Penitence is Kristin Koval’s heartbreaking and thought-provoking debut novel. When an unthinkable tragedy occurs between Angie’s children, her past and present collide in story teeming with secrets, trauma, blame, and recrimination. Told in a dual timeline, multiple POV style, the character development is outstanding and Koval’s prose is lyrical. Although there is a bit of mystery here, the focus of this slowly unfolding, character driven story is on complicated relationships and, ultimately, forgiveness. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Celeste Ng, and Angie Kim.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

@macmillan.audio @celadonbooks| #partner Publishing today, 𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 by debut author Kristin Koval, was a novel I found both surprising and expected in equal measures. The dual premises of the story were surprising. One a shocking murder of an ailing teenage boy. The other, an accidental death 20 years earlier when a young girl, skiing too fast, hit a tree. Set mainly in a small Colorado ski town, the story also involved two grieving families, blame, lost love, and a girl accused of murder.⁣
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Koval did a nice job weaving all of these elements into a cohesive story that went down smoothly on audio thanks to narrator Thérèse Plummer. My only quibble with this literary suspense story is that I saw EVERYTHING coming. I want to be shocked (or at least a bit surprised) by the turns a suspense novel takes, but in this one, I never was. Instead, I was just waiting to see when and how the outcomes I’d already guessed would be revealed. In that, I was disappointed, but still look forward to seeing what Koval does next. 3.75 stars

PENITENCE by Kristin Koval

CELADON READ TOGETHER

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 Dumont for help, but Martin isn’t just legal council -she’s also the mother of Angie‘s first love, Julian and now successful New York City, criminal defence attorney,

As Julian and Angie confront their shared past and buried guilt from our tragic years ago, they must navigate their own culpability and the unresolved feelings between them.

It is an examination of the complexities of familial loyalty, the journey of redemption, and the profound experience of true forgiveness.

This was an awesome read, and it is always interesting to read along with others.

#celadonbooks

This book was such an atmospheric read that dealt with really heavy topics, while exploring the impacts decisions can cause. I needed to let this book sit with me before I was really able to translate my thoughts into words. It was slow to start for me but as I got to get to know the characters I felt more and more drawn back to it.

The dynamics and actions of each character in the story were at some times hard to take. The book opens with a murder but I found that the motive almost became secondary to what decisions brought about the killing itself. The dual timeline really deepens the story and builds the understanding of the characters choices. I found myself crying as I turned the last pages, the moment so poignant and beautiful.

Though I struggled with parts, I am happy that I read it and the longer it sits with me the more I appreciate the details and the writing. This was a perfect emotional, cold winter day read.

Thank you Celadon, NetGalley and Kristin Koval for the ARC copy of this book.

The narrative begins with a shocking murder in the home of Angie and David Sheehan, shattering their lives. Desperate to defend their family, they turn to small-town lawyer Martine Dumont for help. Martine isn’t just legal counsel—she’s also the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian, now a 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 post-9/11 New York City and back again, Kristin Koval’s debut novel examines the complexities of familial loyalty, the journey of redemption, and the profound experience of true forgiveness.

Koval weaves together past and present narratives, creating a suspenseful and emotionally charged story. Her characters are richly developed, each grappling with their own secrets and guilt, making them deeply relatable and human. The novel delves into themes of family, love, guilt, and the possibility of redemption, prompting readers to reflect on the nature of forgiveness and whether we can be more than our past mistakes.

This novel is recommended for readers who appreciate literary fiction that tackles complex emotional and moral questions.

Possible trigger warnings:
Murder and Violence - The story begins with a shocking murder that drives much of the plot.
Death and Grief - Characters deal with the emotional aftermath of a violent loss.
Trauma and PTSD - Themes of past trauma, particularly related to an accident and its long-term effects.
Legal and Criminal Proceedings - Discussions of guilt and innocence tied to legal battles.

"Penitence" is an emotional, character-driven, and beautifully written debut novel. As part of Celadon’s Read Together Initiative, we had a few chapters to read each week, but the book was so compelling that I could not put it down and finished it in just a few days. With literary fiction, you never really know what to expect, but this complex story was full of drama, heartbreak, and suspense. As a thriller fan, I am not sure that I would have picked this book up on my own, so I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to read such a thought-provoking, unforgettable novel. Highly recommend this book, especially for book clubs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️
Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

A thought provoking, tense and emotional debut that definitely had me in my feels.
13 year old, Nora, just shot and killed her 14 year old brother, Nico. Also, Nico was recently diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease and did not have a great prognosis. Their parents, Angie and David, feel like they just lost both their children. For help, David asks an old family friend of Angie’s to help.
But this story is so much more than this. It brings together two families who had a past, a look into the juvenile justice system and the realities of grief and forgiveness.

