What if you had the ability to modify your DNA, would you get an upgrade?
Become smarter (genius level IQ).
Stronger.
Faster.
Able to predict actions of those around you.
Would you use those new abilities to help others, or for your own benefit?
This story explores what happens when a man gets such an upgrade, and the reasons why unsettle him more than the upgrade itself.

From the get-go, this story was fascinating. We are introduced to a future world where DNA manipulation has been responsible for many successes and some epic failures. As part of the Gene Protection Agency (GPA), Logan Ramsay is one trying to prevent future global incidents like the one his mother was responsible for years prior, with one mistake causing millions of lives. And one night, a raid by the GPA changes everything for Logan.

To avoid spoilers, I won't go further into the plot. But I will say the story had the perfect pacing, providing scientific background on the impact of DNA changes, while keeping the storyline flowing. There was no slow point in this story, it almost felt like an adrenaline rush, as I was desperate to see how things played out in preventing a future catastrophe. In addition, Logan was a great protagonist. He has a good heart and despite the upgrade, his morals seemed to have stayed unchanged.

This book delivered on everything I've come to love about the author - a complex and unique storyline, fast paced, and an intriguing character arc. Definitely worth reading if you are a fan of this author or genre.

Another fast-paced winner from Blake Crouch. This book makes you think about altering genetics with advantages and consequences unforeseen. Our main character is someone you like and are rooting for, especially when it comes to saving the world.

Wow! A summer blockbuster action thriller that questions humanity’s ongoing trajectory toward self-destruction. It’s Bourne Identity meets Mission: Impossible meets Die Hard meets Spider Man.

After an unexpected raid leads to Logan's hospitilization, he starts feeling different. At first the changes seem minor, but soon his abilities move from within human capability into superhuman ability.

My feelings for this book were a real rollercoaster. There were parts of this book that showcased Crouch's ability to blend deeply intriguing science fiction plots with really relatable stories about what drives humanity. My love for this novel ebbed and flowed. I felt really connected to the story and characters at some points and then all of that fell away and I felt lost and disconnected from the things that I had previously enjoyed. This didn't feel like a complete novel to me. It felt more like a lot of plot details connected in ways that didn't make sense to me. I am super bummed! Recursion was one of my favodite reads of 2020, but the magic present in recursion wasn't given the time it needed to shine.

The exception to my feelings if this review came after I finished the final page of the epilogue. I thought the epilogue was moving and well thought out and I found myself wishing the concept present in the epilogue didn't feel like such an afterthought to the story's central plot!

I wish I would have like this more than I did! I was already halfway to loving it before I came in, but I just couldn't get there! I'm always going to pick up and read anything Crouch signs his name too because I have loved so much of his previous work! I only hope the next one will resemble the magic he cultivated in the books he wrote leading up to this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a copy of Upgrade in exchange for an honest review.

Upgrade is set to release July 12th 2022!

This book while being thematically, scientifically and philosophically interesting, misses the mark in its final act discounting all of the previous chapters before it. The book begins in glorious fashion with a fantastic opening which gets you invested immediately. The world is one that is very realistic and one that we move closer to every day. The book itself is paced excellently with just the right blend of emotion, action and scientific exposition to hold the reader's attention well; however, the book loses its way in the last few chapters and the overall message gets lost for the sake of simple plot convenience and a completely different ethic than the rest of the book espouses.

This is a story about stopping to ask “just because we can… does that mean we should?”

I’m a huge Blake Crouch fan, and I’ll happily preorder anything he writes- so when the publisher sent this too me I was thrilled. It did not disappoint! I found the protagonist to be compelling, and the concepts while firmly in the sci fi realm didn’t feel as far off they might have a few years ago. I loved especially loved the nuanced exploration of resolutions to humanities flaws. My biggest complaint is that it was too short! I think it easily could’ve been another 100 pages long, to explore the dynamics further & expand on the testing elements.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 💫/5, rounded to 5.

Thank you so much netgalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eArc!

4.5 stars

What I liked:
➱ super fast-paced
➱ the evocative descriptions of the world a few decades from now — both cool things (hyperloop travel) and bad things (Lower Manhattan submerged under water, constant government surveillance)
➱ a timely and thought-provoking premise
➱ a likable main character faced with a moral dilemma (as in Dark Matter and Recursion)
➱ lots of interesting science about virology and genetics, some of which I actually understood
➱ would make an amazing movie

Basically, if you enjoyed Dark Matter and/or Recursion, you’ll like Upgrade.

