Science Fiction

Blurb

“You are the next step in human evolution.”

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.

But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.

The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.

Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.

Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.

And even as he’s fighting, he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?

Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential.

Review

“We don’t have an intelligence problem. We have a compassion problem. That, more than any other single factor, is what’s driving us toward extinction.”

I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Blake Crouch (especially Dark Matter and Recursion), and this novel was no exception. This bold and imaginative science fiction/speculative fiction story takes place in the not-so-distant future after a human-made pandemic caused by a failed experiment that wiped about a good portion of the earth’s population. The story follows Logan Ramsay, an agent with the Gene Protection Agency who, after being exposed to a strange chemical tied to genetic engineering, begins to change….to evolve both physically and mentally. Books that were once out of his level of comprehension are now accessible. He knows what people are going to do and say before it happens. His bone density level increases, as does his muscle mass, pain tolerance, memorization ability, and concentration. But though he gained a lot in the “upgrade,” he also lost pretty much everything in the process.

What I enjoyed about this scientifically-fascinating book is that it reads like a thriller with plenty of heart-in-your-throat, non-stop action. It’s an adrenaline-filled tale that certainly kept my eyes glued to the book’s pages. I eagerly kept turning the page in order to find out what was happening to Logan and why.

The author has an incredible ability to put the reader firmly in the mind of the main character so that Logan’s thoughts became my thoughts—Logan’s actions became my actions. In this way, the book is exceptionally immersive. Additionally, the complicated plot has a plethora of layers to it, and trying to figure it out was like putting the pieces of a puzzle in place.

As Logan continues to evolve, he begins to wonder how much of his humanity is even left—that is to say, at what point does a human cease being a human? I also enjoyed the conversation around DNA research and science, human evolution, and the survival of the human species. The story also raised some interesting questions about how far we should go to save humanity and whether there is a point where we have to draw the line. And though the author does introduce somewhat complicated scientific topics, they in no way take away from the thrilling narrative.

All in all, this was an intense, wild, adrenaline-filled ride with relentless pacing about a hero who’s trying to save the world from the villain who’s trying to destroy it. I adored all the twists, turns, and surprises, as well as the complex questions that the novel caused me to ponder. A volatile, mesmerizing, and unpredictable story that I loved!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book.

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Blurb

Remember Me is an astonishingly bold young adult novel from Estelle Laure, the critically acclaimed author of This Raging Light and Mayhem

If you could erase all of your painful memories, would you?

Blue Owens wakes up one day with the strangest feeling that something is very wrong. Everyone’s acting weird and she’s found a note in her closet telling her to get on the Little Blue Bus at 7:45, which she does, meeting up with the exact person she was supposed to avoid: Adam Mendoza. Even though she has no idea who he is, something about him is so familiar.

When she confronts him, the truth is revealed—Blue has paid to have her memories removed, and Adam is one of those memories. As Blue struggles to piece together her history, she is torn between her desire to know why she would do something so drastic and her fear of what she will find.

Remember Me is the bold and beautiful story of a girl who must find the courage to face the demons of her past and reclaim her loved ones—even if it ruins her.

Review

I love twisty mind-bendy books about memory, so I was excited when this one came to my attention. The story starts when Blue Owens wakes up one day but feels that everything is off — something is not quite right. On top of that, her friends are acting weird, whispering behind her back, trying to force her to bring orange juice, and giving her strange looks. This part of the story filled me with a pervasive, discomfiting sense of unease: the kind that raises gooseflesh on your arms. She then finds a note under her jewelry box telling her to get on the Little Blue Bus at 7:45, so she does — and ends up meeting a boy named Adam Mendoza. But, as we soon learn, Blue has undergone a procedure to have her most painful memories erased, and that includes all memories of Adam. What follows is Blue trying to figure out why she willingly removed her memories, even though she may have to uncover some painfully devastating truths in the process.

I really loved the conversation in this book about pain and grief and the extent that someone may go to in order to lessen/erase that pain. It’s also a clever examination of the role of pain in our lives. This book took me to some fascinating places and was not only poignant and heart-wrenching but also eye-opening and thought-provoking. I loved journeying along with Blue as she unraveled the missing parts of her life and eventually discovered the reason she took such a drastic measure. Though raw in places, it was ultimately a hopeful story about trauma, love, grief, and healing. This is a book all about feeling: feeling pain, feeling love, feeling friendship, and allowing yourself to feel sadness because it deserves to be felt.

I found the plot of this emotive story utterly compelling and the characters realistic, relatable and well-drawn. The author did an excelling job with the relationships in the story, and I was delighted that they included a non-binary secondary character.

Additionally, I think many will find the plot relatable because how many of us haven’t wished that we could erase an especially painful memory at one time or another? That being said, the book is definitely sad and messy in places but ultimately ends on a positive and compassionate note, with love at its core. I tend to enjoy reflective writing — writing that examines humanity and character-driven stories that explore the many sides of human complexities & relationships, and that is what we get with this novel. All in all, Remember Me is an ambitious novel with a huge heart.

This title will release on March 22, 2022 but it is available now for preorder. 

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.

Blurb:

A TIMELESS LOVE STORY

When Danny Maytree, an ambitious young 1970s film actor, met Samantha on a blind date and fell in love, he decided he no longer cared about Tinseltown stardom. He still acted sometimes, but he became a writer too.

Now married and in their seventies, they find a dog whose faded tag has the name “Tali” and a Beverly Hills phone prefix from fifty years earlier.

