This is a difficult review to write - I didn’t enjoy the story but it’s not the author’s fault. The story is very well written but it is a difficult topic to read about. When 13 year old Nora kills her 14 year old brother Nico she calls 911 and reports it herself. She is immediately taken to a juvenile detention center and her parents are left alone in the home to plan a funeral and find an attorney to defend her. Along the way we learn about the family’s past and their relationships. There’s a lot going on, but it’s all rather depressing. Three and a half stars.
Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for the digital ARC.

I really liked the opportunity to both read and listen to this story, the audio was exceptionally done.

Penitence is a tragic story, the emotions were palpable, and I'm left utterly gutted.

This is an extremely well wtirren character driven story, I was truly transported into the lives of these characters. The author excelled in showing, not telling.

Although a bit slow, Penitence is an impressive debut and I will definitely read more by this author

4.5 starts rounded up! This is just the book I needed to really start my reading year after slightly slumping into 2025! Defending Jacob by the infamous William Landay meets Days of Wonder by Caroline Leavitt meets What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan. Koval writes the legal aspect with a deft hand, which makes sense — turns out she’s a former lawyer! But the heart of this story is found in the four walls of two families’ homes. Come to find out how the Sheehan family will make sense of the unthinkable, but stay for the much more complicated web that Koval spins with skill. The ending was a bit abrupt and, if you’re like me, you’ll be left wanting more justice to be served.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Net Galley and the author for the e-galley!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!

Absolutely floored that this one has so many positive reviews. I found the story of this book so incredibly interesting—a 13-year old girl shoots her 14-year old brother and the mystery of why she did it—but it was told in such a slow pace, with so much repetitiveness and unneeded over-explaining, that I had to slog my way through it. I swear each character's thoughts are a constant repeat of the past, their regrets, their issues, etc, over and over again. Minute details are drawn out and make the story exceptionally boring, such as a whole paragraph about the minivan's odometer being stuck. What I thought would be a page turning mystery or crime drama was really a deep delve into a bunch of adults who are involved in Nora (the 13-year old murderer's) life. I don't mind books that are character-driven, but there wasn't enough for me to love here sadly.

From the beginning, readers might sense that while this is going to be an excellently written story, it's not ever going to be an easy one. We know from the beginning that Nico, a young teenager with a recent Huntington's diagnosis, is dead, and his sister, Nora, just thirteen, shot and killed him and called 911 to report it. What follows is a deeply emotional story of grief, justice, and the weight these things carry in individuals and society. There are a lot of genuinely infuriating moments in this one and I struggled with some of the ways this story turned out. I think one of the truisms of life is that grief and its legacy isn't a linear, one size fits all process, and we see that reflected in the characters. This isn't a story that has a pretty bow that packages it, and I think because of that it's staying with me in an even more profound way.

I have read about this type of thing in the news and have felt true sorrow for the families whose child picks up a gun and shoots a sibling. But I have never thought past that and put myself in the place of the family. This is a story of a families reaction to the loss of a child at the hands of another one of their children. And wow, the author did a great job. What a powerful book! This could be a very controversial book if you have strong views on governmental gun controls.

4.5- Thank you so much to Celadon Books for the gifted copy of this book & having me apart of the Read Together event!

This book will be out January 28th, 2025.

I feel like this book is going to be one that a lot of people will be talking about this winter. This book has so many layers and get more complex as the story goes on.

"I didn't want it to suffer."
"I know.

This story is told from 2 timelines as well as multiple point of views (3rd person). I was very invested in the past timeline of the relationship between Angie and Julian. I was curious how the book would merge the past and present timeline as that is the case in most books. I may have been in the minority of readers in this (need to review my fellow readers review) but I was rooting for Angie and Julian throughout the book. They were childhood friends turned high school sweethearts but the mix of trauma from a skiing incident followed by alcohol addiction, changed this couple. They grow within the pages and I can't say I agree with a lot of the decisions that were made by them as young adults as well as grown adults but that is what made them feel realistic. We are messy humans and sometimes we don't make the best decisions especially under stress.

"Nostalgia is nothing more than a trick of the mind, she tells herself. A way to turn plain memories into great ones."

Nora did not get a lot of page time. At least not as much as I would have liked. I would have love to have seen more of her before the shooting. More of her with her brother. I just would like to have more inside of her brain. Though there was a moment that was very telling into her logic as to why she did what she did.

I don't want to say the end was truly shocking but I was caught by surprised on how it all wrapped up. Clues were dropped so readers may be able to figure out some of the turns. It continues to make you think after you are finish and I know was left with questions.