It's an interesting paradox in life that humans often have to save themselves from ... well ... themselves. We've seen this conundrum dish itself up slice after slice over the many millenia that homo sapeins have walked the planet. From modern travel to exploration to streamlined production, the most brilliant of minds have used science to make life more convenient, but — from disease to war to environmental crisis — these advancements always come at a cost. Is it because we lack foresight? Or is it because we allow greed to take over when selflessness should instead?

Blake Crouch explores this very question in his newest book, UPGRADE. If you, like me, gobbled up RECURSION (and then quickly picked up DARK MATTER) you are in for another absolute ride with this baby! It is fast-paced and intriguing, while achieving an impressive balance of a whole lot of deeply complex scientific material. It's the perfect sciencey book for non sciencey people.

While I loved the ride, there were a few bumpy spots along the way that would've benefitted from an adjustment. Most notably, I felt like the ending was way too rushed and the pacing of the plot, in general, was just a bit unbalanced. Beyond all of that, UPGRADE was a very entertaining story. I would absolutely recommend if the premise intrigues you at all.

"We don't have an intelligence problem. We have a compassion problem. That, more than any other single factor, is what's driving us toward extinction."

Logan's genome has been hacked, making him sharper. He can concentrate more, his memory has improved and he needs less sleep. Everything about him has improved. He's been upgraded. There's a bigger plan in motion and it's putting the world at risk and Logan is one of the only people that can help.

Blake Crouch does it again with this action packed futuristic science fiction novel. Upgrade is a clever and engaging story that covers some controversial/thought provoking themes; should gene modification be allowed for the sake of humanity or not? The story was a little heavy at times on the science aspect of genetics but it didn't take away from the overall story for me. Another must read from Crouch.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the privilege of reading this book.


For some reason I always find myself rooting against the protagonist in Blake Crouch’s books.
Logan Ramsay makes for an interesting main character.
In the beginning of the book, I felt an emotional connection to him and then again at the end but through the middle I was rooting for him to fail.
I don’t know if this is intended or if I just have a different philosophy on life.

I loved how Crouch shows us the science and benefits of DNA adaptation and upgrades, but also shows how the upgrade might cause negative issues for the upgraded individuals.
The science in the book was so interesting and it did show that with DNA becoming easier to manipulate that we may screw things up.

The pacing in Upgrade was great and this is definitely the best written book of his so far that I have read.
It makes me want to read more of his books.
Give it a go this is a great summer read!

**Will be posted on Goodreads 2 weeks prior to pub date (6/28), per publisher guidelines.**

Imagine suddenly being smarter, stronger, faster and have a perfect memory to boot. Logan Ramsey works for the GPA (Gene Protection Agency). While on a mission, he gets hit with an ice bomb that alters his genetic code. What results from this genetic mutation is some sort of super human - he’s still Logan, but every ability has been amplified…even the capability to compartmentalize his feelings. We follow Logan as he uncovers who did this to him, why, and what it means for the world as he knows it…which is in a bit of a dismal, apocalyptic-state, by the way. He needs to save the world, but how? What is right and what is wrong? Upgrade, by Blake Crouch, would provide for a great book club discussion.

Upgrade, is for anyone ready for a wild genetic ride. There is a lot of description about the body, DNA, genetic code, and science. Not surprising for this genre, but I did get lost in the medical/science jargon multiple times. I found myself wondering if someone with a medical background might have more appreciation for the detailed work and research that Crouch must have done in the writing of Upgrade. The beginning of the novel was easy to jump right into, which is part of what makes Crouch’s novels appealing to the non-typical sci-fi reader, like me. The middle of the novel drug a little bit for me, but the end picks up, and then there’s the epilogue! I wavered between 3 and 4 stars through the back half of the book, but the epilogue sealed the 4th star.

Dark Matter is still my favorite Blake Crouch novel (I haven’t read Recursion yet), but Upgrade was a great read. It is no doubt thought provoking. I found myself thinking about the story long after I put it down.

Special thanks to Ballantine Books for the digital ARC via NetGalley.

I’ve know read all of Blake Crouch’s work as I’m such a fan of his writing. Upgrade was definitely Interesting. I loved the setting and how the story moved around the country. The ending was superb, as was the message. There were parts of the story though that I was unsure what the point was. In his other books, there was more plot twists as the book went on but this felt pretty flat for a lot of it. I’ll still recommend it though!

I was provided a free ARC of this book by @netgalley and @randomhouse in exchange for my honest review.
My first experience with @blakecrouch1 was Dark Matter, and I literally forced a few friends and family to read it because it blew my mind, and I had to talk about it with more people! This one I will definitely be doing similar for (here's your warning)! 😁
Set in a (hopefully distant) future where the world is wrecked by famine and flooding, but with major technological advances, Logan is tasked with catching scientists who may be seeking to alter genomes. After one mission goes wrong, he is assured by his agency that nothing in his DNA had been altered. But as time passes, he's not so sure that's quite right! As more and more changes occur Logan starts to realize he was targeted for reasons that go back to his past! And, this was not a one off occurrence but the first step in a much bigger plan the could affect the whole world! But, will this plan have the desired effect? Is it the only option to save humanity? Which way will he decide to go?
This is definitely a suspenseful read. As a lowly human from 2022, I was trying to catch up with the new ways of the world, catch on to what new advancements had been made, and trying to look around Logan's shoulder everywhere he went to make sure he was safe! I did think the world building was very well done and believable. At times I struggled with Logan's likeability, but, without giving too much away, that was kinda part of the point.
This one could definitely lead to some interesting discussions if it was read in a group!
I really enjoyed it and was so excited to read it that I bumped it ahead of some other ARCs I need to read! It is set to be published 12 July 22, so you'll have to wait a little bit, but it will be worth the wait!
#Upgrade #NetGalley

I've been a fan of Blake Crouch for several years now. I LOVED Dark Matter.

Upgrade was a little more challenging for me, mostly because I felt like some of the gene modification talk was over my head. However, I did find the plot of this book very interesting. I really liked diving into the differing ideas of how best to save humanity through genetic upgrades and the rollercoaster that takes us on. I think that this book really picked up for me with the action in the last third and the epilogue was my favorite part (even made me tear up a little)! I love the way that Crouch can still manage to weave in a small love story even in a book heavy on the sci-fi.

"...it makes me think if rain falling through sunlight." 😭


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Blake Crouch's novels just keep getting better and better. This was a perfect read to devour on vacation, an excellent mix of science fiction and thrilling mystery. The amount of research Crouch must have done for this novel shows, while still being accessible to the everyday reader. The story pulls you along, but also gives you plenty of food for thought. I will be thinking about that ending for a while. And I will be pitching Upgrade as a candidate for our book club next year.

As much as I've loved Blake Crouch in the past, this book was a miss for me. The concept is timely and poignant, and overall well developed. However, the main character has a serious case of Mary Sue (or Gary Stu). Fans of modern sci-fi will appreciate the realism of this book, but unfortunately it just wasn't my taste.

Another amazing novel by Blake Crouch. I would read anything he writes. This was so well executed and written. It's hard to say which of his books are my favorite.

An excellent fast-paced sci-fi thriller with a poignant emotional touch. Logan suddenly and unexpectedly discovers that his DNA has been “upgraded” resulting in enhanced features that seem too good to be true. Crouch’s novel has humanity and family intertwined with all this science and action, which drew me in for an entertaining yet thought provoking ride.

“We don’t have an intelligence problem we have a compassion problem. If there’s a solution, it has to lie in rescuing us from our ambivalence. Our apathy.”

I graciously received an advance copy from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.

I love Blake’s books so when I saw this I was utterly excited! My favorite is still Dark matter but I give this one four stars it was a good read! His books are a lot of science part of sci-do though so it really gives your brain a work out. I feel for some reason to read these books to need to have full concentration and attention to fully enjoy his books. I feel like I don’t want to explain to much to give anything away or to much information. All I can say is you need to read this book! You won’t regret it Blake doesn’t disappoint!

I didn't really find this book interesting or challenging. This was basically the same ol same ol.
The author has done better. I really don't think he was focused when he wrote this. or maybe he is putting too many quickly written books out.