of science fiction and suspense. Logan was very engaging protagonist, following him through all the twists and turns he had to deal with was fascinating ride through a near future world were technology could be our savior or our downfall. A thoroughly thought provoking read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of the book provided by NetGalley*

I was engaged with this book from the very beginning! I immediately began thinking of who I knew who would enjoy such an amazing scientific thriller. While the science bit of it was overwhelming, it was not randomly thrown in like I normally find in science heavy novels, but transitioned well.
Logan's journey through his upgrade was captivating.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel in exchange for an open and honest review.

I read this right after Recursion, which was really interesting, and so, perhaps, this book suffers a bit due to comparison. I just couldn't get into it and it took me a long time to finish. That being said, the idea was creative.

I think I like the idea of Blake Crouch more than I like the work of Blake Crouch. I've read of few of his books and I think they're all well and fine. I see the appeal but they never quite do it for me. they never bring it all the way home. The ideas are great but they start to flatter on the page a bit, for me at least. I'll keep reading them, though, because they are fun enough. and I'm pretty easy when it comes to keeping me entertained.

This book was good not as great as his other books, but I still enjoyed it. The beginning started it off a little slow but wants to store got started. It never really slow down and I really enjoyed that.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House/Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a page turner and interesting read that I'm still thinking about. We follow Logan who has a bit of shady past due to his mom who did gene editing and caused a worldwide famine. He is now working on a team that investigates and apprehends others who are doing this same thing. After an explosion at one of their busts and a consider recuperation period, Logan finds that certain things are changing. He is playing chess better than ever, has increasing strength, needs less sleep...basically his body is changing. One day at work, he gets a mysterious text message, "they know you're changing. Get out now." I loved the story and especially that it questions what our beliefs are around gene editing, the environment and what is ethically ok to save people and the world. 4.5 stars.

In a world where gene-editing is illegal, Logan Ramsay works for a government policing agency arresting scientists who still tinker with human genetic code and destroying labs. Logan's mother was a brilliant scientist who was working with changing crop DNA and wound up releasing a genetically modified insect that caused a world-wide famine, which led to her death and Logan's imprisonment so Logan feels that this job is a way to atone for his previous mis-deeds. On a raid of an illegal lab, Logan is caught in an explosion that left him exposed to a pathogen that has changed his genome, making him smarter. He then finds out that he's not the only one who has been upgraded, and he now has to figure out why, who did this, and what are there plans for humanity.

Blake Crouch has become one of my must read authors and this book was no exception. This was a fascinating read, and the suspense was well balanced with what could have been a very scientific jargon-y book. Logan is a good character who recognizes his flaws and recognizes that this upgrade could turn him into a sociopath but fights that off admirably. The ending was a bit sad, but somewhat hopeful and can be seen as a cautionary tale/solution for a lot of society's problems.

Logan Ramsay was involved in an accident where his genetic structure was modified. This proves to be unsafe for him, as others seem to be after him. He is on the run, trying to stay ahead of them. The story was tense and full of unexpected events.

Logan Ramsay has a deep distrust for the science of gene modification. He values that mistrust for the lessons it taught him and for the help it provides every day in his job stopping criminals from illegally modifying genes. His attitude and career have both stemmed from a very specific place - his mother, the greatest gene scientist of modern times.

Now Logan Ramsay’s mother is deceased, but she left a package for her estranged son. And that package blew up in his face, quite literally. Waking up in the hospital, Logan did not immediately notice anything different. Over the next few days, though, he can tell that something has shifted. At first, he simply seems more aware of his environment. Then as the changes evolve more swiftly it becomes clear that Ramsay’s mental acuity is rapidly rising in many various ways. He can multitask with ease even when he is working on difficult problems. People’s intentions become clear as Logan gains the ability to read body language and understand what conclusion someone will come to almost before they know themselves. He can look at a problem and see the answer dozens of steps ahead. Logan has upgraded.

Becoming the very thing he abhors, Logan despairs of finding hope. He knows the protocol in these situations and he realizes running is his only option. As he attempts to clear his own name and get his life back, Logan finds a darker secret, though. His mother has left behind the game plan to upgrade the entire human race - whether they want it or not. This upgrade will not be gentle, killing those not ready to evolve in such a fashion. And it may end up wiping out all of humanity.

Logan Ramsay cannot hide from what he has become or what he must do. The only question is will his own upgrade be enough to save the world.

Crouch does it again. Gripping and exciting, this is just what I signed up for. I recommend it to Crouch fans everywhere!

I'll be forever upset at myself for not reading this sooner and diving into the incredible worlds Blake Crouch Creates. I'm always slightly worried that the learning curve for sci-fi novels will take more of my focus than the plot itself. Thankfully, Crouch explains everything with ease, never sounding like a textbook and instead painting a compelling picture that is kind of terrifying when compared to the state of our current world.

The sibling relationship in upgrade hit home for me. It was easy to empathize with both Logan and Cara as they fought for what they thought was right, even when it meant being at odds with each other. It really makes you wonder what you would do if you found yourself in the same situation.

It was easy to sink into this world and go with the flow, never trying to think ahead and figure out what was happening. I enjoyed the ride and was sad when it ended. Not only because it was over but also because of the bittersweet ending we're left with. But it wouldn't have felt right for it to end any other way.

I loved everything about this novel and cannot wait to read more of his work!

If you are a fan of science fiction thrillers, then I highly recommend Upgrade. It is a fast-paced, suspenseful, and thought-provoking novel that will keep you guessing until the very end! I loved the novel's exploration of the nature of humanity and the future of technology.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

I don’t know why but I always feel smarter when I’m reading a Blake Crouch book. It took me way too long to pick this one up.

If you could make everyone different, Improved genetically, what would you want to alter.

In this book humanity is dropping off and a geneticist thinks she can save humanity with her genetic upgrade. The catch, based on test there is going to be a huge loss of life. But is it worth it to save the majority?

This book engages your brain and takes you for a crazy ride. Highly Recommend. I read this one in a day so be prepared to be sucked in.

3.5 stars

Logan Ramsay is an agent for the Gene Protection Agency, an organization that hunts down scientists engaged in illegal genetic manipulation. In a way Logan is just paying his dues. It was his mother, the brilliant geneticist Miriam Ramsay, who perfected a ground-breaking DNA modifier system called Scythe. Using Scythe, Miriam attempted to enhance the blight resistance of indica rice plants, which are a staple food for over half the world's population.

To make a long story short, things went wrong, there was a worldwide famine, and 200 million people died. Miriam committed suicide and Logan - who was a college graduate working in his mother's lab - went to prison for three years. Legislation was passed to restrict gene tampering, and Logan now works to capture people who flout the law.

After Logan helps raid a suspected gene-tampering lab, an explosion lands him in the hospital. Logan learns that the blast injected modified genes into his body.....genes bioengineered to enhance human abilities. Over the next several weeks Logan finds that he's getting smarter, his bones are getting denser, his muscles are becoming stronger, his reflexes are improving, he has a photographic memory of his entire life, he can recall the contents of every book and article he's ever read, etc. In brief, Logan has been 'upgraded.'

Logan determines that the lab explosion and upgrade weren't random events, but a plan engineered by his mother before she committed suicide. Irregardless, Logan is arrested and quarantined at a black site by the GPA, who accuse him of fiddling with his own genome.

Logan is sprung from the black site, and learns that his mother's long-term plan was to 'upgrade' all of humanity. Miriam believed that making people more intelligent would result in better stewardship of the Earth, with attention to environmental concerns like global warming, ocean pollution, and so on. Thus, Miriam planned for a cabal, led by Logan's 'upgraded' sister Kara, that would spread the 'enhancement' virus to every person on the globe.

Logan is strongly opposed to changing the genome of the entire human race, and takes steps to stop the cabal. Thus much of the story is an action thriller, with Logan and his sister maneuvering to destroy each other. There's plenty of shooting, fighting, death, and destruction, enhanced by the superior abilities of the combatants. It's fascinating to watch Logan's thinking processes, and the manner in which he tracks down and battles his enemies.

The story would make a good movie, and has been optioned for a Hollywood film.