Pretty disappointed with this one, the premise seemed intriguing, but the main character had no inner voice. All her actions were just that; actions, with no inner dialogue or look into her thought process, feelings about a situation, etc. Made the character very flat and the experience of listening to the audiobook very bland.

Imagine a world where only women live. A virus has killed off all men, and Athena might hold the key to bringing them back, or living in a world without them forever.

This story takes place mainly in 2099 in what is the North American Union. Men have been gone from the planet for over 40 years due to a virus that mutated and killed off every male in existence. While this world without men is peaceful, with no wars, no hunger and no violence, for some of the women who are left, there's a piece of themselves that seems to be missing, and they want to try and bring men back.

Athena is a 19 year old girl who's never known any other world. Born in 2080, she's never seen a male in real life. Only in watching movies from the past does she know what they once looked like. The world Athena lives in is extremely high-tech, and there's currently a project underway to try and bring men back into existence using a special genome (the Lazauras Project). However when the genome supposedly goes missing, Athena finds herself pulled into the investigation and uncovers the horrible truth about what actually happened to men, and who's responsible for the virus.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The feminism is laid on pretty thickly here, but I went into this book just wanting to read the story and not caring about the message. From that standpoint, I liked it. I think it's a bit generous to assume that women (or any society... men included) would be able to accomplish ALL the crazy technology they seemed to have created and implemented in 50 short years, but it was interesting to read about.

While this is definitely not a book everyone will enjoy, I'd recommend it to anyone who finds the premise interesting.

"Athena's Choice" by Adam Boostrom is a thought-provoking science fiction novel that explores gender dynamics in a future society where women can choose whether to have a child. The book delves into complex ethical and social questions, offering a compelling narrative that balances technology, politics, and human relationships. Boostrom crafts a unique world with well-developed characters, and the plot raises important philosophical questions about choice, autonomy, and the consequences of societal interventions. This novel succeeds in sparking meaningful reflection on the future of reproductive rights and societal norms.

What if a viral pandemic put women in charge of the planet?

It has been almost 50 years since an experimental virus accidentally killed all the men on earth. However, a controversial project is currently underway to bring men back. There's just one catch. The project has been sabotaged.

That question in the beginning is something I think about a lot because why shouldn't women be in charge? We're just as important as men.

Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties on my end, I couldn’t get the file to download before it disappeared, and was archived. I will definitely try to read or listen to it in the future, however.

Really nice audiobook with compelling story. I like premise - a world without men - and how story was unfolding. Even tho it was a sci-fi book world building and whole plot wasn’t hard to follow and for me it was a quick read. If you want to read something between YA and fully fledged sci-fi it’s a book for you.

I have been putting off writing this review because it pains me to be negative. This book was different than I thought it was going to be. There was a lot of "technical" verbiage that was, I assume, part of the fantasy world building, but it fell flat. The premise was interesting but the book didn't deliver.

Liked the narrator who was well spoken and calming throughout. Thought provoking storytelling which keeps you thinking, what would you do

Could certainly be better. The story felt like it dragged a bit in the middle and the characters weren't as interesting to me as the premise of the story was. The narrator wasn't my favorite but it didn't really distract from the overall story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.


Ah this was a trip. It was along the same vein as The Power, but not as intense. Don't get me wrong - it was still fraught with tension and action. In the not-too-distant future there are only women. There are no men due to a wide-spread pandemic that killed all of them. The population comes from insemination and men are non-existent. There is a possible project to reintroduce men however one night there is a theft and the data has been stolen. The only person to solve it is Athena. It's a good story with some thought provoking ideas and would elicit some good conversation in a discussion or book club.

A very interesting concept - a little too much middle plot that feels a bit like just following an aimless character - but beginning and end are fantastic. I know it was intentional to not reveal the end, but I wish it was there! I vote no! Recommended read!

This was an interesting YA sci-fi story. The characters are well-developed, and it’s interesting to think of a future without men. I would’ve like to see more of the world, and had different perspectives, although I didn’t mind following Athena. It was interesting to see how society was torn on the issue of whether men should be brought back, but at times it was a little uncomfortable with how men were referred to with such a broad (and negative) blanket. Overall, interesting, but not a book I’d read a second time.

Unfortunately didn't finish this audio book

I cannot give a rating I wasn't interested in the characters or the voice of the narrator. I have realized that audio books aren't for me

Enter the future, 2099, a world partially run by AI with advanced technology, world peace, the ending of poverty and hunger. But also a world without men as a virus wiped them out almost 50 years ago. Scientists have begun trying to alter the male genome so that men can be brought back. The decision to do is filled with a controversy between women, Lonely Hearts, who wish to see the return of men, and other groups who see men as only going to bring the return of violence and fear. The project to rebuild man has just been stolen.

This is the world our main character, Athena Vosh, lives in. Athena is a young struggling artist, trying to find her purpose in the world. The Third Core, a massive AI, selects Athena to join the police in their search for the culprit.

I read this book in audiobook format. I feel it may have tainted my view a little as I found many of the character's voices, annoying, overly whispy, and feminine. It just grated me a bit. As the story got going and I got more into it, it bothered me less but it still did affect my enjoyment.

I think a very fascinating world is explored here, it opens up huge doors for all sorts of interesting conversations which I love. I really enjoy the idea of this book. The element of the AI and its role in society reminded me of The Arc of a Scythe Trilogy and the role/identity of the thunderhead there. In this book that element is a much smaller piece of the story, but still definitely plays a vital role in the story and the lives of the people within this future.

I did not know where this story was going to go, towards the middle I thought I had a guess as to the culprit, not the why though but my guess proved wrong. I was definitely surprised by who did it. The last part of the book was definitely a page-turner. The editorial that is found and points us to the real culprit, is very fascinating. I think it sparked many interesting ideas and love the discussion that it primes for engagement with.

The book ends with our character being the one who decides if men will be brought back into existence or not. Before she makes a decision the book ends. I hated this and it really annoys me. In the afterward the author explained they get a lot of this complaint or people questioning, What did Athena do? He counters, what do you think? What would you do? I believe we can still ask those questions of ourselves and have been given the answer at the ending. It felt a more complete ending was due.

Overall I definitely enjoyed the book, but some elements just did not click for me. Athena was a little too naive at times, her relationship with Naomi and Valerie (Captain Bell) just wasn't quite genuine. I had trouble connecting.

Lastly, if you're wondering what I would decide, do we bring men back or live on without them? I think I would bring them back. With a world with women already in charge and running things. I think we could allow them to return and be kept in control

Great compelling audiobook. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

Written by Adam Boostrom, this novel follows Athena Vosh in the year 2099 (a very near future indeed) 40+ years after a manufactured disease killed all of the men in the world. Let me tell you, listening to this book those dates were hard to keep straight because they were so close to our current time. Athena is accused of stealing the Lazereth Genome, the current only answer to possibly bringing men back to the world.

Interesting thing: gene edits that affect intelligence and looks. They also have the ability to adjust their body fat content at will. So, these women are constantly described as being insanely beautiful. Honestly, it reminded me a bit of The Uglies by Scott Westerfield. They also have Osha, their personal computer/aide.

I enjoy that Athena starts to have dreams of men, without realizing that she is, while her roommate is in love with her. Also, they went the route of changing Original Sin to Adam eating the fruit.

The level to which the AIs here are so interesting, and also nearly dramatic. They touch drama, just barely skirting it. But, the science in this is very over the top for 80ish years from now. Also, I really, really dislike the fact that the author went the route of changing religion to fit a female-only mindset. I understand why they went that way, but honestly I think that this viewpoint would have made more sense to take place HUNDREDS of years later, not two generations later.

Perhaps that is a bit of a naïve opinion to have.

Also, the ‘happiness’ profile. Gah. Please, no. I think that misses a lot of the human experience. And how shallow everyone is honestly boring and uninteresting. In this world, everything is for your own pleasure or for the visual pleasure of others.

I think the thing that confused me so much is how much religion played into this novel, that I wasn’t expecting, yet it didn’t get fulling involved into the waking-story until you are over half of the way through it.

Honestly, the promise of this book was a lot better than the book itself.

If you want a science-fiction book that tries to be art and are interested in a hunt for missing genomes, then give this book a shot.

I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

Listen to some of it but I got bored of its and I never finished it the book.
But its is a interesting idea.

This book was a very intriguing read. A book about a world where men have died out and the society is all women, and it is written by a male author. Seeing this type of story from a male author who is writing for female characters was quite interesting. Overall, the plot and the narration of the audiobook kept me engaged though I would have loved to have a deeper backstory compared to the small taste we get near the end of the book. I would definitely be interested in reading more by Adam Boostrom in the future.

Can you imagine society 80 years from now, where a pandemic has killed all the men in the world and computers can control everything for human care from food preparation, clothing and housing all by 3 D printing and holograms? When this book started I wasn't too sure that I was going to manage to get through it, but amazingly, it hooked me and I literally couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting.

The narration for this audio book was terrific, very easy to follow the changing characters and the feelings of the characters.

The story has all the amazing technological aspects I've noted but also a great story of a young girl, Athena, who has been put into an unusual position by the Third Core (master computer) where she has to help try to find the thieves that have stolen the research for the Lazarus Genome, an effort to bring man back from oblivion by repopulating the male of the species.

TOTALLY FANTASTIC BOOK!