Upgrade by Blake Crouch -- Restarting August 17th 2022

[Shannara]

When the SWAT team gives the all-clear and Logan Ramsay steps into the basement, he has no idea that everything's about to change.

Then there's the hiss of aerosol. The explosion. The shrapnel that punctures his hazmat gear. Logan wakes up to find himself in a hospital bed, attended by doctors in their own hazmat suits, his wife and daughter looking on from behind the glass.

The doctors say he's been infected by a virus--one designed not to make him sick, but to modify his very genetic structure. In a world where the next-generation gene-editing tool known as Scythe is widely available--and has already reaped disastrous consequences--the possibilities are too many and terrifying to count.

Except that after the fever, the pain, the fear...the virus is gone. And according to his government bosses, Logan's got a clean bill of health.

But the truth is that with each day that passes, Logan's getting smarter. Seeing things more clearly. He's realizing that he's been upgraded in ways that go beyond even Scythe's capabilities--and that he's been given these abilities for a reason.

Because a holy grail of genetic engineering--one that could change our very definitions of humanity--has just been unearthed. And now it's up to him to stop it from falling into the wrong hands.

Logan’s becoming something more. Something better. Even with the whole world hunting for him, he might be able to outthink his opponents and win the war that’s coming.

But what if it’s at the cost of being himself?

[Shannara]

30% (view spoiler)[ Holy cow this is rapidly becoming very exciting!! I feel like all of Blake Crouches books get going really early. I feel bad and excited for Logan at the same time. Like he’s clearly becoming a super human, but when does it stop?! Like I’m not sure what it’ll look like if it goes too far. How will that affect him mentally or emotionally?? I’m eager to find out though!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Shannara wrote: "30% [spoilers removed]"

YES! I also (view spoiler)[ love how quickly the author gets into the plot of his books! I'm REALLLLLY liking this so far. I love the genetics side behind this, and I think it will bring up so many ethics questions! I've always said if I could go back to school for a different degree, I would look into genetics or genetic counseling, so this book is so cool for me right now! I love how the author gave us easy examples of showing how Logan was changing. (chess, reading books he couldn't get through, multitasking, etc.) I can't wait to read more! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Katie wrote: "Shannara wrote: "30% [spoilers removed]"

YES! I also [spoilers removed]"

Oh that’s so cool!!! (view spoiler)[ Genetics has always interested me as well, but I worried that I would get to a point that it would be beyond my comprehension. Crouch has a way to make things easy to understand while still being intelligent. I’m excited to keep going too. I fell asleep reading last night because I was wiped, but I hope to make a dent tonight!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

50% Holy shit I did not see that coming!!! (view spoiler)[ how can this have led up to them finding their mom dead?!?! After they just found out she was alive!!!! Like whaaaaaa?!?! So now what’s going to happen?? I’m absolutely reeling at this point. And I don’t think I like this whole, I can push my emotions away without any issues… aren’t our feelings and emotions a huge part of what makes us humans? This book is sooooo good so far!!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Shannara wrote: "50% Holy shit I did not see that coming!!! [spoilers removed]"

I wasn't expecting that either! (view spoiler)[ I wasn't surprised to find out the mom was still alive, but then to have her turn up dead after thinking she was alive...Yeah, I wasn't expecting that!! I love hearing little tidbits about how the mom was responsible for all those deaths and now the sister is involved with things...

I'm also very much enjoying this and finding it to be a pretty easy read and easy to come back to! (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Chapter 8 - (view spoiler)[ I don't know where this is going with the outbreak... I mean I'm sure it will involve the upgrade and the sister, but I'm curious where this is going... AAGH!! Must keep reading! LOLOL! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Katie wrote: "Chapter 8 - [spoilers removed]"

Chapter 10 - Oh I know! (view spoiler)[ I had a tiny inkling that it would involve his sister, but dang, I feel like she’s done something terribly wrong. These people obviously didn’t get the same upgrade that they got. Not if 50% of them are going crazy. And I was pretty irritated that the one beefy dude shot Tiffany. Like, was that necessary?!?!

