Crouch, the author of Recursion and Dark Matter, has done it again with a super smart, future-speculative, scientific thriller that reverberates with you long after finishing it.

Logan’s brilliant genetic scientist Mom Miriam mutated locusts in China to introduce crop gene changes for better vitality, only to have the unintended consequences of the gene mutation spreading to destroy crops around the world. Over 200 million people die from starvation as a result. Miriam subsequently suicidally drives her car off a cliff.

Her son Logan in contrast has to do years in federal prison convicted of genetic alteration crimes his Mom committed in her lab, in which he only worked as an underling. Meanwhile, Logan’s sister, who had escaped their Mom by joining the military, serves as a special forces soldier.

Logan in an attempt to make up for his Mom’s wrongs and get out of jail earlier, now serves as an agent for the Gene Protection Agecny (GPA), dedicated to detecting and stopping gene editing.
Unknown to Logan, before her death Miriam managed to create a highly complex genetic upgrade for humanity, improving everything from intelligence to stamina, strength to disease prevention. Logan gets called on in on a raid for work, explosives ignite while he’s in a basement investigating, and shrapnel pierces his hazmat suit. And just like that, Logan has been infected with his Mom’s virus that begins upgrading his entire genetic structure.

Written into a “safe harbor” in his upgraded genetic code Logan finds a message with latitude and longitude co-ordinates- and he and his sister are off to find the source. Fasten your reader’s seatbelt for what comes next!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

4.5 stars

Blake Crouch is an auto-buy author for me, having been thoroughly blown away by both Dark Matter and Recursion, and Upgrade is no exception to his sci-fi storytelling prowess.

What makes Crouch’s books so engaging is his masterful integration of high-level scientific explanations for his plots that feel simultaneously realistic yet approachable. Nothing feels dumbed down, but everything still makes sense and feels like it could be a real occurrence. This, paired with his thriller-esque pacing and writing style, makes for some very compelling reading.

In addition to its captivating plot, Upgrade also explores some very interesting and timely themes, ranging from philosophy and ethics, to bioengineering and environmentalism.

My only issue with the book was I found some mid-chapter scene changes to be very abrupt, but that might be the nature of me reading an ARC (there were no visual line breaks, asterisks, etc. to indicate a mid-chapter scene shift, so this might not be an issue in the final copy).

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this latest book from Blake Crouch. It is a sci fi thriller that is full of action, an entertaining story from start to finish.

Upgrade stars Logan Ramsey, who is attacked and genetically modified. Logan's senses are sharpened, his brain works faster, his body is stronger. But these upgrades come at a cost and Logan finds himself in a battle to fight against the sinister power working to alter all humanity with similar upgrades.

As with all of Crouch's recent novels, there are some scientific elements to this story. But I felt like the scientific explanations were accessible for the non-scientific minded like myself, and it was easy to follow and understand. This book deals with a lot of timely topics and lends itself to some thought-provoking ethical questions about genetic engineering.

I didn't think this story was as mind-bending or mind-blowing as Dark Matter or Recursion. But I really thought it was just a lot of fun to read! Reading it feels like watching a movie, and I believe the rights have already been sold to make this into a film. It definitely has the feel of an action-packed summer blockbuster!

What I love about Blake Crouch’s books is his ability to combine pulse-racing action with a solid, emotional center. But Upgrade, an examination of what it means to be human told through a man who is inadvertently upgraded and then must fight to protect and save humanity, is severely lacking in the heart department.

All the smart sci-fi and propulsive plot elements hit right and make this a fun, quick read, but the character development is lacking and the stakes don’t always feel tangible. That said, I absolutely adore the ending!

WOW THIS WAS SO GOOD. I would say it's better than Recursion, but not as good as Dark Matter. I love that this book was very science-heavy. but my non-sciencey brain never felt left behind! Mostly, I love the way this book made me think. It was a giant moral and ethical question in the form of a novel: what lengths would you go to to save the human race? I was so interested by Kara and Logan's perspectives and I loved getting to have an ethical debate in my head as I read. So engaging. I finished this book in one sitting because it was so fast-paced!

Upgrade is another goo story in Blake Crouch's collection of sci-fi thrillers. He succeeds again with a good story built on solid character development and world building. However, it's clear he has a formula to his books & he stuck with it in this novel. It's hard to put it above some of his earlier, more dynamic hits!

