Crouch knocked it out of the park again! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It really makes you think about where we are heading.

I read Dark Matter in the past and thought it was amazing and the science didn't feel overwhelming. Upgrade, however, is heavy science. I had to read slower than usual to grasp the DNA/genetics passages and didn't really look forward to picking it up again. It was still an interesting and sometimes scary read. If you've ever wondered what the future could be like when DNA manipulation becomes a common occurrence this would be a good book for you. I was leaning towards a 3-star but the last 10 pages made it a 4-star.

It’s a strange feeling when you read a book and can already predict exactly what the reviews will be focused on: that ending.

Inside me are two wolves and they have been fighting over their thoughts on that ending since I finished the book more than a week ago.

But, without getting into spoiler territory, if anything it’s a mark of how good this book is that this ending is going to cause so much buzz.

This was my first Crouch novel and I get the hype now (I will also be devouring everything else he’s ever written post haste). This book was fun and inventive and terrifying in a real world way and I loved every pulse pounding second of action. It’s also an incredibly intellectual book that somehow didn’t make me feel dumb. And despite its focus on science and technology, it holds onto its humanity and makes you care deeply about the characters.

There were only two small places where this story lost me a bit: 1) there is a section on a train that I found ridiculous and way too over the top; and 2) is of course that ending. I don’t think I’ll ever decide how I feel about that ending.

Rating: 4.5

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine for this ARC

This was probably my favorite of Blake’s books! I felt to story was fast enough with just enough science intermingled to keep your attention and be just a little nerdy too!

I always enjoy a Blake Crouch novel - he's an excellent storyteller. And while I did enjoy this one, it didn't grab me as much as earlier novels. The plot was quite as twisty and there was a little more hope at the end than you typically get. But upgrading the human race is an interesting premise and, of course, things go very wrong along the way. I'd recommend it as a dark science thriller.

I don’t always read sci-fi, but when I do, it’s Blake Crouch. After enjoying Dark Matter, I can happily say that Upgrade satisfied the itch to read a great sci-fi thriller. Thank you for the ARC Ballantine Books and NetGalley!

Set in a chillingly realistic future, Logan Ramsay works for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) in a world where black market gene-editing has nearly taken over. While on a top secret raid, Logan falls victim to his DNA being compromised by an “upgrade.” The upgrade will uncover truths about his family and past, but will it save humanity?

Like I said, I hardly ever read sci-fi, so it took me awhile to get used to the scientific jargon used in this book. The next thing I knew I was flying through the pages. I got really strong “Limitless” vibes from this book (ya know, the movie with Bradley Cooper). I think this will be highly praised, especially for Blake Crouch fans!

4.5/5 ⭐️

5 Stars

Okay, first, I have to admit that I did love love love this book, even though I have some harsh words for Mr. Crouch. I was so so so thrilled to get an ARC of this book because I have read and loved the other books written by Mr. Crouch and had been impatiently waiting to even pre-order this one. I was at work and actually squealed when I got the notification. But Mr. Crouch, you did me and all your readers so so so dirty! You took a major dream of all book nerds and ruined it! I won't say more so I don't give anything away for those who haven't read it, but YOU KNOW what you did! If you even think of taking our dream of a favorite character coming to life and ruining it, I will curse you to spend eternity in perpetual edits of your books. I am not a writer, but I have friends who are, and they say the editing stage is the most tortuous, so that is what I will wish upon you if you dare touch that dream. You have been warned!

(**if you want to know, scroll to the very bottom. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being very minimal and 10 being ruining the book, this spoiler is a 1).

Now that I have sufficiently warned him, on to the things I loved. I really enjoyed the concept and how it was developed. There were times when I thought he would have written himself into a corner and wondered how he could get out of a situation or pivotal plot point while keeping it realistic and plausible. He did such a great job with these, as he had in "Black Matter" and "Recursion." Another thing that I am always impressed with is how he keeps the science basic enough for non-science-loving readers. People can enjoy the story and follow without feeling overwhelmed by the science but keep it interesting for those who love science and read a lot of it. I found the idea of genome mapping and altering so interesting that I made several notes along the way to look up more about them after reading the book.

This is an excellent book for all readers, even those who think they don't like "science" books or never liked science in school. Mr. Crouch takes a famous science idea or theory from paper and makes it a reality. The consequences you think would happen are not always what happens, or they are only minor ones. There are so many consequences that are triggered that you don't see happening. As I said above, the science is not overwhelming, so don't let that stop you from reading this book. If you like movies like Star Wars, Armageddon, and The Martian, then you can also follow the science in this book. Basically, this book is for everyone curious about what science will make possible in the future.

I loved it so much I have pre-ordered a signed UK copy and a US copy so I can have both cover versions. Kinda love the UK cover more, sorry!

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House, and Mr. Crouch for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!



SPOILER!!!



