Reviews
Bibliotica.com
In many ways, Mark Packard’s debut novel Rip the Sky is a war story. Actually, it’s a war story on many levels. There’s the literal war that the main character, Billy Worster, fights in Viet Nam. There’s the mental war between the PTSD he suffers as a result of his experiences in the jungle. There are the chemical war Billy fights against the drugs and alcohol that make his pain recede. And there’s the metaphysical one, fought not just by Billy, but also by the Judge whose fate is tied to his: Madeline Johnston, the battle for forgiveness of self and others, the fight for a clear conscious and an easy mind.
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I read this book straight through in one evening (then skimmed it a bit later so it would be fresh for this review. ... But the story is brilliant both as a piece of literature, and as an object lesson in two things: the resilience of the human spirit, and the need to better care for our military veterans.
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The Plain Spoken Pen.com
"Mark Packard has given us a parallel universes story that isn’t quite like any other I’ve read. It reminds me a bit of The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter in that some universes are good, some are decidedly not. But unlike the protagonist in The Long Earth, Billy seems quite unaware of what causes him to fly. He can tell when a flight is coming on, but he doesn’t seem to be able to control it or trigger it.
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The story touches on some pretty heavy topics: PTSD, the horrors of war, addiction, family dysfunction and betrayal, learning how to forgive others and oneself. Faith also plays an important role in the story.
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The ending was genius in my book...Packard crafted a closing that left me wondering and brought a tear to my eye. This doesn’t read like a debut novel, and I hope to read more from Mark Packard in the future.
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Other Reviews
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Ellen Green
Rip the Sky is a powerful, beautifully written novel about a troubled Vietnam veteran wrestling with fragmented memories and a past that won’t stay buried. The characters leap off the page, and the story is both gripping and emotionally resonant. It’s a compelling read that lingers long after the final page.
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Rox B.
From page one, this epic journey will draw readers into Billy’s world until the final end. Mark Packard delivers a compelling time travel escape fiction that feels like the doorway to doorway to reality. Fans of this genre will not be disappointed by reading the debut novel by Mark Packard.
Jan Ellen
This book is a literary odyssey that transports readers into the mesmerizing realm of parallel universes. This novel deftly combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy to deliver an immersive and thought-provoking narrative.
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L. Henson
The ending was genius in my book. Were Billy’s experiences all real? Were they the products of a mind so stressed by daily life that it had to escape somehow? Packard crafted a closing that left me wondering and brought a tear to my eye. This doesn’t read like a debut novel, and I hope to read more from Mark Packard in the future.
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Jan S.
I loved this book from start to finish. The characters are well-developed and believable. The scenes are well-written and compelling, and the storyline is intriguing.
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Dan S.
Like that terrifying drop from the top of that first big lift on a giant roller coaster, you will find yourself immediately thrown into the cold harsh reality of war through the eyes of a scrawny, dull-witted, naïve, young man not fortunate enough to avoid being sacrificed to a bloody conflict, the purpose for which he had no reason to understand. With the scenes and circumstances adeptly crafted by the author, you will find yourself there and wishing very much you could find your way out.