By Kristin Koval
Coming January 28, 2025
(3 / 5)
This book starts with an interesting premise… a struggling family is thrown into turmoil when their 13-year-old daughter, Nora, shoots and kills their 14-year-old son, Nico. The parents, Angie and David, feel like they have no option but to ask the local lawyer, Martine, for help. This is extra complicated because Angie used to date Martine’s son, Julian, who has to help on the case because he has far more experience in criminal defense than his mother. This all dredges up memories of a terrible tragedy from Angie and Julian’s past.
I feel like I’m going to be in the minority here, but this book wasn’t quite for me. I was already expecting it to be an intense read (which it was), and the writing did a good job at presenting a solemn feel to it. While it started with a sense of mystery about the shooting as well as Angie and Julian’s past, much of the book was slower paced and contemplative without providing direct answers and resolutions. A lot of the book felt like an internal monologue of the various characters, with not a lot of action or dialogue. Most of the characters were flawed, spending a lot of time reflecting on secrets and mistakes from the past. Personally, I felt like I could never completely connect with any of the characters. The book was thought-provoking, exploring topics of forgiveness and moving on, in addition to a critical look at the judiciary system, especially in relation to juveniles. One of the (intended) surprising moments in the book was something I had already been suspecting for a while, though there were still aspects of it that I hadn’t considered. In the end, I think the book just wasn’t quite what I was expecting, so it didn’t keep me as engaged as much as I hoped it would. For the right reader, though, I think the book holds a lot of promise.
Thank you to Celadon Books and BookishFirst for the free review copy of Penitence! All opinions in my review are completely my own.
