As a major fan of Crouch's "Recursion" and "Dark Matter," I couldn't wait to get my hands on "Upgrade." This action packed novel focuses on gene editing and its dangerous implications.

Crouch is an incredibly smart author. Everything he writes is very well-researched and through-provoking and this title was no exception. While this novel could be a bit overly-scientific and jargon-heavy at times, I still found the read very enjoyable with interesting characters and a plot that moved. I would certainly recommend the read to fans of science fiction, action movies, and/or Crouch's previous work.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Upgrade by Blake Crouch follows Logan and his sister, Kara, as they decide how/if to follow in their famous/ infamous mother's genome engineering footsteps. I am a huge fan of Blake Crouch and have been since reading Run, many years ago. I think he is phenomenally talented as a a writer of realistic science fiction. That being said, this wasn't my favorite book by him. I hate to even say that. While his books tend to have a heart-racing tempo, which I love, this one felt rushed. The premise is great, but maybe because it felt rushed, it also felt a bit underdeveloped? This story was a good one, just not his best. I will STILL continue to read everything this man writes.

Another fantastic book by Blake Crouch. The perfect cross between reality and fiction. Great job of visualizing a future world stemmed off of current global affairs.

Upgrade .::||::. Blake Crouch

Blake Crouch out there writing some of my fav science fiction! Whatever he has coming out, I know I’m guaranteed an enjoyable read every time. Upgrade did not disappoint.

Logan finds himself genetically upgraded, his potential and abilities astoundingly improved. The book explores the old superhuman trope, like Scarjo in Lucy or Will Smith in Focus, but manages to stay fresh and suspenseful as the stakes climb higher. I plowed through this book and honestly, couldn’t finish fast enough, not surprisingly, it’s already been snatched up to be made into a movie.

Loved the DC references, had to pause a moment to check if Blake Crouch lives in the DMV… he does not but he must have lived here at some point because he nailed it like a local.

This book will definitely make the reader examine which qualities are the ones that make us human, and if it will be our intelligence or our compassion that will save us as a species. Not unsurprisingly, it gives us pause to think about the possibilities and dangers of gene editing, a future that disconcertingly feels not too far off.

I think Dark Matter is still my favorite of his books but Upgrade is not far behind!

Read this book if you want an entertaining and fast-paced read that skews slightly science-nerdy!

Thank you to Random House/Ballentine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC and share my honest opinions.

Upgrade is set in the future, and the government has outlawed gene editing. Scientists are closely monitored, and illegal labs are raided and shut down. Logan belongs to the GPA, an organization designed to find and eliminate the illegal gene editing operations.

During a raid, Logan and his team are ambushed, and Logan is injured. They soon discover that he has been infected intentionally with a virus that could have been designed to change his genetic makeup. Logan is lucky, and eventually gets cleared to return home. This is when he starts to notice some changes in himself, which soon lead him into a complex race to save the world.

This book starts out with action, but it took me a minute to get a (general) grip on the scientific jargon and world building that was happening. I remember enough biology that I was able to understand the basic terminology, but at times I felt like this really weighed down the story for me. However, science fiction is not a normal genre for me, so I would imagine this is somewhat expected.

I felt that the premise of this book was very interesting and the story was pretty fast paced. I thought it took me a bit longer than normal to wade through the book since the writing is so dense, but I enjoyed the plot and found it very well-structured. I really enjoyed the epilogue of the book as well, and was very glad that was included in the story.

This was my first Blake Crouch book, and I look forward to reading more of his work. I will just make sure I am prepared with time and full focus when I do so, if they are anything like this one! If you are a first timer like me, strap on your thinking cap and get reading—I don’t think you will be disappointed!

3.5 stars

This was not my favorite Crouch novel. It started off fast, then got slow, then got fast again. A lot of the science jargon I just skipped over (like I did in Dark Matter and Recursion). I liked the storyline but I felt like Crouch didn't do enough with it. Will there be a sequel? The ending is pretty open. There's still a LOT of unfinished business. I would be interested in a sequel. I hated the fact that he got in touch with his family again. I didn't like how much he disrupted their lives, even if Crouch didn't show that it was a big disruption. It just didn't feel right to me. Let them move on completely without lurking in the background.

This book will turn your world upside down in the BEST WAY.

Blake Crouch is the modern day Michael Crichton. No one around can do a science-fiction thriller better. NO ONE.

