This was a super solid debut novel and quickly puts this author in a comparable category to Celeste Ng or Angie Kim. The story primarily focuses on Angie Sheehan after the tragic night when her daughter kills her brother, and then Angie's first love Julian is brought in on the defense team. This is a very reflective story that frequently flashes back to the past showing Angie & Julian's relationship while the present timeline explores the fallout from that tragic night.

Penitence explores the ideas of forgiveness, people being more than the worst thing they did, and the faults in the juvenile justice system. I would recommend this for fans of the show ADOLESCENCE on Netflix.

The only things that held me back from a 5 star: the extensive time spent in the past affected the pacing a bit for me, and I would've personally found the story more compelling to my own tastes if there were more of a mystery angle introduced early in the story vs revealing some things that happened. This was a story that explores what happened & why, but it doesn't withhold a ton from the reader which I personally enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

Sadly, Penitence not on the list of books that I will excitedly recommend to friends. The story started off strong with the murder of Nico by his sister, Nora, and pulled me into the first several chapters. However, around Chapter 6 I felt the pace significantly dropped off and I had to skim the book to finish it versus totally giving up and putting it on the DNF list. The story was overwritten as we were forced to not only wait to learn a plausible reason for Nora’s actions (Is she crazy? was it mercy? Was it just murder?) but then we had to read through a long and drawn out story about Angie and Julian’s failed relationship. I did kind of enjoy the plot twist of Nico being Julian’s son, but ultimately I just couldn’t get into this book. I wouldn’t say not to read it, as others may very much enjoy the slowly flickering plot, but this just wasn’t a book that I can say I enjoyed.

4.5 stars. "You are more than the worst thing you've ever done." This book has many layers - tragedies that spill over to the next generation, secrets upon secrets, betrayal, and forgiveness. What does it mean to be a "good" parent? As a parent, what would you do to protect your child? Is forgiving yourself as important as forgiving others? The author weaves family drama with touches of a complex
legal case, the effects of shared trauma, and grief into a compelling story. The writing reallly connected with my emotions and portrayed nuance expertly.

A multi-perspective, dual-timeline story; Penitence is, at its core, about family and how our choices affect our future. Going into this I was expecting more of a thriller. I don’t know if that was a marketing choice or my own confused expectations, but this was more familial drama, literary fiction. A genre I love, but was not expecting. Because of that the pacing came off as slow, and the ending didn’t quite land. That being said, I was pulled into the plot right away, and found the characters intriguing. My heart broke for Norah, I hated Angie, and I adored Martine. The writing was very good, and for a debut I am impressed. I will pick up more books by Koval in the future. It just felt like a book that was supposed to be such a “page turner” really dragged.

Slow and chilling, this debut novel had me guessing to the end.

When a shocking murder occurs in the home of Angie and David Sheehan, their lives are shattered. Desperate to defend their family, they turn to small-town lawyer Martine Dumont for help, but Martine isn’t just legal counsel—she’s also the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian, a now-successful New York City criminal defense attorney. As Julian and Angie confront their shared past and long-buried guilt from a tragic accident years ago, they must navigate their own culpability and the unresolved feelings between them.

Spanning decades, from the ski slopes of rural Colorado to the streets of pre-9/11 New York City and back again, Kristin Koval’s debut novel Penitence is an examination of the complexities of familial loyalty, the journey of redemption, and the profound experience of true forgiveness

I struggled to rate this one because the first 50% had me quickly turning pages. But, the last half of the book did not provide the closure I wanted. The family drama resonated with me in such a visceral way, especially because it involved children. I needed more clues, more evidence, and more explanation at the end.

A special thanks to Kristin Koval, NetGalley, and Celadon Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the storytelling and the complexity of the characters and their histories together. I thought the story would be more about the individual "why" of the shooting (ie, why did the child kill her brother--something similar to "My Sister's Keeper", which is still a good comparable for this novel). In reality it is more about the choices and events that led to the creation of the family and the focus is primarily on the parents and their pasts, and of course, the idea of forgiveness. The direction was a little unexpected, but I enjoyed it and felt the novel was the right balance of intriguing/entertaining, but still with a message. The only real critique I would have is that if the reader is at all familiar with Huntington's Disease, it is obvious very early on that there is something the book is not addressing, which ultimately makes the reveal less of a surprise and more of a "finally" type moment.

