This is a thought provoking story that gives testament to a Mothers love, while also showing the multiple facets of any situation. We should all read a book like this once in a while, it will make you analyze your view points and keep things in perspective. ( )

Robbie, the child, is like any boy...active, loving, ornery. Robert, the young man, is mentally ill and in the throw of it performs a heinous act, and pays the ultimate price. This act affects so many lives. Told mainly from Amanda (his Mom) perspective but other voices are added in and intersect and help in Amanda’s healing. Robbie could be our child, his victims could be ours, and we could be Amanda.

This book will rip your heart out and put it back in. Have tissues handy! A unique storyline that is brutally honest and will make you think. The author does an excellent job of looking at a difficult storyline from all sides. I look forward to her next book!

Thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own. ( )

4.5 stars.

As Wide as the Sky by Jessica Pack is an emotionally compelling journey of healing and new beginnings.

Amanda Mallorie is grieving the loss of her son, Robbie, whose time on death row has finally come to an end. After her son decides not to file any more appeals for his conviction, Robbie's sentence has been fast-tracked and his sentence has been carried out. Now it is time for Amanda try to repair her tattered relationship with her daughter, Melissa. Finally going through Robbie's possessions as she prepares to move, Amanda's discovery of someone else's class ring piques her curiosity and her resulting search for the ring's owner is life altering.

In the years since Robbie's inexplicable act of violence and incarceration, Amanda has become increasingly isolated as she continues to support her son. Understanding why he committed such a horrific act of violence is impossible, but Amanda still loves Robbie very much. She is quite reflective as she tries to move forward and she finally allows herself to look back on happier times. Compelled to return the ring to its owner, Amanda is hoping the story of how the ring came into Robbie's possession will provide her with another positive memory to hold close.

Although mainly narrated through Amanda's point of view, there are numerous chapters written from other characters' perspectives. These chapters provide an interesting peek into the lives of the people who have affected by Robbie's crime and the continuing ripple effects his actions have on their lives. However patience is required since some of the connections do not become clear until closer to the novel's conclusion.

As Wide as the Sky is a very touching, thought-provoking novel that is deeply moving. Jessica Pack presents a compassionate look into the struggles family members experience as they continue loving and supporting their loved ones in spite of their crimes. This beautifully rendered novel is poignant, heartfelt and brimming with strong emotions. A tear-inducing yet ultimately uplifting novel that I absolutely loved and highly recommend. ( )

As Wide as the Sky by Jessica Pack is a recommended, introspective novel about a woman dealing with the aftermath of a violence inflicted by her deceased son.

Amanda Mallorie's son, Robbie, has just been put to death after being convicted for a mass shooting at a mall four years earlier. She is questioning her every action and trying to reconcile the man who killed others to the son she lovingly raised. She has been her son's only support in the last four years, as the doctors tried to get his medication adjusted and while Robbie refused any more appeals to his sentence. Now she is planning to move on with her own life while simultaneously and continuously recalling events of the past.

While finishing the final bits of packing for her move near her daughter in another state, she opens up a box that was in Robbie's room. It is full of the flotsam and jetsam of a much younger boy, before all the troubles began. In the box she finds a class ring that doesn't belong to Robbie, and, in fact, belonged to someone older. How did Robbie come to possess this item and why would he keep it? Amanda decides to search for the owner and return the ring.

Time stamps open each chapter and the extremely slow moving plot unfolds through the voices of multiple characters. Amanda is the main character and the novel intensely focuses on her constant introspection and self-examination. All of her soul searching and reflecting about Robbie's past became tiresome. Amanda needs some serious counseling, and beyond the kind she mentioned (How does that make you feel? Write apology letters...) but some real talk about consequences and boundaries and how she is not responsible for another person's actions - even those of a son she raised.

Many of the chapters focus on how Robbie's shooting affected numerous other people. I couldn't help but wonder if the focus of the plot needed to be tightened up a bit. Is this Amanda's story about how she is dealing with her son's actions and any culpability she might shoulder or is it about how Robbie's violence touched many other lives? Or is it about Amanda's reflections, seeking closure, and looking for the owner of the ring? Perhaps it might have helped if, rather than giving many short chapters to those struggling with the aftermath of Robbie's violence, Pack allowed Amanda to keep working through how his actions hurt so many others without having the reader hear from them. Some of the characters were necessary to follow - but not all of them.

The writing is good. This is not an awful book, although I will freely admit that the constant introspection from all characters began to grate. The ending seemed far-fetched to me, but perhaps those who like romance novels will appreciate it more.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Kensington via Netgalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/07/as-wide-as-sky.html ( )