It did not feel like a debut by the way the book was written. I am anxious to see what Kristin does in the future!

“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve done.”

This novel is as complex as it is simple. It begins with a horrible tragedy and then follows the affected people while they attempt to reconcile the event and what they know to be true. In determining the path forward, the various connections between the characters are explored and they are forced to come to terms with their own decisions of years past.

While the publisher’s blurb describes this as “a suspenseful, addictive page-turner,” this was more of a slow burn and character study. I love this type of novel, but readers should know to not expect a fast-paced suspense/thriller.

I was unsure in the beginning if this was going to be for me, but ended up settling in to where this story took me and quite enjoyed it. Since I am from Western Colorado, the setting had me excited and a little distracted, as I tried to determine where exactly the fictional town of Lodgepole would be.

Overall, I would recommend this novel if you like a slow-burn suspense, with unlikable characters, dual timelines, and stories that make you think about what you would do in a particular situation.

I can, with full confidence, predict that Penitence will be in my 10 ten books of 2025. While thoroughly original, her writing can be compared to Celeste Ng and Angie Kim. Loved the development of the characters and look forward to reading more from Koval. Will be highly recommending to others.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When 13 year old Nora is arrested for murdering her brother, her parents are struggling with how one child could have killed the other. They hire small-town lawyer, Martine Dumont, who is also the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian, a now-successful New York City criminal defense attorney. The way the lives of these 2 families intersect is the multi-layered subject of the novel.

This is a well written, domestic drama with a full cast of flawed characters and relationships. Major themes include guilt, penitence and forgiveness. The author does an excellent job of bringing her book to its emotional and believable ending. Highly recommend.

Kristin Koval, an attorney turned novelist, delivers a stand-out, character-driven, and compelling debut, PENITENCE —a beautifully written literary thriller, domestic suspense of family, love, forgiveness, and redemption. Top Books of 2025— Lawyers seem to make the best authors.

With hauntingly vivid prose, you discover your next book club read—PENITENCE!

For starters, I love this quote by a favorite author:
"Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done."
—Bryan Stevenson

I highly recommend Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (book & movie). This quote sets the novel's tone and eloquently explores this ongoing theme in this emotionally charged tale. It reminds us that each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done, a sentiment that resonates deeply in the story of Nora and her family.

About...

Nora Sheehan sits in a jail cell in Lodgepole, Colorado. She is 13. She does not look like the sort of girl who just killed her brother, Nico, 14, with Huntington's disease.

Angie Sheehan, the mother, is at home grieving the loss of her only son, Nico, while her husband, David, is trying desperately to find a lawyer for their daughter, Nora, who has been arrested for the murder of her brother.

David knocks on Martine Dumont, a small-town local attorney's door, to defend their family. She isn't just any attorney but the mother of Angie's first love, Julian, a now successful NYC criminal defense attorney.

In addition to the story of Nora and Nico, there is also a back story of Julian and Angie when they were teens and Angie's younger sister's (Diana) accidental death. There is a lot of guilt from the past and now the present.

Martine knows she is not capable of handling a murder case, but her son is. Will he and Angie be able to put their past aside for Nora?

My thoughts...

What a debut! PENITENCE is a riveting tale of a shocking tragedy, from a murder and the fallout. This couple has lost their son and possibly their daughter. Full of suspense and twists, it is not a whodunit but a whydunit. It is a profoundly moving page-turner thriller of domestic suspense of a family (s) in turmoil, guilt, secrets, and the true meaning of forgiveness.

Koval taps into a world of emotional family drama, both heartbreaking and suspenseful—an essential study of humanity, family, grief, and hope in the aftermath of unfathomable trauma.

Koval's writing is heartfelt and compassionate, deeply emotional, insightful, and rich in character. She skillfully weaves a narrative with dual timelines and multiple points of view, unraveling the past and each character's role. The novel also sheds light on the flaws of the juvenile justice and legal system, ultimately delivering a powerful message of forgiveness.

As you read PENITENCE, you'll find yourself on an unpredictable and gut-wrenching journey of two complex families and their dynamics as the past converges with the present.

Koval's storytelling will keep you hooked from the first page to the satisfying conclusion. This is a remarkable debut from a new voice in fiction, and you'll be amazed that it's a debut novel. You'll be left eagerly anticipating what this talented author will bring us next.

Complex, multi-layered, and psychologically rich, PENITENCE is ideal for book clubs, further discussions, and prime for the big or small screen.

Audiobook...

I had the privilege of reading and listening to the captivating audiobook. Thérèse Plummer (favorite narrator) captures the essence of the story brilliantly— with intensity, emotion, and her signature style for an engaging listening experience. The audiobook adds another layer of depth to the story, making it a highly recommended option for those who enjoy audiobooks.

