Man whose young daughter is kidnapped and killed gets to meet God, face to face... wow! ( )

On the surface The Shack by William Young is an exciting drama with a lengthy discussion making up the bulk of the story. It's likely that you've heard about The Shack, but the book's description was shallow and unhelpful. So allow me to frustrate you even further. Keeping from all spoilers, it is impossible for anyone to explain this book. I think even the back cover goes too far in spoiling the plot. So I will keep to my standard book review formula and hope it is sufficient.From the start Mr. Young does a wonderful job of keeping the reader's attention. The introduction hints at a grandeur of events to come, but there are several modest peaks of excitement that lead up to the big climax. Young does are wonderful job of corralling the story from being a one-hit wonder. Before the plot turns to the main contention, the minor events leading up are engrossing.With that said, this book does not read like a sixth grade persuasion essay. It's a smart portrayal of a subject matter often riddled with tawdry proverbs. The depth of the story is best stated within the book itself."Mack, there is far more going on herethan you have the ability to perceive. Letme assure you, all of this is very much real,far more real than life as you've known it."In closing, this has been one of the most difficult reviews I've ever written. I get paid to write, but for me to try and summarize The Shack and give a review has been a stretch of my ability. My highest endorsement of this book is the best I can do, but that leaves us back at the shallow and unhelpful explanation I hinted to at the first of this review. I digress. Read the damn book. ( )

"The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young, got me thinking how I suppose to connect with a spiritual been that could bring me peace in times that I think they’re impossible to survive. This book is about a girl, Missy, who was kidnapped and then killed. Years later, her father is vulnerable and he gets a letter saying that god wants to meet with him in the same shack that his daughter was murdered. God only wants that Mackenzie learns that he is not alone in this world despite all the hurt this world has to give to every single person. ( )

The synopsis of this book caught my attention right away and so did the first few chapters but as I continued to read this novel I became a bit disappointed. I enjoyed the spiritual aspect of this book to an extent but I think it just ended up being not to my taste. If you are a wonderfully religious soul I say this books is for you. It had some great descriptions that will take your imagination beyond it's limits but my low rating simply has to do with the fact it was a little too religious to keep me interested. ( )

A clumsily written parable in which a bereaved father, Mack, is invited by God to the site of his daughter’s murder. When he arrives he is taken to visit the Trinity, Papa, the father appears as a black woman, the Holy Spirit as an Asian woman, Jesus as himself, but not as handsome looking as Mack anticipated. Sophia also puts in an appearance as a Hispanic woman. He learns that the human desire for independence is the root of all evil, and that God only wants to heal. Implicit as a theological background is the Fall of Man and atonement on the cross. God doesn’t want rules or judgment only relationships. Mack has a vision of his daughter in heaven, is reconciled with his own abusive father, and forgives his daughter’s murderer before being returned to his normal state of existence. ( )