Holy heckballs! That was some good storytelling!! Truth be told, I am not a sci-fi fan usually because it goes over my head and takes me out of my intelligence comfort zone. However, this was so well done and while it's still a bit above my understanding, the story was so well told and explained that I never once felt lost. I could just take it in and go with it. I sped through the pages. I held my breath. I twisted and turned. I really enjoyed it! That's the sign of a fantastic author - when they can take you outside your comfort zone and you thoroughly appreciate the trip!!

3 stars

My quick take review is that I think I would have enjoyed this much more without the vast amount of scientific jargon and DNA information. It was hard for me to get past, and I was honestly bored. I’m sorry. I have loved everything this author has written, and this isn’t in any way a slight on his writing or this book but more one reader’s takeaway.

I will still read future books by this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I always enjoy Blake Crouch’s books. He has a gift for taking science fiction and making it digestible for a larger audience with compelling plots. Dark Matter is my favorite of his, while Recursion is highly original and ambitious if a bit disjointed and overly long. I think he overcorrected with Upgrade and played it a little too safe. It honestly felt like I was watching a Marvel/superhero movie. Additionally, the epilogue undid some of the more interesting moral questions and themes. Entertaining but not the author’s best.

Logan Ramsay has spent a few years in jail, paying for a genetic blight caused by his genius mother that killed millions of people. Now he works for the GPA, an agency created to make sure geneticists don’t develop anything else . After an accident in a lab raid Logan begins to feel different, first sick and then hyper aware. Is this upgrade a good thing or bad? What Crouch does best is expose human failings and create a future that I could see actually happening.

Crouch does it again. Combing suspense and science, this fast-paced thriller shows how modifying genetic structure can affect evolution, deftly tango-ing the pros and cons throughout as the protagonist struggles with moral dilemma, and family. An easy handsell to many types of readers.

I was absolutely mesmerized by this book. Maybe it was because I've often thought about what might (or should that be will?) happen when DNA manipulation becomes a common occurrence. My strengths do not go in the direction of science so for a book such as this to completely satisfy my desire for science fiction it has to read as if it *might all just be true*. Never mind if every fact is a proven scientific fact because I'm aware that I'm reading fiction but make it as interesting as possible while exploring where the story is going. My first Blake Crouch and I picked a doozie!

Yes, the explanations of the changing of the DNA is extremely scientific sounding. Yes, it can be hard for some of us to muddle our way through those passages. Thankfully I was enjoying the story so much I didn't mind slowing down for the tough explanations. I'm reading fiction; I will survive reading through content that makes me wonder just how real some of this science is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books for an e-galley of this novel.

So glad that I was selected to read this Netgalley!

Blake Couch is so creative and innovative in the stories he tells. It’s almost chilling how real they feel - like it could have in real life and he’s telling us to prepare ourselves.

In his latest book, Upgrade, we are dropped into a post traumatic United States after an attempt at gene mutation caused a global famine and killed A LOT of people.

I really enjoyed this read! It’s perfect for travel, rainy days, and when you need an extra adventure.

Blake Crouch does it again! I will never not read his books as he has become an "auto-buy" author for me after Recursion and Dark Matter. While I can't speak on the accuracy of any of the genetics mentioned, the field of gene editing I found immensely interesting and gene modification has already affected our environment and lives. I am very interested in aspects of the potential future in relation to genetic disease being able to edit genes in those who are already fully developed humans. Crough grapples with the ethics of gene editing and also our roles in the future of the human race and the planet as a whole.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

I absolutely adored both Dark Matter and Recursion so I was extremely excited to read Upgrade. What I loved specifically about the previous two Blake Crouch books was the human story that is so central to the plot despite the sometimes wild and fantastic sci-fi things occurring in the story. Sci fi has never been a genre I was much interested in until I read Crouch’s books and realized that these otherworldly plot lines could still feel totally relatable in the right writer’s hand.

