The Havoc of Choice is a novel about the violence which followed the Kenyan elections of 2007. Wanjiru Koinange stated that she wanted to tell her story through the eyes of a single family, along with their friends and employees.

There are two particular strengths to this novel. First, the characters are excellently crafted, especially the female characters. All are complete and interesting. Kavata, morally compromised and oblivious to the implications of her privilege. Anne, her independent-minded but fiercely loyal friend. Wanja, her politically-minded daughter. All are flawed, but still easy to root for. The male characters are sometimes harder to read coherent motivations in, especially the political grandee Hon. Muli and Kavata's ambitious husband Ngugi. They are interesting nonetheless. Koinange's dialogue is funny, moving, and does a good job of sticking to character. Second, the descriptions of the havoc itself are very artful, running a gamut of emotions and successfully capturing an increasing disorientation and dread before arriving at heartrending atrocity.

My earliest objection was doubt over the believability of the mechanics of political corruption. I am not, however, in a position to know how these meetings would have unfolded in Kenya ca. 2007, so this did not bother me overmuch. Much more important is the sense in which the book feels disconnected. The first half, about the difficulties political corruption imposes on the psyche and routine of family members and associates, is very interesting. The second half, chronicling the violence itself, is harrowing. The connections between these themes are never given room to grow. The epilogue is brief and rather perfunctory (somewhat unconvincing, to boot). The characters are not given enough time after the violence has died down to reflect on these two realms of their experience. When themed are conveyed, they are sometimes conveyed in an unrealistically on-the-nose way

(as when Cheptoo chastises Kavata on the train)

Finally,

Amani's death sucks a lot of air out of the room, and is so far removed from the characters' previous qualms and tribulations that it hijacks any possibility for a more coherent book

. This all being the case, the harrowing violence feels somewhat gratuitous, disconnected from the themes the book had previously been approaching.

The Havoc of Choice may still be well-worth reading, especially for fans of political fiction; some of the political scenes (especially those seen through Wanja's eyes) are fascinating and compelling. Overall, though, I found this book lacking for want of a more thoughtful consistency between its beginning and its climax.