Upgrade
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- Create Date：2022-06-16 00:51:38
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Blake Crouch
- ISBN：1529045355
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Summary
An ordinary man undergoes a startling transformation—and fears that all of humanity may be next—in the mind-blowing new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter and Recursion
“You are the next step in human evolution。”
At first， Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different。 He just feels a little 。 。 。 sharper。 Better able to concentrate。 Better at multitasking。 Reading a bit faster， memorizing better， needing less sleep。
But before long， he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain。 To his body。 He’s starting to see the world， and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways。
The truth is， Logan’s genome has been hacked。 And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade。 A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past， and a horrific family legacy。
Worse still， what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan， one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost。
Because of his new abilities， Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion。 But to have a chance at winning this war， he’ll have to become something other than himself。 Maybe even something other than human。
And even as he’s fighting， he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution？
Intimate in scale yet epic in scope， Upgrade is an intricately plotted， lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation， even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential。
“You are the next step in human evolution。”
At first， Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different。 He just feels a little 。 。 。 sharper。 Better able to concentrate。 Better at multitasking。 Reading a bit faster， memorizing better， needing less sleep。
But before long， he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain。 To his body。 He’s starting to see the world， and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways。
The truth is， Logan’s genome has been hacked。 And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade。 A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past， and a horrific family legacy。
Worse still， what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan， one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost。
Because of his new abilities， Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion。 But to have a chance at winning this war， he’ll have to become something other than himself。 Maybe even something other than human。
And even as he’s fighting， he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution？
Intimate in scale yet epic in scope， Upgrade is an intricately plotted， lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation， even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential。
Reviews
Terris
，
Review to come。
Carolynn
，
Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency， a government agency that chases down rogue scientists who are suspected of working with and altering genetic material。 While working a case， Logan is exposed to a genetic upgrade that rewrites and rewires his genetic code。 His sister has also been upgraded， and the story follows Logan as he battles his sister as she tries to spread the upgrade across humanity。The novel is told in three parts。 Parts one and three allow Logan to show some emotion Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency， a government agency that chases down rogue scientists who are suspected of working with and altering genetic material。 While working a case， Logan is exposed to a genetic upgrade that rewrites and rewires his genetic code。 His sister has also been upgraded， and the story follows Logan as he battles his sister as she tries to spread the upgrade across humanity。The novel is told in three parts。 Parts one and three allow Logan to show some emotion and humanity， so it is easier to understand the character and root for him。 Part two removes his humanity， makes him harder to like， which is basically the point of the whole book。 The book is an action-adventure thriller， that keeps our hero and the reader on their toes。 It is easy to envision the story as a blockbuster movie。 The science is complicated， but understandable enough to keep the reader engaged。 I liked the conclusion of the story and the things it made me think about。 It will lead to some great discussions for book clubs。 Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
John
，
I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review。The story begins with Logan， a GPA agent， attempting a takedown of a suspected location where genes might be edited。 When they arrive at the location， they find no one and when Logan goes into the basement with Nadine， another GPA agent， he discovers a box which has started counting down。 He tells Nadine to get away and unfortunately he doesn't make it。 Luckily it was not a bomb， but instead Logan was hit with ic I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review。The story begins with Logan， a GPA agent， attempting a takedown of a suspected location where genes might be edited。 When they arrive at the location， they find no one and when Logan goes into the basement with Nadine， another GPA agent， he discovers a box which has started counting down。 He tells Nadine to get away and unfortunately he doesn't make it。 Luckily it was not a bomb， but instead Logan was hit with ice remnants that contained gene editing material。 Logan wound up in the hospital and when he was cleared to get back to work， his supervisor became aware of changes in Logan's gene makeup， he had been upgraded。 Because of this is was abducted and GPA began to study him。 This went on for a long time when he was rescued by a stranger。Logan discovered that his sister has also received an upgrade in addition to their learning that their mother had not died as they originally thought。 While Logan was examining his new makeup of gebes， he was able to decipher a message that pointed them to a location。 When they got to that location， they discovered their mother had died， but she left a parcel for them and inside was a computer with their mother telling them about why the upgrade and that the parcel contained the necessary information to make a difference to homo sapiens。 Logan wanted to destroy it， but his sister had other ideas。Follow the rest of the story and see Logan's attempt to discourage his sister of her plan。 Read of the final standoff that Logan and his sister and discover what the outcome was。The story was great as well as an excellent ending。 。。。more
