A review by nadiamasood
Upgrade by Blake Crouch

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"What do you call a heart that is simultaneously full and breaking? Maybe there's no word for it, but for some reason, it makes me think of rain through sunlight."

Upgrade makes us consider the future of humanity. Do we need an Upgrade?

The novel's strength lies in its moral quandaries. It's a race to improve society, but at what cost? While the writing is strong, I feel like the character development isn't as strong as in the author's other books. The plot centers on a sibling rivalry for the sake of humanity, with a lot of medical terms thrown in. Sometimes, it feels like there's too much technical info, but the balance of science and action keeps things interesting.

Protagonist Logan emerges as a flawed yet compelling figure, and I enjoyed following his internal and external changes as he 'upgrades'. His relationship with his sister Kara adds another layer of tension.

Although I enjoyed Dark Matter and Recursion better than Upgrade, I would still recommend this book if you enjoy a well-written sci-fi novel.

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