If you are a fan of William Landay and Jodi Picoult's earlier books, you will want to read Penitence. This is a stunning debut from Kristin Koval. Her bio says she was a former lawyer and her novel reflects this. It's a complicated legal and family drama. I love when books explore subjects with many shades of grey. This would be a perfect book club pick because you will want to discuss it with someone!

For fans of Angie Kim, Jodi Picoult and Mary Beth Keane- Penitence is the emotional story of forgiveness and love and if the worst thing you've ever done should define you. The story opens just after thirteen year old Nora has shot and killed her fourteen year old brother Nico. Nora and Nico's parents, Angie and David, bring in a family from Angie's past to help with Noras legal counsel. What starts out as a mystery of why a sister would kill her beloved older brother, turns into a more complex story of the tale of two families, lost love, medical issues, the juvenile court system, and the power of forgiveness. Kristin Koval has a written a beautiful novel that while note quite a thriller, is fast paced and high tension, while delving into a lot of serious and heart-wrenching topics. This will for sure be a stand out of 2025 for many!

I loved Penitence by Kristin Koval. I understand why this book was listed as one of the most anticipated books of 2025 along with other bookstore and book community recommendations. The prologue is an attention grabber where readers are introduced to Angie and David Sheehan, the parents of Nico and Angie, widow and tough-cases attorney Martine DuMont, and Martine’s adult son Julian. The plot rapidly builds with tough circumstances throwing curve balls into these characters’ lives. I found myself marveling at the intricate character building and wondering how many hours, weeks, months Kristin Koval must have spent, plotting and revising this story that seamlessly unfolds and keeps a reader turning the pages as quickly as possible but without missing a single detail. Because, yes, details do count in this novel.
Whatever you do, do not read reviews or summaries that have spoilers; part of the magic of Koval’s story telling is learning the back stories on your own.
This book deals honestly with feelings of anger and blame when things go wrong. No character is perfect because each is realistic. There are good days and bad days, tested loyalties, and heartbreak while learning the hard way that there are no do-overs in real life. Koval maintains a high level of interest all while dealing expertly with serious issues of mental health, the quality of parenting, end-of-life decisions, partners growing apart, teenage emotions seesawing between careless exhilaration and devastation, and even caregiver burnout. Whew! Penitence is a cinematic experience. Thank you, Kristin Koval ,for obviously putting your heart and soul into every word, to Net Galley and Celadon Books for the privilege of reading an ARC. I am following this author on GoodReads and Instagram now, and Koval will be an auto-buy author for me !

4.5⭐️ This was a fascinating and heartbreaking page turner with a small measure of hopefulness. It had early Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper and Handle With Care) book vibes. My one hitch with this story was the dislike I had for Angie both in the past as a teen and young adult, and in the present day. But highly recommend.

Penitence is the perfect combination of two complex family trauma incidents, an intriguing legal case, an emotional multi-generational forgiveness tale, and an insight into issues surrounding juvenile justice. From the opening chapter, you are brought into a horrific case of a thirteen-year-old who killed her brother. What follows effortlessly is the impact of this murder on individual people with flashbacks to their pasts that brought them to the present. I will wonder what happens to these characters after caring about them, flaws and all. I will also note that a scene takes place on September 11th, which chilled me to the bone because of how well it is written in describing how it felt that day.

Thank you to Celedon Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I believe this is a debut novel. It's one you don't want to miss. It has so many feelings and will give you such deep emotions. In parts I got goosebumps and sure shed lots of tears. But the overall story is so good. It made me look at some things in a whole new way. Especially where kids who have committed crimes are concerned.

This is a story of a murder and the road to forgiveness. A story of a family torn apart by a tragedy that they never saw coming. This is a story that will definitely make you shed so many tears. And wonder why. Why did this happen?

Angie and David Sheehan have two children. Until they don't. Nora and Nico are very close siblings. Even in age they are being just eleven months apart. Nico is fourteen and Nora thirteen. Then Nora takes her dads gun out of his gun safe and shoots Nico three times. What could have made her do such a thing.

David goes to Martine Dumont, a lawyer, for help. He begs her to help his daughter. Martine is not a criminal defense attorney so she calls her son Julian. Martine and Julian have been somewhat estranged for many years. Only talking on the phone occasionally. Julian is also Angie's ex boyfriend. In high school the two were inseparable. Until they weren't.

This book is three stories in one but not in the least hard to follow. Each thing comes together in a way that makes the story that much better. This book is almost perfection. It's a story of people who need forgiveness. Of ones finding it. Of ones giving it. Sometimes it's hard to find forgiveness. And sometimes people just never think they deserve it.

I could not put this book down. It was that good. I have to highly recommend it to everyone I know. Yes it's sad but it's not graphic about things. No blood and gore. No horrors. Just a story that will hold your heart hostage until the very end.

Thank you #NetGalley, #CeladonBoos, #MacmillianAudio, for this ARC.

