If you like Blake Crouch you won’t be disappointed. Is it his best work? Personally I liked Recursion better… but this is still really good! You can’t go wrong by picking it up. I really did like the concept I just felt like the way it was executed felt a bit flat in some places compared to the typical page turning I’m used to from him. All and all this is still a solid read!

Another winner from Crouch! His books are compulsively readable and Upgrade is no exception. The science is fascinating, makes you think and doesn't seem too far-fetched. The characters don't suffer - they are fully fleshed out, believable and interesting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Imagine a future where the world has gone to sh!t and the government is trying to control everything (not hard to do). They try to regulate everything to do with genes, dna, and genetics. But a super smart person comes up with an upgrade for humans.

This book hooked me from the beginning. Action packed with emotional moments. I loved it. It’s not 5 stars because there were some moments that were just too sciencey for me.

Read this. It’s great!

BLAKE CROUCH DID IT AGAIN!!

I'm a huge fan of the author and when I received this e-arc i just couldnt believe I was going to read it so soon!!. I just loved Dark Matter and it's one of my favorites books ever. And here in "Upgrade", Mr. Crouch served us again!. It was everything I expected. The characters and the whole vibe... SO GOOD. I can't wait to get me a physical copy because I'm obsessed with this one!

This doesn't match up to Recursion unfortunately. That was a mindboggling wild ride. This one just kinda ... happened. I read enjoyed the start and thought it had 5* potential, and I loved all the DNA science, but I wasn't interested in Kara's character and I found that the book kind of got a bit muddled around the 70%ish mark. It lost its momentum and after a strong start, it felt like it fizzled out.

Blake Crouch delivers another mind-bending, rabbit hole inducing read with his latest book, "Upgrade." While the other books I’ve read of his lean towards the dimensional travel side of sci-fi, this one takes a dive into genetic engineering in the not so distant future. Crouch’s exploration of gene-editing is both terrifying and fascinating. Add in the adrenaline-packed plot line and you’re left with a compulsive, compelling read that keeps you on edge until the very end.

I always like the male protagonists that Crouch writes and he gives us another one with Logan Ramsay. He’s flawed and complex and yet you find yourself hoping he overcomes the many obstacles he faces. Like Crouch’s other works, we again see a protagonist with his family at his center and the driving force in so many of his actions.

I found the whole concept of genetic-engineering intriguing and it’s a relevant focus for a society that’s just dipping its toes into what could be the future. This book presents valid pros and cons of such an endeavor and explores how far we are willing to go to save humanity. I feel like Crouch always gives us sci-fi with a heart and "Upgrade" is no different. It’s an examination of science vs. feeling (humanity) and the consequences of one trumping the other. Despite all the action and blockbuster movie feel, it’s ultimately a book arguing for compassion and hope.

I struggled a bit with all of the genetic… jargon. I’m not up to speed on genetics and while those who are, likely appreciated the immense amount of research that had to go into writing this book, he could’ve spit any random combination of letters at me and I would’ve believed it. The heavy focus on genetics didn’t deter me from the plot or enjoying the book though. It was there, but not vital that I understood the total ins and outs of it. He dumbed it down enough (thank you Blake) so that someone like myself could loosely grasp the concept and still understand what was going on and the impacts it had on the plot. Also, despite all of the scientific focus that usually slows me down when reading some sci-fi, I still found this one moved quite quickly.

"Upgrade" is another easy recommendation from me. Fans of his will be pleased with another stellar addition to his writing collection and new readers can expect a thought-provoking, high-action thriller. 4.5 stars.

A near-future science fiction thriller dealing with the ethics of genetic research and manipulation.

In a world where genetic manipulation has become illegal Logan Ramsay must contend with his family's legacy. His mother had inadvertently caused a famine when unleashing a genetic modification. Now she has bigger plans for her children and the world.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a fast science-thriller that falls in the same vein as Dark Matter and Recursion. I personally still have Dark Matter at #1 but Upgrade is a really close second. Upgrade is fast and snappy. I had no problem reading for hours at a time. One of the most impressive things about this book was how the tone and character changed throughout the story.

Ultimately, Upgrade is a great read for those that are fans of sci-fi and thrillers. The story explains the science along the way and it a great read for anyone to enjoy.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. In the future, the technology is available to change the genome of humans. Of course, there are regulatory agencies and a big black market. This is the story of an agent who gets upgraded genetically and then finds out his mother and sister are behind it.

WOW. If you're a conspiracy theorist, you better hold onto your hat, because you are in for a RIDE! I loved this book. I think Blake Crouch has such elegance when writing Sci-Fi books, that anyone can follow along. I am an engineer by degree, so I LOVE the added extra science, but anyone could read and completely understand the story.

This story was so great because it felt JUST real enough to be scary, but also JUST far fetched enough to not remain terrified.

