Upgrade by Blake Crouch

Upgrade : A Novel 

By Blake Crouch 

Rating: 4/5 🥂🔮🎯

Genres : Science Fiction, Thriller, 2022-read, Virus, Genetic Alteration 

Well. First things first. This is not a horror novel but it might as well fall into that list. The premise and the setting is damn scary. Because it is utterly plausible and there won't be a damn thing anyone can do should it happen. Some maniac and genius scientist with a god/savior complex working on gene manipulation experiments and releasing a virus out into the human world .. to turn everyone into an "upgraded" version of themselves .. so the survival of the fittest would ensue and kill away all the rest .. no matter how big a number is to be sacrificed in the process. Well, if this is not the negative side to a genius mind and their detached/self serving actions, don't know what is. 

Coming to the story, Logan Ramsay is an agent working for the GPA .. which deals with arrest and prevention of genetic manipulation experiments and sale of such virulent products to people who have negative intentions. On one of their raids, Logan gets hit by a genome altering agent and his investigation leads him to his sister Kara who is also similarly altered. They discover its the work of their super genius and now absconding (under a veil of fake death) mother Miriam Ramsay. Her last experiment was two decades ago and was  to mitigate pest impact in rice plants and the genetically manipulated locusts she has introduced into the atmosphere in China towards this end had lead to hundreds of millions of deaths. To escape authorities and criticism, she has faked her own death and continued her research on developing a "upgrade" GM solution incognito. With this alteration, a human becomes much like a Robot. Can shut down feelings when ever they want and operate on intellect than emotion. Can read and focus on multiple things at the same time. Have a photogenic memory and can remember everything that ever transpired in their life with absolute precision. Kara and Logan differ with each other on what to do with the research when the solution falls into their hands .. they go two separate ways .. each fighting and escaping the other .. till at the end, Logan risks his life to stop the spread of this virus and Kara gives hers up for the very same purpose. 

I loved the story, how it is build up and Crouch doesn't deviate from his usual ammo in writing style or story line. There is usually some mad genius who comes up with solution to a long standing problem in science. And that somehow backfires and should be subverted. In Dark Matter, it was accessing the multiverse.  In Recursion, it was to alter past through time travel. Here, its successful Genetic Manipulation to enhance the best characteristics of a human body. The thriller aspect to the book also has resonance with the earlier two books. Though distinctly different from Dan Brown's work .. which deals/masters in symbols, secret societies and Christian beliefs .. Blake Crouch is soon becoming a very popular science and thriller guy who hits the mark each time. 

Like the idea of the story very much. Fingers crossed this never happens .. in a hundred years. Robots with suppressed emotion and enhanced intellect can deal with problems better than humans .. is a false premise .. I agree 101 percent with Logan Ramsay. 🍻