I was so excited when I saw that I could get a Netgalley arc of Upgrade by Blake Crouch. I adore his newer works, and he has become an auto-buy author for me.

Unfortunately, Upgrade was a miss for me.

The Wayward Pines series, Dark Matter, and Resurgence were well written, but they also had a hook that held you until the end. When I attempted to read Crouch’s books prior to Wayward Pines I found I did not enjoy them. They were not as well written thrillers without the satisfying plots.

Upgrade was more reminiscent of Crouch’s earlier works. At its core Upgrade is a thriller. Layered over the thriller is A LOT of scientific jargon. I am not a neurologist, but I have grad school level neuropsychology training. I love learning about the brain and how genetics shape us. I will read genetic non-fiction books for fun, and the science in this book bored me to tears.

I kept hoping that there was something that would redeem this novel at the end. I kept reading because it is Blake Crouch and I respect him so much as a writer. And I finally found it. My favorite part of the book was the prologue. If that could have been the book then I think I would have loved it. But if you start this book and are not enjoying it, it isn’t worth sticking around. Just skip to the prologue and call it a night.

I have seen so many positive reviews for Upgrade, don’t let mine sway you from picking it up if it interests you. I will say it is a fast read - and you can gloss over all the science. But if you have never read Crouch before then let me guide you over to his book Dark Matter.