Yun's Reviews > Upgrade
Upgrade
by
This right here. This is what I've been waiting for. With Upgrade, Blake Crouch has finally written a successor worthy of Dark Matter.
You might think that I have some sort of rigorous, scientific method for determining what makes a 5-star read for me. But honestly, it's just a feeling. I get this tingle that goes from the back of my head all the way down my spine. And when I feel it, I know that I've found something special and worth savoring. And that's what happened here.
When I think of a great science fiction story, I think of something bold and imaginative, capable of surprising me and challenging my preconceived notions, one that reaches to the root of what it means to be human, and takes us on a journey of where we've been and where we're going. And this story is all that and more.
Just like most Blake Crouch novels, this book feels accessible, even to those readers who don't normally indulge in the genre. And a large reason is because it reads like a thriller. It's relentlessly paced and utterly riveting, and I can't imagine trying to put it down once I've started. Every chapter held surprises and revelations, and even when I thought I was getting an inkling of where it might be headed, it still managed to prove me wrong.
While the science in here is interesting, I suspect most readers will connect with it for far more reasons than that. It seamlessly blends a whole bunch of interesting and timely topics, from philosophy to ethics, evolution to the environment, that elevates it from just a story that passes through one's mind to a story that's truly arresting and memorable.
I've noticed that Crouch is particularly adept at putting the reader in the shoes of the main character. We feel his pain, understand his choices, and appreciate the difficulty of his dilemmas. And it makes me wonder, what would I do when given such impossible choices? Would I have what it takes to sacrifice everything to do what needs to be done? I'd like to think so, and it's definitely an interesting thought to contemplate.
A word of caution here. I normally include a small tease of the story I'm reviewing, but you'll notice I haven't included any such information here. It's because even that little bit feels like a spoiler. In fact, I've been careful not to allude to anything that happens in the entire story, and that's on purpose.
I went into this completely blind and absolutely loved the initial pages as it set up the premise and got into the heart of the story. There were so many things that surprised me and those reveals contributed so much to the delightful experience of reading this book. After I finished, I read the blurb on the back, and it pretty much gives it all away. So my suggestion is to skip the blurb altogether and just go right into it. You'll be glad you did.
Ever since Blake Crouch came out with Dark Matter, I've been waiting patiently for another book of his that will grab me just as much. (Recursion wasn't it, unfortunately.) I wanted another that would work on so many levels: a riveting and unputdownable thriller on the surface, but also thought-provoking and scientifically intriguing, and relatable to every reader even though the premise is so outrageous. And it seems my patience has finally paid off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Dark Matter
Recursion
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
by
I dreamed of who I used to be.
Of who, or what, I might become.
This right here. This is what I've been waiting for. With Upgrade, Blake Crouch has finally written a successor worthy of Dark Matter.
You might think that I have some sort of rigorous, scientific method for determining what makes a 5-star read for me. But honestly, it's just a feeling. I get this tingle that goes from the back of my head all the way down my spine. And when I feel it, I know that I've found something special and worth savoring. And that's what happened here.
When I think of a great science fiction story, I think of something bold and imaginative, capable of surprising me and challenging my preconceived notions, one that reaches to the root of what it means to be human, and takes us on a journey of where we've been and where we're going. And this story is all that and more.
Just like most Blake Crouch novels, this book feels accessible, even to those readers who don't normally indulge in the genre. And a large reason is because it reads like a thriller. It's relentlessly paced and utterly riveting, and I can't imagine trying to put it down once I've started. Every chapter held surprises and revelations, and even when I thought I was getting an inkling of where it might be headed, it still managed to prove me wrong.
While the science in here is interesting, I suspect most readers will connect with it for far more reasons than that. It seamlessly blends a whole bunch of interesting and timely topics, from philosophy to ethics, evolution to the environment, that elevates it from just a story that passes through one's mind to a story that's truly arresting and memorable.
I've noticed that Crouch is particularly adept at putting the reader in the shoes of the main character. We feel his pain, understand his choices, and appreciate the difficulty of his dilemmas. And it makes me wonder, what would I do when given such impossible choices? Would I have what it takes to sacrifice everything to do what needs to be done? I'd like to think so, and it's definitely an interesting thought to contemplate.