Georgette
，
Wow。 Awesome。 I loved it。
Judy
，
Blake Crouch hits it out of the park with this sci-fi thriller。 This is quite the page-turner！ The book is full of eye-popping action and yet philosophical and relevant questions are raised about the human dilemma and our quest to save our world。Logan Ramsey is part of a plan to save humanity set in motion by his mother， the genetic genius Miriam Ramsey。 Logan works for the GPA （Gene Protection Agency） and during a raid he is infected by a virus that modified his entire genetic structure。 After Blake Crouch hits it out of the park with this sci-fi thriller。 This is quite the page-turner！ The book is full of eye-popping action and yet philosophical and relevant questions are raised about the human dilemma and our quest to save our world。Logan Ramsey is part of a plan to save humanity set in motion by his mother， the genetic genius Miriam Ramsey。 Logan works for the GPA （Gene Protection Agency） and during a raid he is infected by a virus that modified his entire genetic structure。 After being pretty sick for a couple of weeks， it seems he has had no effect from the gene editing。 Then about a month later he starts to notice various changes。 "The truth is， Logan’s genome has been hacked。 And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade。 A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past， and a horrific family legacy。 Worse still， what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan， one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost。" Logan is the only one who can stop what is happening， but in order to do so he has to become something other than himself。 This is a thought-provoking book that deals with morality and what it is to be human。 The consequences of having power and wielding it。 The subject matter is well-researched and genetic engineering is definitely a difficult concept and had to be hard to make it readable。 Terrific plot and great suspense made for a great thriller。 Highly recommended！Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy。 This book will be published on July 12， 2022。 。。。more
Mikey Stack
，
There are so many things I could say about this novel， and I will do my best to express all of my feelings！Blake Crouch continues to be one of my （if not my most） favorite authors。 Recursion and Dark Matter are among two of my favorite books （the latter still leaves me bewildered when I think about it）。 Unlike those two previous works （and his other works， I loved Abandon more than other）， Upgrade is his most ambitious in relation to real science。I will admit， science is not my best su There are so many things I could say about this novel， and I will do my best to express all of my feelings！Blake Crouch continues to be one of my （if not my most） favorite authors。 Recursion and Dark Matter are among two of my favorite books （the latter still leaves me bewildered when I think about it）。 Unlike those two previous works （and his other works， I loved Abandon more than other）， Upgrade is his most ambitious in relation to real science。I will admit， science is not my best subject。 It doesn't even break the top five。 Some of this novel went over my head （like the listing of the different gene sequences/what the genes do）。 But having all of the science in this novel grounded in reality really gave me more insight into the world。 This wasn't set in an unrealistic future， the science wasn't something seeming impossible （at this point in the medical world， unlike dimension travel from his previous works）。 Gene splicing and altering is something that is very， very realistic and probable （possibly in the not-so-distant future， but as I say， I'm not all-to knowledgeable of how that would even work）。Grounding the science in Upgrade in the real science raised the stakes。 It made the story seem more urgent; more timely。 Then， to factor in the environmental factors of the novel， you get a story that entertained me; but also terrified me。 There may not be any true horror in this book， but the undertone of dread remains present throughout its entirety。 We， in 2022， （at least some） have determined that we need to do something before the earth starts dying out。 "We need to do something" ends up being a major part of the plot， but they face the same issues we do; do what？Crouch managed to explore that question without getting preachy in the slightest。 He wove the thrilling story of Logan in with the political， environmental， and socio-economical points brilliantly。 The main character， Logan， really stands out as one of Crouch's most memorable。 First-Person writing sometimes turns me completely off to a book， but Logan drew me in。 Logan kept me latched onto his story the entire time。 I didn't just feel like I was watching/reading the story， I felt like I was a part of it。 I felt the urge to want to help Logan as if he were a close friend or family member。 Crouch has always been brilliant at writing characters that are grounded in their truths while throwing them into an insane situation， and he really hits it out of the park with Logan。Logan's story is thrilling， and there are many twists that I did not expect， but they were well-earned twists。 Once they were revealed， I could see them foreshadowed and slightly hinted at。 I could see the clues; I just hadn't put them together until the answers were told to me。 Upgrade may not be my favorite of Crouch's three sci-fi blockbuster novels， but it is not far behind。 It's incredibly ambitious and hits a home run nearly every time。 While more serious than Dark Matter （who knew that would be possible）， it still managed not to leave me out of breath。 It did get intense and quite disturbing at times， but nothing fans of his previous works （and other authors in the same SciFi/thriller realm） won't be able to handle。 I am seriously happy to have been able to read this early， and am excited to get my hands on a hard copy。 I don't often truly think a book is a 5/5， but this ranks as a 5/5 just like Crouch's previous two novels。 Bravo， Blake Crouch。 Bravo。 。。。more
