heatherbermingham's review
2.0
I broke my own rule and finished this book even though I wasn't really into it. I was just sure that between the good reviews here and how much I enjoyed Recursion that it would turn around. I probably would have given it 2.5 stars if I could have. 2 seems harsh, but 3 is too much.
I think there was an interesting idea here. The book ends with a letter that the main character writes, and it's really lovely and I think captures what Crouch was going for theme-wise. It just didn't feel like the rest of the book did a good job of capturing that same theme. For a sci-fi thriller, I thought it was pretty boring! Part I started really well, took a turn that I hated, and then absolutely nothing important happened in Part II, plot-wise or character-wise. I kind of skimmed through Part III.
Anyway, definitely read Recursion if you haven't.
I think there was an interesting idea here. The book ends with a letter that the main character writes, and it's really lovely and I think captures what Crouch was going for theme-wise. It just didn't feel like the rest of the book did a good job of capturing that same theme. For a sci-fi thriller, I thought it was pretty boring! Part I started really well, took a turn that I hated, and then absolutely nothing important happened in Part II, plot-wise or character-wise. I kind of skimmed through Part III.
Anyway, definitely read Recursion if you haven't.
stviasso's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wombat_88's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
3.0
mcwilcox_12's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
morganj31986's review
5.0
This was fantastic. Be aware it get very technical and into generics, but for me it showed how much research Blake Crouch did for thru book. It was a page turner!
shannonisstillreading's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
booksofbelwood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.75
Really a 3.75. The ending really pushed this one from a 3 to almost a 4 star!
feliciaann's review
4.0
✨ I’m convinced that Blake Crouch is a genius. What the hell did I just read? ✨
swineberg's review
4.0
A sort of Limitless/Frankenstein mash-up that deeply reflects the fears of our current moment, I found Upgrade entertaining as hell (I read it in one evening) but far short of the heights of Crouch’s previous two books, Dark Matter and Recursion (which I also stayed up all night reading). Both of those books featured twists that genuinely shocked me, but I saw Upgrade’s twists coming — maybe a side effect of the embrace of thriller tropes. The main character’s “upgrade” occurs right at the start of the book, and Crouch seems to get caught in a Marvel-like superpower problem. Because the characters are all super-strong and super-smart, it’s difficult to tell when or why things are actually dangerous…and so the stakes never feel as high as they should, and the violence lacks a desirable crunchiness. The Frankenstein-esque philosophizing is well written but lacks fresh perspective on humanity. It’s a good book, but it feels surface-level.
This was a fun read because of its relentless pacing, conceit, and vision of the future…but while Dark Matter and Recursion have stuck with me, I don’t think Upgrade will do the same.
This was a fun read because of its relentless pacing, conceit, and vision of the future…but while Dark Matter and Recursion have stuck with me, I don’t think Upgrade will do the same.