This is one of the best novels I have read in a very long time. I love everything that this author has written, and once again he did not disappoint. I am truly amazed how much research goes into writing a novel like this and can appreciate all that Crouch puts into his work. This was quite the thrill ride of fast paced, edge of your seat action. I give this novel a solid 5 stars.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59838811

Wow. Honestly, there are not enough words to express the joy I felt while reading "Upgrade".

First of all, I was shocked to receive the notification that I was selected for an ARC of this widely-anticipated novel. I'm a *huge* Blake Crouch fan and have read most of his works. Typically, I'm not a science fiction reader. I leave that genre to my husband; it's his favorite.

But when it comes to Crouch's writing? I'm instantly intrigued by the stories.

Dark Matter? Loved it.

Recursion? Couldn't put it down.

"Upgrade" was no different. A thrilling-ride and so well-paced. The perfect length, too. Easy to "snack on," so to speak - but the writing made you think... about quite a lot.

Family. Knowledge. Power. What would *you* do if your world were suddenly turned upside down by way of a virus changing your core genome? This is what Logan Ramsay faces without warning. He becomes smarter, more agile, can read people better than ever before. He can even (finally) win a game of chess against his daughter.

But this wasn't supposed to happen. Shouldn't *be* happening. The manhunt is on for Logan and his newly enhanced genome.

Again, the pacing of this book was absolute perfection. You're in for a wild ride (in all the best ways).

Another wild Sci-fi ride from the mind of Blake Crouch. In future not too far from our own, genetic engineering is made illegal after a worldwide famine is triggered by a brilliant scientist. What does it mean for the world when one man is “upgraded” in a terroristic attack? Fast paced, thrilling, though provoking sci-fi.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Upgrade.

I enjoy the author's books because he blends science with a human story with relatable characters well.

Upgrade is no exception.

Yes, it's a bit more science-y than I expected; all the DNA jargon went right over my head so I skipped those parts.

The premise is a blend of the movies Limitless and Upgrade, nothing new but the author adds his familiar trademarks; a good main character with morals and values, the importance of love and family, fighting evil with compassion and love.

Logan Ramsey lives in a world of cutting edge DNA technology, the son of a disgraced, renowned scientist whose arrogance caused the death of over 2 billion people.

When an unforeseen accident at a raid gone wrong imbues Logan with new cognitive and physical abilities straight out of a comic book, he quickly learns that just because you're smart doesn't make you less evil.

One of the things I love about the author's books are the likable characters; I liked Logan, I liked his tone and his style, how much he loved his family and doing his job to the best of his ability.

There's a lot of action interspersed with quiet moments of introspection and solitude, plenty of shady characters, and lots of medical and science jargon, though some facts were super interesting.

Another thing I love about the author's books are the optimistic endings; it's neither entirely happy or sad, but hopeful, positive.

This would make a great series on NetFlix or any streaming channel.

Upgrade is Blake Crouch’s latest novel. It revolves around Logan Ramsay an agent from the Gene Protection Agency (GPA). The story takes place in an undetermined future. A future where the GPA has outlawed all gene editing and gene modification, so it tracks the development and use of all genetic research to prevent it from being used against humanity.

In this world, private and university-based research has been banned, so scientists who insist on following this line of research are forced to work illegally.

The book starts with Logan in the process of raiding an illegal lab when an explosion exposes him to a gene-modifying virus.

When Logan wakes up from the accident, he realizes that something is different in his body. His memory, cognition, and overall intelligence seem to have drastically improved. Under suspicion of having self-injected the gene-modifying virus and facing imprisonment, Logan sets out to look for answers.

I have read several of Blake Crouch’s books, but I have to admit that this one just didn’t do it for me. It is a very fast-paced thriller and the premise is interesting, however, the techno-jargon felt a little overdone and could potentially turn off some readers.

I want to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Think of this as a more violent version of the Bradley Cooper film Limitless. When gene editing is a reality, we find our hero "upgraded" to a new level of human achievement. He grapples with morality, the legacy of his family, and how to move forward.

Great writing, although a bit too focused on naming specific genes, scientific processes, and the like. Big fan of Crouch's work in general and I'll be back for the next one.

ARC from NetGalley. All opinions my own.

In a future where the world has been ravaged by the unintended consequences of gene editing, Logan Ramsay works for the Genetic Protection Agency, tracking down unauthorized gene editors to atone for his family's role in the disaster. When an explosion infects Logan with a virus, he undergoes a genetic transformation and now must use his new abilities to stop it from happening to anyone else.

I've enjoyed Crouch's smart sci fi thrillers previously, but Upgrade might be too smart for its own good. I was bored to tears throughout the entire book, which failed to make DNA science interesting, and I actually don't mind reading fat science books about genetics. Even the action scenes were putting me to sleep. I'm honestly ashamed to say I even finished the book because it was that dull.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for allowing me to receive this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

Blake Crouch is a master of Sci-Fi thrillers, and this book is no exception. It is cunning and keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting to flip each page. I love how Crouch combines complex science theories and twists them into probable future events. Each of his books feels like a glimpse into the future, which can be very unsettling at times. I have loved every second of this book and look forward to getting a copy for my shelves.

This is my first Blake Crouch book and I was not disappointed at all.
I loved the character development through the book. Logan is the kind of character that I root for. To see him go through all the physical and mental changes due to the Upgrade his mom invented was a roller coaster.
Its fast paced but very easy to follow. I would say the only thing that threw me was just when they talked science and genomes. I guess the normal person wouldnt know those sequences.

I found this book very compelling and carries a powerful message about how we are dying as a species due to the lack of real compassion in the world.

I suspect I’ll be in the minority on this, but I did not love Upgrade.