So to get to Upgrade, there is a deeply human story at the center of this book took, a father who wants to get home to his wife and daughter. But I found it to be slightly more action and superhero in some respects than the other two novels. Logan, the main character undergoes this genetic upgrade, rendering him a Superman of sorts. Then there’s quite a lot of violent fight scenes between him and the “bad guys” who want to unleash this upgrade on the world. This is ok, it’s action packed, but it wasn’t as much of the things I usually love in Crouch’s writing.

One thing i did find very interesting was the references to virus’ and pandemics and plagues in the book. Covid is referenced as a past pandemic since this is set in the future and the way the upgrade is set to be released to the masses is through a virus. In one such instance, it does get released into a remote town in Montana and there is such empathetic writing about the fear of the townspeople who have no idea what’s going on, only that amongst them are the sick and dying, the quarantining and cordoning off of the sick that takes place, and the heartbreak of seeing black cloth on doorsteps indicating that dead are inside. It felt, reminiscent of what we have lived through these last two years, especially the fear in the beginning and it is that sensitivity for which I come to Crouch time and again.

This may not have been my favorite Crouch book, but there is a lot to enjoy in this novel and I did enjoy it thoroughly.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a science-fiction novel about a not-so-far-in-the-future Earth in which environmental disaster and human negligence mark the beginning of the end for humanity. The book follows Logan Ramsay, employee of the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) and the son of an infamous geneticist responsible for worldwide famine. This is where our story begins.

I had previously read Dark Matter by Crouch. The combination of his fast-paced and scientific jargon-packed writing style placed it as one of my favourite books I read in 2018. I am currently a graduate student in neuroscience, and love to consume media that allows these esoteric, academic topics to be more accessible to the general public. Thus, I was excited when I saw I was approved for the advanced reader copy of Upgrade.

The beginning of the book captivated me as the unfortunate and unpredictable events unfolded for Logan. The writing was fast-paced, the plot was exciting, and I was engrossed in every twist and turn the story took.

But as the book progressed, I felt that a lot of the middle plot lines were half-baked. I found myself picking up the book less and less, and eventually having to will myself to finish it. It seemed like Crouch had a clear beginning and end to this story, but struggled to pull them together. Also, I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. They all felt pretty distant to me, as if I was watching these events unravel for them from afar, instead of being directly in the middle of the action. Maybe that's the consequence of deleted emotions from the equation - I have no compassion for those that don't express it? Not a shocking revelation then that the beginning and end of the story held my interest more.

Overall this read was good, not great. I would still be interested in what Crouch released in the future.

Upgrade is a compelling read combining action and SF and big questions about the line between hope and hubris and what that means for science and progress, especially when unintended consequences may be unavoidable and regulation impossible as gene editing technology matures. It also asks key questions about what "upgrades" would actually lead to a better world, and who could possibly attempt to solve for that and how -- what would you improve about humanity if you could. What is knowable about how different gene combinations and expressions result in what changes to intelligence, compassion, behavior, etc.

Logan Ramsay is a federal agent tracking down underground genetic engineering work -- a tech that was criminalized due to his own mother's invention, which attempted to improve crop outcomes and wound up causing a global famine that killed millions and made meat extremely scarce and prohibitively expensive. His investigation leads him into a trap, where a bomb in a basement shoots tons of ice shards into his body.

Nothing happens at first, other than a coma, but soon intense fevers lead to the titular "upgrade" -- his senses, strength, brainpower, and many other aspects suddenly increase exponentially, to the point that he can split his consciousness, like reading one book and listening to another one while retaining everything (the dream of every book lover with a huge TBR pile!!), speak much faster, have perfect memory of every conversation/book/experience from before and going forward, and numerous other things.

As he learns more about how this happened to him and why, he uncovers a massive plot that he is uniquely positioned to address. His descriptions of his transformation and what that means for his relationships to others like his partner, boss, and family are well-rendered and fascinating, as well as the decisions he has to grapple with as the plot is the classic attempt to save the world with massive negative consequences and a likely flawed set of assumptions.

There's great action, too in a Manhattan that is to some degree submerged/abandoned and to some degree remarkably functional -- the glossing over of this and some other global warming consequences is the one drawback, but there's so much other great fodder to cover as Logan finds other upgraded people to deal with.