Nick Mercorelli
，
Read an advanced readers copy （shout out Devon） v good。
Angela C
，
Black Crouch is an auto-buy author for me。 I love， love， love his books because while they are super fun to read， I always learn a ton of stuff about very complicated scientific principles。 I am by no means a scientist， and in fact， I am way better with words than numbers。 But Blake Crouch has an immeasurable talent for taking extremely complicated， dry concepts and explaining them clearly enough for someone like me to understand and even thoroughly enjoy reading about。 In his previous books， Mr Black Crouch is an auto-buy author for me。 I love， love， love his books because while they are super fun to read， I always learn a ton of stuff about very complicated scientific principles。 I am by no means a scientist， and in fact， I am way better with words than numbers。 But Blake Crouch has an immeasurable talent for taking extremely complicated， dry concepts and explaining them clearly enough for someone like me to understand and even thoroughly enjoy reading about。 In his previous books， Mr。 Crouch educated me about the multiverse and time travel。 This time， I learned all about genes and gene editing， all while having an amazing time。 Even beyond trying to explain complicated scientific principles to the general public， this book also examines the ethical conundrums scientific advancements in gene isolating and editing can bring about， in much the same way as one of my favorite shows， Black Mirror。 This book really makes you think about what could happen if certain developments are made， what kind of pandora's box could possibly be opened， and whether some things should just be left as they are。 I don't want to give away much more than that about the story for fear of spoilers so I'll stop there with the explanation。 The bottom line is that Mr。 Crouch will continue to be on my auto-buy author list and I will share this book with all of my book friends， whether they be good with numbers， or not。 Read this book ASAP！！**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for this honest review！** 。。。more
Brendan Smith
，
I’ll be writing a more fleshed out review after I’ve had some more time to fully process。 I enjoyed this book and thought it was entertaining。 I find that Blake Crouch writes fun， entertaining quick paced sci fi books that anyone can pick up and understand without feeling like they’re getting bogged down in science minutiae。 Upgrade felt a bit different to me。 It felt too fast paced。 There were glimpses into this futuristic world but the story was progressing too fast that I felt like I wasn’t a I’ll be writing a more fleshed out review after I’ve had some more time to fully process。 I enjoyed this book and thought it was entertaining。 I find that Blake Crouch writes fun， entertaining quick paced sci fi books that anyone can pick up and understand without feeling like they’re getting bogged down in science minutiae。 Upgrade felt a bit different to me。 It felt too fast paced。 There were glimpses into this futuristic world but the story was progressing too fast that I felt like I wasn’t actually getting to appreciate it fully。 I also felt like Crouch spent too much time including genetic/scientific jargon that really didn’t add much to the book。 I get that as the character was upgraded the language and vocabulary he used was too， but it just felt like too much at times。 Whole paragraphs breaking down gene sequences/unnecessarily descriptive anatomical stuff that means next to nothing to the average reader。 I understand why he did it， but at times it felt gratuitous and not beneficial to the story。I wished he used some of that word count to further flesh out the world he created。 For example I wish we saw a little more of Logan’s work with the GPA instead of him getting upgraded on the first raid we see him go on。 The future world he built fascinated me， I just wish there was more of it。 。。。more
Natalie （readswithnatalieb）
，
Another Crouch book， another time I didn’t think I’d read Sci-fi but here I am。 Crouch is the only sci-fi author that is an automatic for me， and once again， I’m not disappointed。 I’m not sure where this would rank for me Crouch books wise， because they’re all so different yet following a similar structure。I was very impressed with this story because so much genetic research had to be done。 And although Crouch did all the scientific research， the science jargon was overwhelming yet easy to follo Another Crouch book， another time I didn’t think I’d read Sci-fi but here I am。 Crouch is the only sci-fi author that is an automatic for me， and once again， I’m not disappointed。 I’m not sure where this would rank for me Crouch books wise， because they’re all so different yet following a similar structure。I was very impressed with this story because so much genetic research had to be done。 And although Crouch did all the scientific research， the science jargon was overwhelming yet easy to follow。 He was able to allow our main character， Logan， to explain science in a very reader friendly way。 Because of said science， it’s both smart and engaging。 I mean， how does Crouch come up with this stuff！？In a way， it’s kind of scary how close we are to this kind of reality。 Because if you think about it and as Logan asked many times， what is our ultimate destiny as a species？ With everything happening in the world， we’re our own worst enemies and this story is no different。 Crouch is absolutely right about one thing: we can’t do nothing。The only thing I’d change is part three。 Compared to part one and two， it was a bit clunkier and sped up。 Crouch’s imagery is generally amazing but I felt like I was more so being told rather than shown。If you liked previous books by Crouch， I’m sure you’ll like this one too。Big thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the ARC！Content warnings: gun violence， hostage， pandemic， death， gore， grief， car accident 。。。more
Tara
，
