Upgrade - by Blake Crouch (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"If Michael Crichton had written a superhero novel, it would look a lot like Upgrade. . . . Sleek and propulsive, a page-turner with unexpectedly beautiful passages that give you pause amid the thrills."--Amal El-Mohtar, The New York Times Book Review

"A lot of fun . . . Crouch knows how to do a chase, when to blow stuff up and when to bring the house lights down. . . . But what makes Upgrade special is that his path is unique. He takes turns that are unexpected [and] explores some stunning vistas along the way."--NPR

"From the first page, it's clear you're in the hands of a master storyteller; Upgrade is by turns mysterious, fascinating, and deeply moving--exploring the very nature of what it means to be human. Spellbinding."--Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient and The Maidens

"Imaginative, perfectly paced, and extremely clever, Upgrade walks the fine line between page-turning thriller and smart sci-fi. Another killer read from Blake."--Andy Weir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary

"The incomparable Blake Crouch has, once again, completely blown my mind. Upgrade is more than a brain-bending thriller; it's a siren in the night, warning us all of the dangers of playing God with the human species."--Justin Cronin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Passage Trilogy

"Blake Crouch has a mind like Crichton and a heart like King--Upgrade is riveting, tense, scrupulously researched, and deeply heartfelt."--David Koepp, author of Cold Storage and screenwriter of Jurassic Park

"Blake Crouch doesn't pull any punches in this taut and evocative examination of what humanity really is--and how it fails us. A hugely entertaining and emotionally resonant thriller that you'll be thinking about long after you turn the last page."--Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Chosen Ones and Divergent

"[A] nail-biting near-future science thriller . . . Crouch fully develops his alarming concept and its implications along with delivering masterful characterizations. This is the best yet from a creative and gifted author."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Mind-bending . . . an excellent follow-up to Crouch's other dark-science novels . . . Will appeal to readers interested in climate fiction or superhero origin stories, as well as those who enjoy smart thrillers."--Booklist

"High-octane action, some moral complexity, and a surprisingly emotional ending elevate this novel. Recommended--even for reluctant science fiction readers."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Blake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. His novels include Upgrade, Recursion, Dark Matter, and the Wayward Pines trilogy, which was adapted into a television series for FOX. Crouch also co-created the TNT show Good Behavior, based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He lives in Colorado.