Interview...

Stay tuned for my Featured #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A ride with this talented new author and this exceptional debut, where we go behind the scenes of the book and author. (pub day, Jan 28)

Recs...

PENITENCE is for fans of well-written family dramas and literary thrillers. And those who enjoy books by Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain, Kristin Hannah, Lisa Scottoline, Celeste Ng, Wendy Walker, Michele Campbell, and Elizabeth Strout.

Special thanks to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for an ARC and ALC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #MacAudio2024.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Jan 28, 2025
Jan Newsletter
2025 Must-Read Books
Jan Author Q&A Interview 1/28

I cannot believe this is a debut novel!

Kristin Koval has written a story which in its stripped down version is of a sister who kills her brother after he receives a terrible diagnosis. But the story expands to so much more than just what happened. We see the reverberations through the family, we learn of secrets in the past of the parents and in that of a lifelong friend and former lover who becomes their lawyer and of the shortcomings of the juvenile court system.

I was engaged throughout this novel which I took in via print, ebook and audio. The author, a former lawyer, has written a compelling story, of moral quandaries and the danger of secrets.

I felt for each of the well built characters. I found myself thinking about how I might have reacted to some of the actions taken by these characters.

I look forward to reading more by this author and thank @celadonbooks for advance copies in exchange for my honest opinions. Penitence publishes January 28, 2025. If you are a fan of Tracey Lange, Ann Patchett and/or love great characters and thoughtful themes, then pick this book up!

I read Penitence as part of the #CeladonReadsTogether initiative.

An interesting novel, that unfortunately gets mired town in too many sub-plots and minor characters. Slogging through all of the minutiae is time consuming and takes away from what would have been an amazing story.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Kristin Koval! It starts with an arrest of a 13 year old girl for the shooting of her brother, an we go from there, following her legal defense and the mysteries and secrets in her family. This is more of a family story than a mystery/thriller, so definitely know that going in and don't expect major twists, turns, and revelations. It's definitely propulsive, but in a quiet way, as the crime(s) at the center of the story are dramatic and interesting, but it's not a THRILLING story. I do wish we got a little more of a mystery, but the story is definitely good on its own. I loved the writing style and will definitely read whatever Koval puts out next.

The pacing of this book was very slow. The plot was predictable. What this book needed was more dialog, a little to flowery for my taste. There was some good character development on some of the subjects and others not so much. By the end, I was just skimming through the pages to get to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

This novel is being compared to lots of books. I feel like it's a combination of Miracle Creek or Happiness Falls by Angie Kim mixed with Defending Jacob by William Landay due to the fact that it is a legal/mystery suspense that also delves into a medical diagnosis of one of the characters. The story follows the Sheehan family after their daughter Nora has shot her brother Nico, who has been diagnosed with Huntington's disease. The town's attorney asks her son Julian to help her defend 14-year-old Nora. Julian also happens to be Angie's ex-boyfriend.

From there, the storyline goes back and forth between present-day and 15 years prior when Angie and Julian were still together. Their past story, including tragedies and secrets they've each kept, feeds into how they've gotten to where they are. I was fully engaged in both storylines and couldn't read the pages fast enough to find out what happens.

I thought the author addressed so many different topics: grief, relationships, forgiveness, guilt. I especially found the chapter written from Nora's point of view to be very eye-opening and heartbreaking. I love this novel and will be recommending it!

Many thanks to #Celadon and #NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost, thank you so much for the advance copy of "Penitence".

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 7%. I didn't understand that this story involved a shooting victim similarly aged as my son. I'm a constant reader with only one trigger: death of a child by firearm. Without knowing how the story unfolds (or how graphic things may get during trial), I decided to put my comfort level above a story and stop reading since I was incredibly uneasy.

My choice to DNF has nothing to do with the author, the book or publisher. This is a very personal reason due to trigger warnings.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to access Koval's novel early.

Penitence - the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentance.

This book filled me with deep sadness, disbelief, anger, regret, and jealousy. The storytelling has a unique twist which draws you in. Wanting more from the characters, wishing you knew everything about them, what makes them tick, and why they did the things they did. I finally had most of my questions answered by the end. This book goes back decades. Friendships that were tested, young love that was abandoned and never forgotten, choices were made, and life went on. The question behind it all is why and did the characters finally learn how to forgive?

