I had high hopes for this book, but it unfortunately took a different turn than I expected. It was an interesting concept and definitely made me question things ive never thought about before. I love a full resolution and answer at the end of a novel and this was left open ended. I wish there was more of a concrete answer to why certain things happened. I really enjoyed one of the twists toward the end tho! That I did not see coming

Thank you to Macmillan Audio Influencer Program and Netgalley or access to this free audiobook!

Quick Take:
This beautifully written debut novel is about Angie and David and how their life is upended when a murder occurs in their house. This is part family drama, part legal drama, and a slow burn literary drama rolled into one.

This book really had me engaged and interested the whole time - it did slow down for me and drag a bit on later in the book and the ending left me wanting a bit more, but overall this is a very impressive debut and I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for this author's next novel.

Wow! There wasn't anything entirely revolutionary here, but I could NOT look away. This was gripping and page turning and had more depth than most in the genre. I highly recommend!

Penitence is a haunting exploration of life's choices, and the complexities of human nature. When Angie and David's teenage son Nico is shot to death by his younger sister, a series of events kicks off that dredges up old secrets, and forces the characters to reconcile with past, present, and future choices.

Are we really more than the worst things we have ever done?

Koval writes beautifully about the deep, clawing emotions of sadness and heartbreak. She also does a good job showing the different sides of arguments, the idea of "his side, her side, and the truth".

The prose is lovely and disturbing at the same time, giving the reader a sense of discomfort, forcing us to feel the way the characters feel as the layers of their lives come together.

A slightly unsatisfying ending, but a truly incredible debut. I think this one will stick with you for awhile if you choose to read it.

Thank you to netgalley, Kristen Koval, and Celedon for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Penitence is a heavy legal drama set in a small Colorado town. The story centers around a shocking sibling homicide that fractures a family. Koval tackles hard hitting topics like intergenerational trauma, gun violence, and the shortcomings of juvenile facilities and the court system. I thought this was a thought-provoking and outstanding debut with themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the ties of family.

**Many thanks to @CeladonBooks and Kristin Koval for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT!

"None of us should be defined by the worst thing we've ever done." - Kevin R. Duncan

Angie and David Sheehan should be navigating through the ups and downs of teenage parenthood by giving lectures on drinking or drugs, making sure homework gets done, and ferrying their children to soccer games or musical practice....NOT contemplating how to even get up in the morning. But after the loss of 14 year old son Nico, they are forced to take a good, hard look in the mirror...since their 13 year old daughter, Nora, is accused of committing his murder. With the scales of justice tipping back and forth, and love for both of their children in their hearts, confusion, fear, and guilt are inevitable. Determined to clear Nora's name, Angie looks for the best lawyer in town and feels that she's found her in Martine Dumont.

But in a case of "It's a Small World After All," Martine's OWN son, Julian, has a deep connection to the outcome of this case...because many moons ago, he was deeply in love with Angie...and the two witnessed a horrifying accident that bonded them forever. The fallout from this tragedy was never fully resolved, but it took a terrible toll on their budding relationship and left the two with shared secrets, angst, and 'messy' feelings, to say the least. And when Martine determines the case is out of her scope and enlists Julian to take the lead, the intensity ratchets up even further. With the present now butting up against the grief and trauma from their past, will Julian and Angie find a way to resolve and move past the guilt of so many years ago? Can Julian clear Nora's name...or is she ACTUALLY guilty? And if she is indeed the one who killed Nico, will Angie ever be able to forgive Nora....or more importantly, forgive herself?

One of my biggest bookish pet peeves (and perhaps one of MANY reasons I struggled even getting through this book) is when the book ends up improperly categorized...and unfortunately, this tends to happen a LOT in the book world as of late. This book is marketed as a comp to Ann Patchett and Celeste Ng, and while I am unfamiliar with Patchett, I HAVE read and enjoyed several Ng books. I suppose this comparison seems clear on paper: character driven family drama with dual timelines, drama, romance, and a 'mystery' at its core.

But where books like Miracle Creek by Kim or House Rules by Picoult have explored the complexities and nuance of a family member on trial and all of the messy and conflicted feelings that are in play while said trials play out, Penitence is missing one thing.

To put it in the words of the great B.B. King..."The thrill is gone. The thrill has gone away."

Again, I might have even been okay with the mystery taking a backseat if there was a more balanced approach to the narrative happening throughout the book. But what Koval chooses to pivot her story around instead is the Huge Accident from many years ago and the doomed teenage love affair of Angie and Julian, instead of the present concern of Angie's child potentially having killed her other child...and this is where she lost me. Not only does Nora the character get the shaft through most of the book, we aren't really even treated to knowing much about her, other than some vague scenes in prison where she sort of longs for normal high school experiences. This is not the sort of rich character development needed to get me invested in the outcome of the mystery. On the contrary, it almost made the MAIN PLOT seem more like a plot device to get Julian and Angie together after so many years...and I wasn't a fan of how contrived that felt.