I couldn’t put this book down. Does the worst thing you have ever done define you? Should people who have taken a life be forgiven? These are important questions that are explored. I loved the characters with all their faults and loved watching them grow. I highly recommend this book.

In the debut novel Penitence, author Kristin Koval weaves an emotionally complex story of tragedy, forgiveness, and redemption.

Two families are linked together from a series of tragic events, and they are forced to confront their shared pasts and guilt, seeking forgiveness and redemption.

Angie DeLuca and Julian Dumont were high school sweethearts in Lodgepole, Colorado. When a tragic accident occurs on the ski slopes, their families decide to separate them. They carry the guilt of the accident with them through the years, and the secret that they were still together away from their families while living in New York City. Dealing with their shared past along with a series of issues: Julian's drinking and his preoccupation with his law career, eventually drove Angie to leave Julian and return home in September 2001. Fast-forward to October 2016, another tragic event brings Angie and Julian back together, not only to deal with the tragic murder in Angie's family, but also to deal with unresolved issues from their shared past: long-held secrets, guilt, and betrayal, in order to seek forgiveness and redemption.

In Penitence, author Kristin Koval weaves a gut-wrenching tale that engages the readers to follow along as Angie and Julian's story unfolds with a strong emotional pull. There is plenty of drama, long-held secrets, trials and tribulations, life challenges, and unresolved family issues that they are forced to face. The story is told in the alternating past and present timeline, and the reader is taken on an emotional roller coaster ride and will experience the full gamut of emotions as both tragic events unfold, and how it effects Angie, Julian, and their families. You can't help but feel for them as the trauma of their past resurfaces, and how they must resolve it with a hope for true forgiveness and redemption.

Penitence is a compelling story of forgiveness, especially when people deal with loss, grief, guilt, and long-held secrets.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I also purchased a hardcover copy from my monthly subscription to Book Of The Month.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2025/03/penitence-by-kristin-koval-book-review.html

I'm surprised by some of the lower ratings for this novel. I found it pretty profound, raising important questions about juvenile crime, the impact of crime within a family, and the juvenile justice system as a whole. Most importantly, about half way through the novel, I thought it was moving toward a neat and tidy ending that would make things seem a little better. It did not, earning loads of respect. In my opinion, this is well worth your time. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

This family drama fueled legal thriller reminded me a lot of Angie Kim’s books (one of my current favorite authors). Koval has experience as a lawyer and it was interesting following the case of 13-year-old Nora being charged with shooting her brother. However, I feel like this book focused more on the drama between the family as a result of the event and their history instead of the case at hand - so the legal aspect kinda took a backseat. It missed the mark on a few things but overall i was pretty interested in how the story played out.

It begins with a moment that shatters everything: 13-year-old Nora confesses to shooting her older brother Nico. From there, the story spirals into grief, guilt, and the impossible question—why? But Penitence isn’t just about that moment. It’s about the complicated love between parents and children, the mistakes that echo through generations, and the people we become when we’re forced to face the past.

As the Sheehan family struggles to hold together, old connections resurface—most notably through Martine, the local attorney pulled into the case, and her son Julian, a big-city lawyer with deep ties to Angie Sheehan. The story weaves between timelines, slowly revealing how the past never really stays buried, and how forgiveness, in all its messiness, might be the only way forward.

Koval’s writing is tender and intimate, even when the emotions are sharp. She gives space to every heartbreak, every small hope, and every question that doesn’t have a neat answer.

What a fantastic debut!! All the stars!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tried to pick this up a few times and just found myself reaching to do other things instead. I was intrigued with the first 1/4 and really enjoyed the writing but then the story quickly started to lose me.