A word of caution here. I normally include a small tease of the story I'm reviewing, but you'll notice I haven't included any such information here. It's because even that little bit feels like a spoiler. In fact, I've been careful not to allude to anything that happens in the entire story, and that's on purpose.
I went into this completely blind and absolutely loved the initial pages as it set up the premise and got into the heart of the story. There were so many things that surprised me and those reveals contributed so much to the delightful experience of reading this book. After I finished, I read the blurb on the back, and it pretty much gives it all away. So my suggestion is to skip the blurb altogether and just go right into it. You'll be glad you did.
Ever since Blake Crouch came out with Dark Matter, I've been waiting patiently for another book of his that will grab me just as much. (Recursion wasn't it, unfortunately.) I wanted another that would work on so many levels: a riveting and unputdownable thriller on the surface, but also thought-provoking and scientifically intriguing, and relatable to every reader even though the premise is so outrageous. And it seems my patience has finally paid off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Dark Matter
Recursion
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
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Reading Progress
May 15, 2022
–
Started Reading
May 15, 2022
– Shelved
May 18, 2022
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 233 (233 new)
Wow. This seems to be amazing and I'm so excited! The fact that I consider Dark Matter a benchmark for a good and interesting scifi book and that this is the worthy successor to that is just 😍😘. Cannot wait. And thank you for not giving away even a bit of the plot. I'm planning to go into this blind.
Bharath wrote: "Excellent review Yun. Looks like it blends science with philosophy quite well. I have loved most of Blake Crouch's books (except Run & Snowbound) - especially Dark Matter & Recursion (I know the la..."
Thanks, Bharath! If you're a fan of BC, I think chances are high you'll love this! Can't wait to see what you think! :)
Thanks, Bharath! If you're a fan of BC, I think chances are high you'll love this! Can't wait to see what you think! :)
R.J. wrote: "I’m so excited for this one!"
Hope you enjoy, R.J.! Will be excited to see your thoughts! :)
Hope you enjoy, R.J.! Will be excited to see your thoughts! :)
Meg wrote: "Wow. This seems to be amazing and I'm so excited! The fact that I consider Dark Matter a benchmark for a good and interesting scifi book and that this is the worthy successor to that is just 😍😘. Ca..."
Thanks, Meg! Blind is definitely the way to go... can't believe how much the blurb gives away. Hope you enjoy!! Will be interested to see your thoughts and to see if this lives up to Dark Matter for you! 🥳😘
Thanks, Meg! Blind is definitely the way to go... can't believe how much the blurb gives away. Hope you enjoy!! Will be interested to see your thoughts and to see if this lives up to Dark Matter for you! 🥳😘
Michael wrote: "Fantastic review, Yun! I hate when a blurb gives everything away. You’ve intrigued me. :)"
Thanks, Michael! You enjoy thrillers, so you might like this one. It feels more thriller than sci-fi! ;)
Thanks, Michael! You enjoy thrillers, so you might like this one. It feels more thriller than sci-fi! ;)
RoshReviews wrote: "Amazing review, Yun! So glad that Blake Crouch delivered another hit with his latest. 😊"
Thanks, Rosh! He sure did! 🤗
Thanks, Rosh! He sure did! 🤗
Baba wrote: "Smashing review that hurtles this book on to my must-read list Yun, thank you :)"
Thanks, Baba! When you get to it, I hope you love it too! :)
Thanks, Baba! When you get to it, I hope you love it too! :)
Miya (in a puddle of pain) wrote: "Awesome review Yun! This sounds fantastic!"
Thanks, Miya! I thoroughly enjoyed! :)
Thanks, Miya! I thoroughly enjoyed! :)
Kay wrote: "I can't wait to get my hands on it, terrific review Yun!😊💕"
Thanks, Kay! When you do, I hope you enjoy! 🥰
Thanks, Kay! When you do, I hope you enjoy! 🥰
Madeline wrote: "!!!!! I am so excited to read this!! Glad you loved it!!"
Thanks, Madeline! I hope you love it too!! :)
Thanks, Madeline! I hope you love it too!! :)
A fabulous review, Yun! I don’t gravitate toward sci-fi but am extremely intrigued. I skip book blurbs for the very reason you mentioned. 😏 I’m adding this as well as Dark Matter to my TBR.