Yeah, this is totally easy to read and so very interesting!! I can’t wait to see what happens next!! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Beginning of Part Three (view spoiler)[ Oh boy… I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Like why do I feel like if Logan prevents his sister from doing this then he’ll be dooming himself to death?? He’s already losing so much of his humanity… These shots might be pushing the last of it away. And why does a tiny part of me feel like his sister has a point?!?! How else are they going to save the world?!?! Ugh, gotta keep reading!!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Chapter 13 (82%) (view spoiler)[ woah wait a minute… he just said the hug from Nadine was the first nonviolent physical touch he’d had in fourteen months… what about the hug from that lady in the bar?? Or did I imagine that?? (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Shannara wrote: "Beginning of Part Three [spoilers removed]"

I like your thoughts about (view spoiler)[ kind of understanding the sister's perspective. Maybe not as going as far as she did, but this book would bring up great discussions in a book club!! (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Finished- (view spoiler)[ I really liked this a lot!!! Especially the epilogue!! I gave this a 4.5 star rating, and almost rounded up because of that epilogue, but I decided to round down only because it was a little too much science and action for me, but my reading tastes have also changed over the last year, so that could be part of it. But I LOVED this, and that ending! You can tell the author had something to say based on the epilogue! Fantastic book! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Katie wrote: "Finished- [spoilers removed]"

Finished also! (view spoiler)[ I totally agree!!!! It would be a great book club book!! I enjoyed this very much!! This type of thing is right up my alley, so I was really into it. And you’re right, the epilogue was great!! I’d say Blake Crouch has done it again. Another hit!! (hide spoiler)]

[Brigia]

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Date changed. Restarting August 17th 2022. Happy Reading ☺

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

[Brigia]

Beginning to 25% (middle of ch 4)

(view spoiler)[ I’m really hooked already! I like the MC with his interesting back story. The science is nice, too. I like that the famine wasn’t caused by bad intentions, it makes the whole thing more realistic. The moral struggle the MC is engaged in, that he has to arrest someone attempting to cure cancer as well as really bad people, makes more sense that way and feels really relevant.

Now I’m super curious what Logan will change into and if he will end up working with his mother or what. I hope nothing bad will happen to his family! (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

3%
(view spoiler)[ Lots of hypothetical going on in this conversation, which is how it should be when the police are involved.

Meat storages/upped cost, Miami is under water, no more glaciers (hide spoiler)]

5%
(view spoiler)[ Kingpin reference! making gene mods to make you super buff, wonder how are away from that we really are (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

6%
(view spoiler)[ Always a bomb in these locations, if i wasn't SWAT i wouldn't go near that building til they cleared it, not my job to go in yet, and now this dude is injured and was stuck by things from the bomb. (hide spoiler)]

12%
(view spoiler)[ one density should be between -1 and 1 and he's is almost 3! Holy cow that has to hurt! (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

14%
(view spoiler)[ Dang a self driving delivery car, fancy, and real meat! wonder how far away those things are as well, meat storages (hide spoiler)]

15%
(view spoiler)[ Locust just like Jurassic World, didn't go well in either, shame, when will people learn that messing with animals never ends well. (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

21%
(view spoiler)[ Ok ill take the gene that requires less sleep and the one where I can read super fast! i rather not mess with the one the MC has where he can remember every single detail about the past including how he was thinking in the moment, that's too much (hide spoiler)]

33%
(view spoiler)[ Mom sent that bee to the sister, i promise that, good thing she didn't have a favorite kid and helped both be crazy strong (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

Brigia wrote: "Beginning to 25% (middle of ch 4)

I’m really hooked already! I like the MC with his interesting back story. The science is nice, too. I like that the famine wasn’t caused by bad intentions, it ma..."

Yah it was nice that they were trying to help, but think they should have done some more small level testing before just going out there and hoping for the best

[Maddie]

Uh oh another 3 star. I also have no idea when I'm getting to this one. My stack's out of control

[Brigia]

Brooke wrote: "Brigia wrote: "Beginning to 25% (middle of ch 4)

I’m really hooked already! I like the MC with his interesting back story. The science is nice, too. I like that the famine wasn’t caused by bad in..."

Absolutely, they should have! I just meant I like that the cause wasn’t war or terrorism, but scientists trying to improve things, with no political agenda.

[Brigia]

Brooke wrote: "21%
[spoilers removed]

33%
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Agree on the super powers! (hide spoiler)]

[Brigia]

50% (End of part 1)

(view spoiler)[ Wow, it’s sort of amazing that Miriam still hasn’t learned to consider the consequences of her messing around without considering all the side effects! Using her children like that after being out of touch for so long seems really cold. Also, either she didn’t know that Kara was tortured or she wanted her to recall that perfectly. And then she kills herself before anyone can ask questions. I’m not a fan.
I really like Logan, though, because he did learn from past mistakes. I hope he’ll get a happy end. (hide spoiler)]

[Brigia]

75% (End of Part 2)

(view spoiler)[ I think Logan is spot on pointing out that greed and self-centeredness doesn’t have anything to do with intelligence. I don’t really get the character, though. I liked his interaction with the old lady in the bar and how he grows to have more sympathy for the poor by living like them. But then, how he can turn off his emotions so easily and chooses to do so, seems really out of character and disturbing. Maybe that was the point the author wanted to make, though - show how alien he is, not quite human anymore. (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

Maddie wrote: "Uh oh another 3 star. I also have no idea when I'm getting to this one. My stack's out of control"

Just felt like the ending was rushed, and there wasn't enough of a plot imo, idk, it just felt off so yah 3 stars :/

[Maddie]

Brooke wrote: "Maddie wrote: "Uh oh another 3 star. I also have no idea when I'm getting to this one. My stack's out of control"

Just felt like the ending was rushed, and there wasn't enough of a plot imo, idk, ..."

That's sad :( Especially with how hyped his other two have been, neither of which I've read. I wonder when I'll get to it.

[Maddie]

I'm doing this one on Friday!

[Brigia]

Part 3-End

(view spoiler)[ I'm really happy with the ending! I enjoyed the discussion of compassion vs intellect and the final show-down was neat. I have no hope of understanding the science parts of the novel, so I sort of skim-read those lol (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Starting in a few minutes!

[Maddie]

Brigia wrote: "Beginning to 25% (middle of ch 4)

I’m really hooked already! I like the MC with his interesting back story. The science is nice, too. I like that the famine wasn’t caused by bad intentions, it ma..."

Yes it's all so interesting! I was totally hooked early on. Good intentions have bad consequences too sometimes

[Maddie]

Brooke wrote: "3%
Lots of hypothetical going on in this conversation, which is how it should be when the police are involved.

Meat storages/upped cost, Miami is under water, no more glaciers

5%
[spoilers remo..."

There's no point to hypothetical when it's clearly you? I don't understand why they said it that way

[Maddie]

Brooke wrote: "14%
[spoilers removed]

15%
[spoilers removed]"

I think the whole point is that it's meant to feel scarily real. I know that already the world is at 1.3 degrees warming, when it hits 1.5 degrees 50% of the coral in the ocean will die and 80% of the insects that pollinate our crops will also die, so in 10 years or so we really won't have enough meat/crops to feed ourselves. We'll all move to plant-based, and it's because people in this current age aren't taking it seriously. We really aren't being sustainable.

[Maddie]

I'll be finishing this today FOR SURE, I'm hooked! Don't know on my rating, probably a 4 so far

[Maddie]

Brooke wrote: "Maddie wrote: "Uh oh another 3 star. I also have no idea when I'm getting to this one. My stack's out of control"

Just felt like the ending was rushed, and there wasn't enough of a plot imo, idk, ..."

It's funny because I felt there was so much plot, and while yes it's more of a character study and a point to humanity, I found it quite fast-paced and I loved the ending!

[Maddie]

Brigia wrote: "Part 3-End

[spoilers removed]"

Yeah I'd have done the same with the sciencey terms but I had the audio haha. I think without the audio I'd have skimmed for sure. It just felt a little bit too much with the technical terms, there's no real point to but that level of detail into a fiction book. It felt quite pretentious. But the discussion between compassion being humanity's downfall, how we know what to do but we are just being too selfish to do it, that encompasses the whole issue I think. We need to be more sustainable on this earth before our next generation can't survive anymore.