4.5 stars, rounded up.

I had such FOMO from everyone who got to read this early, so I was excited that Celadon Books and NetGalley gave me an advance copy. This was a fantastic debut novel!

Angie and David Sheehan’s lives are completely upended when a tragic, shocking murder occurs in their home. They turn to Martine, a lawyer in their small town of Lodgepole, Colorado, to defend their family. But Martine is more than just another lawyer in town—she used to be best friends with Angie’s mother and is the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian.

Julian and Angie were part of a tragedy that occurred when they were teenagers, a tragedy which left them feeling sad and guilty nearly every day. It was the strain of this tragedy and the façade they had to keep up that ultimately doomed their relationship. It’s been nearly 15 years since they’ve seen one another.

Now, Julian is a criminal lawyer in NYC, and Martine asks him to come home and help her with the case. Julian’s return unearths emotions, secrets, and regrets long kept hidden, yet his expertise is truly needed.

This is a book about the weight of secrets and guilt, and the ripples these cause for many. It’s also a story about shared tragedy and how we can never truly move beyond it, no matter how hard we try.

Kristin Koval said in her author’s note, “Getting to forgiveness is often hard, but it can also be profound and even beautiful.” This is so skillfully illustrated in this book, which shifts from the late 1990s to the late 2010s. I’ll be thinking about this book for a while.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
A beautifully written debut that will have us all eagerly awaiting Kristin Koval’s next book. I loved slipping into her DMs to share how much I appreciated the minor Persian character representation and the mention of Persian food recipes like Tahchin. Kristin told me she loves to enhance her character development by reflecting on the world around her, which is evident in every character in this book. This story is heavy but deeply important, shedding light on the flaws in our criminal justice system, especially for minors. At its core, it is a powerful exploration of forgiveness and the gift it offers us. If this one isn’t on your radar, it should be!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
👩🏽‍⚖️Legal drama
🙏Forgiveness and redemption
📈Character driven
❎Flawed characters
😢Emotional
🤐Family secrets
⛷️Small town vibes
🗣️Multiple POV
🔁Dual timelines
📖Debut novel

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: Child death, terminal illness, alcoholism, dementia, fun violence.

⚖️𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾⚖️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

💕Q U O T E: "𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝓉𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒹𝒾𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔."

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Kristin Koval for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

This book was riveting. A true telling of what would you do if one of your children hurt the other. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Angie's world is shattered when her son Nico is killed by her daughter Nora (age 13). In rural Colorado, things like this just don't happen. Angie's husband David hires her first love's mom and her criminal defense attorney son, Julian, to come in and defend Nora. They don't know why she did it, but they want to help her as they grieve the loss of their son, and now daughter to incarceration, as Angie reflects on her past with Julian and mistakes they also made.

What this book is: a slow paced, literary fiction novel about two families and a crime. It is quiet and sad but well written and well plotted. What this isn't: a crime thriller or courtroom drama (don't let the blurb fool you.) This is a good book, but it is not a popcorn thriller or centered around a trial at all. It is slow and atmospheric and tender. I have mixed feelings about the ending, but it did seem to fit with the overall tone of the book. This is a good one to read on a cold winter weekend.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

When I first started Penitence by Kristin Koval, never did I think that it would become my new favourite novel, but here we are.

Similar to how Backman set the scene in Beartown, Koval purposefully uses the prologue to hint at the characters and the unfolding drama within this sleepy Colorado town. As the plot and characters began to develop, my heart broke for those careless split-second decisions that forever changed the course of history for these individuals.

The truth is that I love reading books like this; books that separate the here and now from the before. Where one irreversible action or decision will forever change the future. Those moments you live with regret for, wishing you could take back and change the course of history. Let me tell you, this book had these moments in spades

There was a constant yearning in my soul to keep reading this book, and although I read it fast (thanks to the audiobook), I could not devour this story fast enough. I needed there to be solace for these characters that had just faced utter devastation; I needed to know they would somehow be okay.

Chapter seventeen broke me, and I could not stop crying.

Thérèse Plummer's audiobook narration is a work of art. Her voice went from light, bouncy, airy, and genuinely happy to full of condensation, confusion, and remorse; the tone of the story perfectly mirrored in her narration. It is clear that this book affected Plummer as there is an audible sniff during the most heartbreaking part. Macmillan Audio, all I can do is ask for it to remain in the final audiobook production. This show of emotion added something beautiful, special, and peaceful to my experience as I sat bawling my eyes out; it allowed me to know I wasn't alone with my feelings for these characters.

In short, put this on your TBR immediately, devour it, and thank me later. I'm still baffled that this is a debut novel. Koval wrote the best, most layered, and intricate of stories. And I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"She doesn't look like a girl who just shot her brother."

“God doesn’t attach conditions to forgiveness...and neither should you.”

At the end of the emotionally draining Penitence, by phenomenal debut author Kristin Koval, I was left a blubbering mess. From the first shocking chapter where 13 year old Nora kills her 14 year old brother Nico, to the last page between a conflicted mother and a mentally distraught daughter, I was held captive by this family drama that held nothing back about the consequences for our self preservation decisions and the road to forgiveness.

There are a lot of entwining relationships that get entangled, and sometimes break a part in this made for book club selection novel. Angie is Nora and Nico's mother, and "she feels strangled in the absurd paradox of how she can keep loving Nora without betraying Nico." However, as the past comes back to haunt Angie, it's obvious she has her own sins that need atonement.

I was stunned by the intricate acting choices from voice actress Therese Plummer. Her ability to give distinguishing tones to the many characters from Julian, Angie's former lover whom she shares a deadly secret and is now Nora's lawyer, to David, Angie's husband, who has his own life altering secret, made for an award-worthy narration.