I think everyone feels like they could use an upgrade after reading this one！ This was my first Black Crouch novel and I was not disappointed。 I don't read much sci-fi so I felt this one was a good mix of that， in addition to the pacing of a thriller -- even when complex， scientific terms were necessary to the story， Crouch managed to provide everything in layman's terms for my non-scientific brain。 Set in the not-so-distant future， the devastation on the world and the increased technology was a I think everyone feels like they could use an upgrade after reading this one！ This was my first Black Crouch novel and I was not disappointed。 I don't read much sci-fi so I felt this one was a good mix of that， in addition to the pacing of a thriller -- even when complex， scientific terms were necessary to the story， Crouch managed to provide everything in layman's terms for my non-scientific brain。 Set in the not-so-distant future， the devastation on the world and the increased technology was absolutely believable， even with the manipulation of human DNA。 I found myself riveted from the first chapter， all the way to the very end。 Had I not been a working individual， there is no doubt this book would have been read in one sitting。 Crouch's writing ebbs and flows without hiccup creating a tense story from beginning to end。 It was an action-packed; a massive thrill ride with some twists and turns along the way， some you see coming but never diminishing with how it plays out。 It would not surprise me if this one gets turned into a motion picture。 Read if you like: Sci-FiThrillersAction-packedDystopianScienceHuman EvolutionUltimately， this one came down to what it means to be human and how we can save our humanity。 I'll certainly be reading Crouch's backlog。 Thank you to Random House Ballantine， Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book！ 。。。more
James McKinley
，
You can always rely on Crouch for mind-blowing， emotionally impactful science fiction。 With Dark Matter and now Upgrade， why am I still hesitant on Recursion？
Katie Bogdan
，
5 starsDid Blake Crouch just make me a sci-fi fan？ It might be too soon to tell for sure， but I feel like reading Upgrade may have converted me to the genre through a story full of twists， full of action， and ultimately full of heart。Upgrade starts out with a bang - literally！ - when our protagonist Logan is hit by an explosion that upgrades his DNA to make him stronger， smarter， and more perceptive。 What follows is a story that centers the question of what does it mean to be human and how our h 5 starsDid Blake Crouch just make me a sci-fi fan？ It might be too soon to tell for sure， but I feel like reading Upgrade may have converted me to the genre through a story full of twists， full of action， and ultimately full of heart。Upgrade starts out with a bang - literally！ - when our protagonist Logan is hit by an explosion that upgrades his DNA to make him stronger， smarter， and more perceptive。 What follows is a story that centers the question of what does it mean to be human and how our humanity can be weaponized for good or for evil。 Crouch's prose is quick and I truly appreciate his ability to present the science in this book in terms that I， as an incredibly un-scientific human being， can understand。 I was utterly riveted throughout the story and even found myself shedding a few tears during the epilogue。 I will definitely be picking up some of Crouch's backlist in my new quest to see where my reading taste fit within the sci-fi landscape。Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review！ 。。。more
Kelli
，
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ （4/5）Pub Date: 7/12Genre: Sci-fi/ThrillerWhat I love most about Blake Crouch's writing is that despite it being fiction， it is eerily believable。 The story and setting feel real， like I can actually picture it happening。 Upgrade is such a story: a sci-fi thriller about a man who is genetically upgraded and tasked with saving all of humanity。 🤯 It’s evident that Blake Crouch thoroughly researched the science behind this one to make it as realistic as possible。 The book is well-wr Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ （4/5）Pub Date: 7/12Genre: Sci-fi/ThrillerWhat I love most about Blake Crouch's writing is that despite it being fiction， it is eerily believable。 The story and setting feel real， like I can actually picture it happening。 Upgrade is such a story: a sci-fi thriller about a man who is genetically upgraded and tasked with saving all of humanity。 🤯 It’s evident that Blake Crouch thoroughly researched the science behind this one to make it as realistic as possible。 The book is well-written， the plot moves quickly and once again it leaves you pondering what you just read。 Expect the usual mind melting， tense and wild ride that Crouch delivers so well。Upgrade is a cautionary account， exploring the controversial & thought-provoking topic of gene editing and the dangers that come with it。 Crouch takes things one step further by also examining the philosophical aspect of what makes us human - empathy and compassion - and if it's worth giving up in order to solve the world's problems。 Do the benefits of DNA adaption outweigh the loss of our humanness？ 🤔 It reads like an action packed film and I think it would make an excellent movie！ It's a little heavier on the science than his other books in a way that felt more like information overload， however it's still an immersive and accessible read。While overall entertaining & enjoyable， it didn’t quite pack the same punch as Dark Matter and Recursion did。 I personally felt it lacked the emotional connection I so badly wanted it to have。 I didn't care enough about any of the characters to feel for them。 Regardless， it’s still a compelling and thrilling sci-fi worth picking up and I recommend it！ 🧬**Thanks to NetGalley， Random House - Ballantine and Blake Crouch for this ARC in exchange for my honest review** 。。。more
Kristen Killian
，
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy of Blake Crouch’s upcoming summer release Upgrade in exchange for my honest review。I honestly love the complexity with which Crouch develops these stories - are they sci-fi？ Maybe。 Thrillers？ Kind of。 It’s really hard to give it a particular genre， but with the science， it’s okay if this isn’t your forte， you can still follow along。That being said， this one is my least favorite title of Crouch’s three major works （Dark Matter， Recu Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy of Blake Crouch’s upcoming summer release Upgrade in exchange for my honest review。I honestly love the complexity with which Crouch develops these stories - are they sci-fi？ Maybe。 Thrillers？ Kind of。 It’s really hard to give it a particular genre， but with the science， it’s okay if this isn’t your forte， you can still follow along。That being said， this one is my least favorite title of Crouch’s three major works （Dark Matter， Recursion） - I felt like this one had a strange plot， and I didn’t connect with Logan as easily as some of the other protagonists。 I’m still rating it very high and definitely think you should check it out if you enjoyed his other titles。 Thank you again NetGalley and the publishers for granting me this advance copy for one of my most anticipating of the summer！ 。。。more
