cid bcc31209d25ef6bd27f8229a7cc1a5ea21b61d356827fb414f5fb0f11a0a2d28 · original · via openalex
Title: The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif Authors: Natalie Berglind Venue: Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books./Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Year: 2019 Canonical: doi:10.1353/bcc.2019.0799 URL: https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2019.0799 Collector: openalex OA: false ABSTRACT Reviewed by: The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif Natalie Berglind Sarif, Shamim The Athena Protocol. HarperTeen, 2019 [304p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-06-284960-1 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-06-284962-5 $8.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12 Teenager Jessie Archer gets herself booted from the Athena Protocol, a "private agency that nobody else knows exists" that protects women and children when the government won't, when she murders a rapist in cold blood against orders. Strong-headed, arrogant Jessie feels little remorse, and she absolutely knows that without her help, the organization will have a hard time tracking down a known human trafficker; as a result, she investigates undercover on her own. Jessie hopes that proving her usefulness will get her back into Athena's good graces—if she doesn't fall in love with the trafficker's seemingly innocent daughter first, or get all of her organs harvested. British author Sarif delivers all the fun of a spy thriller, with its gadgetry, conspiracy, betrayals, and the occasional suspension of disbelief, [End Page 139] in line with a noble cause and a lesbian romance. Though well-worn tropes are abundant (many characters sport unlikely parkour moves and the love interest is naturally involved in the trafficking schemes), the reveals are well plotted and the characters have developed (and often clashing) personalities. Solutions for world problems are also realistically approached, as taking down one baddie leaves a lot unresolved and a lot to ponder about the way crises like terrorism are approached worldwide. Readers looking for some heart-pumping action and vigilante justice will find it here aplenty. Copyright © 2019 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois