5 stars out of 5
There's plenty more food for thought in this fascinating tale of a radical plan to keep the human race going for more than the century some experts insist it's got left. Problem is, it's illegal. Following a colossal disaster brought on by Logan Ramsay's brilliant geneticist mother Miriam, the Gene Protection Agency was formed and the practice of so-called gene-editing became a federal crime. Now, Miriam is long gone, Logan is all grown up, married with a young daughter and working for the GPA. When they learn about an illicit gene lab, a team that includes Logan heads out to shut it down. And that's when everything goes haywire and the nonstop action begins in a setting in which half of New York City and Miami are under water, Lake Mead has dried up and the outlook for the rest of the planet looks bleak at best.
When the lab explodes, you see, Logan is injured by sharp objects; soon, it becomes apparent that he's changing. Suddenly, he's physically stronger, has a noticeably sharper mind and somehow has acquired the ability to "read" other people and their thoughts. In other words, his genome has been altered - but by whom? And perhaps more importantly, why?
The answer, at least to Logan, is absolutely mind-blowing and changes his life forever - even more so when he learns of a plan to "save" civilization by way of the aforementioned genetic upgrading. What should he do? Clearly, the world won't survive much longer if nothing is done - but is this the only solution? Should there be a solution at all? Heavy questions with no easy answers for Logan (or for readers, except maybe for climate deniers). Whatever he decides to do, it won't be easy; of course, I'll save the details for those who want to tackle this intriguing and thought-provoking story that I'm glad I had the chance to read. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-release copy to read and review.
Whew!
Upgrade by Blake Crouch (Ballantine Books, July 2022); 341 pp.
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