MundiNova
，
Mr。 Crouch， I'm not sure why I keep reading your books and expecting a different outcome。Your books are what they are: not for me。 Sure， they're entertaining and will make passable movies one day， but I can't overlook how dumb this "smart" book is supposed to be。I couldn't help but feel this book defined intelligence as a dumb person would: read and remember a lot = smart。 Intelligence is about abstracting pattern recognition， original thought， and knowing how to make new discoveries。 It's not Mr。 Crouch， I'm not sure why I keep reading your books and expecting a different outcome。Your books are what they are: not for me。 Sure， they're entertaining and will make passable movies one day， but I can't overlook how dumb this "smart" book is supposed to be。I couldn't help but feel this book defined intelligence as a dumb person would: read and remember a lot = smart。 Intelligence is about abstracting pattern recognition， original thought， and knowing how to make new discoveries。 It's not memorizing shit other people have done。 All the plot points were about memorization or perfect memory recall。 There are people who have this ability today and they're not geniuses。 The only pattern recognition utilized in this book is in deciphering people's microexpressions， which is then utilized as a lazy plot device。The whole plot hinges on one HUGE assumption: intelligent people make better choices that will save all humankind and stop global warming。 This assumption is obviously wrong。 See Dr。 Josef Mengele as an example。The antagonist's emotional relationship with the protagonist is missing。 It's hinted at but never shown。 No groundwork is laid。 The tension is added soooo late in the game。 If this missing element was present， I'd rate this book 4 stars。 It's as if the author was consumed with showing off all the neat sci-fi "human improvements" that he forgot to establish any character motivations or tension between the protagonist and antagonist。 How boring would The Matrix be if Neo didn't know why he had to fight Mr。 Smith？ Or if Mr。 Smith didn't show up until the end of the movie？ That's what we have here。 Limitless minus the tension of any downward spiral。I received this book from Netgalley and the Publisher for an honest review。Story: 3 starsCharacter Development: 1 starWriting: 2 stars 。。。more
ReadsandThings
，
Every now and then you come across a book with a blurb that sounds so awesome， so outré， so I've never read that before that you grab it and swipe your card before you're even conscious of wanting to buy it。 But then the author does not quite manage to pull the plot off， nothing is quite as great or new as you wanted it to be， and you're left feeling that this great idea really deserved a more skillful treatment。 Not so Blake Crouch。 If he decides to take up a subject， you may be sure it won't d Every now and then you come across a book with a blurb that sounds so awesome， so outré， so I've never read that before that you grab it and swipe your card before you're even conscious of wanting to buy it。 But then the author does not quite manage to pull the plot off， nothing is quite as great or new as you wanted it to be， and you're left feeling that this great idea really deserved a more skillful treatment。 Not so Blake Crouch。 If he decides to take up a subject， you may be sure it won't disappoint; and Upgrade is no exception。 Upgrade is， on the face of it， a thriller; and just on that premise alone， it 100 % delivers; with twists and turns galore and page-turning non-stop action。 But this book is so much more than that。 In Crouch's trademark style， it opens up a glimpse into a possible world that is not quite ours - not quite yet - but so plausibly close to it that it's absolutely terrifying。 If a history book from twenty， thirty years into the future fell into your hands， it might read something like Crouch （well， it would probably be less thrilling， but you see my point）。 Add to that the third layer， which is the science。 I LOVE science。 I'm a science geek。 I understand a bit more science than the average person （or so I like to flatter myself）， but this book left me in the dust。 I ended up leaning back and enjoying the ride， trusting that the author （and the scientists he cites in the thanks-section） knows what he's talking about。 Blake Crouch is to speculative science thrillers what Andy Weir is to space sci-fi。 It just doesn't get much better than this。 But wait， we're not quite done， because。。。 there's also the ethical layer to it all。 Because things in this book are not black and white， and not good and evil。 Instead the question it asks is， can you do great evil while trying to do the right thing？ And what price is too high to pay for the greater good of humanity？ And if you're faced with the choice between inaction in the face of great calamity on the one hand and the potential of unleashing a catastrophe that just might stop that calamity - how do you choose？ And who gets to make that choice？ If I haven't convinced you to pick this up at this point， probably nothing will; so I'll wrap it up here; but if you're looking for a compulsive， fast-paced science thriller with depth， great writing and likeable， well-rounded characters， look no further。 I fully expect to see Upgrade make an appearance in this year's Goodreads Awards。 I want to thank Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions here expressed are my own。 。。。more
Nathan
，
Is it worth losing our humanity in order to save human kind， and is it a binary choice？ A constant Blake Crouch theme， done spectacularly well again。 Looking forward to inevitably seeing it on screen in a few years。 Thanks to a true Colorado literary gem for the advanced copy！
Lisa Konet
，
I really enjoyed the author's former books， Dark Matter and The Pines series， both of which I do not think he could possibly best。 Enter， The Upgrade！ There have suspense， dystopian， and sci-fi books about the human genome before， but nothing like this！！！ I was hooked from the first few pages。 There are some truly scary twists in this book that can make you think about humans in the future。 This book definitely gave me the chills in a good way！Highly recommended and I am getting this at publishi I really enjoyed the author's former books， Dark Matter and The Pines series， both of which I do not think he could possibly best。 Enter， The Upgrade！ There have suspense， dystopian， and sci-fi books about the human genome before， but nothing like this！！！ I was hooked from the first few pages。 There are some truly scary twists in this book that can make you think about humans in the future。 This book definitely gave me the chills in a good way！Highly recommended and I am getting this at publishing！Thanks to NetGalley， Blake Crouch， and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 7/12/22 。。。more
Carolyn Amate
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Logan suddenly starts feeling sharper， thinking quicker his memory is much better。 His body is stronger he notices he moves quicker and has more energy than before。 There is a reason for all of this。He has received a DNA "upgrade" from his famous but dangerous mother who tried this out on his sister and himself。 I loved Blake Crouch books Dark Matter and Recursion and gave then both an easy 5 star review。 This book Upgrade i wavered back and forth how to rate it。 I loved the idea of the DNA mani Logan suddenly starts feeling sharper， thinking quicker his memory is much better。 His body is stronger he notices he moves quicker and has more energy than before。 There is a reason for all of this。He has received a DNA "upgrade" from his famous but dangerous mother who tried this out on his sister and himself。 I loved Blake Crouch books Dark Matter and Recursion and gave then both an easy 5 star review。 This book Upgrade i wavered back and forth how to rate it。 I loved the idea of the DNA manipulation and wanting to stop using it for evil 。。。great idea。He wrote a very fast pace exciting page turner but I noticed as I reached towards the end it was all about Chasing the sister 。。 I felt the book could have had more to it。 However the book was redeemed for me by the ending 。 I loved the insight he gave about people's apathy towards the world and why we are that way。 I also loved how it ended。 4 stars。 Thanks to Netgalley and RandomHouse and Ballantine Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
J。E。 Rowney
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I love Blake Crouch and I really enjoyed this review copy that I received from #netgalley。 I didn’t quite like it as much as Recursion or Dark Matter， but it’s a well-plotted and very human-focussed sci-fi thriller。 I wish I could have read it in one sitting， because it really is that good， but time was not on my side。 I’d definitely recommend this book！ Enjoy！
LianaReads blog
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I haven’t read many if any sci-fi books in my life， but this story was so well done that I haven’t felt like I’m losing my mind at all。 The suspense and twists， the characters and their interaction， along with some of the more reliable scenes and settings， made me read it in one sitting。 Working for the government， Logan has to fight against a biotech company that will devastate the world as he knows it。 Lots of science and special effects I might add in this story， but they all just fascinated I haven’t read many if any sci-fi books in my life， but this story was so well done that I haven’t felt like I’m losing my mind at all。 The suspense and twists， the characters and their interaction， along with some of the more reliable scenes and settings， made me read it in one sitting。 Working for the government， Logan has to fight against a biotech company that will devastate the world as he knows it。 Lots of science and special effects I might add in this story， but they all just fascinated me because I’m quite the snob about it。 Swing Logan transforming into this human 2。0 person was surreal and made me think of the all school RoboCop movie。 The author has a great gift in creating a world that feels real and intriguing without missing a beat。 It’s really that captivating and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone that wants to get lost in a perfect story。 It's so fast-paced and addictive that you wouldn't want to miss it！ Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy。 。。。more
Samantha
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3。5*
Joe Kucharski
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To quote Woody Allen， “I got a 98 in algebra but only by adding up the scores of my tests。” So let’s see if this ratio makes sense。 If Dark Matter is to The Martian then Upgrade is Limitless。 Right？In the 2011 movie Limitless， Eddie Morra （Bradley Cooper） is exposed to an experimental drug that increases his brain capacity to the nth degree。 Of course he uses that newfound knowledge to bet on stocks and then the bad guys show up and hilarity ensues。 The movie got good reviews and a spinoff tv sh To quote Woody Allen， “I got a 98 in algebra but only by adding up the scores of my tests。” So let’s see if this ratio makes sense。 If Dark Matter is to The Martian then Upgrade is Limitless。 Right？In the 2011 movie Limitless， Eddie Morra （Bradley Cooper） is exposed to an experimental drug that increases his brain capacity to the nth degree。 Of course he uses that newfound knowledge to bet on stocks and then the bad guys show up and hilarity ensues。 The movie got good reviews and a spinoff tv show。 So all-in-all， not bad。 Novelist Blake Crouch plays with a similar idea。 He adds in a dark sci-fi spin yet still provides an ample buffer for his legion of mainstream fans。 The end result is Upgrade， a totally enjoyable read – but maybe not quite as memorable as the movie。 With Upgrade， Logan Ramsey is an agent with the GPA – which is the FBI in the near-future that covers illegal gene manipulation。 Fox Mulder woulda loved it。 Like Eddie Mora before him， Agent Ramsey is exposed to a radical DNA rewrite that enhances not only his brain capacity but also improves muscle and bone density。 He essentially becomes Captain America with Tony Stark’s intelligence for those playing today’s pop-culture game。 Logan then goes on a quest to not only find out how he changed and why – but to prevent gene manipulation on a global scale。Upgrade is a fun， fast read with just enough DNA geekspeak to give the text weight。 The climatic action sequence is made-for-a-movie ready。 However， even though Logan Ramsey might have Cap’s endurance and Iron Man’s intelligence， there one trait that DNA manipulation could not enhance: Logan Ramsey is one boring as hell character。Other than playing chess with his daughter， Logan does not possess a single interest nor have any significant characteristics that make him relatable to the reader。 He is not interested in cars nor does he collect film noir posters。 He is not a fan of the Caps or the Avs or the Nats or the Rockies。 He does not take delight in making the perfect bowl of basmati rice nor in sipping special blend Irish whisky。 You know what Logan Ramsey is？Boring。 And man， reading about boring characters don’t make those pages move fast – no matter how fun some of the shoot ‘em up action gets。Logan Ramsey is a good man。 He tries to do the right thing and is driven in his task。 Yet， pop-culture is full of other intelligent， driven characters that have provided intense enjoyment over the decades because of their interesting， often-flawed， character makeup。 Batman， Sherlock Holmes， Mr。 Spock are three quick hits。 And yes， perhaps what makes those three memorable are those close-orbiting advocates that keep such drives in check。 Ramsey， sadly， does not have that amenity。 His humanity is his love for his family， which is admirable and tragic and also - in this grand wide world of anything-can-happen literature – boring。Upgrade is pure Crouch: fast， inventive， and makes for a great conversation piece。 The scifi is believable and relatable… even if the main character is not。Many thanks to Penguin Random House for the upgrade in sending me the advance read。As always， this review and many others are waiting for you over @ Joe's。 。。。more
Allison
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The first story I remember reading about enhancing the mind through science was Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes， but you could say the idea of pushing the limits of our abilities goes back to the Garden of Eden， with every author warning their readers that tampering with our mental restrictions can only result in tragedy。 Upgrade by Blake Crouch gives this cautionary tale a 21st century twist which makes it both more believable and scarier。 Crouch presents a world of the near future with al The first story I remember reading about enhancing the mind through science was Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes， but you could say the idea of pushing the limits of our abilities goes back to the Garden of Eden， with every author warning their readers that tampering with our mental restrictions can only result in tragedy。 Upgrade by Blake Crouch gives this cautionary tale a 21st century twist which makes it both more believable and scarier。 Crouch presents a world of the near future with all the usual threats of climate change， population explosion and the end of the world as we know it。 What seemed to be a promising field of science， gene manipulation， has been outlawed because of unintended consequences that wiped out a large portion of society due to crop failure。 。 Not all scientists support this restriction and the story’s narrator works for a government agency created to track down these rebels。 Without revealing any spoilers， narrator Logan Ramsey becomes the victim of genetic hacking and gradually realizes that he is extending his mental powers in all areas， including， but not limited to， concentration， calculation， problem-solving， reflexes and social cues。 It is so much fun to read about the growth of a fairly average individual who sheds his weaknesses。 Logan shares his self-awareness and observations with the readers and， although I didn’t understand all the where’s and whys， it is exhilarating to go along for the ride。But Logan and the reader soon realize， his gift is a terrible double-edged sword with the fatal flaw a misreading of the basic question of how to save humanity。 Logan must use his enhanced abilities to prevent the greatest tragedy that could ever befall the human race。This story combines the fantasy of science fiction， the possibilities of actual science， the heart-pounding action of a thriller and the thoughtful exploration of Man as a social being。 Add to that an unexpected but satisfying ending and you have a book well worth the time you spend with it。 。。。more
Timothy Ward
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Blake has written multiple books that have won my favorite of the year， so I must admit I pick up his books with high expectations。 This one is technically as good as his others， but the superhero element did not grab me as much as his other hooks。 His science research once again put me on my head。 I love that element and for that some this would be 5 stars。 The character arcs were pretty satisfying and took twists I didn’t expect。 That was my favorite element of the story， so if you’re coming i Blake has written multiple books that have won my favorite of the year， so I must admit I pick up his books with high expectations。 This one is technically as good as his others， but the superhero element did not grab me as much as his other hooks。 His science research once again put me on my head。 I love that element and for that some this would be 5 stars。 The character arcs were pretty satisfying and took twists I didn’t expect。 That was my favorite element of the story， so if you’re coming in looking for a good ol Crouch Twist， you’ll get a handful。Wow， this review just took a turn。 Im still a fan who’ll pick up his next book fully expecting a banger。 。。。more
Jamie Cluff
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Absolutely fantastic。 And the twist at the end of the “solution” was perfect。 Caught me off guard and made me cry after and action-packed， brain tingling adventure。 A must read。
Yvonne （It's All About Books）