In the book, Mr. Crouch lists many benefits of having an upgraded mind, one of which is being able to recall everything in detail. Many readers would love to remember all the details of a book, so when they finally get the next book in the series a year or more later, they don't have to go back and do a reread or struggle to remember the details. Well, one of the negative consequences of this upgrade is that while you remember all the good in vivid detail, you also remember all the tragedies of your life in vivid detail. The dream is gone, no one wants to remember all the bad! Shame on you Mr. Crouch for killing the dream!

Upgrade starts in the near (ish) future were many of the possible causes of ending homo sapiens loom on the horizon. Our main character, Logan, is an agent of the GPA. They monitor people altering genes illegally and raiding genetic labs.

Logan’s history is complicated. Him and his mother’s actions caused a famine that killed millions of people and is the reason the GPA was started.

During what seems to be a routine raid, Logan is exposed to some mystery substance which causes an illness the doctors aren’t able to identify. After a short recovery, he is released from the hospital. After his release, he notices some difference in how his brain and body works. Could it have been from the exposure during his raid? Is it the beginning of the end?

This book was definitely a Blake Crouch book. Plot driven with simple writing. Fast paced heavy on the science. At first I was intrigued by the upgrade Logan received but about half way through I stopped caring. It lacked heart which was present in his previous books. This was probably a consequence of certain aspects o the plot. When he attempted to shine a light on some humanity, it was too little too late for me. Until the epilogue. I wish the book would have went in the direction that the epilogue implied. That would have worked better for me.

Overall I was mostly entertained but left me wanting more.

The more we discover, the scarier things can get. In Upgrade, genetics takes on a world of its own, quite literally, and the effects it has on a Genetics Protection Agency agent is just the tip of the iceberg. A sci-fi thriller with terrifying hints of reality and timeliness, this one is definitely an out of the ordinary and unique read.

This could be an episode of Fringe and that is the highest compliment I can give a sci-fi book. I enjoyed the descriptions that explained the DNA upgrades Ramsey went through while depicting his struggle with losing his old self. It was the perfect combination of science and emotions.

Blake Crouch blew me away with his newest novel, Upgrade! This one is right up there with his previous bestseller, Dark Matter!

Logan Ramsay works for the government, identifying people who are putting the world at risk by messing with genetics. In the middle of a highly dangerous yet super important raid, Logan's life changes.

The hospital cleared him of any damages, and no new genetic matter was found, but, Logan feels different. He's more intuned to his feelings, those around him, and the world as a whole.

Logan has been targeted, and he's set off to see who did this and why it's happening to him. A page-turner from the very beginning, I was so intrigued. This book is so realistic, so fast-paced, and so on point with the world today, I can truly see this happening in our future.

I usually love books by Blake Crouch which is why I assume that I was invited to read this title but it is just not for me, and I don't think I'll be reading any books that have anything to do with viruses any time soon. It's not you it's me.

An addicting read. This is just as good as Dark Matter. This is precisely the kind of science fiction I hope for when I pick a book labeled science fiction. Hard to put down and even harder to forget. So good, I will be recommend this to every reader I know.

I have loved Blake Crouch's writing since I was lucky enough to read his ARC of Dark Matter. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read Upgrade by Blake Crouch. It was masterful. The story sweeps you in from the first page and then you just have to hold on & ride the wave. A must read!!

After being in the line of fire in an explosion, Logan is beginning to feel a bit off. Come to find out, Logan has been upgraded. His DNA has been altered to make him “better,” and his mom has left him and his sister the answers to upgrade all of human kind. Logan sees the downside to the entire world being upgraded, but he is the only one that can stop it from spreading far and wide.

Blake Crouch does it again….not that I was in any way worried! I feel like I say this with each new book, but this might be my favorite Crouch! As you all know, science fiction isn’t normally my genre, but Blake Crouch is in a genre of his own! His books have your brain all over the place, but in the best way possible. They are also insanely scary to think about if any of these things actually happened in our world! I don’t want to say too much because you just need to read it, but Blake Crouch has the ability to pull me in on page one and hold tight until the very last page is turned. The only downside of finishing this book is that it is over and I will have to wait a while for what Crouch does next!

Book Review: Upgrade by Blake Crouch
Published by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, July 12, 2022

★★★★☆ (4.25 Stars)
Positive!

In his self-acknowledged "most difficult book of my career", Blake Crouch's latest techno-thriller takes his readers to a pivotal intersection of science and quantum computing, philosophy and morality, and the very ethos of human existence...

-----

I flipped open the latest book of one of my favorite authors with the usual high expectation - to be razzle-dazzled and swallowed in a vortex to an alternate universe, sturm und drang to the rhythm of an off-beat jazz rift.

But instead, I was treated to a night at the Met, the crescendo of a symphonic overture with the thousand movements of a fertile mind right through the novel's momentous final twist.

