The premise of Athena's Choice is exactly the kind of idea that always draws me to speculative fiction. No men in society, you say? World hunger is solved? Violent crime is a distant memory? I absolutely need to read this book.

But once I got into the meat of it, I discovered it was all over the place. I couldn't get a good grip on what was really happening, and things were so less than believable, I started to develop my own ideas and they diverged greatly from where the novel was heading. I think it was the supernatural, let's "speak to her through her dreams" thing that kind of lost me. I wanted something much more scientific and truly speculative, instead of jumping off the deep end into a hot mess of contradictions, almost mystical government, and unexplained technological advances.

There was so much more in-depth exploration that could have been done into the groups of women who missed men, the other groups of women who were scared to bring them back, the people who had no idea what was even going on behind the scenes, the government control, and all the technology that made it possible for humanity to continue without its sperm donors. Instead we follow one young woman who magically ends up being named as someone important who figures out some important stuff. It really fizzled when it could have been something substantial, had more attention been given to the world-building and the science of it all, instead of following a simplistic plot driven by dreams and strange ambition.

It could have been so much more.

This book has such an interesting concept that I was instantly intrigued to pick it up and read it, but there were a few too many issues I had with it.

Firstly, I would like to say that the world built here was amazing, the best part of this book. Most of the world-building is done through articles at the ends of chapters and they were so interesting and allowed us to see so much more of the world than the more narrative parts. If I was just rating those bits this book would get a 4.5/5 stars.

But unfortunately those weren't the only part of the book. The main narrative line follows a woman named Athena figuring out more information about how men stopped being in the world and what's going to happen to bring them back (sorta?).
I have a lot of issues with is so I'm going to bullet most of them here for you:
This book was pitched to me as a thriller, it's not. It is 100% a sci-fi, and read very much as a YA sci-fi.
There was a line in the book about including transmen and some woman in the people who were killed, but to me it read much more as a throw away line to try and be more inclusive. I wish we could have learned more about that, maybe not going into detail about everything but more than one sentence would have been nice.
Also the writing felt very weak. Many times things were over described, which is a technique in thrillers, but it wasn't done in a good way. Instead of saying a character has blue eyes, they were royal blue eyes. There was so much focus on how people looked in the book, and none of it felt necessary (something that seems to happen a lot in ya books).
One of the characters is described as having "ancient wisdom" and then acts like a spoiled brat/child the rest of the book, so I'm really not sure what that was about.
There were also a major focus on religious imagery and symbolism (down to someone being named Eve).
I also felt like it had appropriation of indigenous/Native North American culture (I am not the best judge of this and would suggest looking at a review of an indigenous person for a better understanding of the problem).

I think many people will have a problem with the open-ended ending, but i personally like that style, so be warned if you don't want a definite decision made, don't read this book!

Thanks to Netgalley for offering a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Story started out very interesting, then it started leaning toward the mysterious religion that the men followed.
The main character becomes obsessed with finding more about the religion.
She is brought to talk with the main "siri" robot, who will not tell her why she is there, she has to figure that out for herself. The story is hard to follow, it drags a bit. Was not into it.

This book was such a surprise for me. I was intrigued by the description and cover, but wow! I got so much more than I expected!

The characters in this story are so well developed and interesting. The story line is fast moving and engaging.

As a fan of dystopian fantasy novels, I was not disappointed.

I loved the narration and the theme of this story. I look forward to future books by this author.

I received a free copy of this audio book in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

I want to start by saying I absolutely loved the narrator for this title! Her voice was very engaging and kept me riveted throughout.

Next: the storyline, of course.
Athena lives in a world with so many technological advances compared to what we know now: helicars, massage implants that can be programmed at will, screens in our contacts that one can control with a tap, and clothing printers that will make you a new outfit every day! There's just one thing missing from the world as Athena knows it: men. There have been no men at all for many years, ever since a pandemic with mysterious origins that killed off all the men on the planet, almost exclusively.

There's been work in progress on creating a male genome that would bring men back without continuing to be susceptible to the disease... until the genome is mysteriously stolen, and the world's greatest AI informs public safety that Athena is the only one who can help get it back.

The storyline was wonderful, the narrator was wonderful, and I loved the peeks at memories and newspaper clippings from Athena's past that helped piece together the story as it goes along! I found this book really thought provoking as well... what would Earth be like without one or the other gender? It's crazy to think about! Definitely recommend this read.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Adam Boostrom for providing me with an ARC audiobook of Athena's Choice!

I am super hesitant about science fiction, but wow! I am glad I took the chance on this one. The world building within this novel is just gorgeous; so much time, effort, and attention to detail was put into this. The writing style was so easy to follow along with and the characters really made this story what it was. I'm also all about a world without men (lol, kidding, kidding). Overall, an awesome read (or listen!)

