Behind Blue Eyes – Book Review

Behind Blue Eyes, in the second novel, I have read written by Anna Mocikat. Like the previous book, Shadow City, it takes place in the future. Unlike it though, the world hasn’t been destroyed. The world appears to be near perfect. The world has broken into three large Megacity Corporations. What was once considered North America is now known as The Corporation of Olympia. Though the corporation is publicly run by a board of directors. It is the military force, The Angels, that hold the actual power.

Every citizen has implants and some even have cyborg parts. The extent and complexity are based on status and wealth. On the surface, society is near perfect. No one goes hungry and has no concern about obtaining their basic needs. There is a brilliant scene where they discuss homes having a kitchen that is never used. Nobody prepares their food as they are provided and are easy to access.

But, even though society is near perfect, it is still broken. Some do not want to live a life on the grid. They remove their implants and live outside the borders of the cities in their villages. Where they grow their food and take care of each other.
But this goes against the system, a system that uses soldiers called Angels to eradicate them and keep their society in check.

I was excited to read this book when it came out. I learned of its release shortly after reading Shadow City. I had commented about liking a character named Bombshell who was a cyborg and an amazing character. During an exchange on Twitter, Mocikat posted that if I liked Bombshell, I was going to love Nephilim. She was not wrong.

Nephilim was raised in this world and has no memories of any other life. She sees the world as a perfect society and is offended by those who won’t conform. But her beliefs are challenged, when on a whim, she explores the seedier and avoided section of town. The place no one in respectable society talks about. There she witnesses atrocities that challenge her beliefs. She starts to question everything and realizes that there is a problem, and she is part of the problem.

In my opinion, this book challenges the reader to question the concept of a perfect society and the cost to acquire it. Is it worth giving up personal freedoms for an easy and unhindered life? Or should you be allowed to live how you wish? Even though it goes against the accepted standard and belief.

On her course for self-discovery, she meets a handful of people who speak of freeing society and bringing down the aspects that oppress people. But as you read the book, you will question which of those who help is a friend and who is a foe.

The ending was an absolute shock and leaves you wanting more. I am so glad there will be a sequel to this book because I am not ready to be done with this world introduced to us by Mocikat.