Set in a dystopian future in which New York is flooded and the world has recently suffered mass famine due to genetic crop engineering which has gone awry. Genetic engineering is now strictly forbidden and Logan Ramsey is an agent for the government agency that polices genetic modifications. During a raid he is infected by a virus that leads to modifications of his body and brain giving him advanced capabilities. He later learns that he is a prototype for similar modifications to be released on the human species.
The book is crammed with nonstop action, but is also intellectually stimulating. The current science of genetic engineering is taken to the next level. The inevitable questions are raised: how far can we go without suffering cataclysmic consequences? Are such consequences acceptable if the world can be turned from its path that leads to inevitable destruction? The author delves deeply into the philosophical issues of today and the future and comes to a surprising conclusion.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to approach my feelings on this novel, in one respect, it's fantastically written, in another though, I wish it was longer and certain parts could be expanded upon and other things could have been explored a bit more. Overall I really enjoyed it though, just wish there was more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy. Upgrade comes out July 22, 2022.

I enjoyed both Dark Matter and Recursion, so when I saw that Blake Crouch had a new novel coming out this year, I immediately added it to my TBR list. Blake Crouch is a fantastic author that knows how to write a great science fiction thriller. It did get a little heavy on the science at times, but not enough to cause me to want to stop reading. It was easy to keep reading because I wanted to find out what would happen next. Upgrade takes a look at the good and bad of genetic engineering. I really enjoyed the epilogue!! Dark Matter is still my favorite of Blake Crouch’s novels, but he will continue to be a must read author for me. 4 stars!

This was my first Crouch novel and I can say it won't be my last! I loved the thoughtful sci-fi thought experiment of upgraded DNA. This was an excellent plane book, kept me entertained the entire time! I can't wait to share it with my husband when it comes out in print. Thank you so much for an advanced copy.

Set in the future, Upgrade refers to the manipulation of DNA to make superhumans. Normally I don't care for science fiction, but this was better than expected.
The main character is the son of the woman who tried altering the DNA of bugs to prevent spoilage of crops, but instead it caused millions to die of hunger. Her son had participated with her and spends the rest of his life atoning for these actions.
I liked being surprised by some if the actions. Maybe if I were to read more futuristic books I would not have been surprised, but I like the way it was done.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

A cautionary tale about what dangers can happen when advanced gene editing come into play. As always, Blake Crouch keeps his readers engaged with good characters and timely topics. The ending was great and it makes me curious about what the world might look like in a sequel.

A thriller like not other and a great escape for a lazy afternoon at home or at the beach... quick, captivating and doesnt disappoint

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

I'm not a huge sci-fi reader, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Crouch is a terrific writer. The pacing was wonderful, the science was interesting and plausible, and the storyline was interesting. I love that the storyline wasn't unnecessarily drawn out, and the ending pulled everything together nicely. I've watched series' based on Crouch's writing before, but now I'm interested in picking up more of his written work.

I wish I could say I loved this, but I did not. It reads like the novelization of a movie, or a script for a movie. It is written like a movie. Too much action, too many stock characters, too many predictable scenes. I found parts of it quite boring. I never could bring myself to care for the main character or about the Evil Villain and their Fiendish Plan.

Using chess as a metaphor, check. Having the hero climb up the side of a building, check. Setting the big climax in New York, check. (Why why why must it almost always be New York? The poor, mistreated Statue of Liberty.)

I read an advance reader copy, so maybe the book is still in the editing stage. At one point (in chapter 7) our hero meets a random woman named Miranda who embraces him; later on he is hugged by someone from his past and thinks “It was the first nonviolent physical touch I’d experienced since being kidnapped from this building almost fourteen months ago”. The memory of the guy with the perfect memory is not as good as mine apparently. 😊

The premise of Upgrade is right in my wheelhouse and I really wanted to love it. It has nice sentiments about what homo sapiens has done and is doing to the planet, but the story did not work for me. *sad*

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

Logan Ramsey has spent his entire adult life living in the shadow of the genetic disaster his mother caused years ago. Now, he works for the Generic Protection Agency fighting against genes being altered. When he enters a basement during a raid, there is an explosion and he wakes up in the hospital. There, he learns he was infected with a virus but appears to be normal. But then he slowly starts noticing changes - his mind is sharper and quicker. He needs less sleep and is able to read fast and retain tons of information easily. It becomes clear that his genome has been altered, or “upgraded”. And it was done for a specific reason. Logan risks everything to get to the bottom of what is happening and why.