In the opening pages of this novel, we learn that thirteen-year-old Nora has murdered her fourteen-year-old brother, Nico, and has been arrested. Nora won’t speak or explain her actions. Angie and David, her parents, enlist the help of the town lawyer, who realizes she is out of her depth with this case. She eventually brings in her son Julian, a powerful criminal attorney and Angie's ex, to help in Nora’s defense.

The story is slow-paced, but that does not stop the author from fleshing out the characters and really digging into deep topics such as guilt, grief, and how to love one child when they are responsible for killing your other child. So much of the story ties back to the death of Angie’s sister, Diana. That one life-changing incident had lasting effects on the way Angie and Julian ultimately dealt with Nora’s case and Nora herself. I really enjoyed this one and look forward to Koval's future novels.

I had heard good things about Penitance, but I was not prepared for just how moving a story it would be. A chilling mystery about a family dealing with the absolute worst thing happening, it held me in its grip from the first page to the last. Highly recommend this one.

Thérèse Plummer did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Kristin Koval, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

"A mother is supposed to love her daughter, but Angie tingles with fury at Nora, a fury she's not sure she could control in person. A fury that might dip into hate."

This is a book unlike most I've ever read. It delves deep into the feelings a parent has towards their children. What happens to those feelings when one child hurts the other? How do you reconcile that and how does it affect the marriage surrounding those children?
The writing in this book was excellent - it made me think, made me connect, and made me feel. I have no idea what I would do if my child hurt someone close to me, let alone their sibling. And Nora was only 13 - how would her treatment in the legal system affect her long term?
There are so many things to unpack in this book and it has a twist, which I had mostly figured out, but that did not affect how I felt about the book. With the subject obviously, there are some political issues wrapped up in this story, but I did not feel like they were too heavy-handed. Overall, this book was a very good character study of a family in crisis and the legal system they have to navigate while also trying to save their own lives.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Net Galley for the advanced digital copy of this book.

How could you possibly kill your brother? Especially when you are a teenaged girl? Are you jealous that he was more talented? Did you want to spare him the suffering that comes with Huntington’s? Nora, by all accounts, loved her brother Nico. But it is her voice on the 9-1-1 call saying she shot her brother. This book has excellent word pictures and character development. It is bleak, and dark. The struggle for two parents to figure out what happened, were they to blame, is all too real. Martine their lawyer and her son Julian, a juvenile defense lawyer, find answer while dealing with their personal relationships with Nora’s parents, Angie and David. Angie and Julien have a shared past. There are no easy answers in this book. This would be great for book club. Put it in your beach bag so you can just look at the water and think about it. Read this and thank me later

How is this a debut?!? This book is stunning in so many ways. The writing is phenomenal with steady pacing, graphic details and complex characters. The story brought out so many emotions along the twists and turns of these two families. An obvious hand-sell for fans of Jodi Picoult.
My only critique would be the number of characters and their relationships that caused some confusion in the beginning. I actually drew out a family tree to get everyone sorted.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

I honestly walked out of reading this novel with some of the same questions I went in with, which was honestly a bit frustrating. That being said, this was still a five star read for me. I love books with multiple timelines, unreliable narrators, and different POVs. This book had all of that and so much more; Julian and his mother were my favorite characters in this book, I was so grateful for their relationship and the way they were just so REAL. Kristin Koval so obviously put so much time and effort into creating this amazing book and I look forward to reading more by her!

This novel the emotions of guilt, love, and redemption after an unthinkable family tragedy. The writing is impossible to put down. While the subject matter was heavy, I found it to be a powerful read that lingers long after the final page.

Penitence is a good debut drama set in a small town in Colorado. There are some strong topics packed into this book such as mental health, gun control and child death. In the very beginning the book starts strong when there’s a shocking shooting that turns the life of a family upside down. The story to me is a slow burn with dual timelines making it easy to understand the backstory of the characters. There’s a lot of shame, guilt, loss, and love packed into this book. I think it was a little slow and by the end I still felt I didn’t have all the answers I wanted which landed me at a three star read. I would recommend to a target audience.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for the ARC.