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nicolashoyle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
2.4
melissaopond's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
adriannajoy2112's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.0
meagan_young's review
4.0
3.5? This was interesting and quick, but didn’t live up to what I’ve come to expect from Blake Crouch… I found myself skimming a lot of sentences and paragraphs that were just long lists of things or tedious explanations. The story just wasn’t as exciting or compelling as his have been before, and the upgrade the MC goes through makes his POV read like a robot. It’s mostly just an interesting thought experiment
jonwilf's review against another edition
3.0
This was a huge step down from the mind-bending brilliance of Recursion. A fairly predictable and, sadly, slightly boring adventure story. Not bad, but I was expecting SO much more from it.
booksandbea's review against another edition
4.0
Blake Crouch bends the mind like no other
3.5 stars. This was such an incredible lol at the nature of humanity in a way that I wouldn't have expected before reading the summary. Acting as an allegory with a backdrop of science, Blake Crouch uses real science and makes it even more extraordinary. The way he writes characters is visceral which makes me care for them so deeply and I loved the sibling rivalry in the extreme. This is so, so clever. The plot is brilliant and although it followed quite a predictable path once the motives were revealed, I still are it up.
3.5 stars. This was such an incredible lol at the nature of humanity in a way that I wouldn't have expected before reading the summary. Acting as an allegory with a backdrop of science, Blake Crouch uses real science and makes it even more extraordinary. The way he writes characters is visceral which makes me care for them so deeply and I loved the sibling rivalry in the extreme. This is so, so clever. The plot is brilliant and although it followed quite a predictable path once the motives were revealed, I still are it up.
jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
Humans have limitations for what they’re capable of, but with some genetic tinkering that can significantly change and have impactful ramifications on humanity in Blake Crouch’s Upgrade.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency and his latest case leads him to an unassuming home presumed to be a lab used for illegal genetic activity. Soon after getting an all-clear to enter the basement, Logan realizes that there are ice bombs about to go off; caught in the explosion, his hazmat gear is punctured and ice particles reach his now broken skin, melting in to the wounds. When he awakes in the hospital, he’s quarantined as they investigate the virus that infected him and see if his genetic structure has been modified as a result. After fevers and pain, it’s determined that Logan is fine and no modifications have been made; released back to his normal life he slowly notices increases in his mental acuity, making him curious if the virus was a sleeper and used technology that his infamous mother developed. Upon confirmation of his genetic upgrades, he is detained by his employer, escapes with assistance from an unlikely source, fights with that person as to what to do about the upgrade potential, and goes on the run to stay hidden while considering how to outmaneuver his opponents in the fight for what’s best for humanity.
An engrossing and quickly moving story that raises important moral questions, the premise is equal parts interesting and frightening in what it portrayed as a possibility for the next state of humanity’s development as scientific progress is made, specifically around genetic engineering and the benefits and perils that come with that exploration. The pacing and general presentation of the plot had a cinematic feel to it, which is in line with Crouch’s writing style. There was a fair amount of technical terminology used throughout the text, some of which felt like gibberish and was highly skimmable as strings of numbers and/or letter acronyms, but the information necessary to understand the base of what’s shared was made clear to readers, though more in a telling versus showing manner. A certain level of remoteness or coldness to the characters’ presentation kept them at arm’s length, likely due to the highly analytical presentation from Logan’s augmented perspective, in this highly interior-facing story with vast external implications.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Logan Ramsay works for the Gene Protection Agency and his latest case leads him to an unassuming home presumed to be a lab used for illegal genetic activity. Soon after getting an all-clear to enter the basement, Logan realizes that there are ice bombs about to go off; caught in the explosion, his hazmat gear is punctured and ice particles reach his now broken skin, melting in to the wounds. When he awakes in the hospital, he’s quarantined as they investigate the virus that infected him and see if his genetic structure has been modified as a result. After fevers and pain, it’s determined that Logan is fine and no modifications have been made; released back to his normal life he slowly notices increases in his mental acuity, making him curious if the virus was a sleeper and used technology that his infamous mother developed. Upon confirmation of his genetic upgrades, he is detained by his employer, escapes with assistance from an unlikely source, fights with that person as to what to do about the upgrade potential, and goes on the run to stay hidden while considering how to outmaneuver his opponents in the fight for what’s best for humanity.
An engrossing and quickly moving story that raises important moral questions, the premise is equal parts interesting and frightening in what it portrayed as a possibility for the next state of humanity’s development as scientific progress is made, specifically around genetic engineering and the benefits and perils that come with that exploration. The pacing and general presentation of the plot had a cinematic feel to it, which is in line with Crouch’s writing style. There was a fair amount of technical terminology used throughout the text, some of which felt like gibberish and was highly skimmable as strings of numbers and/or letter acronyms, but the information necessary to understand the base of what’s shared was made clear to readers, though more in a telling versus showing manner. A certain level of remoteness or coldness to the characters’ presentation kept them at arm’s length, likely due to the highly analytical presentation from Logan’s augmented perspective, in this highly interior-facing story with vast external implications.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
kessler21's review against another edition
4.0
Upgrade is a new (to me) take on several themes. Bionic Man without the bionic. Similar theme to Flowers for Algernon with the super high intelligence to where he doesn't fit in. Living up to your parents and your own image of yourself. Though these themes are not explored deeply, I enjoyed the fresh creativity.
The book was a very easy and fast read. Parts of the book were silly to me but most of it was exciting and kept me reading. I enjoyed it and will probably check out some more Blake Crouch for fun light reading.
The book was a very easy and fast read. Parts of the book were silly to me but most of it was exciting and kept me reading. I enjoyed it and will probably check out some more Blake Crouch for fun light reading.
jhscolloquium's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jessdrewapic's review against another edition
5.0
Another gripping, thrilling and mind bending scifi read.
4.5 rounded up to 5- it got deducted half a star because the end chase scene felt a little dragged out, but I loved the epilogue.
4.5 rounded up to 5- it got deducted half a star because the end chase scene felt a little dragged out, but I loved the epilogue.