Writing a time travel novel in 2021, Danny gets a call from a mysterious, velvet-voiced acting agent. He has a meeting tomorrow in Beverly Hills. Tali, in one of their singular “conversations,” questions Danny’s motives.

Now, Danny is in Beverly Hills-not at the meeting, but in the elegant home where he lived in 1974, forty-seven years ago. He is twenty-seven again, bewildered, but with a second chance at his Hollywood dream.

He doesn’t want it, because Sam is not in this world.

Unhappy in his new “now,” he realizes his journey back to “Kansas” hinges on the magic of film. A sharkish agent helps him navigate Hollywood’s rocky shoals. A worldly-wise teen and a New Age fortune-teller offer spiritual advice. And a sexy wicked witch throws a monkey wrench in his path.

Review

Given that I love time-travel stories, I was excited when this one came to my attention. It follows seventy-five-year-old Danny Maytree, a former actor who suddenly finds himself thrust back in time 47 years to 1974. Danny is once again 27 and finds that he has a second chance of living his Hollywood dream. However, he soon discovers that the dream may not be everything it’s cracked up to be without his beloved wife, Samantha. Now trapped in time, Danny desperately tries to find his way back to his own time — and to Samantha.

This was a well-written and twisty love story with rich, evocative scenes and compelling, well-drawn characters (including the delightful and enigmatic dog, Tali). In addition, there was plenty of fun and witty banter between the characters, which added to the richness and enjoyment of the story.

I found this to be an utterly riveting tale that sent me on a wild roller-coaster ride of emotions. By about 1/4 of the way in, I was sucked into Danny’s story and loved seeing his reaction to his situation, especially once he began concocting a plan to return home.

Time travel, along with its pitfalls and potential paradoxes, can sometimes be migraine-inducing, but that was not the case with this story. All the details you need are worked seamlessly into the narrative. The time travel aspect here was believable, unique, and not at all confusing. Hello, Rest of My Life is a blend of science-fiction, a touch of history, and romance. I thought this book was a breath of fresh air in a well-worn genre. An unexpected gem!

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Blurb:

Perfect for fans of Tom Sweterlitsch’s The Gone World . In this thrilling futuristic novel, the secret to eternal life is closely guarded by people who will do anything to protect it — even if it means destroying everything in their path.

Set in Washington D.C. 20 years from now, climate change has hit hard, fires are burning, unemployment is high, and controversial longevity treatments are only available to the very rich. Enter resourceful young police detective, Jen B. Lu, and her ‘partner’, Chandler, a SIM implant in her brain and her instant link to the Internet and police records, and a constant voice inside her head. He’s an inquisitive tough guy, with a helluva sense of humor and his own ideas about solving crimes. As a detective in the Elder Abuse unit, Jen is supposed to be investigating kids pushing their aging parents to “exit” so they are eligible to get the longevity drug. But what really has her attention are the persistent rumors about Eden, a black market version of the longevity drug, and the bizarre outbreak of people aging almost overnight, then suddenly dying–is this all connected? Is Big Pharma involved? When Jen’s investigations of Eden take her too close to the truth, she is suspended, Chandler is deactivated, and her boyfriend is freaked out by “the thing inside her brain.” This leaves Jen to pursue a very dangerous investigation all by herself.

Review:

The Last Exit is a dystopian sci-fi crime novel that follows Jen Lu, a detective in the Elder Abuse Unit, and Chandler, a SIM implant that is embedded in her brain. Her interaction with Chandler was kind of akin to having a conversation with a voice inside your head — although Chandler’s personality is that of a snarky, tough guy, which I found quite amusing. I immensely enjoyed the banter between Chandler and Jen and loved seeing Chandler’s personality develop throughout the pages.

In this world, people are encouraged to “Exit” when they reach the age of 65; that is to say, they are expected to agree to kill themselves. Once they do, their children will be given the Treatment that’ll protect them against a deadly disease called ROSE, an illness similar to Mad Cow except that it’s fatal for a high percentage of the population. If the parents refuse to exit, the children are subsequently denied the Treatment. Needless to say, this opens the door to all sorts of elder abuse, with children forcing their parents to exit should they refuse.

Of course, all these rules don’t pertain to the mega-wealthy who are not required to exit at all and who can partake of a different treatment guaranteed to provide everlasting life (people who have this are called “The Timeless.”)

So what we have here, then, is a society where the wealthy can prolong their lives indefinitely, whereas those who aren’t rich are expected to terminate their life so that their children don’t die before their time (of 65). I found the idea of this society extremely intriguing….and chilling.

The intrigue of this story, however, lies in a black market version of the longevity drug called Eden and the subsequent outbreak of people experiencing accelerated aging and then dying, all within a couple of days. As detective Lu investigates, she unearths a mystery that runs a lot deeper than anyone had initially thought. She ends up getting thrust into the center of a deadly conspiracy. There are also those — including her boss — demanding that she abandon her investigation.

I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book and loved how each piece of the tightly plotted puzzle falls slowly into place as we race to the finish line. The author redefines here the boundaries of crime fiction with a novel that is part dystopian/sci-fi, part thriller, and part mystery. I loved Jen’s character in this book; she’s intelligent, relentless, and determined, and the crisp banter between her and Chandler caused several laugh-out-loud moments.

But at the end of the day, I found this to be an engrossing and intelligent story — a complex, somewhat chaotic, dark, and entertaining read as we follow the sinister and menacing machinations of a foe whose identity is up to Jen to uncover. And in so doing, puts her own life in danger. Weird, wacky, and wonderful!

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