Crouch is a master at what he does! Although the premises of his books can seem far fetched at a glance, they are so well written that you get sucked in for the ride right from the start. Upgrade was no exception. An intense plot with a heartfelt undertone, this novel was an exciting ride that left me with some strong feelings by the last page turn.

Blake Crouch's books fall into one of my favorite corners of the Sci-Fi spectrum along with the those of Michael Crichton and Nanny Kress: exploring how different aspects of a potential new technology may impact us all, from the societal level down to that of the individual. I very much enjoyed his Dark Matter and Recursion even more, so I was quite enthused when I was offered the chance to read his upcoming work "Upgrade" in advance of publication.

Unfortunately, Upgrade fell rather flat for me. Perhaps part of it was the ambitiousness of the setting as rather than focus on one key idea, Crouch tries to introduce many ideas and cannot give much time to any one topic. At times, the world building seemed inconsistent and irregular, and the narrative fell into telling-rather-than-showing too often.

Perhaps part of it was the demeanor and descriptions of the characters; the manner in which our main character and his journey is depicted failed to grab me and felt rather forced and contrived (like the boasting of a charlatan) rather than sincere (one cannot help but draw parallels between this and the better execution in a certain work by Daniel Keyes). I just could not see him as the character he claimed to be, and this disconnect is further deepened by the predictable manner in which the plot unfolds and the surprising way it concludes.

Perhaps part of it was the contradictory and mixed messaging of the novel; my favorite aspect of this sub-genre is the exploration of scientific ethics in theory and in practice with the application of new tech, yet this novel lacked much of the nuance and was rather ham-handed with the messaging. Then, worst of all, it appeared to contradict its core thesis by the end of the book. I was left feeling confused and angry by the inconsistency and found myself feeling our protagonist was no better than those portrayed as villains, which I do not think that was Crouch's intent.

I'm appreciative for NetGalley and Random House for providing me access, and while I was not enamored by this work, I do look forward to seeing if this was just a blip of the last couple of years' craziness and what else Crouch may write in the future.

Blake Crouch does it again!

Upgrade is nothing short of a sci-fi masterpiece!
Crouch is a master at creating worlds where nothing is as it seems.
He knows how to keep you on your toes and does a great job at mixing thriller and sci-fi genre.
I could not put this down. This story is a true pager turner. Entralling, in every way possible! This book was brilliant.
Intriguing and super fast paced straight from the beginning. Crouch knows how to weave a great story and he's done it again in what is hands down his best work yet!
And I can't wait to have it on my shelf with my other Blake books!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Ballantine Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am not a lover of Sci-Fi or Fantasy, but when Blake Crouch puts a new book out I have to get my hands on it! Upgrade has such a great premise it was more like non-fiction not Sci-Fi it was eerie. I could totally picture it actually happening one day. Readers are going to love this one.

It turned out that reading about a man being turned into the "perfect" upgraded human being was really not as interesting as I thought. I really had trouble staying engaged while having absolutely no points of connection with either the main character or his primary antagonist. And while the epilogue twisted things around in a somewhat clever way, I am not convinced the solution would play out much better than what they were fighting in the main part of the story. This was 2.5 stars for me but rounded down for not even being memorable enough for me to write a review in a timely manner.

I loved this newest book from Blake Crouch, and will be recommending this as a great summer read for library patrons.

