Upgrade - by Blake Crouch (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Ramsay can feel his brain changing--and his body, too. He's becoming something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human. As he sets out to discover who did this to him, and why, his transformation threatens everything: his family, his job, even his freedom. Because the truth of what's happened to him is more disturbing than he could possibly imagine. His DNA has been rewritten with a genetic-engineering breakthrough beyond anything the world has seen--one that could change our very definitions of humanity"--

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.