Blake Crouch creates worlds.

Worlds, as in those we'd have the pleasure to find in "Recursion" (2019), "Dark Matter" (2016), and in the "Wayward Pines Trilogy" (2012-2014), adapted as a television series by 20th Century Fox.

In fact, some would say that in "Summer Frost" (2019), his novella written for Prime Reading's "Forward Collection", the master storyteller creates no less than three worlds in "God-mode".

All above complex, compelling 4 or 5-Star reads.

-----

// "Upgrade" by Blake Crouch (2022) //

The world is in turmoil. Parts of New York City and most of Miami are under water. Rampart illegal genome engineering and manipulation of gene data sets in plants and animals result in a genocidal disaster with over 200 million starved to death, and necessitates the creation of a "Gene Protection Act" enforcement agency.

Heavily researched, Crouch walks us through the various methods of existing (and fictional) gene engineering methods. ZFN (Zinc Finger Nucleases) (real); TALEN (Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nuclease) (real); CRISPR (real); and finally, Scythe (fictional).

The "Scythe" genome alteration is created by the world's leading geneticist and is ultimately directed to an acceleration of human evolution, and - whether intended or not, the creation of a sub-species.

A dominant, superhuman, master race.

All well and good, until one of the "Upgrades", the son of Scythe's creator, decides that the human race and humanity needs more of a radically different kind of upgrade.

Which alters the entire equation...

Excerpt:
// "...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..."

- Logan Ramsay, protagonist, an "upgraded" human, expresses how he's hungry, "Upgrade" (2022) by Blake Crouch //

Whew! A man of a few word Logan Ramsay isn't.

-----

Epic in scale, multi-dimensional, non-linear, thought-provoking, and compelling. Also, verbose, uber-technical, and perplexing at times, but in a good way.

A must-read for techno-thriller fans - and fans-to-be!

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley.

The hype for this one is really impressive, but it felt really formulaic when compared to his previous books. The premise for this one made me IMMEDIATELY want to read it. And while I did read it pretty quickly as it wasn't a difficult read, it didn't feel super different from some of his other books. I was hoping for something wildly different, but got much the same. I really appreciate his research and all the background information he gives to make this topic a lot more palatable to the DNA/genetics novice, but was really hoping for something more. I'll give him another shot in the future, but I'll make sure to keep my expectations tempered.

Y’all Blake did it again, I’m not a big ‘read books by men’ person but he is worth it! I could not put this book down it is so bingeable!!

Likes:
-The science in this book was wild, I was googling things left and right trying to figure out if these genes actually all existed that had been upgraded in the MC. I work in a genetics clinic so I was THRIVING. I thought it was really accessible for how difficult a topic it was
-This book SPIRALED- I was expecting a story about a man but we got a journey instead. Years go by, things change, and we get to see the long term effects of what is happening.
-Too much hit too close to home in this book and I hope it’s a bit of a wake up for sci fi readers- how close we are to a dystopia we read about. Lake Mead in this book dried up leaving Las Vegas mostly stranded and that’s already sort of happening right now.
-Not gonna lie I didn’t know who to root for half the time, like I was all in for the villain for half the book I was kind of annoyed to follow the goody two shoes guy but at the end I was like yeah ok fine he’s right
-The ending, I had tears in my eyes and it was sweet but also why can’t our main men in Blake’s book ever get a HEA?!

Things that made me🤔
-TWs lots of gore and murder and death, mention of starvation, POW camps
🫠 Some people will probably say this ‘falls flat’ because there is so much intense science in this book and that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But it mine🫡

Overall, this falls into second place for me after DARK MATTER and before RECURSION. I think it’ll be really well received by Blake fans and will fit perfectly for those looking for more science in their sci fi books! I can’t wait for my science friends to get their hands on this one✨
Pub Day: July 12th

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for my copy!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: July 12, 2022

SO excited to read this new one from one of my favs, Blake Crouch (if you’re into sci-fi you need to put his books Dark Matter and Incursion on your TBR, stat)!

Interesting and intense from the start, I was already holding my breath by the end of chapter one. This book was very science heavy (yet in a very accessible way), with a bit of societal doom & gloom, but ultimately it takes you on one hell of a ride!

I am not a huge sci fi reader but Blake Crouch had me sold on his books! A few years ago I picked up Dark Matter and could not put it down! I have since had my husband and brother read his books and they love them too. I was beyond excited when I received an eARC for Upgrade from NetGalley.
This book seemed a little bit more science-y than Dark Matter and Recursion to me and did make me feel a little lost at times. However, one of my favorite parts of Crouch’s books is that he will get deep into the science but then back up and explain it in context in a way that is easier for me to understand. His characters are also so real and flawed that it’s hard to not become attached to them. I was not disappointed with Upgrade, and I did even find myself tearing up a little at the end.