Absolutely love Blake Crouch. Every one of his books is a new take and is so fascinating! Upgrade is no different and I devoured it in a day. If you've loved his previous, this will not disappoint; and if you are new to Crouch, trust me this book is going to be a gateway into the rest of his fantastic writing!

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

Ok, I don't read sci-fi as much as I should. This one gave me some Last of Us vibes (without the zombies). Maybe because I've been watching the show.

This book revolves around a virus that can either upgrade you or wipe out humanity, depending on your genes. The clock is ticking to either stop it or let it spread and start a new world.

I really enjoyed all the scientific and mathematical information in this story. I think it added so much and made it more believable.

The story itself was decent, but the thing I liked most was the ending. The lessons and information shared was so good! I don't want to spoil it, but it really makes you think about life and the future.

Giving this one 3.5-4 stars

Wow, this is a unique tale that is unlike anything I have read before! I really connected with the writing style and flow of the book.

I’ve been meaning to get back into reading Black Crouch after Wayward Pines and his new book Upgrade was a great way to do that! It’s a sci-fi thriller that brings into question the ethics and consequences of genetic manipulation to “upgrade” a person’s DNA. Crouch’s new book is fast-paced and filled with action and science lessons. A pretty quick and thought-provoking read depending on the audience.

Characters
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel very attached to our main character or any character honestly. Our protagonist Logan finds himself unknowingly upgraded (which is illegal) and as a result of his upgrades, some of his senses get heightened. But he also loses what makes him human, i.e. his emotions. Understandably once you have a character become less in touch with their humanity and only focused on their mission it’s hard to feel connected to them. So rather than characters and their development compelling me to continue on, it was mostly the don’t-let-the-bad-people-win plot that forged the path onwards.

Plot
The concept of genetic engineering and creating the perfect human is not a new sci-fi theme. While it didn’t feel stale in Upgrade, it also didn’t feel particularly innovative. Clearly, Crouch took the time to explain the science. But at times I felt that maybe I needed an upgrade in order to understand it as the story progressed. I could see people who are not into sci-fi not enjoying the science lessons throughout. (Or if you are listening to it on audiobook you might not want to hear long strains of ATGTTCCCCGAT when discussing DNA sequences.) I think also a downside of the concept of upgrading the main character then makes them feel almost like a superhero. This reduces the amount of suspenseful nail-biting for the reader. How can they not succeed if they are essentially superhuman?

Overall
Upgrade by Blake Crouch was an interesting read. Innovative in the sense of twists and turns perhaps but not adding anything new to the genre of genetic engineering/manipulation. While I was not attached to any one character throughout, the plot and the wider implications intrigued me enough to want to finish the book. At times the perfect-ness of the main character through his upgrades makes him less human. This casts less doubt on his ability to succeed in his objectives. The epilogue, however, does help to assuage these concerns for character building in the book. Better late than never?

I really enjoyed this one. Not as much as Dark Matter but it was still good. This Sci-Fi Thriller was also action-packed, which kept me interested. The pacing was slow in different sections besides that I felt that this was more fast paced. The science behind this makes you think. What I do appreciate is that it didnt go over my head. That is usually why I don't read these types of books often. Blake Crouch has done this very well.



Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantene publishers for this ebook for an honest review.

As a HUGE fan of Blake Crouch (still making my way through his backlist, but ALMOST there), I NEEDED this in my hands ASAP! However, this was only alright.

Set in a future where genetic modification has become over-used and is now outlawed, we follow officer Logan who is hacked into giving him an advanced operating brain and bodily functions. He must this go into hiding as he attempts to figure out who modified him and about the secret underground world of genetic modification.

On paper, this should have been a GREAT read. However, it felt like Blake never pushed the story as far as it could go. Instead, this all felt very confused. The story starts out very noir, then turns sci-fi, become a revenge story, then a political thriller, and ends feeling like something out of Mission Impossible.

It also didn't move along and feel as cinematic as a lot of Blake Crouch's other recent work.

I didn't dislike Upgrade, but it was just very confusing and I could never feel like I believed the story. And it wasn't really fun enough that I WANTED to.

Hopefully his next work will regain some steam and momentum!

I wanted to love this book just as I had his previous work but felt that it slowed in the second half and was wholly unremarkable.

Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Science fiction is a tough genre to master- especially when you combine dystopia to the scheme of things. What works for Blake Crouch’s Upgrade is the infusion of human emotions- the bond between a father and daughter and the sibling drama are major highlights. Blake Crouch takes us into a futuristic world where a misconstrued genetic experiment by visionary Mariam Ramsay, has wiped out a large chunk of human population and resources. So much so, genetic modification is now a criminal offence and our protagonist, Logan, son of the aforementioned, along with his colleagues at Gene Protection Agency are the helm of protection against such rogue acts. Upon the failure of one mission, Logan finds himself infected by a strain which gives him superhuman abilities. But was it a one off mission gone wrong or was it the beginning of something bigger as Logan is pitted against the visions of his mother and sister in a battle to save humanity and restore compassion.
Upgrade asks the rather uncomfortable question of whether emotion for our close ones is enough or are we running towards extinction by not being compassionate for the billions around us and our future generations. Crouch’s book is highly entertaining and at no time feels preachy or scientifically complex.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

#Upgrade #NetGalley

Blake Crouch is one of my very favorite authors, but he just missed the mark with this one. I felt like he was rushing it. Usually his character development is perfection, but I didn't care about this character or his family. Interesting premise, but poorly executed. I'll be back for his next one--hoping this was a fluke.

