* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Athena's Choice by Adam Boostrom is an interesting dystopian novel based upon a futuristic society where men no longer exist due to the presence of a virus which killed off all men, all trans men, and some women. The remaining society is peaceful and very technologically advanced, deriving a large portion of knowledge and advancement from a central AI being known as The Core. Society is torn over whether or not a redevelopment of the male genome should occur, effectively bringing men back in to humanity.

There were a lot of pieces at work in this novel and it felt fairly complex though it was easy to read. I think this is one of those books where you can return to it over and over again and learn new things, piece other bits of detail together that weren't noticed on the previous reading. The writing is mature and well-voiced with world building that I found fascinating. I wasn't a big fan of the main character in some ways (her immaturity frustrated me a bit), but she was well constructed and the supporting characters were also fairly well thought out. Because of Athena's immaturity, however, I would categorize this more as a new adult piece than a full adult sci-fi work. That age categorization works just fine for me as I don't decide on my reads based solely on intended audience.

Interjected into the narrative were pieces of ephemera. Initially, these seemed extraneous and unnecessary, but their presence began to make sense as the plot started to unravel. The plot itself was complex enough to keep my interest, but not so convoluted that I found it confusing. The only thing that kept this novel from being higher rated was the ending. Though it may be an exciting ending for some, I needed more from the author. I was left unfulfilled. Overall though, this was a fun and imaginative read and I look forward to seeing more from this author.