What do readers think of Penitence by Kristin Koval? Write your own review.

Shocking, heartbreaking, beautiful story. It's about motherhood, grief, forgiveness and love. It is a stark look at the American justice system for a juvenile.

A shot in the night - 2 parents abruptly woken up. The unimaginable has happened - one sibling has shot the other. One of them has passed. So begins our story. It's shocking, this beginning, but it's handled with love and grace. The grief the parents feel and their struggle to understand what has happened and why was so moving.

As they arrange an attorney, a funeral and hide from everyone in their small town, you start getting flashbacks to understand how they might have gotten to this point. It's such a compelling story. It was heartbreaking but never so overwhelming I didn't think I could read. Understanding what happened and getting the attorney's POV was so compelling it was hard to stop reading. I loved it as much as it broke my heart, and the ending was so perfect. Amazing this is a debut, I will definitely look for more from this author!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

PENITENCE by Kristen Koval

Therese Plummer does a fine reading of this suspenseful story. This is Kristen Koval’s debut and I thought it was well written and I’m excited to see what she does next.

Opening family wounds and bringing dark truths to light with the guilt we live with.

Lives are shattered when Angie and David discovery a shocking murder in their home. Turning to a mom of a former boyfriend of Angie’s, for legal counsel, both Angie and David are confronted by impossible decisions. Digging into the intricacies of forgiveness and human frailty. The journey of finding forgiveness, compassion, and mistakes is not always a clear path.