Upgrade: A Novel

Let me start by saying that I think Blake Crouch is a phenomenal writer and I've purchased every one of his releases in hardcover within a week of them being published. Fast pacing, gripping story lines, and usually, a taste of the horrific and unimaginable. His characters are relatable, and fallible which make the story more believable. With a sci-fi, technothriller, cookie cutter characters aren't going to make the cut. Thankfully Crouch knows how to weave an intense storyline with interesting characters. If you haven't read any of Blake Crouch's novels or stories, don't miss out. I view and label him as an author that should be ranked with the best in the thriller and suspense genres.

With Upgrade, Crouch dives into the world of the technothriller and manages to stay afloat due to his ability to craft such good action scenes and dialogue. The elements of horror, and scary qualities that I've come to love from him were absent from this book. Again, not a bad book, just not one of my favorites by him. The plot itself is engaging and I read the book in two sittings but I would just really love to see Crouch get back to his roots and at least incorporate the horror and macabre elements that peppered his earlier works.

This one does dive into a new kind of terror and horror for the science fiction realm and almost borders on creating super humans. But possibly at the cost of one losing their humanity. The concepts explored in this book are intriguing enough and I did enjoy following Logan on his own exploratory journey into how the "Upgrade" was affecting and changing him. Good action and flow moved the story forward but it just felt like something was missing is all. Probably my own personal opinion. Overall, I think it's worthy a read due to Crouch's writing which I believe is top shelf.