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krissysbooked's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I consider myself a bit of a fantasy/sci-fi fan and read Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy after becoming obsessed with the TV show when it came out in 2015.
Upgrade is a little different and feels like an eerily possible scenario, in a world where peoples genes can be edited and the outcomes aren’t always amazing or safe.
Don’t be put off by the sci-fi tag if this isn’t normally your thing, because Crouch has an uncanny way of making the science accessible and explaining it alongside the story so that no one gets left behind.
Great action, great future speculation of the dangers of gene editing, and another great story from Blake Crouch. Excuse me whilst I go and work my way through his back catalogue…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Medical content
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was book’s club pick of the month for April. I was excited to read this book, and this was the first book I read of Blake Crouch, and I will be reading more of Blake’s work in the future.
This book is based on Logan Ramsey and is concentration is better, he can multitask quicker, read faster, memorize more and sleep deeper. He is beginning to see the world around him even those he loves the most in whole new ways. He knows that it’s not natural, that his genes have been hacked. He has been targeted for an upgrade. Logan’s family legacy is one he has been trying to escape for decade and it has left him vulnerable to attach. But with a terrifying plan in place to replicate his upgrade throughout the world’s population, he may be the only person capable of stopping what has already been set in motion. To win this war against humanity Logan will now have to become something other than himself.
I love Logan Ramsey, I was rooting for him the whole time throughout this book and give him a hug. I liked the plot and how it was split into three parts. The first part was talking about the background of the story, the characters and the plot was building. The second part was all about the DNA and biology which is where I lost it a bit and got slightly confused. The third part was all the action and had me on the edge of my seat. This book is fast-paced, action-packed that is filled with drama and twists and science. I love the message within the story about humanity and to have compassion. The epilogue was beautifully written, and it perfectly wrapped the book up.
The biology and the science behind sometimes confused me and made me feel dumb, like I barely passed science in high school. So, I found myself skimming over the biology bit which was most of part two. I would have liked more action and what happened to Logan Ramsey after the epilogue.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to read more of Blake Crouch’s work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
oddpilot97's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
If you have ADHD, you might have thought "man, what if I could just focus all this mental energy into something awesome?" This book definitely taps into that daydream.
I gotta say, the whole concept had me hooked from the start. The first half of the book was seriously captivating. The whole concept of human enhancement is fascinating, and Crouch does a great job of building suspense as Logan figures out what's happening to him. It's like a high-octane thriller with a healthy dose of "what if?" that really resonated with me.
However, here's the thing. Maybe it's because the mystery gets solved a little too early, but the middle of the book fizzled for me. It felt like the real meat of the story was over halfway through, and I struggled to keep the momentum going.
Also, can we talk about the whole build-up about the mother maybe being out there, then BAM! She killed herself. Seriously? That was such a gut punch. It felt like a huge letdown, especially because the mother seemed like a fascinating character. We barely got to scratch the surface of her story, and all the questions surrounding her just went unanswered.
However, here's the thing. Maybe it's because the mystery gets solved a little too early, but the middle of the book fizzled for me. It felt like the real meat of the story was over halfway through, and I struggled to keep the momentum going.
Honestly, it felt like a missed opportunity. There was so much potential there to explore her perspective, her role in the whole situation. It's a shame they just shut the door on that entirely.
Overall, if you're looking for a mind-bending sci-fi adventure that'll tickle your ADHD curiosity, this is a good pick. Just be prepared for the possibility of needing a double-shot espresso to power through the second half.
Overall, if you're looking for a mind-bending sci-fi adventure that'll tickle your ADHD curiosity, this is a good pick. Just be prepared for the possibility of needing a double-shot espresso to power through the second half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Torture
Minor: Animal death and Child death
hybridhavoc's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was a decent read. Of Blake Crouch's works that I've read so far, this one reads the most like it was written for film. I think a film adaptation would be pretty straightforward. Probably wouldn't be an entirely bad movie.
With that said, there's not much new ground covered here really. Nothing about this is offensive I don't think.
With that said, there's not much new ground covered here really. Nothing about this is offensive I don't think.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Gun violence, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Confinement, Violence, and Grief
maregred's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
claire_perry20's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Written in a way that just shows off how the author researched genetics to write. I have a biology degree with a focus in genetics and the description of specific genes and/or the way genes function is unnecessary. I like the general idea of the story, it was pretty cool of a concept. Better than average but not good. I’m a woman in STEM (said like the tiktok sound 😂) and I was annoyed at the typical middle age, white protagonist. He felt like all the guys I went to class with, but the protagonist is actually better than everyone because of the upgrade. Glad to see someone else was annoyed with him saying his gastrocnemius and soleus then putting (calf muscles).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicide
efratmaor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
One of the best sci-fi books I've ever read. Giving social commentary directly to the gut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Kidnapping, Vomit, and Torture
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Ah, I loved the premise. Really, really liked the first half of the book. The ideas, the discussions about humanity and different approaches to prevent its extinction, about actions and consequences and about the possibilities and risks of genetic engineering were super intriguing and fresh.
Sadly, there was more focus on action scenes in the second half of the book, and although I didn't mind all the science dumping in the beginning, it got very annoying the farther the story progressed.
It was still a fun and fast-paced reading experience (especially with the help of the audiobook), I just kind of stopped caring along the way and yes, I see the irony in this. XD
So I liked it for what it was, but there was so much more potential to make this an outstanding story. It lacked emotion and the surprises factor other Blake Crouch books have. It was all very predictable. The epilogue finally delivered what I wished for, just too little too late. I would have loved to see a more nuanced discussion about the topics of the epilogue in the second half of the book alongside the action.
Sadly, there was more focus on action scenes in the second half of the book, and although I didn't mind all the science dumping in the beginning, it got very annoying the farther the story progressed.
It was still a fun and fast-paced reading experience (especially with the help of the audiobook), I just kind of stopped caring along the way and yes, I see the irony in this. XD
So I liked it for what it was, but there was so much more potential to make this an outstanding story. It lacked emotion and the surprises factor other Blake Crouch books have. It was all very predictable. The epilogue finally delivered what I wished for, just too little too late. I would have loved to see a more nuanced discussion about the topics of the epilogue in the second half of the book alongside the action.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Torture, Violence, Car accident, and Kidnapping
kaileed's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Death, and Death of parent
missrhinnan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Medical content, Murder, and Medical trauma