Blake Crouch is a master of modern Sci-fi. After reading Recursion and Dark Matter, I had no doubt that this book would not disappoint. It fully lived up to my expectations!! The book is not only action-packed and developing a great scientific idea, but also builds a protagonist and an antagonist who can be viewed interchangeably dependent on the reader. The resolution of the book was very clever and alleviated the tension from the ending, fully relieving the emotional wave built up throughout the book. Another brilliant book from Blake Crouch, can’t wait for the next one!

This is the first book I have read by the author, and it certainly will not be the last. I loved the concept of this novel - genetic modification and hacking and what happens when things go drastically wrong, and perfectly right. Our main character, Logan Ramsay, has had to live with the disaster caused by his mother. Millions died in agony due to a genetic error. Logan was there as a youngster. I found this very emotional as I imagined how I would feel in that situation. The DNA coding of numbers and letters at one point did my poor wee head in. But I got the gist and moved on. Please do NOT let that put you off this work, it's just my brain is unable to cope with these on a daily basis anyway. This is a very clever story and the additional information that is provided is so fascinating, and adds much background to the tale. I don't want to tell you anything else out with the blurb as it would certainly spoil it for you. I want you to read this without any preconceptions. There's a number of points to take away and once seen, you'll never forget them. The more I think about this afterwards, the more I love this book. Out of all the books I've read over the years, I loved this ending the most. It was astonishing. (Kudos, Mr Crouch!) A brilliant piece of work. I chose this ARC from a selection which I voluntarily read and honestly reviewed. All opinions are my own. My thanks to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author.

I am a huge fan of this author and was so excited to get my hands on a review copy of this, his latest book. So much so that I went completely off script and didn't wait to start it. I usually only read a month or so ahead of publication date but here, nope, couldn't wait. And then I stopped and worried that I wouldn't like it. That it wouldn't meet my expectations. Piffle... of course it would... and it did. We first meet Logan Ramsay as he suffers a breech in his suit whilst working. He is taken to quarantine where he is treated. Finally he is released but this is where it all starts to get a bit weird... He starts to feel a little strange. His bones feel heavier, stronger. His senses appear sharper, his concentration increased, he remembers more details and appears to need less sleep. Starting off small, these changes soon become more noticeable and more intrusive as he also starts to see the world differently. What on earth is happening... He really needs to find out... That's pretty much all I am saying about the book as there is stuff you need to find out at the right times. Logan is a complex character with a whole backstory of who he is and, well, his family. What I have said above is scant compared with everything Logan is and does and what is happening to him. Suffice to say it's all a bit scary, not only for him but also for mankind in general and it all become a bit of a race against time to save humanity... The fun thing about reading this early is that I can sneak it in again just before publication day and experience it all over again - but with the benefit of hindsight. Something I am looking forward to doing. Something I really don't often do. Occasionally, as I also will with this book, I will listen to the audible as a second "read". But I hardly ever re-read! As with all of the author's main characters I took to Logan right from the start. We connected well and that connection only grew as I got to know him as the book progressed. Other characters were just as well drawn and easy to connect to in some way - good and bad. The plot was excellent and well executed. Enough of the sciency stuff was explained for me to be well able to follow without getting too bogged down in it all. Remember I am a relative newbie to all this sci-fi stuff! It was also delivered with no superfluous waffle or padding so it got on with itself very well indeed. Culminating in an ending which suited perfectly and which satisfied me wholly. All in all, a cracking read that I whole heatedly recommend for fans of the genre or who wish to give it a whirl. If you haven't already read his other books, do also give them a crack. They're great too...

This is set in a dystopian near-future, when gene manipulation has become a crime following a world-wide disaster, caused by the science. Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency, seeking out unauthorised laboratories. During the course of his work he becomes infected and finds himself effectively being “upgraded”. His brain is working faster and more efficiently, his body is stronger, his memory is amazing. Is this the way for mankind to go? Will an upgrade make us all better people? Or will it make evil people more evil, violent people more violent? This whole conundrum is addressed in a very accessible way, as Logan discovers why he has been upgraded, and by whom. A very though-provoking, as well as an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this book.

Title - Upgrade Author - Blake Crouch Release Date - July 7th 2022 Page Count - 352 Read/Listen Time - 10hrs Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars Action packed, entertaining, emotional rollercoaster ride. When given the opportunity to read Blake Crouch’s new book I didn’t hesitate, his previous works of Dark Matter and Recursion are some of my favourites, so I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on this one. Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency hunting down illegal and black market gene therapy labs and scientists. He does this job, although he hates it, as a kind penance for the terrible atrocities carried out by his brilliant mother. When, what appears to be, a standard raid goes terribly wrong, Logan finds himself seriously injured. In the weeks to come he is changing; he is stronger, faster and has a clarity of thought unlike anything he has experienced before. Unfortunately he is now on the opposite side of the law in a race against time to save the world. There is lots of pseudo science in this book but it’s mostly make believe so no need to understand the techie speak, it just adds to the amazing narrative, storyline and gives the characters depth. There are no wasted pages here, always something going on pulling you in making you want just one more page. A thoroughly enjoyable read that I would recommend to fans of sci fi, fast paced thrillers. 4 Stars