I didn’t want to put The Athena Protocol down. This is the first YA novel I’ve read for the blog and it was nice to return to the genre after a five-year hiatus; I think the last book belonged to the Hunger Game Series. The reading experience was similar though as The Athena Protocol had my heart racing with so many action packed scenes that left me wondering how the protagonist was going to come out alive.
Here’s the Premise-
After Jessie Archer disobeys orders during a raid to save dozens of young women who had been captured by a terrorist militia in Africa, she is fired from Athena, a secret vigilante organization. With her mother playing a part in the next mission, Jessie isn’t willing to risk them advancing with their operation a man down. Jessie flies solo, conducting her own, deeper, investigation, which means getting close with their mark’s daughter. The mark being a man who is running a human trafficking operation, or at least that’s what the team found in the research, but some things just aren’t adding up. Jessie needs to avoid dying as well as being brought in by her former teammates, all while trying to keep everyone alive. With high-tense bomb defusings, detailed fight sequences, and just general spy sneak-ery this is the female version of Bond we’ve all been waiting for.
I loved how smart Jessie is and how she’s able to stay calm while analyzing her way out of dangerous situations while also being angry at everything going on around her. She’s so strong and human. The missions her team go on are often heartbreaking and awful. Even so, I enjoyed reading about a group of women who are fighting to stop it all. Jessie has two other teammates who work the field with her and three supervisors who double as the founders of Athena. All of the characters are diverse and come from complicated backgrounds. They are all strong, unique, and captivating to read.
I really enjoyed the way Jessie’s character developed throughout the story. Nothing like a couple near-death experiences to ignite some change. We watch as Jessie makes mistakes and we understand and sympathize with her as to why she makes them. That feeling doesn’t change as we see her rationale mature. Jessie’s narrative is very authentic and I loved being in her head as she worked through everything she was experiencing.
Although this book is categorized under Young Adult and Jessie calls herself a teenager (though I’m sure she must be at least 18/19) it didn’t entirely read as a YA novel. There’s that general theme of maturing that you tend to find in the genre, but I think anyone who enjoys action and spy books will find The Athena Protocol an exciting and insightful ride. https://www.amazon.com/Athena-Protocol
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