The novel opens with 13-year-old Nora being taken into custody for the alleged murder of her 14-year-old brother, Nico, who suffers from Huntington’s Disease. Her parents – David and Angie – scramble to figure out what to do next. David reaches out to Martine, a divorce lawyer in her 70s, because she once represented a juvenile who abandoned a baby. Martine is about to retire and has no experience in criminal law so she pulls in her son, Julian, a criminal defense attorney, in NYC who happened to have dated Angie back in high school. But in a small Colorado mountain town, where life revolves around the ski industry, ethical conflicts occur.

There is no mystery with respect to “who done it.” That part is clear; the mystery is why. Consequently, this is more about messy family dynamics than a courtroom drama. Everyone is harboring secrets which seep out as the legal process unfolds. Because of the familial relationships, a rare disease, and the juvenile justice system, I found it reminiscent of “Happiness Falls” by Angie Kim. (Coincidently both authors are lawyers turned writers.)

The audio narration by Therese Plummer enhanced my reading experience as the characters grappled with guilt and forgiveness. The voices were separate and distinct, plus she supplemented the words on the page with non-verbals. Although it’s only January, this book will make it into my “best of the year.”

What a debut by this author! I was drawn into the story from the beginning. It starts with a shocking murder committed by a young girl that leaves the family and community reeling. I really don’t want to say too much. There’s a lot to digest. This book highlights the effects of actions and consequences and has themes of love and forgiveness. I’m just not sure what to think about the ending. I look forward to more from this author in the future!

⭐️⭐️Review⭐️⭐️
📖 Title: Penitence
🧍‍♀️Author: Kristin Koval

About? This is a heartfelt, compelling exploration of tragedy, love, and most notably - forgiveness.

Angie and David have two children. The younger child murders the older child one gut-wrenching night. Can they forgive the child they have left?

Are each of us more than the worst thing we have ever done??

Makes you feel? This book will make you feel and understand all the shades of gray that exist in our world that is often interpreted in black and white.
These characters are multi-layered. Such thought was provided to this novel for the reader to empathize with such astounding sensitivity and authenticity. I can’t believe this is Kristin Koval’s debut!! This author draws you in and doesn’t let go. She will definitely be one to watch.

🔹🌀Publishes Jan 28!🔹🌀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars instead of 5 because I would have liked to understand / be given the “why” more clearly.

Thank you so much to @Netgally and @macmillan.audio for an advanced audible copy in exchange for an honest review.

Penitence by Kristin Koval is a family drama set over several decades. The timeline flip flops back and forth between them but is easily followed. Angie and David Sheehan live in Colorado and are parents to 14 year old Nico and 13 year old Nora. Nora is arrested for the death of her brother after calling 911 and admitting she had done it.
Martine Dumont is a nearly retired local lawyer the Sheehans call to represent Nora. Angie and Martine have a long linked past; Martine’s son Julian was Angie’s first love. As teenagers, they were involved in a skiing accident that resulted in Angie’s younger sister dying. Julian now lives in New York and is also a lawyer so he is recruited by his mother to come back the Colorado to help represent Nora. If anyone is expecting a legal thriller from this synopsis, then you can stop expecting that right now. This is not a suspenseful courtroom drama. There is very little legalese and minimal questioning of the circumstances around Nico’s death. This book is about love and guilt and forgiveness. This is a what happens next type book and how relationships are affected by the tragedies (the present and the past). Readers are well introduced to all the main and supporting characters and we get several subplots within the story that deal with similar themes. It was well written and really kept you interested to see how things would turn out.
Readers who enjoy books with imperfect people, unresolved issues and ambiguous endings will enjoy this. As an audiobook, this narrator was clear and easy to follow with a non irritating voice. Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for my ARC.

This was an incredible debut novel. Kristen Koval is a talented storyteller and I look forward to her future works.
The story begins with a shocking murder that leaves a 14-year-old Niko, recently diagnosed with Juvenile Huntington's disease dead and his 13-year-old sister, Nora in custody. This novel not only explores the trial and the criminal justice system's handling of minor offenders but also delves into the shared past between Angie and her first love, Julian, who is now the defense lawyer helping with her daughter’s case.
Penitence offers a complex examination of family loyalty, guilt, and true forgiveness. The narrative is rich with layers and features some surprising twists, taking readers on a journey with two families intertwined by loss and love. Multiple timelines are used skillfully to provide backstory, and each character is thoughtfully developed and integral to the storyline.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this incredible novel by Kristin Koval. I first read about this title in the Buzz Books 2024 Fall/Winter release and I was hooked after only reading a few chapters. The author leaves the reader constantly in suspense and while I did realize about halfway through some of the secrets that were going to be exposed, I still found it quite enjoyable; yet heartbreaking. I also loved that the book goes back and fourth between Angie's current life and her past. This will definitely be a great book club selection! I will also recommend it to patrons who enjoy Jodi Picoult.