Thank you again for the opportunity to listen to and review this ARC audiobook!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thinker Books for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

It’s 2099 and due to a virus 50 years ago, all men have been killed. Teenager Athena Vosh gets involved in solving the sabotage of a project trying to bring men back to life.

3 stars for the story line. Some plot holes—mainly why is a 19 year old brought into this police matter? 5 stars for the fantastic futuristic ideas—how clothes, food and rooms are made; travel; massages; AI; and more (I am so tempted to say more but will control myself but worth the read for this alone). It’s like an updated version of watching The Jetsons. Great concept on tracking happiness. In a world filled with women and run by women, there is no war, little violence, great technology and basic income given to all citizens.

Well narrated audiobook by Alex Ford.

Viral pandemic taking over? Putting women in charge of the planet?? Say what?!

Give me this book immediately.

When I finally got my hands on the audiobook version of this novel, I couldn't wait to devour the story because based on the premise,, I was going to listen till I drop. Turns out, that's pretty much what happened - it took me only three days to finish, which I don't often accomplish. Athena's Choice is a dystopian (or shall I say... realistic?!) novel set in the year 2099, following a deadly pandemic. Only in this one, all men have died. Although there have been efforts to bring men back to life, someone is trying to interfere with the plan. And our heroine named Athena may know more than she lets on.

I felt very connected to Athena through solid character building and well-written tale. While I don't usually read or listen to science fiction, I really enjoyed this one not just for the story, but also a powerful, daring idea of what could happen if women rule the world without men. It was for sure dark in places, but generally it was a very readable (or listeanable) story.

Athena's Choice is definitely a one-of-a-kind audio/book, especially with the strong feminist message and exploration of gender vs. a global pandemic.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I don't read much science fiction, but wow, was I hooked.

The world-building is spectacular. The author does a fantastic job describing a detailed world of advanced technology and concepts that we could only dream of in 2020.

The writing is engaging, quick, and straightforward. I was never confused, and I loved reading all of the fake advertisements. Usually, I would skip over stuff like that, but I thought they were hilarious, clever, and played a significant role in describing some of the interesting gadgets the characters could purchase.

I also fell in love with all of the characters. Each one is well developed and plays a unique roll in Athena's life.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for a review!

Enjoyed it! Excellent story and narration!

Have you ever thought about a world without men? Athena's Choice is author Adam Boostrom's sci-fi debut novel set in the future where men have gone extinct. A stray virus called Y-virus accidentally killed all the men, trans-men along with some women.

The story takes place in 2099. The main character, Athena Vosh, is your typical 19-year old teenager and lives in a place called Algonquin Forest Zone of the North American Union. She often times wonder what life would be like if men are still alive or if men were brought back to earth. When the male genome project - Lazarus, a project which aims to bring back men - was sabotaged, she was chosen as an essential component in investigating the case. She doesn't know why and she always dreams about a building and a book that may provide some understanding about the case. She is accompanied by her childhood friend, Nomi James, in uncovering the truth.

I was surprised in a way that I enjoyed this book more than I expected. The flow of the story is at a good pace. A lot of hi-tech future technology that is not far from happening in real life was mentioned. I particularly liked AASHA (Advanced Artificially Intelligent Scheduler and Home Assistant). She's basically Alexa 10.0. Besides the science fiction there is also a twist towards the end. Ultimately paying more attention to the dangers of 'maleness.'

Highly recommended to people who love sci-fi and mystery. If you love listening to audiobooks, you will enjoy the story more. The narration is excellent!

Big thanks to NetGalley, author Adam Boostrom, and publisher Thinker Books for providing a digital copy of the book and audiobook, which allows me to write an honest and unbiased review.

Perfect for dystopian/utopian lovers like me!! Within the first few paragraphs of this book, I knew I’d love it. The premise is so original and the world building is well done. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did very well with differentiating all the different female characters, as well as uniquely presenting the extra tidbits such as the news articles and “Wikipedia” pages in the storyline.

I also own a physical copy of this book and it was fun to flip through the book and see all the fun layouts for said news stories, Wikipedia pages, and letters. It’s a fun interactive read. So much so, that I’m tempted to eventually reread this book so I can have fun with the special pages of the book. I don’t usually reread books but I enjoyed this one so much.

The plot is a mystery/utopian driven story that delves deep into the psyche of a female based world, as well as representing LGBTQ+ characters, which I found amazing. I’d also characterize this as a potential YA read based off the fact the main character is nineteen years old and a heroine of sorts. Overall, I recommend this book to all YA, mystery, dystopian, sci-fi, world building fans!!