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Finished reading: June 9th 2022 "Higher intelligence doesn't make you less greedy or self-centered or evil。 It doesn't necessarily make you a good person。" *** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Macmillan in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you！ ***（view spoiler）[I know that science fiction isn't my usual genre， but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy it when I'm in the right mood for it。。。 I had an excellent time with the two previous stand-alones Blake Finished reading: June 9th 2022 "Higher intelligence doesn't make you less greedy or self-centered or evil。 It doesn't necessarily make you a good person。" *** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Macmillan in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you！ ***（view spoiler）[I know that science fiction isn't my usual genre， but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy it when I'm in the right mood for it。。。 I had an excellent time with the two previous stand-alones Blake Crouch wrote; they are exactly the type of high speed and action inspired sci-fi stories that are a perfect fit for me。 I added Upgrade as soon as I first heard about it and even before I read the blurb; I love his writing and I knew I simply HAD to read it even before I knew what it was going to be about exactly。 After reading the premise， I was even more excited to read Upgrade， and I have to say that it definitely lived up to expectations for me。Upgrade is a dystopian story set in an alternative near future where humanity as it is won't be able to exist for much longer if things don't change。 It's an all too plausible situation if you think about it with the current state of the world。。。 Upgrade focuses on DNA science and engineering， and while some of this certainly went over my head as a whole I liked what it brought to the story。 This is mainly thanks to the fast pace and constant movement; even if you don't understand 100% of the science incorporated into the story， it is very easy to just move on and enjoy the ride anyway。 It's definitely what I did！This story will take you all over the US as you follow Logan Ramsay on his journey。 Son of an infamous scientist who caused the death of millions， he now works on the other side trying to stop similar events from happening。 His whole world is turned upside down though when a raid goes wrong and leaves him infected with a virus that will literally change who he is。。。 His genome is hacked， and the upgrade will give him abilities that will set him apart from the rest of humanity。 Logan is determined to find out why he was a target and what this new upgrade means， and there are many many dangerous moments， action-packed scenes and plot twists along the way while he tries to unravel the truth。 I don't want to give away too much of the plot to avoid spoilers， but what I can say is that you better brace yourself for a wild and violent ride！Upgrade is one of those stories that shows me that I can truly love the sci-fi genre when the timing is right。 A lot of this has to do with the fact that despite the heavy dose of science that I might not always fully digest， there is also plenty of action and suspense to keep you entertained along the way。 This story was extremely engaging and in fact a true pageturner despite the scientific parts; not my absolute Blake Crouch favorite （it's hard to beat Dark Matter）， but without doubt an excellent read！ （hide spoiler）] P。S。 Find more of my reviews here。["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Beth | bookbunnyreads
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The only sci-fi writer I trust is Blake Crouch。 So I was thrilled to get an eARC of his latest - Upgrade。 Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read it and give my honest feedback。After reading and loving Recursion， I was ready for my Crouch fix， and Upgrade did not disappoint。 It started with a clever and timely premise， and then it was off the races！ The story he tells is thrilling and fast-paced， although I would say it gets a little bogged down in the middle。 But The only sci-fi writer I trust is Blake Crouch。 So I was thrilled to get an eARC of his latest - Upgrade。 Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read it and give my honest feedback。After reading and loving Recursion， I was ready for my Crouch fix， and Upgrade did not disappoint。 It started with a clever and timely premise， and then it was off the races！ The story he tells is thrilling and fast-paced， although I would say it gets a little bogged down in the middle。 But I trusted Crouch to land the plane， and that he did！ The ending made me think and feel and wonder about the big questions of life and humanity， just as I expected it to。I highly recommend Upgrade， as well as Crouch's backlist titles， even to readers who think they don't like sci-fi thrillers。 。。。more
Rachel Thrush
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Sometimes I read too many thrillers and get in such a rut， so I keep books like this one in my back pocket to bring out！ I am so happy I discovered Blake Crouch！ Science fiction is not my genre of choice， but he just delivers it so perfectly！ It really brings out the nerd in me and has me going back to my chemistry and physics days and I love it！！ After Dark Matter， I knew I would read whatever he came out with next！ They’re both so different！ The complexity and thoughtfulness that goes into the Sometimes I read too many thrillers and get in such a rut， so I keep books like this one in my back pocket to bring out！ I am so happy I discovered Blake Crouch！ Science fiction is not my genre of choice， but he just delivers it so perfectly！ It really brings out the nerd in me and has me going back to my chemistry and physics days and I love it！！ After Dark Matter， I knew I would read whatever he came out with next！ They’re both so different！ The complexity and thoughtfulness that goes into these books is incredible！ I would categorize it’s as a futuristic， science fiction， thriller。 I hope if anyone is seeing this and on the bubble of reading Upgrade， you get pushed to try it！ I really think a lot of thriller readers will enjoy this！ And while it is definitely heavy in science information， it wasn’t so much that it distracted from the story or made it confusing。 People with any background will be able to read and enjoy this book！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Upgrade
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Upgrade&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Upgrade&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0