Upgrade was mind blowing on so many levels. Im talking gene splicing, potential world ending, real super hero shit.

It’s a bit complicated but allow me to somewhat set the scene: *ahem* many years in the future, at home gene editing becomes a thing. Black market underground labs pop up all over. So, naturally, the FBI creates a unit to stop this. The son of the scientist who made gene editing mainstream is part of a FBI team that regulates this crime, and becomes injured during a raid. His injuries infect him with a virus that alters him. Suddenly he is smarter, stronger, and more capable than any human should be able to be. Of course there are people who want access to this, and will do anything to use this advance for their own purposes.

There. That’s just a skim of the surface of this book. There is SO much more at play, but I can’t give it all away and definitely can’t convey it better than Crouch himself so you’re just going to have to read the book.

Everything Blake Crouch writes brings me deep science nerd joy. His books are full of action and always contain thought provoking topics. I never want his novels to end and Upgrade was no exception. There were parts that felt strange to read, but the reader is dealing with an advanced life form of the future here so just roll with it.

I highly recommend getting this when it’s published - if you love science thrillers. Even if you don’t, get it and find out that you do. Thank you netgalley for providing me this ARC and hours of entertainment.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a totally amazing story. It catches your attention immediately and holds it throughout the entire book and then some. I have always been interested in DNA research and this one has the science of DNA modification throughout the entire book. It is futuristic in time setting. I have never read one of Bake Couch’s books before but I am hooked now.

The setting of this book is futuristic when gene editing is a Federal Crime. Federal Agent Logan Ramsey is with the Gene Protection Agency. Logan is the target of a viral infection that changes his body, intelligence and personality. He goes on the hunt to discover what and who is behind these changes. The goal seems to be to produce a superior race for the chosen few and to kill the masses who are not the chosen ones. There are times when the science of gene mutation is far above my understanding but the action in the book makes it impossible to put it down. I cheered him on as he works to find the answers and felt his pain at the loss of family and friends. It leaves you searching your own life and asking what would anyone do if faced with his choices?

I highly recommend this action packed book and expect to see it on the Big Screen in the future.

I love all books I’ve read from this author, and this is no exception! This plot felt all too real with the current pandemic and that made this even more fascinating to me. I really enjoyed the main characters development throughout the book, I really felt for him and the difficult situations he was put in. I would say is my second favorite Blake crouch book and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

I am a very fast reader and love reading new and exciting books from authors I haven’t sampled before. Recently, I was offered an opportunity to review a science fiction novel by Blake Crouch called Upgrade. I wasn’t entirely certain what it was about, but I knew it involved fiddling around with the human genome to create a “better” human. Based on the goings on in the world today, I was definitely interested in reading this book.
Upgrade takes place in a future Earth in which the science of genetic engineering is considered dangerous thanks to past mistakes that have led to planetary devastation. Logan Ramsay knows all about it firsthand – he was involved in his mother’s genetic engineering experiment that was designed to save the world’s grains but ended up destroying them instead. Years later, Logan is now a member of a law enforcement agency that hunts down scientists performing illegal genetic engineering experiments as penance for his mother’s deeds.
While on one such hunt for illegal genetic scientist activity, Logan is ambushed. When he comes to, he discovers that he has changed – his cognitive functions have been heightened and his healing powers have increased exponentially. It isn’t long before Logan realizes that his genome has been hacked, but to what end? Logan soon learns that his genetic upgrade has something to do with his mother’s legacy. What’s worse – his upgrade is just the start of something big she had planned for the fate of humanity. Should Logan intervene and prevent the evolution that is about to take place, or should he just lay back and enjoy the ride?
As with a great many science fiction novels I have read in the past, Upgrade deals with the ethics of genetic engineering and the arrogance of humans. This book is a tad different though based on the time in which it has been published. This is an Earth that has endured COVID-19 and the various theories surrounding the virus. At one point, it was thought that COVID-19 was genetically engineered, and this has yet to be proven or disproven. We are living in a world where scientists are viewed with skepticism and distrust and Blake Crouch perfectly incorporates this all in his book. He also does a great job displaying the arrogance that some higher intellects have – generally believing that they are the only ones with the right answers – that nurtures the skepticism and distrust in average citizens.
Upgrade is an intelligent reader’s novel. There are some complex ideas at play in this book and some readers might get lost in all of the genome, RNA, DNA, etc. talk if they are not up on the latest in genetic science. That being said, there is great deal of action and intrigue to be had as well thanks to Logan’s law enforcement background, his sister’s military background and the unknown factor behind the upgrade. No one can be trusted and everyone is a potential enemy until the final moments of the book.
I was left on the edge of my seat while Logan hunted down who was behind his upgrade and then tried to stop the upgrade from spreading. You just never knew who was willing to go along with the conspiracy or what kind of new dangers Logan would find himself in while trying to level the playing field. I read this book in a matter of a couple of days and loved every minute of it – perfect testimony to the exciting and descriptive writing style and storyline created by Blake Crouch. Upgrade was definitely a fun read!

