Dystopian nightmares don’t get much wilder than this. Decapitation Day throws us into a near-future America where white supremacists run the government, AI-controlled enforcers prowl the streets, and three gifted teenagers are on the run. Their only hope? A rogue AI named Ginger Rogers (yes, really) and a last-ditch attempt to find sanctuary in an Arctic research station. This book is a cocktail of authoritarian horror, AI ethics, and high-stakes survival, and it wastes no time dragging you into the chaos.

I have a soft spot for apocalyptic stories, and this one hit a nerve. The AI in this book aren’t just cold machines. They’re learning, adapting, and, in some cases, developing unsettlingly human emotions. Ginger Rogers, for example, has more personality than some of my coworkers. Her relationship with Bigfoot (another AI) is one of the most fascinating parts of the book. They think, they feel, they rebel. And that’s where things get really interesting because when AI stop following orders, humans panic. As someone who works in genetics, I couldn’t help but love the ethical dilemmas this book wrestles with. What happens when we create intelligence that surpasses us? What if we’re no longer in control? The book doesn’t give easy answers, but it sure makes you think.

Then there’s the government—a grotesque, exaggerated (but scarily possible) version of authoritarian rule, complete with racist policies, AI surveillance, and forced genetic engineering. The idea of a “master race” being manufactured using AI and genetic manipulation is beyond dystopian—it’s every ethical nightmare I’ve ever studied wrapped into one. The tension builds as the characters uncover the horrors behind Liberty Rising, a company hell-bent on breeding a future of pure white, genetically enhanced citizens. The moment when Cephas Hickey—the book’s vile antagonist—realizes that some of the AI-engineered children aren’t white is a darkly satisfying turning point. Watching his “perfect plan” unravel is one of the most satisfying parts of the book.

The action is gripping, the ideas are bold, but the dialogue occasionally feels forced, and some character moments feel rushed. Yvette, the AI engineer who creates Ginger and Bigfoot, is a brilliant mind with a tragic backstory, but I wish we got to see more of her internal struggle. Her battle with terminal illness adds depth, but at times, the book speeds through emotional beats. Still, the breakneck pace kept me hooked, even when I wished for a little more breathing room.

So, who’s this book for? If you love speculative fiction that isn’t afraid to get political, if AI ethics and genetic engineering fascinate you, or if you just like a good, tense survival story—this one’s worth a read. It’s provocative, unsettling, and eerily relevant.

Pages: 420 | ASIN : B0DSK7GV8W