Upgrade: A Novel

by Blake Crouch

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “If Michael Crichton had written a superhero novel, it would look a lot like Upgrade.”—The New York Times Book Review

“You don’t so much sympathize with the main character as live inside his skin.”—DIANA GABALDON, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series
 
“Mysterious, fascinating, and deeply moving—exploring the very nature of what it means to be human.”—ALEX MICHAELIDES, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient and The Maiden

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, She Reads

The mind-blowing new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter and Recursion—currently in development as a motion picture at Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners

“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.

• ISBN10: 0593157532
• ISBN13: 9780593157534
• Publish Date: 12 July 2022 (first published 7 July 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Ballantine Books Inc.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593157534

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I have a confession. I've had Blake Crouch's Recursion sitting on my shelf for years now, and I still haven't gotten around to it. But when Upgrade was released, I couldn't resist picking it up! Unlike Recursion, I got around to Upgrade pretty quickly.

Logan Ramsay is part of a controversial team. Some people love the work they do, while others will fight to their dying breath to stop them. Logan is part of a team of people who track down scientists that study and alter genomes.

The irony of Logan's career isn't lost on him when Logan finds his own body hacked by the very science he's sworn to stop. Now Logan is on the run, and his newly hacked body and mind have provided him with a unique yet powerful opportunity.

“You can’t kill humanity to save humanity. Human beings are not a means to an end.”

Hrm. If I had only one sentence to describe Upgrade, I would say that it makes you think. It's a creative novel that tackles modern science, morals, and ethics, all in one fell swoop. And let us not forget the thriller elements, which add much to the aesthetic of this story.

There were times when Upgrade reminded me a lot of Gattica, with the whole debate (read: ban) on genetic modification. Granted, both stories deviate strongly from the public's opinion on the matter, but it kept popping into my mind.

Logan is a tortured character, to say the least. His backstory essentially forced him into a position where he hunts scientists, and boy, does he feel conflicted about that fact! I appreciated the brutal honesty of his position, and that was all before the plot kicked off.

Once the main event occurred, I found myself uncertain of how to feel. Logan changes a lot throughout this novel, for good or for ill. It opens the door to plenty of debates, which I appreciate. However, it also felt...rushed?

It was fun seeing a sci-fi/thriller take on modern issues and concerns. I always love it when an author can portray these concerns in a mature way. It makes me want to go back and read Recursion (I swear, I'm planning on it!).

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[bearley]

Overall a decent read, but got a bit repetitive at times. The storyline was pretty typical for the concept.

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Upgrade is a biotech thriller set in the near future written by Blake Crouch. Released 12th July by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 352 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a biotech thriller in the tradition of Crichton, M. R. Carey, and J. A. Konrath. It's not derivative at all, but fans of the aforementioned will fiind lots to like here. The story is fast paced, action driven, and engaging from the start. It's set in the near might-as-well-be-right-now future and readers will have no problems orienting themselves in the setting and story. There is some technical jargon and basic biology/tech concepts, but readers probably won't encounter problems with the terminology in context.

The language is occasionally rough, R-rated, and there are disturbing descriptions and story elements included in the story. The entire basic storyline - what is the essence of humanity and what can, and more importantly, should science do to and for mankind is thoroughly examined. I felt a deep sense of melancholy throughout much of the book. The denouement and resolution come as inevitable but satisfying. It's well written and engaging and well based in the science as we currently understand it.

Four stars. Definitely highly recommended for fans of SF/speculative biotech fiction.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.