Black Crouch is the king of making you think & contemplate life & this book was no exception. It was a thrilling sci-fi novel & I can't wait to read more by him! This book was super fast paced & kept me hooked from the start. I loved all the medical information included & was surprised it didn't get to be boring or confusing. I will continue to read all his books!

Meet some mad scientists from the future. Since they think they are right and you are disposable, as collateral damage of their experiments, maybe you won't meet them or you will meet them in the most unfortunate of ways. There is no end to what they will do to achieve what they want, just try to stop them and you will die. Or course, you may die anyway.

Another great sci fi book from Blake Crouch. I think those who don't normally go for sciency books, but prefer thrillers would find this a good book. Because this could literally be us just around the corner, I think this book was written at a good time.
If a reader is looking for non stop action with a little bit of what is happening here action, pick this up.
Thanks for the complimentary copy from netgalley.

Stars: 3.5 out of 5

I have noticed a recurring theme with Blake Crouch's books - they are very readable, but I don't always "mesh" with the story as much as I would like to. The same thing happened with this book.

It started strong. The premise is chilling it its actuality. This is a very near future that could very well result from the actions we are taking today - global warming, widespread pollution of our environment, etc. Add to it experimentation with the DNA of anything and everything, and you have an explosive mix. No wonder it blows up in everybody's faces. 

Basically, a group of geneticists spearheaded by the protagonist's mother bioengineered a mosquito to carry a virus that would make rice paddies immune to a certain type of mold that was killing the crops... then they released it into nature. Things went horribly wrong. The virus jumped from rice to other crops, which resulted in a catastrophic decrease in yields. Hence widespread famine that killed several billion people worldwide. Now genome modification is outlawed, and our protagonist works for the enforcement agency, trying to atone for his mother's sins.

I loved that premise. There is a lot to unpack here. I even liked the protagonist, and there is plenty of action. Yet, the closer I got to the end of the book, the more disengaged I became with the story. And I'm not really sure what caused me not to "mesh" with this particular book. As I said, it is well written and hugely readable. 

I think one of the reasons is that our protagonist is dead set on stopping his sister, even though he acknowledges that something needs to be done before humanity annihilates itself. He never offers an alternative solution, he is just dead-set on stopping her. And to me, that rung false. I'm sure that if he'd come to his sister and said, "Humanity still have about 100 years before we crash and burn. How about we slow down and try to modify the parameters of this genetic payload we are trying to mass-deliver? How about we do this instead?" She would have worked with him. 

Instead he spends months trying to track his sister down and thwart her plans, and the alternative solution that's supposed to save mankind is mentioned in passing in the epilogue of the book. That was rather... underwhelming. I understand the message that the author wanted to give us with this story, but I think it would have been more impactful, if he'd laid a little bit more ground work for it throughout the book.

As it stands though, it was still a very enjoyable story, even if the ending wasn't to my liking.

PS: I received and advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited about this one after finding Recursion unique and pretty enjoyable. This one was a little less entertaining than Recursion and suffered from some of the same problems. Mainly that it was a bit repetitive. As with Recursion, I did enjoy the unique premise and suspenseful aspects of the book.

Would you agree to be "better"? If you could "Upgrade" your current self ? This novel explores the idea and make the reader really consider the consequences. Interesting book.

Logan Ramsay feels different: his mind is sharper, he can concentrate more, and he basically can do everything better. When he discovers the truth, it is apparent to Logan that his genome has been hacked. The truth is almost too much to bear, especially when Logan realizes why he has been targeted. The only good thing is that the new abilities give him the opportunity to stop the horror that has been set in motion.

Upgrade is an interesting science fiction with a cautionary tale for the future. In reality, the science and bioengineering in this novel is probably more truth than fiction. The middle pages of the book are a little sluggish, but the overall feel of Upgrade is fast paced. I like the main character and his story, especially as Logan struggles with his new reality. Though Upgrade is not as good as the author's previous novels, I would still recommend this book to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this novel was entirely my own.

Another stunner by Blake Crouch! Crouch has a way of writing that the science he is talking about - in this case, genetic manipulation - is understandable. Or, at least I think I understand it. He writes plots that fly and this one moved so quickly in some sections that I had to force myself to slow down.

He gives us a thriller laced with sci-fi and in this case, a dose of ethics. While this story feels like the most plot-driven of all his books, I loved the characters and couldn’t put it down. His books are automatic must-reads for me now!

Blake Crouch is one of those authors I’ve heard amazing things about, and I own multiple of his books, but somehow I’ve yet to dive in to any of them. This changes today!

Sci-fi books have really been growing on me lately, and I loved how much this one focused on humans altering various DNA and genetic codes in the future. Part one was FILLED with action and suspense, and by the time I finished Part Two I was dying to know how Logan was going to figure everything out! (Being intentionally vague for the sake of spoilers)

I really enjoyed this book and felt like I was watching an action movie while I was reading. It also made me start to question the hypothetical future of humanity in general.

I will definitely be checking out the rest of his books now! Thank you to netgalley for my e-copy of this novel to read and honestly review.

It’s taken me a while to get around to reading this but O.M.G. This was my first Blake Crouch read and it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed the story line and the ending was perfect in my opinion. I was expecting something completely different with the way the story started out but loved the way Crouch executed this one! I feel like he did an excellent job developing Logan’s character, really connecting with him. I felt like I was in the middle of a sci-fit thriller/action movie during parts of the book and I loved that! I’ll be grabbing all the Blake Crouch books ASAP!!

Thanks to Random House Publishing - Ballentine for the ARC!