Blake did it again with his wonderful storytelling. He mixes science and classic mystery, and does so in a pleasant way. This book had plenty of suspense and espionage, relationships, heartbreak, and the whole gamut. Thank you for this advanced copy.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first began reading upgrade but I very quickly realized I was in for quite a treat. By the end of the book, I felt that I could really relate to the situation and the challenges that the characters faced; not in that this futuristic problem has happened to me, but more so The idea that not everything is black-and-white. The book is broken up into three distinct parts, Each with its own unique feel. The first part is a bit of suspense with science and technology built in. We’re learning about society that takes place in the mid 21st-century, as well as About our main character of Logan Ramsey. The first part of the book has some good action and gets you wondering what’s next and how is the story going to unfold. The second part of the book is when things really start to get interesting. We start to learn about what makes each character unique and we start to learn what makes each character live their lives the way they do and how they make decisions. The author is very good at using past storytelling to make us understand why the characters are the way they are today, what life experiences they’ve had that affect the way that they process problems throughout the world, and ultimately how they make decisions to try to make things better for everyone. As you move through the second part of the book you begin to understand what the challenges are for society and what the characters perceive the solutions to be. The first two sections I’ve been used to help us understand the hypothetical science that is taking place, hypothetical solutions and the different ideals of each character involved. The third section is very thought-provoking. While it still some contains good suspense and action, The author really gets you thinking about making decisions with a black-and-white mindset or if you’re willing to see areas of gray and look beyond what seems to be the only solution. This book remind me a little bit of captain America in that with the genetic modifications that take place a lot of times when you’re so close to the situation you might not identify the ramifications of doing such a large scale overhaul to society. The idea that simply making everyone smarter, stronger, faster, and more intelligent would be the answer to solving the size problems is not necessarily the case it takes deeper understanding and deeper thinking to really see in this example what needs to be done in order to make humans more willing to help each other for the good of all people.

2.25 stars!

I think hardcore Blake Crouch fans will totally dig this.

I myself, am more a "I'll pick up Blake for a good time kinda gal." I know I won't be getting a new favorite, but I do expect to have a good time.

BUTTTTTTTTT....the ride for <i>Upgrade</i> didn't quite work for me. The first 50%, I was fully IN, having a grand ole time....but then I got bored and found myself skimming. It started to get repetitive and it felt like it kept going...on...and on....and on...

To me, this felt like it would have made for a better short story/novella!! I feel it would have been more impactful and thought-provoking if it had been cut down a bit.

What I do appreciate about Blake thought, is how his ideas always make you question just how far is it OK to go?????? Should we alter DNA to make people 'upgraded' versions of themselves? Would it help save the world, faster?

I don't know, all I know is keep your fingers outta my DNA, Mr. Crouch!

So to Blake Crouch fans out there - I totes think you'll enjoy this one. If you're new to Blake, I would recommend starting with something else from his backlist.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the ARC and wanting my honest opinion!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC for an unbias review. Upgrade is another thrill ride from Blake Crouch, more similar to his book Recursion than Dark Matter.

The "science" is fun, and with genetic engineering and virulent strains being all over the news, I think this will be the summer of 2022' best seller.

Logan (MC)'s history and eventually how he becomes "Upgraded" is fascinating to read about, and it actually served as a catalyst for a lot of conversations in my everyday life in healthcare. The ethics, how far is too far, and the cascade effects that playing "God" could incur. This book was an awesome read.

This is the first time I have come across Blake Crouch as an author, although I have since learned he has two other well-received books, so my perspective is from that of a new-to-the-author-reader.

The idea of genetic modification is not a new one - however, Crouch takes it to a new level with genetic modification being so prevalent that there is a (albeit more newly established!) GPA - Gene Protection Agency, to work alongside the other federal law enforcement agencies. Logan, a GPA agent, also happens to be son of the world's most notorious geneticist. A work incident causes him to be exposed to something which is modifying his genetic code - but what does it mean??

This is a relatively straightforward narrative - there are not multiple plot lines to confuse or bamboozle you with what is happening. This allows enjoyment of not only the story but the issues being explored, making it a really thoughtful reflection on the 'what-if'.

The story itself is fast paced and intriguing, and will keep you up reading late at night. If you are a fan of science-related fiction/speculative fiction, this is definitely for you.

Blake Crouch is a new author for me. And I am impressed. I love things like Black Mirror and Upload and such tech thrillers. This book has those vibes that keep me reading.

