Scan barcode
A review by tessa_talks_books
Upgrade by Blake Crouch
4.0
What's it about (in a nutshell):
Upgrade by Blake Crouch is an action-packed thriller about a secretly started Genetics War on humanity. Suppose people are made more intelligent, stronger, and faster. Does that mean they will make better decisions on a global scale, or do the forces behind the human upgrade have it all wrong?
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover looks science-like, and the blurb on the back of the book confirms that the story is a sci-fi thriller. I love the premise. I find genetics endlessly fascinating, and it seems like the story will be about upgrading humans on a genetic level.
Actual Reading Experience:
I loved the premise mostly because I love studying genetics and believe that messing with nature always has unintended consequences ranging from mildly undesirable to catastrophic. So, you can see where a story like this would immediately draw me in. And it definitely did – even when the narration became so technical that it went in one ear and out the other (metaphorically speaking). That just added to the authenticity, which in turn added to the scariness of the story.
The pacing was a bit discombobulating for me. It alternated from fast-paced, violent action scenes to almost overwritten in-between periods to a highly technical discussion on genetics. So, sometimes the pages just flew, and other times I got bored with the inaction. Then, I would hit the technical parts. My reading dramatically slowed as I tried to use my most basic genetic knowledge (gleaned from a college class on genetics many moons ago) to grasp what I was being told.
However, I found that the family dynamics/story grabbed my attention even more than the gene manipulation story. The family story is more reflective of the human condition. However, the Gene War tale provided an excellent foil that better shined the spotlight on the missing part of the Upgrade plan.
To Read or Not to Read:
Overall, I found this book endlessly fascinating to read and contemplate. I don't know that I agreed with the main character's conclusion, but it gave me a lot of food for thought about my actual opinions.
Upgrade by Blake Crouch is an action-packed thriller about a secretly started Genetics War on humanity. Suppose people are made more intelligent, stronger, and faster. Does that mean they will make better decisions on a global scale, or do the forces behind the human upgrade have it all wrong?
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover looks science-like, and the blurb on the back of the book confirms that the story is a sci-fi thriller. I love the premise. I find genetics endlessly fascinating, and it seems like the story will be about upgrading humans on a genetic level.
Actual Reading Experience:
I loved the premise mostly because I love studying genetics and believe that messing with nature always has unintended consequences ranging from mildly undesirable to catastrophic. So, you can see where a story like this would immediately draw me in. And it definitely did – even when the narration became so technical that it went in one ear and out the other (metaphorically speaking). That just added to the authenticity, which in turn added to the scariness of the story.
The pacing was a bit discombobulating for me. It alternated from fast-paced, violent action scenes to almost overwritten in-between periods to a highly technical discussion on genetics. So, sometimes the pages just flew, and other times I got bored with the inaction. Then, I would hit the technical parts. My reading dramatically slowed as I tried to use my most basic genetic knowledge (gleaned from a college class on genetics many moons ago) to grasp what I was being told.
However, I found that the family dynamics/story grabbed my attention even more than the gene manipulation story. The family story is more reflective of the human condition. However, the Gene War tale provided an excellent foil that better shined the spotlight on the missing part of the Upgrade plan.
To Read or Not to Read:
Overall, I found this book endlessly fascinating to read and contemplate. I don't know that I agreed with the main character's conclusion, but it gave me a lot of food for thought about my actual opinions.