No one comes out of this story unscathed, and many would argue that they deserve it; except maybe Nico.
The selfish lies, the justification for all of it, is truly startling, as are some of the revealing twisty secrets. Ultimately it's about penitence, the act of forgiveness, if there are times it shouldn't be given, and what it often costs to give it.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers for a fair & honest review. All opinions are my own.

5 Stars for a radiant debut about the power of a mother's love and the complexities of forgiveness. What happens when one of your children is murdered and the other is accused?
I read this book in just a few short days and really enjoyed it. Heartbreaking at times, Penitence explores what it means to forgive the unthinkable move forward in the wake of tragedy. It also explores how broken the juvenile justice system is. How the rules and laws surrounding juvenile rehabilitation stand in the way of any actual rehabilitating. I learned so much about what's broken in the system, and what these children face in the aftermath of a committed crime, from the mundane misdemeanor to the gravity of murder. I loved the characters, the dual timelines, the history of their relationships and even the big twist! For a debut, this book was very well done. I would absolutely read another book by this author and can't wait to see what she gives us next!

Happy Pub Day to PENITENCE by Kristin Koval! This was a buddy read with my #CeladonReadsTogether group, and we all liked it.

Tragedy has struck the Sheehan family when their eldest teenage son is killed. As if losing their son isn’t enough, Angie and David’s daughter is accused of killing him. They hire an old family friend, Martine, to defend their daughter. Martine is also the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian, who is now an attorney in NY. Julian’s arrival to the case looks like it will benefit their daughter, but this also trudges up the past and secrets from Angie’s past.

I really enjoyed this book. It uncovers the truths bit by bit working between past and present time. The style and themes gave off Jodi Picoult vibes to me at first. It’s a moving story of loss, grief, family, and forgiveness. Definitely will be a winner for readers of Picoult and Celeste Ng. Great debut! Looking forward to more from Kristin Koval.

I highly recommend the audiobook as Therese Plummer’s narration is perfection. I’ve always been a fan of her voice and tone but this performance was fantastic and spot on for the emotion this novel holds.

Many thanks to @celadonbooks and @macmillan.audio for my copies!

This story jumps right in with teenage Nora killing her brother, Nico. Blam, here we are! After this initial excitement, the book slows down quite a bit as the author took me for a walk with each character, meandering and weaving quite the twisted, dramatic tale. She made me hate some of the characters, love some of them, empathize with some, and even root for them at times. The last third of this book was so intense. This snowball of a story turns into a full blown avalanche in the last third of the book as all the pieces, story lines, and truths come to light.

I am not a huge fan of a slow burn, but the author did such a great job with character development and then tied all the story lines together at the end that I really enjoyed this book. It's so hard to believe this was a debut novel!

Shocking storyline from the start! Nora, 13 years old shoots and kills her older brother of 14, who has been diagnosed with Huntingtons Disease.

What makes this novel different: I would say the topic for sure and how a family mitigates through the most extreme trauma of losing a child but needing and wanting to defend the other, “Forgiveness “ truly at the brink of this plot.

I think this novel allows us a vision down the path of something that’s tragic and unforgiving to seeing what can happen in the legal system and how it could be different depending where you live.

An amazing debut novel by Kristin Koval. It was detailed and had an extensive character development in all aspects of the book filling in any gabs you may have had. I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy family drama, crime investigation and dual timelines.
Favorite quote: “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve done”

Thank you @celadonbooks @netgalley for this eARC and hardcopy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and comments are my own. #celadonreads #readpentinence

After Angie and David lose their son in a shocking murder, they scramble to keep their family together and help their daughter. Two families are brought back together to confront the present, and the unresolved tragedies of the past.

Oof. This was an emotional ride. The pace was slower but there was a lot going on.
Told in multiple timelines and POVs by complex, imperfect, and relatable characters who have all made mistakes that plague them.

I appreciated the themes of guilt and forgiveness, family loyalties, and the fragility of life's trajectory. This one has kept me thinking about it well after turning the last page.

I did feel that the characters could have been developed more; some of who I thought to be main characters weren't given the attention I wanted them to, where others’ POVs I wasn't sure added all that much to the story.

In the end, I was left with questions, although it does make sense as is. So just know that going in if you like everything wrapped up in a pretty bow. This isn’t that.

A great debut that will keep you guessing, and would be a perfect choice for book clubs. Can't wait to see what this author does next.

🎧 Thérèse Plummer's narration was exceptional. She delivered the weight of the characters’ circumstances beautifully, adding emotional depth to the story.

⚠️ Death of a child, terminal illness, alcoholism, infidelity

[arc review]
Thank you to Celadon Books for providing an arc, and to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Penitence releases January 28, 2025

This story opens up with the shocking development of a thirteen-year-old girl who has just shot and killed her fourteen-year-old brother with juvenile Huntington’s.
What lead to the shooting? And how does a family recover from such a fraught turn of events?

I don’t know what it was about this book, whether it was the writing style or the narration itself, but no matter what time of day I picked it up to read or listen to, it put me to sleep! This was not suspenseful like it claimed to be.

I was able to guess early on where things were headed because there’s only one reason why there’d be so much time dedicated to focusing on the past relationship between Angie and Julian, rather than the immediate household who were grieving the loss of one child while criminally defending the other.

The themes of forgiveness felt half-assed, to put it bluntly, and it didn’t feel as though the characters were given enough time to sit and reflect upon their emotions between the initial moment of blindside up to the act of forgiveness itself.

If you’re a reader who needs to know the “why” — especially to something as vital as the driving force of the entire plot, then you’ll likely be sorely disappointed.

I think I could’ve loved this had it been centered more around Nora and Nico and written in first person.

cw: animal death, 9/11, cheating

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.⁣
⁣
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!