I’m not a huge sci-fi reader, but I’m glad I gave this one a chance. Though it is heavy on sci-fi and generic terminology, it is also an exciting race-against-time thriller. The love Logan has for his family is real and tangible, and I was surprised to find myself getting teary-eyed a few times. Blake Crouch is able to seamlessly blend the sci-fi thriller factors with the heartfelt story of a family man who wants what’s best for his family and humankind. This was the first Blake Crouch book I read but I want to check out his previous books after this!

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House-Ballantine and Blake Crouch for the ARC! Upgrade releases July 12th.

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog books_by_the_bottle shortly.

First off, a HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for granting me early access to my most anticipated book of 2022!
In true Blake Crouch fashion, Upgrade weaves scientific themes, suspenseful plots, and meaningful life lessons that leave the reader with a personal connection to the book second to none.
“I couldn’t do nothing”. Logan Ramsey, a geneticist turned gene protection agent is faced with a huge task: stop his sister from releasing a viral upgrade that will kill a billion people in the name of increase intelligence and way of thinking. Upgrade follows Logan’s journey to not only save countless people’s lives, but realize what is most important in our human race.
This was a book of the year for me. I will forever read Crouch’s books and encourage anyone to pick this book up, even if science fiction isn’t typically your genre. It won’t disappoint.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy.

This hooked me from the jump. Much like in Recursion, Crouch kept me in with his ability to explain the more next-level science fiction elements in layman’s terms while not letting it do a disservice to the story. If you like science fiction or thrillers or stories with strong family dynamics, this is for you

I really enjoyed this one! I loved Dark Matter by him so I was nervous and excited to read Upgrade, but I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations.

In true Blake Crouch fashion, Upgrade is a while ride from start to finish, and pushes the boundaries of reality. I love his writing so much because although there is a lot of very science-heavy discussion and concepts, he never loses the connection to the emotions of the characters. It would be easy to get lost in the science and action, but this book kept a strong emotional undercurrent, and kept Logan relatable even as he develops superhuman abilities. I love that his books really make you consider, “What would I do in this situation?”. This book tackles some big questions and really makes you think.

I thought the science was explained well, so I was able to keep up and understand without feeling bogged down in it. There was also a good mix of action to keep the pace moving. It got a little slow in the middle, but it was overall still a quick read. I highly recommend it to fans of sci-fi and Blake Crouch!

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

The first book I read by Blake Crouch was "Dark Matter", which came highly recommended by a friend, and which I binged in a four hour period, unable to put it down. In his latest book "Upgrade", currently set to release July 12th, 2022, I found another deeply binge-able, fast-paced yet profound read. It's certainly reminiscent of "Dark Matter", with a main character on the run from his employers, but in "Upgrade", his theme centers around the long-term impacts of climate change and its inescapable human component, juxtaposed with the ethical debate of "how far is too far" when it come to bioengineering applied to the human genome. Crouch's writing deftly manages the tension of exploring highly researched scientific concepts while maintaining a narrative that drove me from page to page, immersing myself in this "fictional but not unimaginably impossible", sometime-in-the-near-future world he's created. Fascinating, emotional, riveting until the last page, this book satisfied while leaving me wanting more.

*I received this complimentary uncorrected proof from Random House- Ballantine in exchange for my honest review*

Thank you Random House for gifting me a copy of Upgrade by Blake Crouch via NetGalley, I had a lot of fun diving into this world of genetic manipulation and gene editing "gone bad" as though fictional, a lot of the early unease and description of the world right now felt very real during this pandemic time. I loved how this is an action thriller grounded in science and also in a way at its a heart a story about family, parent/child relationships, and identity, those are some of my favorite topics to read and also teach.

Three stand out aspect of the book:
1. I liked that the book started with action blended with introducing the various background stories (that were all connected) and lead into going on a fast paced journey as Logan (MC) realized what had happened/was happening and had to process a series of other events connected to his experience. I thought the pacing was strong and even with setting a backstory I though Crouch did this quickly, clearly, and kept building into the later cat/mouse type thrills.