Five big stars.

If the purpose of a novel is to make you feel, then this one is effective. I was down in the dumps the entire time reading this. Everything about this was depressing - murder, infidelity, lying, prison, disease, mental illness - the whole tone was somber and morose. Did it keep my interest? Yes.

It took me days to muddle through this, simply because of the austere tone. I'm pretty sure the pain will stick with me for a few more days.

Don't expected an uplifting, hallelujah story. This isn't it. This is a well-written, poignant look at choices and their repercussions, it their effects on families and futures.

Well done.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Penitence
by Kristin Koval
Pub Date: Jan 28 2025

Penitence is a beautiful but very sad book. It's about a family trying to move on after a devastating loss. It includes past and present timelines showing how choices and decisions impacted the trajectory of their lives. I don't want to spoil the book by saying any more. It is a book I do recommend reading.

Synopsis: 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.

Thank you #Penitence #NetGalley for providing me an E-ARC of this wonderful book.

This touching and emotional novel had me on the edge of my seat as I read chapter after chapter. I was hooked from the beginning and this one is such a powerful read full of family trauma, drama, secrets, and deceit.

I recommend this novel.

There is nothing better than receiving a widget for a book 4 days before publication. Thanks to Celadon Books, I pushed this right to the top of my pile. I can see why so many people took part in group reads. There is a lot I want to say but cannot here because of spoilers.
The story centers around an unthinkable tragedy. A 911 call changes the Sheehan family … Forever. When David and Angie desperately need good lawyers, they call Martine and her son Julian. Angie and Julian were high school sweethearts, but something life-changing happened to derail their happily ever after. The story unfolds in a rather(to me at least) unusual way. Set much more in the past than I expected.
There was one character that I personally thought was, well really selfish(and honestly that’s putting my feelings mildly). Those actions that started many years ago had little to do with the current tragedy, but boy did they make me mad about the choices that were made.
I do agree with everything that I’ve seen written about this book. It was quite a complex story, and honestly one that I haven’t totally processed.

Thank you so much to @celadonbooks for the #gifted book!

📚 I buddy read this for the 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙄𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 along!

🔹 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🔹
This debut fiction book was a compelling read and something I haven’t come across before! A 14 year old boy is murdered by his 13 year old sister, and the only people that can help defend the sister, are the mother’s ex-boyfriend and mother. However, their history runs deep and old secrets come to light when they have to face each other again.

This story focuses on forgiveness and makes you consider if you would be able to forgive someone for something awful that affected you. It also brings up how forgiveness and holding on to past grudges can affect how you are living your life.

Even though there is murder and secrets, this story is not a thriller, but a character based story. Both main characters were frustrating to read about but I can appreciate what tragedies they were going through.

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🔹 Complicated Family Dynamics
🔹 Legal Procedures
🔹 Two Intertwined Families
🔹 Murder/Grief/Trauma
🔹 Dual Timelines

“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

This book is a tragedy and a very heavy read. It is filled with secrets, deceptions, bad decisions, life-altering mistakes, heartbreak, blame, grief, fratricide, and more. Every character experiences profound suffering. There is virtually no positivity in the story until the very end, but when I got there, I was crying right along with the characters.

The book emphasizes often that each of us is more than the worst thing we have ever done. Forgiveness is a central theme, and the story emphasizes the immense difficulty of giving it to others and ourselves. The lesson is that forgiveness benefits the forgiver as much as the forgiven. [See the Hawthorne quote at the top.]

I’m really struggling to give this book the quality review it deserves. I don’t know how to fully explain the depths of pain and sorrow that emanated from this story, or how the story made me think and feel. I can’t describe how much I wanted to jump into this story and fix everything for these characters who felt so real to me. It feels wrong to say I loved this book, because it truly is a tragedy… but I really did love this book.

This is the author’s debut and she definitely jumped into the deep end with it. She tackled this compelling story with honesty and didn’t balk from showing us the ugliness that can exist in the world and within us as individuals. This book is going to stick with me for a long time.

Thank you @netgalley and @celadonbooks for a copy of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Every now and then a book grabs you and doesn’t let go. Penitence was that kind of book for me. This was my most recent read and I just could not put it down.

A young girl commits fratricide in their home and Angie and David Sheehan’s life is forever changed. A family is left in ruins. Adding another layer to the mix, Angie’s ex lover’s mother becomes their defense attorney. One child is dead, another one essentially lost, a community that has deserted them and secrets lingering under the surface, this slow burn novel kept me in its thrall.

This book has a lot going on. Both a family drama and a look at a criminal justice system that often fails, this book examines the nature of forgiveness in a sensitive and thought provoking way. Lately, I’ve been craving books with more depth to them and this one delivered on that in a big way. It kept me thinking and feeling.

Thank you to @netgalley and @celadon books.