I thought the craziest part of the book was the idea that people see destruction and they can feel sad, but then ignore it and go about their day. In the Epilogue it was talking about how we only can build real connections with 150 people, so when they see destruction or famine in far off lands, they can't completely associate with it, which makes PERFECT sense!

I think everyone should read this book!

Upgrade kept me on the edge of my seat from the very start. Logan was a likeable character who was easy to relate to. He starts noticing changes in his body and realizes his DNA has been upgraded. His search to figure out who did this to him and why is fast paced and interesting. Logan's story is smart and thrilling and will leave you with a good book hangover. I'm not sure where Blake Crouch gets his plot ideas but I hope they continue to come.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. I enjoyed it immensely.

I’m a huge fan of all of Blake Crouch’s other books so I was so excited for this one. Unfortunately, for me it didn’t live up to his previous novels. It started off intriguing but the middle fell flat for me and just seemed to drag on and on. Good concept, just felt like it wasn’t as developed as his other novels.

I love when an author can put science and fiction together in a way that makes them both believable, and Crouch is an expert at that.

Using genetic alteration as the basis for the story, Crouch delivers a mind-blowing thriller that will keep you on edge until the last page.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Another compulsively readable SF thriller from Blake Crouch! Genetic engineering can be good but can also have some really bad consequences. A book that has you thinking about the future. Awesome read.

Whenever a new Blake Crouch novel is announced, I know it is going to be one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Upgrade did not disappoint. I will admit, while I did not love this novel as much as Dark Matter or Recursion, it was still a wildly entertaining and fast paced story - the caliber of what we have come to expect from Crouch. I could not put this book down and it has reinforced why Crouch is an auto-read author for me. I recommend to anyone who loves sci-fi, or simply just a fast-paced story with a great plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Upgrade was one of my most anticipated books this year. When you love an author’s previous works, there is so much anticipation for the next one…but there is also that niggling worry that it won’t live up to what you hope for as an avid reader. This one did not disappoint, and like many of his previous books, I devoured this one in a single day!

Crouch has a way of immediately engaging the reader, as well as presenting scientific theories and information in a way that’s accessible. This book had a fascinating premise and kept me on the edge of my seat; I’m definitely glad I started it on a day that I knew I didn’t have any pressing matters to see to, because I didn’t want to put it down!

With themes concerning genetic modification, climate change, compassion and empathy, and leaving the world a better place, this sci-fi thriller is beyond relevant to today’s world. Like his other works, this book is a thrill ride I’ll definitely be revisiting in the future.

I love Blake Crouch. I loved both Dark Matter and Recursion. So, I was completely ecstatic to be able to read this one early. Verdict? The epilogue saved it. Completely brilliant ending. It was a great thrill ride.

I loved that genetics was the main topic of this book. As a Fragile X Mom, genetics plays a huge role in my life and my kids lives, so it was really cool to see Crouch take the topic and run with it. My only complaint is that the middle of the book dragged a bit and the ending (before reading the epilogue) made me ask "wait, are you kidding, that's it!?"

That epilogue though....brilliant. Get this one on your must read list!

Blake crouch has done it again! Such an interesting book that is action-packed but also asks many deep questions about the future of humanity.
The story starts with our lead character accidentally getting an upgrade to his genome. He becomes more intelligent, physically improved and that's just the start of it.
He becomes aware of the ramifications of upgrading humans and has to fight with others that don't share his views.
The book posed many questions about our collective future and reminded me of a fictional version of 'Homo Deus' By Yuval Noah Harari'. There are also action-packed scenes reminiscent of 'The Matrix' and 'Limitless'.
I really enjoyed this book and it continues the run of great books by the author.

What happens when we get the power to alter genes? What happens when you get the power to alter a persons genes on the fly? And what happens when unintended consequences of an alteration shifts the world? A fascinating premise and a deep dive into the human genome. The opening was slow and predictable until the Upgrade kicked in.

The pacing in Recursion and Dark Matter truly made those books real page turners. This book's pacing felt different and the pace comes to a crashing halt, sometimes literally. The last act was up to speed and the ending came to a satisfying ending to this roller coaster. If the pacing was more even for me this would have been a solid 4+, but for me, it is more of a 3.5 rounded up to 4.

I loved the idea of the world that we're introduced to in Upgrade: geneticists miscalculated, triggering a maelstrom, leading to the formation of a (new) government law enforcement agency. Blake Crouch is incredibly talented in writing the ideas of "what if" and I continue to have moments where I revisit the Upgrade version of the near future in my mind, thinking through positive and negative ramifications of genetic manipulations.
I would have liked to have seen and felt more about Logan's relationships with his family of origin, and his wife and daughter. I think I felt a little disengaged from his motivations because I didn't have a better sense of those family dynamics. But the world-building, action/tension, and overall story-crafting was excellent.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.