A review by everythinginbetween
Credence by Penelope Douglas

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So I really struggled with how to rate this book. The writing was SO well done, and Tiernan made incredible growth as the story progressed, but I struggled with the characters and namely, some of the choices made by these characters. Noah was probably the most likeable, and even then, I feel like he was advantageous of a GIRL who was struggling with the loss of her negligent parents. (Jake was even worse in this regard. I really couldn't stand him.)

I'm still uncertain about how I feel about Kaleb- part of me wants to like him. My heart aches for him, but his trauma doesn't justify how he treated Tiernan- especially in the beginning. There were moments where I felt I could forgive his behavior- holding her each night through her night terrors, protecting her from Terrance, the birthday gift, the hidden notes in his books... but then I also feel he should have made his feelings known in a concrete way (even more so considering her need for words). While I understand her pull towards Kaleb considering how they're both quiet and closed off, I feel Noah should have had a happier ending. I wish he could have found the connection he found with Tiernan with someone in a romantic sense.

Overall, this is a great read if you can look past some of the taboo. Tiernan really does grow into herself in such a short amount of time and appropriately stands up for herself when the time comes.
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