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.

This book started strong. Immediately, I was sucked in because of the sheer craziness and mystery behind of the events that were unfolding. It has such a thriller vibe but that didn’t last long. It calmed down, slowed down and fit the fiction genre.

This is a pretty heavy book with dark themes. This is a book heavy in forgiveness of yourself and others along with compassion. The characters aren’t necessarily likable but very complex making for a very interesting read. The mystery behind the characters and the death of a character really pull you through. This was definitely an interesting read and I’m glad I got the opportunity to read it.

Thank you to @celadonbooks for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A heartbreaking powerful read is the majority feeling on this one. I am having a hard time reviewing this one as I didn't love it and I seem to be the only one so I am very much in the minority on this one. I think mostly because I went into this one expecting something much more different. This was incredibly well written and heart breaking but I was expecting more of a legal/courtroom family drama and this was not that.

About a shocking murder that happens in a small ski town and the parents Angie and David who reaches out to a town lawyer to represent their daughter. The town lawyer happens to be the mother of Angie's first love. From there we go back and forth between the past and present and the complicated history of all those involved. This is a slow burn, heavy character, heavy plot circling around family dynamics, forgiveness, and trauma.

PENITENCE by Author Kristin Koval is a complex, heartbreaking domestic suspense highlighting how impulsive decisions can change the trajectory of lives. Not only for the people directly involved, but also for the waves of people that wash in and out of lives over time. It's a story of profound grief, life altering choices, guilt, redemption and forgiveness. It's a story of the extraordinary power of love.

The story opens with thirteen-year-old Nora sitting in a jail cell while local police ponder what to do with a child that has just confessed to killing her older brother Nico. Nora hasn't spoken a word since the early morning hours when gunshots woke her parents, sending them rushing into the horrifying nightmare of their son lying in a pool of blood, their daughter holding the smoking gun. Fighting shock and tears, Nora's father David contacts small town lawyer Martine to plea for her to defend Nora while her mother Angela falls apart. Martine in turn contacts her son Julian, a successful New York City crime defense attorney who specializes in seeking justice for minors and asks him to take the case. This is where things get tricky . . . Julian and Nora's mother, Angela, were teenage sweethearts with plans for marriage after college before a tragic accident claimed a life, tearing the young lovers apart and banishing Julian to New York to live and finish school at the home of his grandmother. Both went on to marry others and appear to live normal, happy lives, but the burden of guilt, secrets and unanswered questions remain between them over what happened that dark night on the ski slopes. And now questions about what happened the night Nico’s killed are threatening to rip this family apart. Did Nora enter her brother's bedroom and shoot him with her father's gun in cold blood? Nora says she doesn't remember what happened, but is she telling the truth?

PENITENCE, Koval's debut novel, is an amazing, poignant, heart wrenching domestic thriller with a depth of characterizations and plot lines seldom found in debut novels. The story unfolds through dual timelines, the present with the tragedy unfolding with Nora and her family, and the past with Angela and Julian's tragic story with all its ugly secrets becoming known. Along the journey there are a multitude of broken promises and lives, all buried beneath some dark, take to the grave secrets that have festered for years. Koval's ability to tap into human emotions following unspeakable trauma is a stunning achievement. Richly drawn characters render flawless performances as the author delves deeply into the flawed juvenile justice and legal system highlighting the tendency to punish vs. rehabilitation. From the first page to the last, the pace escalates as Nora's situation plummets at every twist and turn until the final verdict is rendered. Some readers may find the ending too open ended, while others will nod their heads in agreement that justice is served. This reader is somewhere in the middle.

I highly recommend the audiobook version of PENITENCE as narrator Thérèse Plummer delivers an outstanding performance rich in emotion bringing each character to life. PENITENCE is a stunning, gut wrenching domestic thriller that encourages self-reflection. One this reader couldn't put down. Two stories of unfathomable tragedy, two shattered families entwined in crisis, two snap decisions decades apart forever changing the course of lives. Highly recommended to fans of soul-searching domestic suspense and family drama. I look forward to more from the talented Author Kristin Koval.

The characters were complex and deeply flawed, making them feel very human. The ending was tragic as was the tone of the entire book, but I loved the writing and story nevertheless. The plot of this will stick with me for a long time! I’m looking forward to reading more of this author’s work.

I read this book partially on kindle and listened on audio partially.

Kristin Koval’s debut novel, Penitence is great for book clubs because it is a thought-provoking book that allows the reader to consider many “what-ifs” leading to the opportunity for great discussion. An emotional, multi-layered family drama that packs a punch from the very beginning, I was fully invested in this story from start to finish. Wonderfully written, with deeply flawed characters carrying long-held secrets, Penitence explores topics of grief/loss, guilt, forgiveness, redemption and the lasting impact they have on our lives.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Penitence by Kristin Koval!

I am really upset with this book...

This book started out really good and then the ending ruined it for me.

What I liked about it:
-I thought this book was really well written. It jumps between POVs and different timelines, and I was interested in all of it. The writing was so well done that I did not realize it was a debut at first.
-It was very thought provoking and I'll think about it for a while. The dilemma of forgiveness is a really interesting theme throughout the book.

What I didn't like:
-THE ENDING. I felt like I went through hours of consuming this story to only have barely any answers at the end.
-It had long chapters which made it feel like it dragged in some spots.

To conclude, I want to end this review by saying that this book is not so much a mystery/thriller like I thought it was. The synopsis makes it seem like there is some form of plot altering twist and while there was a twist of sorts in the last quarter of the book, I was waiting for it to be something more grandeur. The story itself was good up until the ending being a let down. I am still interested in seeing what this author writes next!