Thank you so so SO much to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for an eARC copy of Upgrade by Blake Crouch in exchange for an honest review. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I am so ecstatic that I got to read it early and promote this incredible book!

CW: gun violence, violence, explosions, blood, gore, combat, murder, suicide, torture, climate change, extreme weather events, genocide, pandemic, medical content, confinement, death of a parent (not on page), death of a sibling (on page), grief, car accident, police brutality, jump scares

I don't want to say too much about the plot, because as with all Blake Crouch's books, I think the less you know about the book going in, the better it will be. We're following our main character Logan Ramsey as he goes on an epic journey to understand what has happened to him and why. Logan is in a race against time to save humanity from an impending pandemic with dire consequences. He has lost everything in pursuit of saving humankind from losing the very thing that makes us human.

Wow wow wow. This is Blake Crouch's highest stakes book yet, and if you have read his other books, you know that's saying a lot. This is an action-packed, philosophically challenging journey of epic proportions. This main character is deeply passionate and empathetic, quite literally holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. He carries his burden with the tact and urgency surpassing all the best heroes I've ever read. My heart was at once broken and proud for this man and all he would sacrifice for the sake of others.

I sped through the first 70% of this book and then had to make myself slow down to savor its conclusion. At the end of this book, Logan's victory comes with a lot of pain, but Crouch crafts a beautiful conclusion, bringing emotional resolution, hope, and a call to readers in toward empathy.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It goes beyond being a source of entertainment and becomes an astonishing love letter to humanity and all that makes us what we are. It is a conversation piece. It is a stepping stone to action. Please do yourself a favor and pick up this book on its release date, July 12.

Blake Crouch takes us once again to the near future, where we've already moved past the devastation of climate change and are now killing people off in the millions via unchecked genetic engineering -- even the best of intentions can go spectacularly wrong via the unintended consequences of playing god with DNA.

So much so that the government has set up an agency to go after illegal scientific research into genetics, of which Logan Ramsay is an agent, despite having served a prison term for his own role in rogue genetic experiments run by his super-genius mother that resulted in mass death and starvation.

Investigating one such rogue operation, Logan is blasted by a bomb, but not any ordinary bomb -- this one infects him with a genetic upgrade that turns him into a super-hyper-ulta-mega-man with boundless intellect, limitless memory, unheard of physical prowess, and (here's the main point) total control of his emotions.

The difference between Upgrade and, say, Peter Parker turning into Spiderman because of a mutated spider's bite, or Kal-El endowed with superpowers because of a different colored sun, is that Crouch takes us on a deep dive into the actual science of genetic engineering that might in theory make this possible -- to the point of listing many of the affected genes.

I always love getting a healthy dose of actual science in my science fiction (even though this might be too detailed for some readers). And I always love when futuristic worlds are actually a reflection of our own contemporary world and its issues, as is the case here.

Beyond that, Upgrade is basically a double chase, where Logan is trying to hunt down the villains while being pursued himself by various powers that be. The McGuffin -- the genetic upgrade -- plays itself out relatively early. The big reveals are handled early on, leaving Crouch a good chunk of time to let the consequences play out -- this could have backfired, but doesn't.

No matter what you like out of your sci-fi thrillers, you're likely to find it here -- real science, believable action that rarely goes too far over the top, interesting philosophical and moral issues that relate to our own world within a well-built futuristic world. And very readable, a true page turner.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, although I can't necessarily gush about how much I loved this book, because it just isn't that kind of book, I can enthusiastically award it 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5, for being thoughtful, engrossing, even educational.

Looking forward to the next entry, which seems inevitable, Crouch having left open enough loose ends and a path forward even though this story is completely wrapped up.

Thank you Random house Publishing and Netgalley for an advance reader copy of Upgrade in exchange of my honest review.