The night was shattered by three loud, ringing gun shots. That had Angie and David rocketing out of their beds to check on their two children, Nico, and Nora. What they find is Nico dead and Nora holding the smoking gun. How does a parent survive this scenario? How do you bury one child and still love and back the other? They need a lawyer for Nora, one who will protect their thirteen-year-old daughter from a DA that has an agenda. Almost retired lawyer, Martine, hears a pounding on her door. David standing in front of her begging to help Nora. Martine knows she cannot do it alone and calls in Julian. Her son has a past with Angie. Who's past with this particular family lead to an accident that split these two families apart. Will they be able to let the past go and focus on Nora?

A few of the characters had me yelling at the book. I believe I know how I would react, but really how could you possibly know if you could support your younger child for killing your oldest? What could the reason be? Had Nora's depression gotten that bad? Thank you to Celadon and Kristin Koval for having me take part in the Read Together. It is the perfect book to spur amazing discussions.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Penitence is not the kind of story I was expecting. I was drawn in by the lovely cover and I was expecting something like an atmospheric mystery, but everything in this story is exactly as it seems. There are a very few mystery elements, but I figured them out very early on. Unfortunately, that makes the experience of reading Penitence quite slow and quite boring.

I kept expecting a twist, something even slightly exciting to move towards, but there was nothing. This isn’t a story that wants you to wonder who the killer could be, and it’s not even an exciting courtroom drama. It’s a very slow, thoughtful contemplation on the culpability of all parties in a crime.

Nora has killed her older brother Nico, but she’s only thirteen years old. By all accounts, she and Nico were incredibly close, so why did she kill him? This sounds like an intriguing premise at least, but I fear the first and most obvious answer is the answer. We actually don’t get to see very much about Nora’s feelings or thoughts surrounding the murder. She claims she can’t remember why she did it, though I don’t know if the audience is meant to believe this. Nora doesn’t talk to her parents or her lawyers about the motive, and though it is revealed in the last chapter, I don’t believe the solution was worth the wait.

The novel is much more about the adults involved in the situation. Nico and Nora’s parents Angie and David, and the lawyers they hire, Martine and her son Julian. Angie and Julian had a relationship that previously ended after the tragic death of Angie’s sister at ten years old. I kept thinking there would be something further, something to tie back to the main mystery, but that doesn’t happen. The emotions do come back into the play, guilt primarily, but not in a way I found particularly interesting or unique. Julian experienced more guilt for his part in the accident, and it leads to the disintegration of the relationship between himself and Angie.

Angie is quite insufferable to me, and that’s not great because she’s actually the main character and the center of the story. She is the character who is the connecting center to all others, and she goes through the most complete character arc. Angie struggles with the idea that what Nora went through is somehow her fault as a mother, but… only in theory. What I find frustrating is that Angie, based on the final revealed motive, actually does have quite a lot of blame that can be placed on her shoulders, but she never learns of her full involvement in he decision that Nora made. Angie is also just a pretty bad person in general. She’s unfaithful, ungrateful, and cold, and in the end she gets basically her ideal happy ending.

Julian is less actively annoying, but I saw his entire storyline coming from a mile away. Same with David, though I did think he was going to be more of an active antagonist than he ended up being. Martine is ultimately not very important at all. I just didn’t really connect to or care about any of these characters.

The writing was also very dense and flowery. I don’t really mind prose written like that and I often welcome it. I do know that is a pet peeve for a lot of people, so I just wanted to make note. The descriptions are vivid and details, but it didn’t create as much of an atmosphere as I was hoping for. The writing style did also really slow the pacing to a crawl, so if you’re impatient to get to the next plot point I don’t think Penitence is the book for you.

The last thing I want to mention is a personal gripe. I just can’t take books seriously when they use 9/11 as a real, legitimate plot point. I get WHY the author did so in Penitence, but I think because I was too young to remember literally anything about 9/11 (I was 9 months old) it always feels hokey and ridiculous to me. I think I’ve been exposed to too much "Never Forget" propaganda for me to take it seriously. I did know something 9/11 related was going to happen as soon as the twin towers were mentioned. I just think the author could’ve made the same point with a building fire or something.

Overall, I didn’t really enjoy Penitence that much. It didn’t leave me with any lasting emotion, except mild disappointment. I liked some of the concepts it was trying to raise in regard to prison reform, but the book was much too slow and long-winded for the points to be compelling or exciting.

I should also add a final trigger warning for <spoiler> implied child sexual abuse. </spoiler>

Penitence by Kristin Koval is a stunning debut. This book sucked me in from the first page and I couldn't put it down. When an unthinkable crime happens in the home of Angie and David, their lives are undone.
The defense attorney the family hires is Angie's ex-boyfriend from the past which brings up old memories and secrets.
This would be a great book for fans of Jodi Picoult!