I will start out this review by saying one word. Wow. This is a must read for believers. I really had no idea what to expect from this book as when I started it I had never heard of it before. I knew there was some controversy surrounding the book, but I didn’t know why. I began reading the story expecting it to be a suspense novel – and was I ever in for a surprise!
Now maybe you have started this book, got to the “weird” part, and are considering setting it aside. I urge you to continue. I admit that some of it is a bit weird. But the way that Mr. Young approaches such crucial topics such as forgiveness, why a good God “allows” evil, God’s love for us, Christ’s life in us, and our relationships with others is flat out outstanding.
I truly believe our lives would be so much richer and meaningful if we really believed that God loves us. Oh, we “know” it is true. The Bible tells me so! But how many of us live our lives waking up each morning feeling wonderfully loved by God? Do we feel that God is “especially fond of us?” The Shack will help you to see God’s love for you as a unique individual, and maybe even help you to see others more clearly the way God sees them.
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July 17th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I have been thinking about reading this one. It sounds good.
July 18th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I have my name on the waiting list for the next available copy at our library. The list is pretty long, so it must be good!
July 19th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
There are many places that have it for sale as well as down loading that are real reasonable” Costco’s have it at a real good price.. it is so worth buying and not waiting for the Library.. I don’t know of any book that has touched me more.
July 20th, 2008 at 9:35 am
This sounds like an intriguing book. I wasn’t aware of any controversary surrounding the book.
July 26th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
I put this on my wish list as soon as i saw it! Thanks for the review
August 10th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I browsed the pages of The Shack and ended up reading about three and a half chapters, plus the ending. Voom! Powerful. Despite some awkward sentencing and obivous theological loopholes, the book is creatively absorbing. Clearly is does not line up one hundred percent with scripture (no book does), but this is why it is FICTION. Does it dishonors God? I think not. Is is leaven and heresy? That is debatable. It simply is what it is. Let the reader beware. An equally intriguing and controversial work is A Step Into Deliverance by T. Pugh. It is a riveting autobiography about a pastor’s amazing journey down the road to the deliverance ministry. It’s a real page-turner
September 16th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
This book came to me at a time I needed it most, but of course didn’t realize it at the time. Is is fiction? Maybe… But is it part of God’s work? Yes. Maybe we shouldn’t look so much into the way it was wrote and the dialog… maybe we should look into the way it touches us separately in our own lives. I know I’ll read it again and again… I love you Jesus.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
[...] Leah at The Friendly Book Nook [...]
December 6th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I read the book 3 times and each time I got more out of it. God’s intense love for us came through and touched me deeply!
March 12th, 2009 at 7:37 am
It’s funny, I connected more with the “weird” part than the framework of the story. I did have some issues with it overall; one is that I felt Young kept knocking us over with the many messages he was sharing, and didn’t give us enough credit to draw conclusions for ourselves.
It seems readers are either quite taken by the book … or not.
March 12th, 2009 at 7:38 am
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September 16th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Yes interesting look at the world.