Review of Flashes of Vice: Vol 1 - KNEC

Reviewer:       Rachel Ngumbau, Principal Education Secretary, English/Literature
                        Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC)

The book touches on the vices affecting the society today: immorality, crime (kidnapping), payment of ransom, careless sexual relationships, murder, assassination, terrorism, etc. It makes a good read.

However, the book is not suitable for school children. The content has plenty of explicit sexual innuendos that are unsuitable for school children. The book glorifies sexual intercourse, violence, terrorism, etc.

Character’s motives to commit crimes, cause pain and destroy property always succeed without any consequence at all at the person who commits the crime. Crime must always be punished. Any conflict manufactured by the author must be resolved. The resolution should advice on the moral path for the society to follow.


The stories are too short. Too short that no character is ever developed. Any good short story should be of some fair length as to develop the few characters identified. Themes are too open for any serious study of thematic concerns. Style is also too simplistically manifested. The use of obscene vocabulary was noted. This is not good. Mentions of real personalities is not good. 


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