Upgrade

Crouch's work always packs a strong punch - I loved Dark Matter, and although Recursion went a little over my head, I loved the concept, if not the execution. One look at the blurb for his newest work promised an equally, if not more exhilarating read. Upgrade has a wonderfully thrilling premise: it's about gene editing and its effects on humanity in the long run.

Plot

Set in the very near future, we find ourselves in a world where gene editing is illegal after Miriam Ramsay, a brilliant scientist, caused a global catastrophe It's her son, Logan, who narrates the story. Working for the Gene Protection Agency, it's his job to root out dark gene labs and shut them down before history repeats itself.

A raid gone wrong leaves Logan badly injured - but the damage isn't just physical. He's been infected with something that's caused a genetic upgrade, enhancing his abilities. Think of extreme sensory detail, super strength, and high durability... just like the vampires from Twilight.

Although he's been targeted for this, the person who did this has a lot of plans. Plans which involve doing the same to every person alive to save humanity from the brink of extinction. The question is, is it worth the cost? If it is, are we even meant to design changes to our own DNA? When does science stop being science and go a step too far?

While Logan tries to reconcile with the still resonating effects of his mother's actions, he's soon caught up in a fight he never asked to be a part of. Just like Crouch's other protagonists, family is important to him. Giving his daughter a better future - that is something he'll go to war for.

"I know you're trying to do the right thing, but you can't put this knowledge back into the box."

Upgrade has a very strong start - it's fast, gets to the point, and clearly lays out the stakes in a way that you just cannot bear to put it down.

Unfortunately, this streak doesn't continue.

While Blake nails the research and sci-fi aspect wonderfully, the storytelling sorely leaves much to be desired. The pacing feels very off. After a great start and a few solid chapters following it, there is a real lull. The plot twist in the middle isn't shocking either - in fact, it was sort of... obvious?

Yes, Logan is almost superhuman (as intended), but he rarely faces any real problems since he solves everything so quickly. There isn't really a point where you feel that he is in real danger. You feel that something important should be happening, but that doesn't happen until the last quarter of the book.

Worldbuilding

What I really loved about this book was how realistic it felt in terms of the setting. Although it takes place sometime in the future, it doesn't feel too far off. I can quite imagine something like this happening in a few decades... and that's what gave me goosebumps. A fair amount of it felt relevant, even today.

We lived in a veritable surveillance state, engaged with screens more than with our loved ones, and the algorithms knew us better than we knew ourselves.

Crouch paints a pretty bleak picture of the world as he talks about the various ramifications of gene editing in all their gory detail. Can you imagine scientists creating dragons and dire wolves in a lab? Or an improved version of someone who passed away? If this reminds you of this(somewhat similar) Black Mirror episode, you're not alone! In the world of Upgrade, this isn't fictional anymore, and it's terrifying.

Writing Style

As always, I loved the way Crouch explains really complex concepts in a way that is accessible. This book left much more science-heavy than his previous work, but I'm quite fascinated with this topic, making it an enjoyable read.

In Conclusion

At its heart, Upgrade asks us if engineering our genes like this would really guarantee the survival of our race. Does a higher intelligence lessen our capacity for violence? Or is there something else altogether that can guarantee our survival? It weighs a lot of moral implications which makes it worth a read.

While I agree with the message of Upgrade, I really missed the nerve-wracking, thrilling experiences which I associate with Crouch's work - the feeling that keeps me up for long hours into the night to finish off the book. Although an enjoyable read, personally, I think that Dark Matter remains his best work so far.