Aside from this frustration about not really KNOWING Nora on any level, I should have probably had my Pogo stick at the ready for all of the incessant bouncing around this plot did...once I could make it to the end of the next ENDLESS chapter, that is. I got so tired of hearing about the accident over and over in dribs and drabs, and I have no idea why this couldn't have been included perhaps in one chapter early on in the book to set the stage...and then perhaps not again. What these characters needed more than anything was clearly therapy, and trust me when I say that the lack thereof only set the stage for their complete inability to act like grounded adults later on. Things went from bad to worse when a 9/11 plotline was introduced, seemingly to muddy the narrative even MORE and still pull focus from the 'mystery' at hand.

...And if you're waiting for a neat and tidy ending that will make all of these parallels between past and present 'worth it'...well, let's just say I finished this book weeks ago and I am STILL waiting for it. The ending not only doesn't feel satisfying in the least, but I don't feel as though I even have a firm grasp on what the 'thesis' is supposed to be, other than "I should be more aware of those around me," and "I need to learn to be sorry AND how to forgive." Which are fine points, sure, but one could also argue that Angie didn't need to PUT HERSELF IN THIS POSITION in the first place by not having a lawyer involved in her child's criminal case who had very clear conflicts of interest from the start. To have such a questionable and forced premise in the first place with little payoff just left me feeling sort of empty and cold...like I'd been wandering through the birches from the snowy forest on the cover of this book...and let's just say I am NOT a fan of being cold.

And although this title is in reference to the various forms of compunction explored by all of the characters herein, I'm pretty sure that my decision to go against my instincts and read this book had me feeling sorrier than ALL of them....well, sorry for myself, that is.

3 stars

Penitence is a multi-layered telling of the choices we make and the secrets that haunt us. It is about choices and delayed consequences.

When Angie's family is destroyed by a murder, their best hope lays in the hands of Angie's college boyfriend, Julian. As Julian works to defend his client, the history of his connection to Angie, the rift between their families and the guilt he carries is slowly revealed.

What are the consequences of a mother's love, of her actions, her need to protect, the need to deny? There are some very powerful themes in this novel, which ultimately has less to do with the murder than the characters that surround it.

I found that the story took a long time to hit its stride. There were several clues long the way that gave away part of the ending but the book ended without one large question being answered.

This would be a good bookclub read; there is a lot to discuss.


Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Penitence - the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentance.
I was able to enjoy this one via ebook and audiobook. The audiobook narration was tremendous so I felt myself being drawn to it more.

Penitence tells the story of a family reeling after a personal tragedy. We also have a secondary storyline which tells the backstory of Mom, Angie and lawyer Julian 20 years previously.

This is a beautifully written family drama looking at penitence and forgiveness, in all its forms. I was hooked instantly! The writing style made me think of Tracey Lange and Amy Jo Burns, both of whose books I adore!

I’ve heard lots of discussion around the ambiguous ending which is something I seldom enjoy in a book but personally I feel this was the right way to end this novel. The reasoning behind the decision (can you tell I’m trying not to give any spoilers away?!) made no difference in the end. Though admittedly I do have my own guesses as to the “why”.

A really beautiful book and can already tell it will be one of my favourites of the year.

I will be eagerly anticipating anything else by this author.

Angie and David's lives are turned upside down when their 13 year old daughter shoots and kills their son. Through an unfathomable situation, Kristin Kovel explores themes of forgiveness, guilt, shame, and the long term effects of keeping secrets. There's complex relationship dynamics, a parent's worst nightmare, and, in the end, more questions than answers.

Kovel's debut novel is propulsive and thought-provoking. She does tackle a lot of things (maybe a few too many?), but also handles each of them with careful consideration. The twists weren't very twisty, but I was ok with that. I came for a complex story without easy answers, and that's exactly what I got!

If I have one critique, it would be that the murky ending did leave me a little frustrated. Having said that, it allows readers to draw their own conclusions. This, along with the myriad amount of themes would make for excellent book club fodder! There really is a lot to explore here and the discussion could go in several directions.

Overall, I couldn't put this one down and I really enjoyed exploring the difficulties this story presents. It's complicated - VERY complicated - and even after its conclusion, the themes and dynamics will stick with you for a long time.

This is a brilliant debut novel about family, secrets, love, and ultimately forgiveness. While there is a murder that is central to the plot, and some legal drama, I do not feel it read as a mystery or thriller. Instead, it was a beautifully told story of families facing tragedies and trying to survive. It is both sad and thought provoking and I really enjoyed it. Thank you to both Edelweiss+ and NetGalley for the digital advance reading copy. 4.5/5

I was hooked the moment it opened with a Bryan Stevenson quote. This emotional story will keep you turning pages to see what happens to these characters, especially NORA! I really enjoyed the story (as heartbreaking as it was), however, I had issues with the pacing. I wanted more from moments, some pieces seemed scattered or not used to their full ability.

Loved the "twist" at the end, I saw it coming but not from too far away which was fun.

Overall, loved the family dynamics, the dual timeline, the themes -- would make a great book club read!

this quiet exploration of what it means to forgive the unforgiveable was a little too quiet for me. about one family’s struggle for forgiveness after the daughter murders the son, the beginning was so pointed and raw, but as the story unwound, there wasn’t much there. we spent too much time in the past with no real payoff as to why this happened, which felt frustrating.

Thirteen year old Nora has murdered her fourteen year old brother Nico. She shot him three times with precision and also called 911 and confessed. Her parents Angie and David are in shock. Martine is an old family friend and lawyer and David approaches her for help. The local DA with his political ambitions is looking to turn the trial into his campaign trail message by trying Nora as an adult. Martine's son Justine is a criminal lawyer in New York city and Martine requests him to help. And Nora is refusing to speak since she made the 911 call. This is a highly emotive family drama with complex relationships among the characters and a history of checkered past relationships. It is not a fast-paced murder mystery or court room drama. It is a story of friendship, love, loss, betrayal and forgiveness. And of course lots of family drama. I loved the premise of the novel and the easy writing style. However I found the story too long and repetitive in parts. The ending was redemptive. An easy quick read if you like easy family drama with a bit of suspense and romance thrown in.

Thank you to @netgalley and @celedonbooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @macmillan.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Kristin Koval's "Penitence" is a deeply emotional, character-driven novel that explores the complexities of forgiveness and guilt. While not a mystery or romance, the book excels in its realistic portrayal of human drama.

The intricate history and underlying tensions between the characters are skillfully developed, never feeling overwhelming. The story's deliberate pacing, while occasionally repetitive due to the nature of the emotional themes, effectively conveys the characters' internal struggles.

Each character is distinct and well-rounded, possessing both admirable and flawed qualities, which adds to the story's authenticity. The central theme of forgiveness, both of oneself and others, is handled with sensitivity and realism. The narrative avoids simplistic resolutions, offering a satisfying conclusion that acknowledges the complexities of human relationships.

Thérèse Plummer's nuanced audiobook narration adds significant depth to the characters, particularly the mother, whose emotional turmoil is conveyed with remarkable empathy, even when her actions are not sympathetic.

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #celedonebooks #macmillanaudio #penitence #kristinkoval

Kristin Koval's suspenseful debut is an exploration in family dynamics, mental health, and the impulsiveness of youth. The characters are well developed and the issues they face are interesting, ultimately I would like to have seen a greater understanding of the why behind the shooting at the center of this book but I respect the author's choice in focusing more on the consequences of the act.

Thank you Celedon and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book. My opinions are my own.
When Nico is murdered in his room, Nora calls 911 and confesses. Nico and Nora are siblings, 11 months apart. Nico is 14 and has been diagnosed with Juvenile Huntington’s Disease. Nora, his sister, is only 13 years old. This is a complete shock to the family and the small town in Colorado. Parents, David and Angie Sheehan are desperate to help their daughter, while mourning the loss of Nico.
Martine Dumont has defended only one other juvenile murder case. When the Sheehan’s call her for legal counsel, she accepts. However, she isn’t just a lawyer. Martine is  the mother of  Angie’s first love, Julian. Julian, who is now a successful criminal defense attorney in New York. Martine is going to need Julian’s help with this case. It’s David who suggests that Julian join.
This story jumps back and forth from present day, to Angie and Julian’s love story. And, as with first loves, it was intense with trauma and unresolved feelings. 
I loved that the premise of this book was focused on forgiveness…but, It was a VERY slow burn getting there. There was a lot to unpack and follow along with! It had first love upheaval and stupidity, death, trauma, Alzheimer’s of a parent, alcoholism, estrangement, mental abuse, murder and depression…just to name a few. The characters were just so bland (IMO) that I was bored with their lack of passion with their situation. 
I liked it alright…it just wasn’t a “must get back to” type of story for me (although I did finish!). Please look into and figure if this might be a read for you. Everyone’s taste is different.  
Happy Reading!

This beautifully written, character-driven novel asks a haunting question: Can we be more than the worst thing we have ever done?

With multiple intersecting timelines and long, immersive chapters, Penitence is a story to savour. The prose is stunning, the characters deeply human, and the themes thought-provoking. This isn’t a book to rush through—I took my time, letting each chapter settle before moving on.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this one, more than I thought I might. It would have been a 5 star read if only some questions were answered. It's really a rather sad and tragic look at life, its unfairness, and forgiveness. I get why things were left as they were in the end. I just don't like it!!

I thought this would be more mysterious than it was. I thought the main part of the story would be about the shooting. However, it mostly explored characters in the past and how their decisions made them who they are today. This would be a good one for anyone who likes character driven novels and drama. I still liked it, it just moved slowly for me because it wasn't what I was expecting. The narrator for the audiobook was great!

I enjoyed this book. It had an interesting premise and the plot was original. The one criticism I do have is that I felt like a lot of the backstory that was included was drawn out and unnecessary. Other than that good story.