ALA Booklist (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Athena agents, though elite and highly trained, aren't exactly government approved. There are only three of them in the field: Jessie Archer works with her two fellow operatives to unleash vigilante-style justice against human traffickers, crime lords, and others who enact violence against women around the world. Athena operatives always have orders to capture, not kill, and when one mark taunts Jessie into pulling a fatal trigger, she's permanently removed from her team. But there's a mission against a major human trafficker coming up, and Jessie's determined to be involved whether they'll have her or not. As she begins her rogue investigation, she has to avoid both the people she's investigating and the Athena agents working in parallel to her, and she begins a dangerous relationship with the daughter of the trafficker, one that she's only partially in control of. Led by and centered on women, this high-octane thriller features a well-developed cast with distinct, varied backgrounds. An explosively exciting story that shines a light on the treatment, mistreatment, and unity of women across the globe.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Athena, a secret, unsanctioned organization that protects women and children internationally, was founded by Chinese tech tycoon Li Chen, African-American former ambassador Peggy Delaney, and retired white British musician Kit Love. Protocol dictates that its agents eschew bloodshed, but after Jessie Archer, 18, helps her fellow operatives free 50 young women from a cage in Cameroon and then realizes that their captor will serve little time, she kills him. The team flees, but the incident attracts media attention, prompting Athena to fire Jessie-an especially devastating decision, given that Kit is Jessie-s mother. Jessie refuses to stay sidelined, however, particularly after she learns that Kit will serve as bait in an operation a targeting human trafficker Gregory Pavlic. Tailing Athena to Serbia, Jessie launches a solo investigation that proves far more difficult and dangerous than anticipated; she also becomes attracted to Pavlic-s daughter. First in a planned series, filmmaker Sarif-s YA debut compensates for a thin premise with an inclusive cast, ample action, and escalating stakes. Some underdeveloped secondary characters lessen the interpersonal conflicts- heft and verisimilitude, but Jessie-s conflicted attraction rings true, and a gratifying conclusion hints at emotional complexities to come. Ages 14-up. (Oct.)

School Library Journal (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Gr 9 Up-Jessie Archer works for Athena, a top-secret rogue organization made up of a few very talented female vigilantes. Their mission is to put a stop to some of the horrible things going on in the world that government organizations like the CIA or MI5 can't or won't handle. Stopping human traffickers is at the top of their list. When Jessie breaks protocol on one of their missions, she's fired for coming too close to exposing Athena. But when she realizes their next mission might put her mother in danger, she uses the skills she learned at Athena to work covertly on the mission behind the scenes. She targets the beautiful daughter of the trafficker Athena is trying to stop, but soon her feelings for the glamorous Paulina begin to complicate everything. While she's working to help her former teammates, they are relentlessly trying to stop her, making for lots of edge-of-your-seat moments. A perfectly paced plot and girls with brains and Mission Impossible style moves make this a highly engaging thriller. VERDICT A breathlessly cinematic series opener and a fun first purchase for high school and YA collections. Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX