Athena's Choice Review & Giveaway

Winner of the 2019 National Indie Excellence Award for Visionary Fiction. Winner of the 2019 Maxy Award for Science Fiction. Finalist for the 2019 NIEA for Science Fiction

From the time I pulled Athena's Choice out of the Amazon packaging, I was intrigued. The beautiful cover design made me want to dive into the juxtaposition of the natural flowers and the science fiction like matrix covering what I assumed to be Athena's arm. The cover is definitely representative of the plot of Athena's Choice was able to captivate this reader. My husband and daughter were having to beg me to put it down to do comparatively mundane tasks such as washing the dishes, putting up the laundry, and cooking supper. To make matters worse, Athena's Choice, set in 2099, is full of fantastical technology such as a clothes printer, food printer, and a home computer which is like Athena's mother and assistant. Returning to reality is somewhat of a let down.

In 2099, there are NO men! Global warming has changed the entire landscape of America - in fact that is no "America" anymore. The capital had to be moved to Chicago to avoid the rising waters and women have had to reshape society after a manufactured disaster, the Y-virus wiped out all men and some women. Amid controversy Congress passed a resolution to attempt to resurrect the Male population. Unfortunately the Lazarus Genome has been stolen and our protagonist, genetically engineered teenager Athena Vosh, is a prime suspect.

Boostrom's vision of the not-so-distant future is an excellent example of what Science Fiction should be. It's futuristic, its "sci-fi," but it's BELIEVABLE! Boostrom weaves a tapestry that describes the world of 2099, but he doesn't bog the reader down in too much detail. The reader can see what Athena's world might look like, but like the best books it allows the reader to utilize their imagination. Even with all the awards, Athena's Choice has received, I was somewhat hesitant to read a book from a first time young writer. My hesitancy disappeared within the first pages as Boostrom ties Athena's childhood writings and other documents into the story to add even more dimension to the plot structure. On top of the interesting plot, Boostrom also manages to comment on topics such as environmental issues, feminism, and the idea of toxic masculinity.

I highly recommend this book to YA and Adult readers!