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Humans Are Very Complicated
Mind the Blinds follows a seventeen-year-old boy living in Nigeria, who struggles with alexithymia and antisocial personality disorder while navigating a life marked by family violence, peer pressure, and dangerous encounters. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I finished watching a Korean drama series called MOUSE, and was like, well, this is good. It had dived into the topic about psychopaths and the production of some kind of technology or medication that could determine if a child was going to be born a psychopath or not. Everyone explores the psychology of adult men or women, but I thought it would be interesting if I could write and explore the psychology of a young boy who had an anti-social condition, suffering from domestic violence.
What aspects of the human condition do you find particularly interesting that could make for great fiction?
I do like the aspect of human psychology – why they do things, what they are thinking, how they will survive in different situations, what they will do when given one or no option. Humans are very complicated, both in their actions and reasoning, so it’s really interesting to dive into the complexity of the human mind, even in fiction.
What themes were particularly important for you to explore in this book?
To me, I loved exploring themes of domestic violence and how it affects the minds of children, directly or indirectly. I felt it was absolutely necessary to lay it all out in an unforgivably raw form as it pertained to the main character. But I also wanted to explore the nature of love the main character had for his little brother. I believe children or young people are shaped by family and the society they live in.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
I am currently working on another psychological thriller in which a college student is arrested for the murder of another female student, and when his sister goes missing, he takes extreme measures to find her and the culprit, whilst under the accusing eye of a detective. It’s a mystery versus a psychological thriller, and it should be out in 2026.
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All Elyas wants is to ace his final exams and escape from his abusive father. Everything changes when three students Elyas fought turn up dead. The same night, in an act of self-defense, Elyas sets off a dangerous chain of events that pulls him deeper into darkness.
Meanwhile, Detective James Afizere is on the hunt for a notorious serial killer. The investigation points toward Elyas, but there’s no solid proof. Soon, the lines between victim and killer begin to blur. Can Elyas find the strength to emerge from the shadows, or will the past consume him?
A story of survival, betrayal and manipulation, Becky Anyanwu’s MIND THE BLINDS is a gripping psychological thriller.
Mind The Blinds
Mind the Blinds follows Elyas, a seventeen-year-old boy living in Nigeria, who struggles with alexithymia and antisocial personality disorder while navigating a life marked by family violence, peer pressure, and dangerous encounters. What begins as a portrait of a boy hardened by neglect and abuse quickly turns into a tense psychological thriller. Elyas gets pulled deeper into violence, secrecy, and survival, while detectives and other students circle closer to the truth. The story balances the harsh realities of growing up in a fractured home with the moral and emotional weight of choices that can never be undone.
I found the writing bold and unflinching. It didn’t shy away from difficult moments, whether it was domestic abuse, corruption, or the chilling matter-of-factness with which Elyas recounts his killings. At times, I felt unsettled, almost claustrophobic, because the story is told in a way that makes you live inside his head. The raw honesty of his voice made me both want to recoil and lean in closer. It’s rare to see a book explore a young narrator with such a cold lens and still leave space for flashes of vulnerability, especially in his care for his younger brother.
Long descriptions of school life, conversations, and side characters slowed down the story as the tension was building. Still, those slower parts gave the book a certain rhythm, like a calm before the storm, and when the violence returned, it felt even more jarring. The contrast worked.
By the time I closed the book, I felt both rattled and impressed. It’s not a story that leaves you with peace of mind, but that’s the point. Mind the Blinds is best for readers who like dark psychological fiction, stories that question morality, and books that sit with you long after you’re done. If you’re willing to be disturbed, challenged, and even a little haunted, it’s well worth the read.
Pages: 264 | ASIN : B0DK6MVGG7
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