I'm not entirely sure what I think of this book... it had an interesting concept, and as always I appreciate learning about what people think our world will look like in the future. The technologies in this book are all things I'd like to have!
And as a response to the author's epilogue: I absolutely believe we should eliminate some genes from the gene pool. For example, the huntingtin gene with more than 36 CAG repeats. If we had the technology to do so, why wouldn't we trim down that gene to a normal size? Why would we subject ourselves and future generations to a terrible disease? And that goes for all diseases caused by genetic abnormalities, such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and even cancer. Scientists have even made mosquitoes that are incapable of carrying malaria! If we have the technology, why wouldn't we go and fix the root of the problem?
This isn't me saying "kill the carrier" in the slightest. Killing or forbidding someone to reproduce because they carry a gene that could affect future generations is unacceptable and pure evil. We need to be giving people healthy genes, not killing them because they don't have them.

This was a fascinating, thought-provoking book. This takes place in a world where only women have survived a genetically created virus. As women battle over whether or not to bring men back, an artist named Athena becomes embroiled in the mystery of who stole the Lazurus genome that could bring men back. As she learns history that has affected this change, she battles with a question we have started to deal with in real life. Just because we have the power to "change" people, should we? Just because science can allow us to alter genes, should we? Very thought provoking and open-ended.

I found this Audiobook a huge struggle. I expected Young Adult/Sci Fi with a twist of feminism. When it started it sounded more like stroppy teenage years, then it matured and headed towards romance and didn't suit Young Adult at all.

The story - there are no men because they all died from a virus which was created as a bio-weapon. Women managed to continue to inseminate themselves to continue the population and edit genes of the babies - although there wasn't really an explanation as to how this happened - or maybe I just didn't understand it.

The Sci-Fi side is touched on with all the technology throughout the read, they shower, wash their hair then its immediately dry. Their computers can reduce their body fat to "whatever is popular this week". I could be missing the point but it is essentially putting a filter over every part of their life and probably doesn't send a great message to young women.

Anyway, files that hold information about bringing back men into the world are stolen, and without much explanation the computer that essentially runs the world decides a 19 year old with no job or generally much going on in her life is brought in as a kind of detective to investigate the missing files.

My problem with the book genuinely isn't the book - its me! If you go in with no expectations its a great all round story which could mean it is more directed at teenage to Young Adult. I just don't really see where it places.

The narrator is good, there are a fair few characters including machines and every character voice is different and clear to follow which is a huge bonus.

thanks you NetGalley for this ARC

The cover of this book is fantastic
The narrators has a really great voice for audiobooks and did a great job with this particular book
The story itself was intriguing but over all I didn't find myself getting attached to any character.

The narrator did a fantastic job narrating the story this is a dystopian said in a futuristic setting where all the men have died.I enjoyed this book but it did have its issues with how men are genetically bad and women are genetically good and I do not believe that but it is worth the read.

Extremely thought-provoking and timely, Athena's Choice is a feminist dystopian tale exploring the aftermath of a viral pandemic that males were made extinct.

While the narration was subpar, the premise and execution of narrative were strong.

Highly recommended to fans of dystopian fiction with a feminist bent and centered upon real-world events.

I found this book a bit odd. I thought there would be a lot more gender commentary, but it focused on one aspect of male qualities and barely brushed on sexuality. It read more like a whodunit than anything. It was okay.

Athena's Choice is a dystopian story where all men have died from a human-created virus that attacks all males. Woman now rule the world, but are becoming upset that men have not been brought back into the world.

I found this book so easy to fall in love with! The writing was excellent and created this fabulous world. It's so important that dystopian novels get the reader into the world of the story because it's so different from our own, and Adam Boostrom nailed it!

The story uses newspaper articles to help the reader understand what is going on in the world with the fallout of the virus, the unrest of the world, and all the other things happening. It really helped me to understand what was happening quickly, and I liked that!

I think this is a great sci-fi dystopian story that readers will enjoy! I thought the writing was excellent with great world-building and characters. It's an easy, exciting story that had a great plot!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

In Athena's Choice by Adam Boostrom, life is near perfect. World hunger has been eradicated. Murder and other violent crimes are almost nonexistent. Implants help you make decisions on what will make you happier. The world is mostly glitter and rainbows. Except there are no men. They were killed with an experimental virus about 50 years prior.

The story annoyed me in the beginning because it presented the usual rhetoric that men are bad, evil, etc. However, the book takes a turn that makes the book something deeper. It makes you think. It makes you question what you would do if you were in Athen's situation. I do not want to give more than that because I do not want to ruin anything.

Alex Ford narrates the audiobook. All of the characters are female so it made sense to use one narrator. Listening to Ford reminded me of being read a bedtime story when your mom changed her voice so you could easily follow the story. She made it seem she was telling the story instead of just reading it to you. According to Amazon, Ford narrated 30 books, including Alex Landragin's Crossings and Hugh Howey's The End Has Come.

This 200-word review will be published on Philomathinphila.com.