Penitence by Kristin Koval - my first book of the new year and it did NOT disappoint. For being a slower paced book, this book packed in a ton of twists and kept me interested until the end. The narrator was fantastic. Such a good way to start the new book year!

I almost gave up on this one, but somewhat glad I didn't. I'm not a fan of slow burns, and this was certainly one, but once I got used to the pacing of it, this story became just fine. This book was character driven for sure, and not much of a thriller aspect even though it centered around a crime. So if you were to read this wanting to know the juicy details or the entertaining parts of a crime, you'd get a snippet of it and that would be it. This was more about the people affected by that crime and the humanity side of things.

Thirteen-year-old Nora shoots her 14-year-old brother Nico. The book centered around their mother Angie, the mother of her ex-boyfriend Julian who became the attorney to Nora, and also Julian himself who put himself as another attorney. Angie's husband and the kids' father, David, didn't get as much spotlight as I wished he should get. This was more about Angie and the ex-boyfriend Julian, but also about facing the past and embracing the future. The growth of each character throughout the book was greatly explored and I enjoyed it just fine, but I was itching to know the why of the crime, which I felt I didn't really get enough of.

The narration by Therese Plummer was great; she really captured the emotions throughout with each character so well. But for me, this dragged out a little too much, but perhaps I was too impatient for the characters to keep moving and moving with the storyline, but the author was simply being realistic about how long/how much each character would have to deal with things. This was just ok for me.

Pub date: January 28, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A very solid effort for a debut novel and it reminded me so much of a Jodi Picoult novel. It has the legal aspect, the ethical dilemmas, moral gray areas, emotional depth and very fleshed out characters. Less engrossing than Jodi Picoult, slightly slower, but I believe if this author was able to write this for her first book, she’ll do really well in the future.

No one is anywhere close to perfect in this book, and their behavior, although sometimes reprehensible, is also incredibly realistic. I don’t want to rehash the storyline because o think it needs to unfold on its own, the less you know going in, the better.

Thank you netgalley for this audio arc. A tragic death leads two women with a shared past to reconnect and this story was everything. I really enjoyed this audio version very much. I would highly recommend it and to think this is a debut of the author is very amazing, it was that good. I rated this 5 stars. I will definitely be purchasing the book when it releases.

Thanks to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for a #gifted ALC

This is an excellent debut. Filled with flawed characters galore and sad sad situations. It is deep and complex.

The book begins when Nora, 13, shoots her brother, Nico, 14, who has recently been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease. She immediately calls 9-1-1, and we are then thrown into what happens with Nora and her Angie and David, her parents.

Another plot twist is the dual timeline to the past, dealing with Angie and Julian. This deals with an accident involving Angie's sister that shattered both their families and eventually broke apart their relationship. But Julian is now a criminal defense attorney and David, who outright despises Julian, calls him to assist with Nora's defense.

This book is emotional and deals a lot with forgiveness, both of yourself and others. And letting go of things in order to move on with your life. We also get a good glimpse into the juvenile legal system which seems pretty realistic.

I will be on the lookout for more from this author!

What an excellent debut novel! I loved the past and present timeline as we were watching current events unfold we also got a glimpse of the background of the characters when they were younger to help us understand the story better. I thought the parallels of grief was really well done between the two tragedies. I would have liked a more conclusive ending as I thought they kind of made a vague pass of why Nora ultimately did what she did. But a great crazy story that kept me interested and wanting to flip
The pages.

Thank you MacMillan for the audio review copy!
Penitence is a complex and intense family drama, written with care, and needed nuance, with a powerful plot amplified by Terese Plummer's narration. It's hard to say I liked this book not because it's not good, it is, but with such a challenging plot and topics I more want to say this is a great read because it is challenging but not alienating, because the writing and storytelling is careful and compelling, and because Koval does not force the story as much as truly let's the story unfold, be told and shared. Plummer's voice acting captures the style well, letting us sit in each moment as the story unfolds, to learn the backstory and present day situation, to be a part of the story. The story surrounds legal issues, courtroom themes, and family relationships but is indeed a story much more than the sum of its parts. I look forward to seeing what Koval does next following this impressive debut.