Another very thought-provoking exploration of humanity and technology from a great author -- can't wait to see what he does next.

This was a great little foray with an aspect of so many genres. It is a little bit post-apocalyptic, a little bit survivalist, a little bit thriller, a little bit sci-fi, it even had a little bit of family/romantic drama... My heart broke, I was scared, excited, and so many other emotions. I devoured this book, it was so interesting and really makes you think about what is happening right now and what this means for the future. GREAT read!

I received an ARC, but my opinions are all mine.

Upgrade is the brilliant sci-fi thriller by Blake Crouch. He takes current issues - pandemic virus and genetic modification - and mashes them together. Set in the unspecified near future, gene modification is highly illegal due to a pandemic that killed 200 million people years before. But that doesn't stop people from continuing to do it. When the protagonist, Logan, is targeted and "upgraded," he has to determine who did it and why. The truth is worse than anything he could have imagined.

The author is a terrific storyteller. The concept is gripping, and the mind-blowing science is explained in a way for the average reader to understand. Except where it isn't to give the reader the feel of how far Logan has evolved. Where this loses a star for me is the agenda items that are preached throughout the book. Otherwise it is a fantastic novel that is terrifying in its realism. This will also make you think on what it means to be human.

Not family friendly due to violence and language.

This is another awesome scifi thriller from Blake Crouch! So often with science fiction I have a hard time digesting the plot and heavily scientific facts involved but not with Crouch’s writing. In this book all about altering DNA and saving our planet I felt like I could easily take in the more scholarly information regarding the science behind the book. The plot was full of action and kept me on edge waiting to see how the main character got out of a tricky situation. You can feel the work and research put into this book! I loved that even though this is a book about science and technology, it still touched on very important themes of humanity, compassion, sacrifice and empathy. I think this is a super important book for our current environmental situation.

Crouch's books are a very safe bet for sci-fi thriller fans. He is popular for a reason. This has many ratings and reviews already, so I'll just recommend it.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

This was another exciting book from Blake Crouch. It did have a lot of science and big ideas, but they were mostly accessible to non scientists and non sci fi readers. The main character was complex and I enjoyed the relationships between him and the other characters. I especially enjoyed the ending and it wasn't what I expected at all.
Anyone who enjoyed Recursion or Dark Matter will definitely enjoy this one as well.

I am a big fan of this author. I love his work. Upgrade was just a bit over my head with all the DNA science talk. I liked the story but didn’t understand all of it.

My first Blake Crouch book was “Dark Matter” and I absolutely loved it. I was eager to read this, although I’m not into most sci-fi, something about the way Crouch writes just draws me in. I did find myself confused at certain times, but that just comes with not being into science! Great read!

Wow! Fantastic, fast moving story based in the near future.

I loved the scientific facts (even though I didn't completely understand them) and how it all felt so realistic. The characters change and evolve (or upgrade) into "better" or at least more aware humans. This is a story that anytime I was not reading, I was thinking about exactly what was going to happen and why. I love getting so immersed into a world!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

After Logan Ramsey had a small part in a gene editing experiment that went horribly wrong, causing widespread famine and killing thousands, he served his time and then joined a government operation to apprehend any geneticists still in operation. But when they get a bad tip and Logan is injured in the explosion, he's worried about what may have been in the bomb. After he's cleared from the hospital, he feels fine... until he's not. Something's happening to make him more than human. Soon he's testing well above the highest IQ level, able to do multiple complicated tasks at a time, seeing and hearing better, and he's stronger and faster than any human. But when he uncovers some startling new information, he may need yet another upgrade to save humanity from a familiar enemy.
This book is part thriller, mostly sci-fi, and heavy on the science. There's a lot of information about DNA that went way over my head, but it's told in a way that the average reader will mostly understand. I thought it was an exciting and entertaining story that gives a heads-up for the future of our planet with climate change that may force a change in humanity as well... just maybe not quite such a drastic change! I highly recommend this book!!
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.