It was nice having another binge-worthy Blake Crouch book to read. This ended up being my least favorite of his. It started off really strong for me, but I felt like it sagged in the middle. This is super nit picky, but I got so tired of hearing the word microexpressions. I wish Crouch would have described the microexpressions instead of just saying "and he read the microexpressions on their face" over and over. I also got a little tired of the useless details, such as giving the name of every single gun that was used. Another reason for me not enjoying Upgrade as much as Crouch's others could also be that it felt too real given the state of the world currently. I think I needed more space from that before I read a book about spreading a DNA upgrade through a highly transmittable virus. So, it's probably a me thing. If you enjoyed Dark Matter and Recursion, I think you'll enjoy this one too.

BLAKE IS THE KING OF SCI-FI THRILLERS! I picked this up Sunday morning, and finished it by the end of the day. I have never read anything else like this, and I rarely dabble in dystopian fiction, but wow I really enjoyed this. After finishing the book, it is clearly a commentary on how humans handled the COVID-19 situation, which I didn’t super love but the build-up to the end had me on the edge of my seat. I found myself reading so fast because I had to know if Logan was able to save humanity from destruction

I was really in it for the first half of this one, but things started to get a little repetitive (and honestly kind of boring) towards the end. I knew going in I’d have to skim over a lot of the science heavy portions because I am a dum-dum when it comes to this stuff, I just didn’t anticipate to continue skimming when we got to the climax of the story. ‘Dark Matter’ was such a hit for me that I keep picking up the new Blake Crouch releases even though his books are SO outside my typical reading taste. This one ended up being pretty down the middle for me, definitely can see the story making a great TV/movie adaptation though. Also worth mentioning that I so often find epilogues unnecessary but I thought this one felt purposeful and added some unexpected sentimentality to the ending of the book.

Another exciting thriller from Blake Crouch! Although some of the content and points were a bit over my head, I love his dystopian futurist “Black Mirror”esqe takes in his books. This one is no different.

Rating 3.5 stars

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

In the future a famine is caused by genetic engineering that affects crops which causing the creation of the Gene Protection Agency (GPA). Decades later an upgrade in the genetic code of one of the GPA's agents leads to questions including what this could mean for the future of humanity.

I'm a scientist and my specialty lies within the realm of DNA analysis. I thought Blake Crouch did well with explaining the basics of DNA analysis for a layman to understand. Much like how forensic shows can be frustrating to watch, reading this book at times was hard for me to get past with the sci-fi elements to fully enjoy it. I'm not sure if I'd had too much scientific talk in the day by the time I'd starting read it at night, but there were elements that I didn't think flowed as well in the story as others. The final scene was very action packed and will keep readers on the edge of their seat, but I can see other portions harder to read for some reader due to the slower pacing of the novel.

The film rights have already been sold and I can't wait to see how it'll be adapted. I know there will be quite a few changes to make it more cinematic, but I'll be here for the ride regardless. If you've enjoyed Blake Crouch's previous endeavors or are looking for something to read after watching Jurassic World: Dominion, pick up Upgrade.

This near future science fiction story is about genetic engineering gone wrong. It stars Logan Ramsay, whose mother was Mariam Ramsay. Miriam Ramsay was a geneticist who set off an environmental catastrophe when she changed a grasshopper to stop it from preying on Chinese rice patties. Before things stopped, that tinkering had killed over 200 million people, destroyed habitats, and changed Earth's climate. It also caused passage of the Gene Protection Act which forbids changing genes and targets any scientist who might be working in that field.

After spending some time in prison for his minor role in the catastrophe, Logan is now an officer in the Gene Protection Agency who tracks down rogue scientists and off-grid genetics labs. When he is hit with some sort of weapon during one such raid, his own genes begin to change making him a new sort of superman. Taken into custody by his own agency and studied like a lab rat, Logan has to deal with the major changes his is undergoing including much higher intelligence and total recall of everything he has ever seen, heard, or read.

He is broken out of the lab by his sister Kara who has also undergone the same genetic manipulation only to learn that the mother he thought was dead faked her own death and continued her own research. Kara and Logan are the first of his mother's plan to change all humans. But Kara and Logan have completely opposite opinions about the efficacy of their mother's plans for genetic manipulation.

This story was packed with action and also packed with information on human DNA. Beyond Logan's efforts to stop his sister from carrying out their mother's plan, is an exploration of what is really needed if humanity is to survive.

I found the story engaging and thought-provoking.

A fairly propulsive, clever, and clearly deeply researched book from the author or Wayward Pines and Black Matter does have some pretty big shoes to fill in, and it succeeds, for the most part.

The story revolves around a family central to the idea of the next evolutionary leap for the human race, while the fact that it has cost 200 million human lives does seem to darken the skies, so to say. The central characters are fairly well drawn out, and by the time the story is racing towards you-don't-know-where, you are easily invested in the protagonist, and literally living with him, day-and-night.

While the leaps of faith required for belief are numerous, the writing skims over the science of the stuff, but rather invests a lot of space and time into the effects and impact of being a "super", not a superhero, not even a hero, just a "super". Of course, ethics find their way into the narrative, and while there were stretches where I was sort of skimming the text, they were few-and-far-between. The action scenes are surprisingly well written - not as clininal as Reacher or as precise as Bosch, but genuinely fast and often caught me off-guard.

The pacing of the story also leaves you breathless by the time you make it to that explosive climax. The effect of superimposing climate change onto the planet while the story unfolds felt a bit tiresome at first, but eventually, you don't even notice when it plays a key role in the eventual denouement.

All in all, a satisfying read. Makes me want to look out for the next from Mr. Crouch.

<i>ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.</i>

Logan works for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) and is injured on the job. As he begins to recover, he notices that his senses and memory are sharper, and his body stronger. He starts to suspect that the culprit is someone who knows him very well. Shortly after his kidnapping, Logan begins to figure it out - which leads him to an escape and a death-defying cross-country mission.

Blake Crouch has the unique ability to make science and technology accessible (even to dumb-dumbs like me). You don't need to understand the genetic compounds he describes, but rather the concept of what these mutations will do - and you will. The problem I had was how much those descriptions cut into the character development and action of the novel; it just got boring. BUT - the epilogue was just about perfect.

Recommended for Sci-Fi aficionados, people into genetics, and anyone who is hopeful for a better world.

4.5 stars

Logan Ramsay finds himself with super-human abilities after being infected with a virus. Living in the shadow of his mom’s extreme intellect, Logan has always wanted to find a way to really be seen by her. Now that he has been “upgraded”, though, he starts to understand things in a different light. Is this upgrade a good thing for all of humanity? What is the opportunity cost? And what will Logan have to give up to protect those he cares for most?

This book, like Dark Matter and Recursion, has some major sci-fi elements. And yet, like Dark Matter (and assumedly Recursion, which I haven’t read yet), the science aspects can be skimmed over for the lay reader who doesn’t have detailed knowledge of the biomedical engineering world. The first 20ish percent of the book was the most science heavy as Crouch set the stage for the rest of the story. I did not have any problems skimming over the names of various genes.

There were definite nods to readers as Logan gained the ability to speed read and listen to books at higher speeds, which were a lot of fun to spot. My favorite part of the book was the epilogue featuring a quote from C.S. Lewis, and highlighting the compassion and sacrifice Logan made.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars

Hello, I'm an Outlier.

So many fans of Dark Matter found themselves disappointed with Recursion — I was the opposite, and I wondered (at the time) if it was because I had read the latter first and was thusly influenced. Now, having read Upgrade, I don't think that's the case — I think Recursion was a vastly different book for Crouch and it just didn't align with his fans from Dark Matter. So, while that's unfortunate for me, fans of Dark Matter should be satisfied and easily able to find more of what they loved in Upgrade.

The premise was okay — former geneticist and son of a majorly important (and now dead) geneticist, gets his genome hacked and before long can't deny the fact that his DNA has received an incredible upgrade.

Like Dark Matter, what Upgrade was trying to grow up to become was a movie.... And, while I like cinematic as a general adjective for certain books regarding their scope or vivid detailing, I cannot say I like it when I feel as though the author is trying to marry screenplay and novel by just shoving his character and story along with scrambling feet. Again, while Crouch has written an undeniably fast-paced story, its speedy push really comes from this being a run, run, run book. Logan Ramsey, the main character (and the only character who is remotely rounded out), is constantly on the move. And, what serves as his narrative, sounds suspiciously like Buzz Lightyear insistently narrating his own story into the captain's log through the recording device hidden in his arm protection. I found this exhausting, especially when coupled with page after page with no dialogue and little to no self exploration or character development (Logan adapting to his changed body and mind are not even in this realm), I was finding it hard to stay focused, anywhere near invested, and not skim through.

While I appreciated the clear level of research done, some of the science (and the process of assuming a false identity) was a bit too oversimplified back when Logan is getting accustomed to testing his own new abilities and skills. Most of Logan's new aspects with which he had to acquaint himself — making his movements and speech slower in front of regular people to avoid alarming anyone— only seemed to exist and be an issue in moments where it was necessary for the plot, or when Crouch remembered that they should be addressed.

In addition, there were whispers of other works of fiction that hounded this narrative for me from beginning to end. And, instead of resulting in the tale feeling familiar and comfortable, this lent itself to a feeling of being overused and lacking freshness. I wanted the heart I found in Recursion, not the non-stop-action from Dark Matter.

I am a huge Blake Crouch fan. While I have not read the Wayward Pines series, I loved Dark Matter and Recursion. Crouch has this fantastic way of taking complex science and creating a fascinating, enthralling plot line to go along with it. Upgrade is slightly different, as I found it to be the most scientifically-accessible of his books. It incorporates genetics and genetic mutation, while making a commentary on what humanity needs in order to save itself from ultimate destruction. The pace was very quick and engaging, including elements of a thriller/suspense read that make me binge it. I look forward to continuing to read Crouch's books in the future!

Another fun and exciting book from Blake Crouch. The idea of this book is so interesting and it really got me thinking. As with Crouch's other books, the plot is fast paced and takes a lot of twists and turns. But within that, there's some good discussions on pushing the bounds of science and what's acceptable in the name of saving the human race. The discussions of Logan's past and how that has shaped him were also super interesting and more than I typically expect for this type of book. There's just so much in here and it's so well done. In another author's hands, this could be an unreadable mess or require 500+ pages but Crouch gets it all into a very readable and fun 350 pages.

I will say, this one was a little heavy on the science but I know nothing about DNA and that didn't detract from my reading, my eyes just sort of jumped over the various letter/number combos for the different genes. Same thing for the various numbers that showed up a lot. It was a good way of showing how Logan's brain worked but it was a tad over done for me.

This is more like a 4.5 star for me but I couldn't quite give it 5 stars for two reasons. One, I didn't really connect with the main character (Logan) at all. He has very little personality and this is sort of the point with the upgrade but it lowered the stakes a bit and didn't let me get fully invested. Second, I'm bothered by the 1 year time jump that happens because I don't understand what Logan was doing during that time except hiding. I was a little annoyed and confused by this.

Overall, this is a really good sci-fi thriller and I think fans of Crouch's prior work are going to really enjoy it.

* I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Here’s a book that has the basic idea that humans are hardwired to be pieces of shit, and that the solution might be to genetically upgrade us to be better. The first part is obviously true, but the second part has to be pure science fiction because even if you take a turd and sprinkle it with glitter and tie a pretty bow around it, it’s still a piece of shit.

The official plot summary on this is fairly thin, and they’re are some twists and turns so I don’t want to give away much other than to say that it’s set in the near future where after a disaster caused by genetic engineering caused a massive famine that the world has cracked down on all aspects of DNA tinkering. A man named Logan Ramsey who has his own troubled past he’s trying to redeem is working for an agency trying to stop black market science when he gets dosed with something during a raid. While he initially seems to recover, Logan realizes that he is being improved. Hilarity ensues…

I’m not the biggest Blake Crouch fan in the world, and like most of the other books of his I’ve read I found this to be fine. It’s got an interesting idea, and a well thought out world built up. His writing is OK enough, and there is some interesting discussion about the nature of humanity and why we refuse to acknowledge long term threats like climate change.

However, while this is the kind of story that should be right in my wheelhouse it never feels like it elevates to that next level where I’m really excited about turning the pages, and once I’m done I feel a momentary sense of satisfaction and promptly start forgetting about what I just read.

So hardcore Crouch fans will be probably enjoy as might any sci-fi/thriller fans who pick it up. I don’t regret reading it, but it didn’t have much of an impact either.

Logan is the son of a genius. His mother specializes in gene alteration and years ago made a big mistake. It caused a worldwide famine that the earth is still reeling from. Now, Logan finds out much more about that past and his mother. He finds that she was capable of much more that can have humanity altering consequences. His goal is to stop that before it is too late, in doing so he must risk everything he knows to become something more than he is.
This book is science fiction at its best. It is as much philosphical as it is fiction and is reminiscent of a book that touched many 'Flowers for Algernon' examined much of the same things that Blake Crouch does in 'Upgrade', which itself is an upgraded version of the early book and short story about an upgraded human first published by Daniel Keyes in 1959. The legal, ethical, and morals of the story are some that our society on the cusp of some of the issues revealed in 'Upgrade' are real, timely and well told in this story. Highly recommended read for those who like to look at some of our future challenges and society's ills now and in the future. Thanks to #NetGalley#Upgrade for the opportunity to read and review this book.