2. I thought there was a lot of value in the exploration of the role of Logan's mother Myriam, I thought that aspect of the plot added useful depth to his character and the plot, it made it more personal and allowed Crouch to bring in themes on impostor syndrome and family relationships (the good and the bad. I am not used to reading an action thriller that also weaves in these themes thoughtfully and I thought there was a lot of value in that aspect of the novel.

3. I loved the bigger ideas about science, the impact of humans and science on well humans themselves (and climate and species, that is part of the story too), the dystopian post Famine mood, and the bigger questions about self and the role of genes and biology on how we think about and experience ourselves. I love big questions like this and that this worked within a fast paced action thriller is impressive.

I highly recommend this as a great summer book, I know it is great for fans of Blake Crouch and Neal Stephenson but I would also say it's great if you are newer to his books (as I am!) and if you like action thrillers similar to perhaps Crichton's science thrillers or the Annihilation books from VanderMeer or action/political thrillers such as Baldacci's book

A very enjoyable, fast-paced, meticulously researched, emotion-packed novel.
The manipulation of DNA, a much more complicated thing than I could ever fathom, is handled deftly--not precisely and not coarsely--just enough so the reader can follow what's going on without becoming bogged down in the minute specifics of human genetics. In other words, this wasn't a genetics textbook and although detailed, it never bogged the reader down.
And given the advances in genetic research, the plot was highly plausible--frighteningly so--and the vision of the near future, from all indications, was spot on.
The story? Excellent. Great characterization, great plotting, back stories that added to the tale without being overwhelming, and intriguing "glances" throughout the book that hinted at the characters' motivations and allegiances but never zeroed in on any until the climactic final 20% of the novel.
The sole criticism I have is in one small military factual error and this is going to stick in the craw of anyone who ever served in the US Army. About halfway through the book, a Command Sergeant Major was speaking at a press conference. The next paragraph begins, "The National Guard commander stepped away..."
Despite what their rank sounds like, a Command Sergeant Major is not a commander. They're the senior noncommissioned officer OF a command (i.e., they work for the commander). And they wouldn't be giving a news briefing--doesn't remotely fall within their duties.

It’s hard to beat Blake Crouch when it comes to sci-if thrillers. His pacing is great: you always want to turn the page, and I devoured this in two sittings.

Logan Ramsay lives in the shadow of a catastrophe and pays his penance through work with the Gene Protection Agency, and one day, he becomes the victim of a gene editing attack and finds himself changing.

I think this would have worked better in third-person: when you read all of Logan’s thoughts, it’s hard to believe he’s the quick-thinking genius he’s supposed to be.

<I>I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</I>

Another awesome Crouch book! I love how he keeps coming up with new sci-fi ideas. His plots never get old. I did feel like first half was a lot of background and having a little science background myself helped me understand the premise. The last half picked up and was a fast paced thriller typical of his books. I really enjoyed this latest one, and am so grateful I could have an advanced reader copy.

Wow, this was a wild ride! I am a fan of this author and this one did not disappoint! It sucked me in right away and kept things tense throughout. He did a great job using science and explaining the plot without it feeling like a lesson. I enjoyed how the topics were black and white, and it made you think about what side you would take. The perfect length and kept me engrossed the entire time. Highly recommend!

I enjoy Blake Crouch's science fiction. Both the science and the fiction are always well-developed and well-executed. That was the case here, don't get me wrong, but this time around I found the balance to be much more uneven than in previous books, and that's where i had some issues...

I was highly intrigued by the concept - as I generally am with his work. His imagination fascinates me and his ability to blend current state-of-the-art technology with futuristic possibilities is fantastic - in all senses of the word. But this time around the balance was weighted heavily in favour of science, often at the expense of the pacing of the fictional narrative and the characters' interactions, and I found that more difficult to work through than in previous books.

The extra emphasis on the science frequently pulled me out of the plot and the action in a way that I didn't really enjoy. It was fascinating at first -but after a while the descriptions of what all the genes translated into and the machinery necessary to enable the scary technology being described started feeling monotonous.

On top of that, once we knew what the upgrades were and made possible, the cat and mouse felt a lot less suspenseful and a lot more repetitive and anti-climactic than I expected. I still enjoyed it, but I must confess this was not my favorite of his novels...

The ending felt a little pat and the epilogue, while heartening, didn't feel like it fit with the tone of the rest of the story. It made me smile but it didn't feel very plausible in the universe that had been established... Or maybe I'm just way too cynical!