Book Review: Upgrade by Blake Crouch
Get your mind bent in this fast-paced thriller by Blake Crouch.
Upgrade is my first book from Blake Crouch, though I have a copy of Dark Matter and Recursion on deck.
This was a fast, fast read. I don't know if it's because I don't read many thriller/suspense novels, or if it's just the author's writing style that made it so quick, but it was neat to devour a book so fast.
"Maybe compassion and empathy are just squishy emotions. Illusions created by our mirror neurons. But does it really mater where they come from? They make us human. They might be what makes us worth saving."
I really liked the idea behind the story. It's also potentially low key climate fiction? The climate themes layered in between scenes helped the me visualize a not-so-distant future. I don't see it described as climate fiction, but the end goal is to help save humanity from what it's done to the planet, so those are the vibes I got.
Some of the science described went over my head a bit and pulled me out of the story a little, but Crouch does step back a bit and explain things in laymen's terms most of the time. I liked the dedication to the science (no idea how much of it was realistic vs. made for the story) but I appreciated the simpler explanations to some complicated scientific ideas.
"The greatest threat to our species lies within us."
Overall, a solid book that was an exciting, fast read while still being an interesting story. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
Rating: ★★★★
Book Summary
- Title: Upgrade
- Author: Blake Crouch
- Genre: Thriller, Science Fiction, Suspense
- Who Should Read It? Anyone who loves a good, fast-paced thriller.
Synopsis: “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?
