Athena's Choice

Post contains affiliate links; read my Disclosure Policy for more information.

The Year is 2099, and all men have been wiped off the planet by the Y Fever, a virus intended to wipe out terrorists that ended up killing all men, trans men, and a small number of women. Nations as we know them have dissolved, with the North American Union being the western world power. Women can still bear daughters through artificial insemination, but men cannot return to the planet until a cure for the virus is found. Athena Vosh is a teen artist whose dreams might be the key to bringing men back.

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.

Having a female narrator, Alex Ford, adds to the all-female feel of the story. The beginning chapters contain elementary school reports done by Athena, and Ford does a good job of adopting a younger tone for these passages. She also uses a paced, unemotional voice for computer readouts and a reporter voice for newspaper articles. This not only adds to the story but also helps the reader keep track of what type of passage they are hearing. I would definitely listen to a book read by Ford again.

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.

Adam Boostrom was a bond trader before writing Athena's Choice. He is currently studying at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and works as the CFO of a startup company.

Publisher: Thinker Books

Narrator: Alex Ford

Running Time: 7 hours, 30 minutes

Release Date: May 10, 2019

You may also enjoy:

I received an electronic audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.