Upgrade: A Novel
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "If Michael Crichton had written a superhero novel, it would look a lot like Upgrade."--The New York Times Book Review "You don't so much sympathize with the main character as live inside his skin."--DIANA GABALDON, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series "Mysterious, fascinating, and deeply moving--exploring the very nature of what it means to be human."--ALEX MICHAELIDES, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient and The Maiden ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, She Reads The mind-blowing new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter and Recursion--currently in development as a motion picture at Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners "You are the next step in human evolution."
At first, Logan Ramsay isn't sure if anything's different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep. But before long, he can't deny it: Something's happening to his brain. To his body. He's starting to see the world, and those around him--even those he loves most--in whole new ways. The truth is, Logan's genome has been hacked. And there's a reason he's been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy. Worse still, what's happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large--at a terrifying cost. Because of his new abilities, Logan's the one person in the world capable of stopping what's been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he'll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human. And even as he's fighting, he can't help wondering: what if humanity's only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution? Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man's thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity--and our boundless potential.
At first, Logan Ramsay isn't sure if anything's different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep. But before long, he can't deny it: Something's happening to his brain. To his body. He's starting to see the world, and those around him--even those he loves most--in whole new ways. The truth is, Logan's genome has been hacked. And there's a reason he's been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy. Worse still, what's happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large--at a terrifying cost. Because of his new abilities, Logan's the one person in the world capable of stopping what's been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he'll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human. And even as he's fighting, he can't help wondering: what if humanity's only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution? Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man's thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity--and our boundless potential.
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Community Reviews
A short fun read with a similar trying-to-put-the-genie-back-in-the-bottle plot to the author's other recent releases. I found the final resolution more satisfying than I expected.
I enjoyed this book. I'll admit I mentally skimmed over some of the intricate details and scientific analysis, but the heart of the story reached me.
3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this, but not as much as I’ve enjoyed the author’s other work. I liked the idea of gene modifications and I can see something like this actually happening (which hopefully it doesn’t). I enjoyed the writing style, the descriptions, and the scientific terminology that is easy to comprehend. I didn’t feel drawn to any characters, but I did enjoy the relationship between Logan & Ava, especially during their chess games.
I enjoyed this, but not as much as I’ve enjoyed the author’s other work. I liked the idea of gene modifications and I can see something like this actually happening (which hopefully it doesn’t). I enjoyed the writing style, the descriptions, and the scientific terminology that is easy to comprehend. I didn’t feel drawn to any characters, but I did enjoy the relationship between Logan & Ava, especially during their chess games.
What did I just read? I mean this book…wow. I’m not even sure where to start. I don’t think this book was for me. The chapters were too long and in some ways the pacing went back and forth between too slow and too fast for me. I felt I spent most of my time learning background than reading a book. Most of the action came at the end of the book and I sat there wondering what I was trying to finish this book for. The premise was interesting so I guess I wanted to see how it played out. It was also written very well despite the long winded ness. Everything felt too factual for me to believe in any of the characters. I liked Logan, but the more “upgraded” he got the worse I disliked his character. I had no connection to him or any other characters. Could a version of this happen in real life? Probably, but I read to escape. Life is hard enough as it is. Maybe I am missing something I don’t know. It was a Book of the Month selection that apparently was talked about on a podcast with the author. I may need to listen to it to see if I can understand the thrill of the book because as of now I’m not seeing it. At some point it stopped feeling like science fiction and just melted into what the world could be. This is the first book I’ve read by Blake Crouch so I think I need to read another to see if he’s an author I like to keep reading. Since I’m not sure I understood the book as I should have I cannot say whether or not I would recommend it. I may add more thoughts to this after listening to the podcast episode.
Update: so I’m not crazy. He tries to push the idea that certain things (such as gene modification) could happen to the level it happened in the book. He wants us to read what he writes and see the parallel to what is and what could be. I can understand that to an extent, but at the same time I want to be placed in a world not my own: not just a weird version of what already is.
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