Penitence by Kristin Koval is a literary page-turner that masterfully balances character depth with tragedy. The story is slow-moving, but every page is packed with emotional resonance, offering a powerful exploration of flawed characters grappling with impossible moral dilemmas. While a twist is revealed toward the end, I found the clues leading up to it obvious, suggesting the “reveal” was less about shock and more about deepening the narrative’s themes.

The novel opens with a harrowing prologue: 13-year-old Nora fatally shoots her 14-year-old brother Nico, who had recently been diagnosed with juvenile Huntington’s disease—a condition destined to claim his life early. While I expected the story to center on the reasons behind this crime, Koval instead delves into the aftermath. The narrative focuses on the ripple effects of this tragedy, particularly on Nora, her parents, Angie and David, and the way the legal system handles her case.

Simultaneously, the book interweaves a secondary timeline exploring Angie’s teenage relationship with Julian, Nora’s future defense attorney. Through this lens, we witness another devastating incident—an accident that fractured Angie and Julian’s families—offering a poignant contrast between past and present struggles.

Much like a Jodi Picoult novel, Penitence navigates moral dilemmas, asking readers to reflect on themes of loss, grief, blame, hope, and forgiveness. With its realistic characters and deeply human storylines, this is a novel that lingers long after the final page.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Literary fiction with a tremendous amount of suspense. This is a book you won’t be able to put down. 13 year old Nora shoots her 14 year old brother Nico in Lodgepole, Colorado. Her parents, David and Angie, are devastated.

I can’t imagine a worse scenario.

Will she be tried as an adult or a juvenile? Is it second or first degree murder? Nora’s defense attorney will be Julian, who was Angie’s first love.

Alternating chapters go back to the late 90’s, when Angie and Julian were together and starting their careers in New York City. Julian turns to alcohol to deal with the terrible stress of being a young g lawyer. I thought this was going to be a mystery of why Nora shot her beloved brother,but it is such an expansive and engaging story. The characters are imperfect and interesting. They have a hard time forgiving themselves but an easy time forgiving others.

This is good on audio, the narrator is excellent.

Thanks to NetGalley and @macmillan.audio for the ARC. Book will be published January 28, 2025.

Penitence is an impressive debut novel that hooked me from the start. I loved the multiple points of view, giving each character a unique and flawed perspective that made them deeply relatable and engaging. Despite their imperfections, I found myself genuinely hoping for the best for each of them.

The author's background as a lawyer is evident throughout the novel, especially during the client-attorney meetings and court appearances. These scenes felt incredibly authentic which is often hard to achieve. It reminded me of the attention to detail found in Jodi Picoult’s works, which is a high compliment, in my opinion.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, the story took an unexpected turn that kept me on the edge of my seat. Without giving too much away, I found the ending to be refreshingly different for this genre—unexpected but perfect in its own right.

I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book!

Thought-provoking and emotionally charged, PENITENCE is a complicated literary drama that follows two families connected by tragedy. When an unfathomable murder takes place in their home, Angie and David Sheeehan seek legal counsel from the mother of Angie’s first love Julian. While grappling with her present day trauma, Angie and Julian must also confront the tragedy from the past. Kristin Koval’s debut novel explores the lengths we go for the ones we love and the fragile balancing act of offering forgiveness while wading through grief.

Audiobook narrator Therese Plummer did a fantastic job capturing the tension and emotional aspects of this story. Despite the multiple timelines the book was easy to follow on audio.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-appreciate thought-provoking reads
-enjoy stories that are more about the journey than the destination
-believe we are more than the worst thing we’ve ever done

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
PUB DATE: January 28, 2024

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is already getting reviews, and those reviews are well deserved! I absolutely love the cover…it really draws you in! There are so many layers and they all fall together just perfectly. That Angie…I loved her, I hated her, I ultimately felt deeply for her. The narrator was awesome!! I loved every minute!!! So so good!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy. The synopsis for this book sounded like something I would be interested in. I found the audio to be excellent, and the story itself was also.

I was very intrigued by the book's cover. I thought listening to the audio would be refreshing since I normally read on my Kindle. I'm glad I did. The narration was fantastic and I hung on each sentence! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.