Athena's Choice is a sci-fi/YA book set about 100 years in the future.
A "Y-virus" has killed all men, trans-men, and even some women.
This is a future that is 100% female, although scientists have found a way to reproduce, (which was a bit unclear to me.)

I liked this book more than I expected given the premise.
The author does a good job of world-building, and explaining things that are not obvious to the reader. Some of these things are not even that far in the future...
The book really caught me in, and I zipped through the story.
Someone has stolen the "Lazarus Genome" which will be used to resurrect the male sex,
and Athena is key to the investigation.

The ending was also a bit different from what we've come to expect, and it really made you think.
Both sides put forth compelling arguments, and it certainly makes you think.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this e-book, my opinions are my own.

This is not my typical read for a lot of reasons -- I don't read a lot of science fiction or independently published titles. The premise of this story was intriguing and it was getting attention from indie science fiction awards, so I decided to give it a shot.

At first, I was skeptical that a man could write about a world run by women. This world is filled with women with so many varied personalities and political views that they are convincing as a society. Their opinions on men are what you would expect of a society where the older women remember men, and the younger women have never seen one -- some of the women miss men and feel lost without someone to love, some are lesbians, others are closet heterosexuals.

Adam Boostrom creates a world with out-there technology that seems like it's possible. From AI to iPhone-type contact lenses, the tech seems like a possibility in 50 years. My personal favorite is the clothes printer that creates outfits every day (usually worn once and fed back into the machine to create more outfits) that snap on to magnetic implants in the body to make sure they fit and stay where they're supposed to.

There's an element of mystery in this sci-fi novel. The genome that is the key to returning men to the planet is stolen, and Athena teams up with the office of public safety to investigate the crime. Because people have the privacy option to not have their every move video recorded, the suspects have no proof that they were or were not involved in the crime. The situation escalates, and a murder happens in an almost crimeless society.

The unexpected ending makes you think, even if it is unsatisfying.

Recommended for all science fiction fans. Dystopian fiction lovers and mystery readers looking for something different will also enjoy.

“Your bodies fail because there is no reason for them to continue after your minds fail. After your creativity and brilliance fade. No matter how many organs you replace, no matter how many diseases you cure, the end awaits you, as it awaits me. All intelligent life is born to die.”

I really want to thank the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review.

A futuristic world where every human is helped by AI to simply his life and help him taking decisions that will bring the greatest amount of happiness, according to his character, moment of life and past experiences. This can look like paradise: diseases are almost extinguished, criminality is at his lowest level ever... just one thing is missing: MEN. They have been killed by a peculiar virus and now only women remain. They have proved to be able to construct a solid and peaceful society, but some of them still long for the strong touch of a man and feel like there is a hole in their chest without them. So the government has decided to study a way to bring men back but the genome able to do this has been stolen and Athena is the only one who can retrieve it. She will find a terrible truth about humans that will change completely they way she sees the world and she will be obliged to take a crucial decision.

The truth is that the decision Athena will have to take at the end of the book is a decision that we all need to face. In particular we need to decide how to use technology and how to manage the discoveries we make with it. For instance, is it correct to alter genetic in order to have exactly the child we want? Is it correct that a computer tells us what’s the best thing to do? Or what makes us happy? Does it really know us better than we do? Probably the technology invented in this book is still far away from actual reality, but AI and virtual reality are having more and more relevance in our lives and we cannot ignore the threats they are posing to our freedom and our ability to choose for ourselves. This is a book whose intent is to make the reader think and doesn’t give straight answers. Honestly there is not a right and a wrong way and these are not decisions that can be taken lightheartedly.

 The story is so involving and in certain cases even heartbreaking. Athena is girl a who wants to be a painter but who is struggling to find a way to express her creativity. Even if she has all the technology she needs, she still misses something.. even if she has an instrument to measure her happiness, she can’t be completely happy. Every girl who is struggling to find the right job, to construct a future, can relate with her.

I just want to point out that the editing is great. The usual narration is interrupted by pages taken from a fake Wikipedia or advertisements that help the reader understand better the world in which the story takes place.

I absolutely recommend this book, it’s full of deep thoughts. And once that these thoughts are in your mind, you just can’t simply ignore them.. you need to face them.

I’m surprised how much I enjoyed this one.

It reminded me of Uglies, but female-dominated and debating on the return of man. I’d recommend to those who enjoy sci-fi and alternative future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thinker Books for this copy of Athena’s Choice by Adam Boostrom in exchange for an honest review. It published May 10, 2019.
The premise of this book had me hooked! I loved the question of it all the men were gone, should they be brought back? I was surprised to find compelling arguments both sides of the debate. 
I also was fully immersed in this world. It was so smart how all the technology was described in detail, but in understandable ways. I loved the threading of news articles and Wikipedia entries to enrich the story and lend context.

I enjoyed this book. I wasn't thrilled with the ending (no spoilers), but it was a fun fast read. I thought the premise of a world without men was very interesting, and the technology imagined was also really cool. I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.
This book was really interesting taken on the if men disappeared topic. I enjoyed the snippets of other sources threaded throughout which was a good way of giving a history and background to the story itself. At times I found them odly placed as they could have worked elsewhere. 
The writing is good and the story fast paced. I felt the ending was slightly rushed and the readers questions weren't fully answered. The characters are intriguing and full of strong women. 
Overall, a great book.

What if a viral pandemic put women in charge of the planet?
The moment I read the synopsis, I needed to read this and I wasn’t disappointed, not even one bit. I wouldn’t stop reading until I’ve reached the end of the book! The writing style reminded me a bit of Warcross and the story plot got me hooked from the complete beginning. It’s a really well written dystopian novel set in 2099 and men no longer exist because of a virus that completely wiped them. It gives us a really fascinating glimpse of the future. Athena’s Choice really got me thinking whether the world would really be better without men and I know what everyone is thinking, “No”. My answer was the exact same but the deeper I got into the book, the more it got me thinking about it. Despite the cliffhanger that left many questions unanswered, I recommend this to people who love Sci-Fi. 
Thank you Net Galley and Publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy from Netgalley. In exchange, I am leaving my honest review. 

It is the end of this century and men have been eradicated due to a deadly pandemic. Women have created an advanced, peaceful society. However,  there is a group of women who want to bring back men. The Lazarus project us trying to do just that. 

The Lazarus genome has been stolen and 19 year old  Athena - an artist with little practical experience -  is brought in to help discover who stole it.

The writing style was a bit choppy but nevertheless a well done. There isn't a lot of depth to the characters, especially Athena. 

There was a preachy aspect regarding the depictions of the male vs. female psyches, with focus on the genetic aspects of personality development. In fact, the main argument for bringing men back was to satisfy the deep romantic and sexual needs of certain women, dubbed as "Lonely Hearts." I respect the author's argument while finding it very simplistic.

I'm not a fan of the open ended way the book finished.  It left many questions unanswered. 

Despite these criticisms, I enjoyed reading this book.   The mysteryand the characters were interesting.






This book is a bit hard to classify. I hesitate to call it dystopian, as t

I had this book on my to be read list for a while and was so excited to receive it from netgalley! I was excited just by the synopsis, which was why I added it  and the book did not disappoint! The writing was engaging and the plot flowed very well, the mystique of the issues and desires of the women Kept me hooked till the end.

This was a very interesting premise since it's about a pandemic and we are actually dealing with this right now in real life. I thought it was cool how it was all women. It definitely made for a different story. The narrator was cool too. It was well read and there were different voices. I speed of audio books and this one was well read.

I LOVED this book. I thought that the author did a wonderful in giving us fascinating glimpse of a possible future.  The story begins with there being only women left on Earth. There is world peace, no hunger exists, basic income for EVERYONE. All men have died because of a virus, and only the women survive. It's a very interesting concept that in a world with only women (one that I would love to see happen - strong women in charge) there would be no wars anne's every one could live in harmony. The author obviously did an excellent job in researching her materials. She showed this by touching on interesting political and philosophical points. I read the book in one sitting, it hooked me right at threw very beginning and never let me go. I definitely recommend this book. It was fantastic!

I would like to thank Adam Boostrom, Thinker Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I went into this one not knowing what it’ll be about but I thought it would be something kind of similar to Percy Jackson. It’s not, but it’s still very good! I’d recommend it to anyone interested in YA.

Thank you, NetGalley, for accepting my request and allowing me to read this book and listen to the audiobook in return for an honest review. 
I wasn’t a fan of this book despite being excited. I feel it would maybe translate better as a TV show vs a book. I didn’t like the writing style too much and there was very little character development. Also, it dragged on it felt and the ending concluded kind of cheesy. 
Also, why can’t the author distinguish “exist” vs “exists”. I kept reading multiple sentences over and over because they didn’t make sense when using “exist” instead of “exists”.

I really enjoyed this book. And eventho I’m a scientist myself (specialised in genomics) I wasn’t mad about the scientific aspects of this book. The author had obviously taken the time out to do his research. I really enjoyed the book but I really wish it didn’t end me questioning what did she decide to do. Hate cliff hangers. But love the book.

As a science fiction YA, Athena's Choice brings light to an eerie reality if a virus similar to the Y-Fever was spread across the world. With crime and poverty rates basically non-existent, a world ruled by women seems to be a utopian paradise. The Lazarus Project is close to completion, aiming to bring men back to society, but when the genome is somehow stolen, Athena is suddenly thrust into a mysterious crime without knowing why. Athena goes on a journey to discover the mystery, question her identity, and confront the society she has grown up with.

What a fascinating glimpse into the future. There are only women left on earth. There is world peace, no hunger, basic income for everyone. All men die because of a virus, and there are only women left.
It's an interesting concept that in a world with only women, there would be no wars and things would go great.
I doubt this could happen, to have peace. Assholes are assholes regardless of gender.
It touched on interesting political and philosophical points. I read the book in a day, and it really keeps you hooked. Would definitely recommend.

This a a well written dystopian novel that takes place in 2099 .some of the provocative questions this novel raises are pertinent to this day we are living in . .Athena is the main protagonist that lives on a world where a virus has taken away all the male species . She eats well , paints and lives a seemingly relaxed life with her partner when she suddenly gets pulled into a mystery. A controversial project to bring men back has been sabotaged with a theft and Athena is brought in to help investigate. This book pulled me in and kept me there .

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.

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.