I know Blake Crouch is an incredibly popular author. Until now, I’d only read Crouch’s Recursion, which I had mostly enjoyed, but I did not find Upgrade to be as intriguing, despite the promising premise.

Firstly, I must say that I was never eager to pick this back up and I had considered, after 40% of the ebook, giving this the boot. But I convinced myself to push forward, thinking it would be more interesting in the second half. Unfortunately, what I felt was a lackluster beginning faded even more as time went on. I regret my optimism now.

Upgrade leans heavily into the science side of science fiction. Obviously, since this is a sci-fi thriller, one might expect this, but I felt it was so bogged down by those details at times that my eyes glazed over.

Does the story entertain, despite this? Some may say “yes.” There is, after all, A LOT going on in the book and Crouch absolutely deserves credit for molding so many leaps together smoothly and keeping up with the action elements. But I couldn’t help but feel that each newly introduced dynamic was something I’d seen before, making this feel like a mash up of familiar stories from movies and books. I do understand that everything that’s been done has likely been done before. I appreciate the author’s creative efforts with the material, as well as his emphasis on society’s lack of compassion.

I’ve no desire to dissuade anyone from trying this book. My opinion is just that - a personal opinion. I’m sure diehard Crouch fans will dive in, no matter what, but for those of you who haven’t read his work before, know that there are plenty of glowing reviews already about Upgrade. They’ve been written by trusted reading friends and they’re absolutely worth looking into. That’s the great thing about book opinions - They aren’t one size fits all!

I am immensely grateful to Ballantine Books for my digital review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Definitely enjoyed this one. I found it both a thrilling and thought-provoking story about the nature of intelligence, humanity’s ultimate destiny as a species, and compassion. It seems rare to find authors writing fiction in near-future settings, that aren’t post-apocalyptic wastelands, but Crouch’s world felt like a well-detailed and believable vision of mid 21st century America.

I did notice an error. In chapter 6 Crouch writes:

“And all under a sky as vast as an ocean, looking down on a desert that 450 millions years ago, during the late Cretaceous, had been a shallow sea.”

Crouch has confused the Cretaceous for Ordovician period, the former having ended “only” 65 million years ago.

This was an adrenaline rush from start to finish, a tale of mind-bending genetic engineering on steroids. Family man and scientist Logan finds himself on a race to save humanity, even when all seems lost. It is an action-packed, exciting read, but the best part is the epilogue. Maybe I shouldn't have said that Don't peek!

Thank you to Random House for the advanced digital copy through Netgalley!

Like all Blake Crouch books, Upgrade is a gripping rollercoaster that will have you staying up late turning the pages. Crouch has a way of making even the wildest wild sci-plots emotional. You feel for his characters and wonder what your own decisions in a similar situation would be. Upgrade takes the personal questions and spins them out to make the reader think about how the world might change. 5 Stars.

Thank you for the NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

After reading "Dark Matter" and "Recursion" by this author, and finding them to be among the best books I've read in the last couple of years, I was thrilled to get an early copy of Blake Crouch's newest book. While different from those two books, it felt very much in the same style in which the author wraps a thriller with an accessible take on advanced science, in this case, genetics and DNA. If you enjoyed the preceding two books, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one as well, as I did.

Like his peer Andy Weir, and Michael Crichton before them, Blake Crouch has really mastered the scientific thriller that explains complex concepts in a way that anyone can understand, and uses them to great effect in entertaining while also raising questions about society in the future.

The big questions raised in this book, coupled with the "near" future approach that wraps climate disaster in, made it very compelling. I would have enjoyed another 100 pages in this book that helped me get to know Logan and Kara more, but that's less of a criticism of what exists and more of a wish to have a little more to enjoy of the book. This felt more like a film, where you get to know enough about the characters for the plot to move forward, but I wanted to know more. Again, that's less of a criticism of the story lacking and more of a compliment on what does exist. Give us a 450-page book next time!

All in all, though, this is a fast and compelling read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was a sci-fi thriller of the "would watch this as a movie while shoveling popcorn into my mouth" variety. It went a little bit above that in examining how the science at its heart could impact society, but not in a truly deep, philosophical, or even particularly character-developing way. Would recommend, but honestly I probably liked it less that Recursion and Dark Matter.

Blake Crouch's Dark Matter,
then Recursion, and now....
Upgrade.
While these are technically not a trilogy, they do all explore similar themes and toy with the fluidity of space, time, medicine and exciting plot-driven connections between them all.

Logan Ramsay feels a little more focused. 'Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep'.
This biomedical thriller is an exciting romp that moves at the speed of light. Don't let yourself feel bogged down by the scientific aspect; Crouch trusts your ability to follow along and enjoy the ride.
The trippy plot device that in order to save humanity, Logan's new abilities mark him as the sole person capable of pulling off such a seemingly impossible task is a blast to explore. Will his new abilities allow him to see it through?
With a release date of July 2022, be sure to toss this title into your beach bag. It's a sizzling thriller!
Once readers dive in, I promise they won't be able to put it down.
I've always read epilogues, but PLEASE do yourself a favor and read this one. It's totally worth it.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest review.
Also, I recently saw where Amblin Partners has already snagged this title for film development.
Happy Reading!!

I flew through this sci-fi thriller! Blake Crouch has a talent for writing thoroughly believable speculative fiction combined with heart-pounding action scenes that are written so vividly that I can imagine the scenarios as clearly as if they were projected on a movie screen in front of me. Officially an auto-read author on my list.

Blake Crouch is the master of the what-if… I loved Upgrade for its anxiety-inducing thrills and science that made me ponder the bigger moral questions. Will recommend to customers who love sci-fi, dystopian fiction, science non-fiction, and thrillers.

A fascinating story of what could be in our future and the possible consequences it could have. Very thought provoking and makes you think about what the future holds.