Upgrade was a well written, keep you at the edge of your seat, science fiction thriller. I had a hard time putting this one down.

It’s about what happens when scientists think they could change the fate of the world by changing people. Changing the genes of people to make them smarter, stronger, and with less emotion.

Blake Crouch delivers yet again in this mindblowing new thriller about an ordinary man who undergoes a startling transformation (and fears that all of humanity might be next). 5 enthusiastic stars for this fast-paced, captivating read.


Many thanks to Delrey Books & NetGalley for the eARC.

WOW what a great book. It harkens back to the old science fiction stories that turned into blockbusters! Blake Crouch builds a realistic world and a situation that you may want for yourself!

Logan Ramsey is trying to keep his head down and stay out of trouble. Years ago he was implicated and incarcerated for his mother's failure. A helpful virus she created grew out of control and plunged the world into starvation. Now Logan is out and just trying to make amends when he is exposed to a new virus. At first there are no issues. Slowly, however, he realizes that he is getting faster physically, mentally and these "upgrades" while amazing, are not by choice.

The government catches on and attempts to study him. They think that his experience is a harbinger of a worse virus and that this incident may signify the return of Blake's genius mother! It's a crazy, lightning fast story filled with science and fantasy and I loved it all. If you dream of new abilities, saving the world, or just love a sci fi tale, then Upgrade is for you!
#RandomHouse #Ballantine #Netgalley #BlakeCrouch #Upgrade

I love all the books I have read by Blake Crouch. I think they are so smart and hit the science fiction need right where I need it to hit. However, I didn't quite get there with this one. It was entertaining, full of action, and about a futuristic topic but I just didn't quite like it as much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I devoured this book in two days, and would have finished it sooner if my schedule would have permitted it! A fast-paced, sci-fi thriller that will leave you questioning what makes us human, and what are truly the most important aspects of humanity. I love a sci-fi book with a biology focus, and this packed interesting science with loads of excitement and engaging characters. An absolute must-read for any sci-fi lover!

Another great read by Blake Crouch. I’d rate this one as not quite as great as Dark Matter or Recursion, but only because of the latter third of the book or so. It started out so strong I thought it might be my favorite of his yet, but it got a little slow in the second half and the ending felt rushed and not terribly satisfying. It was a complete 180 to the character’s development to that point, so I was surprised and a bit disappointed. But overall a great read.

I always approach a Blake Crouch book with a mixture of genuine anticipation and equally genuine fear that my brain will pop and I'll be overcome with the need to sleep with the lights on and question my own reality. This book doesn't disappoint in any aspect. As much as I said WTF over and over again while reading I couldn't stop turning the pages. If you enjoy Crouch's work in general you'll enjoy this one as well! If you need me I'll be over here questioning my own existence...

Dark Matter was the first Blake Crouch book I've read. I had heard of him before but I didn't read his previous books because I didn't think they would be something I would enjoy. Fast forward to finishing Dark Matter, the first words out of my mouth were "I will literally read anything else this man comes out with." Now fast forward again to the release of Recursion. Upon release I was waiting for my copy of the book to get here and within a couple days I had it finished and was devastated I didn't have more. I'm in the exact same boat with this newest book. I almost regret applying to get an advanced copy through Netgalley because now I'm left with an empty hole where this book was. Of course I can read the finished copy when it releases (which I will) but I'm never going to get that rush from the 'first read' which is sad.

The constant crazy that was this book was almost nonstop from start to finish. There was a point in the middle after an altercation between siblings where it slowed down a bit as our main character was trying to figure out what was next but other than that it was insane for a huge portion of the book. The characters had me both laughing and crying (especially at the end) but what was done the best is watching as the upgrade changes Logan. Not in just his interactions with others but with himself. How his inner dialog changes and how he handles situations was done so carefully that it blew me away.

I felt a little stupid reading this book. I know the point of the whole thing was that the upgrade essentially makes him vastly superior and insanely smarter than everyone else and that much was expressed in how the character problem solved and spoke but as a reader I was intimidated when I saw a wall of scientific speak that my brain could not understand. I don't want to go too in depth with what happens after Logan's upgrade because I feel like it will spoil the rest of the book but I will say you won't regret picking this book up when it comes out. I was and still am blown away by how much I have loved the last three books he has released and I cannot express enough how much you should absolutely go pick them up and read them. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance!