Kristin Koval's PENITENCE

​Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the egalley of Kristin Koval's Penitence, which is available for purchase.

The foundation of Penitence rests on a horrific murder: thirteen-year-old Norah shoots her older brother, then calls 911. She's immediately taken away from her family and into a juvenile detention center.

Norah's parents are ill equipped—as anyone would be—to deal with the simultaneous loss of both of their children. They do what's needed: they bury their son, and they hire an attorney, Martine.

As the narrative shifts points of view and timelines, there's a murkiness that shades everyone's understanding of Norah's motivation. Koval explores the history of Norah's mother, Angie, who dated Martine's son, Julian, for much of her young adulthood. It seems their relationship is in the past . . . and then Martine brings in Julian as lead attorney on Norah's defense.

I found Penitence to be a compelling read. I definitely wanted to know what happened, and I was intrigued by the complexity of each character and of the ways their lives intertwined. Ultimately, there was something about the narrative that kept me at a distance, but I admired it greatly and enjoyed the reading experience.

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