Thanks! 👍🏼🙂
Thanks! 👍🏼🙂
Fran wrote: "Yun....your brilliant review has me thinking I must start "Upgrade" very soon! 🌸 🌼 🌻"
Thanks, Fran! When you get to it, I hope you love it too! 🤗🌺
Thanks, Fran! When you get to it, I hope you love it too! 🤗🌺
Taina wrote: "A fabulous review, Yun! I don’t gravitate toward sci-fi but am extremely intrigued. I skip book blurbs for the very reason you mentioned. 😏 I’m adding this as well as Dark Matter to my TBR.
Thanks..."
Thanks, Taina! If you're a fan of thrillers, these are worth a try, especially Dark Matter. They're both super accessible. I hope you enjoy if you get to them! 🤗
Thanks..."
Thanks, Taina! If you're a fan of thrillers, these are worth a try, especially Dark Matter. They're both super accessible. I hope you enjoy if you get to them! 🤗
Nevin wrote: "Although I am not into sci-fi books, you made it very intriguing 😉"
If you're a fan of thrillers, these are worth a try, at least in my opinion! BC writes very accessible sci-fi! 🤗
If you're a fan of thrillers, these are worth a try, at least in my opinion! BC writes very accessible sci-fi! 🤗
Yay, so excited to see a five star review for this!! Absolutely loved Dark Matter and can't wait to read this one. Fab review!
This review is catching my attention since we both didn't really fuck with Recursion lol. I'll give reading it some strong consideration!
Ahhhhhhh I am so excited. I immensely liked both Dark Matter and Recursion (and I thought the Wayward Pines series was good too). This one can’t get to me fast enough.
laura ☼ wrote: "Yay, so excited to see a five star review for this!! Absolutely loved Dark Matter and can't wait to read this one. Fab review!"
Thanks, Laura! I had so much fun with this one! When you get to it, I hope you do too! Will be curious to see your thoughts! :)
Thanks, Laura! I had so much fun with this one! When you get to it, I hope you do too! Will be curious to see your thoughts! :)
Anthony wrote: "This review is catching my attention since we both didn't really fuck with Recursion lol. I'll give reading it some strong consideration!"
Haha! If you enjoyed Dark Matter, I'd definitely consider this one. To me, it feels closer to what made DM special rather than what made Recursion wonky lol. ;)
Haha! If you enjoyed Dark Matter, I'd definitely consider this one. To me, it feels closer to what made DM special rather than what made Recursion wonky lol. ;)
Rosa wrote: "Ahhhhhhh I am so excited. I immensely liked both Dark Matter and Recursion (and I thought the Wayward Pines series was good too). This one can’t get to me fast enough."
If you're a fan of BC, I can't imagine you wouldn't love this, Rosa! When you get to it, I hope you enjoy!! :)
If you're a fan of BC, I can't imagine you wouldn't love this, Rosa! When you get to it, I hope you enjoy!! :)
Claudia wrote: "I'll have to check this out, I loved Dark Matter and was meh on Recursion too."
I thought this was closer to what made Dark Matter so special! I hope you enjoy too when you get to it! :)
I thought this was closer to what made Dark Matter so special! I hope you enjoy too when you get to it! :)
Awesome, heartfelt review, Yun! You write so eloquently. So glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like a worthy author.
Bold and imaginative! Great review, Yun, for an intriguing story.
I've been looking forward to reading this. I liked both Dark Matter and Recursion, so since you loved it I know I will too!
Kerrin wrote: "Awesome review. I love those 5-stars. I've got this one coming up soon."
Thanks, Kerrin! I hope you enjoy too! Will be looking forward to seeing your thoughts! :)
Thanks, Kerrin! I hope you enjoy too! Will be looking forward to seeing your thoughts! :)
Angela wrote: "Awesome, heartfelt review, Yun! You write so eloquently. So glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like a worthy author."
Thanks so much, Angela! BC is definitely an interesting author and a must-read for me! :)
Thanks so much, Angela! BC is definitely an interesting author and a must-read for me! :)
I am eagerly looking forward to reading this!