Blake Crouch has done it again! My favorite part of reading his books is that I learn so much about a very specialized part of science. He also makes it very easy to understand. I read this in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. It was overall an excellent read, one that I can’t stop thinking about. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, for a chance to read this e-ARC prior to publication for my honest review

Blake Crouch is a new-to-me author and it’s been many years since I’ve read a sci-fi thriller. This one did not disappoint. The story deals with genetic engineering and the good and evil that could come from it. Which will win? Loss, heartache, betrayal, action, suspense, danger, and more! I’ll admit that I skimmed over sections of scientific lingo that meant absolutely nothing to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The concept of this book was so good… and so scary too. Definitely a page turner,
I could not put it down. Wow!

Blake Crouch is on a hot streak right now, delivering the one-two punch of Dark Matter and Recursion, each of which rank among the best thrillers of the decade so far. So it’s pretty fair that he might deliver a book not quite on that level, and such is the case with Upgrade, a perfectly fine book that never really becomes as interesting as I wish it did. A high tech variation on Flowers from Algernon, Upgrade revolves around augmented intelligence and its effect on human life, and while that’s not a bad idea for a book, Upgrade never finds a second gear to move into, ultimately delivering the story you could kind of predict after the first few chapters. (Compare this to the way that Dark Matter and Recursion went in wild directions you couldn’t guess.) I didn’t dislike Upgrade, per se; it’s entertaining enough, and it moves fast. But there’s never a moment where it becomes interesting or novel in a satisfying way, turning into more than the pretty okay beach read it seems okay with being.

A wild ride of a page turning thriller set in the future where mankind has changed drastically but not changed at all.

What a wild ride it was to read "Upgrade" by Blake Crouch! With a tentative publish date of July, 2022, this newest offering is sure to delight fans of the author as well as those who like their sci-fi books to have that embedded in the realities of our current world vibe!

Crouch is great at immersing the reader in his not too distant worlds. In this novel, he expands on the worldwide fallout following an attempt by the world's most preeminent geneticist, Miriam Ramsay, to introduce a genetically altered insect meant to create a more stable link in a specific crop within the food chain. When the noble efforts go horrifically awry, the effects are felt in every corner of the planet and ushers in a new era of geopolitical unrest.

With the establishment of the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) here in the United States and its counterpart agencies across the globe, geneticists and molecular biologists must, by necessity, go underground with their craft. Their research into gene editing and their profession in general is now considered a federal crime.

In true Crouchian style, the STEM driven twists and turns keep the reader interested and engaged. This latest effort has an almost "pulled from the pandemic" sense of urgency to it, as the hero of the story (none other than Dr. Ramsay's own son, Logan, himself an agent of the GPA), races to find the answers to unthinkable questions as well as the source of the newest threat to humanity!

Many thanks to Random House/Ballantine Books for offering this advanced digital copy of "Upgrade" to me! I will admit that I had to Google more than a few scientific concepts/terminology as I followed our superhero Logan Ramsay's journey, but better understanding the propulsively written story was well worth the extra effort!

#Upgrade
#BlakeCrouch
#RandomHouse/BallantineBooks
#ScienceFiction
#ScienceReality

I really enjoyed this book, and was excited to get an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

If you liked Dark Matter or Recursion, you will almost certainly also like this one. It leans a bit more into the thriller side of things, though there is enough hard science and speculative near-future dystopia thrown in to _almost_ make you empathize with the book's antagonistic eco-terrorists. I still think Dark Matter is my favorite of the Blake Crouch novels, but there was a lot to like in Upgrade and its easy to recommend, especially if you have enjoyed his other books.

I’m a fan of Blake Crouch and could t wait to read Upgrade. Crouch has another exciting sci-fi thriller here and another quick and exciting read, I wasn’t thrilled about the ending but the rest of the book was so superb that I cannot give this any less than the five stars it deserves. Well done!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.