the shack is so enlightening and heart warming. lately i felt less caring, giving up and no connection to anything let alone God. my bf's mom recommended this book and she said it is a religious book. i was pretty skeptical when she told. i've never read a religious book or any book that has touched or talked about religion. i figure it would be a boring one sided novel. she was convincing and i started reading it anyways. the foreword was hard for me to get through. boring dull....im not surprised.

after the second chapter i was hooked i couldn't wait to meet the other characters in the shack. the way they describe all the details is fascinating as if you were really there looking on. Meet Papa/ Elousia, a carpenter and Sarayu. well technically i think they have always been with us...

i won't say much about the book but you must read this book. i couldn't possibly put into words the way this book opened my eyes again. but it will open your eyes and make you believe again. need guidance? want help? read Mack's encounter with his 3 friends (cook, gardener and a carpenter)
You will believe and see again.... this book needs to be part of your all time favorite lists!!!

(only note i will mention is that this book needs to be read more than once to get the entire message and even after that read one more time...you will want to regardless) that's how good this book is

Lots of food for thought in this one. I won't be a spoiler, read it!

This book was 'ok' at best. The writing is 'ok'. The story is 'ok'.
I don't recommend it for the age group as listed.
In a word it was tedious to read.

I picked this book up because I heard it was a "must read." I found the plot interesting and riveting and I couldn't put it down.

When I read "The Shack", I found the author's unconventional portrayals of God interesting and provocative in a positive way. Rather than seeing in God a vengeful or retributive judge, the author's "Big Mama" depiction gave me the impression of One who allows people to experience the consequences of their choices, rather than absolving us of the responsibilities for our actions.

We experience what we choose, we see what we believe (or, our perceptions shape our realities.)

All of our perceptions of God are clouded by our anthropomorphisms of the Ineffable Unknowable.

This book I would describe as for the most part inspirational for those new to a certain religious journey. The characterizations were a tad bit out of the ordinary which may appeal to some readers. Overall I found this book a pretty boring read.; and would possibly recommend it for those who are interested in gaining more background on the Christian faith.

From a non-religious point of view, this book was definitely enlightening and really makes you think. A favourite part of mine is how the 1. Father, 2. Son, and 3.Holy Ghost is:
1. Black woman
2. Middle Eastern man
3. Asian woman
I've read it months ago and my thoughts still refer back to this book; not even just about God and religion, but the life lessons Young teaches you.

I think this book would be both a great read and inspirational one for those who are non-Christians or new in their Christian journey. I found it odd the author would characterize the Trinity in such a way that God and the Holy spirit resemble human figures and Jesus comes off as someone quite the opposite from the Jesus we are familiar with through historical accounts. Personally, I found the book rather boring to read, but I think that someone new to the Christian faith may actually gain a lot from the book especially if they are seeking an inspiring message.

Someone new to Christanity would benefit from this read. For me it was a wee bit boring.

Devout and God-fearing Christians who read The Shack will no doubt be up in arms over its apparent sacrilege. It challenges some absolute 'truths' that have been taught to most Christians, regardless of their denomination. That being said, if you take a minute and realize that this story doesn't purport to be anything but a fictional work discussing one man's encounter with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, you may just enjoy the book for what it is; a magical and beautiful sojourn, where a broken man finds freedom from the chains of hate he feels encasing his heart thanks to the brutal and devastating loss of his youngest daughter.

If nothing else, this story could help someone who has had grave and debilitating loss in their lives appreciate the importance of forgiveness and not giving up on the other treasures that remain after a traumatic event. Although not very well written, and borderline hokey at times, it's still a heart-warming story.

www.booksnakereviews.blogspot.com

I think William P. Young is a wonderful author. I read "'The Shack"' and found it to be very inspirational. In order to appreciate this book I think a person would have to be or have been close to God at one time or another.
I really loved his book and would recommend it to everyone.

Although there were times I struggled to get through a couple of pages it was only because the subject matter was so intense that I wanted to absorb every word. This book is a great read and I will read it again in the future.

Very well written....you don't want to put it down. Slow beginning but do not let that discourage you.....it really picks up. I'm surprised that this book was not reviewed by Oprah. The content stimulates discussion about life and death.

For those wanting to reconnect with or explore their spiritual side, this is the book to help you do that. There were many revelations and powerful messages in The Shack. So many things were made clear to me. For anyone who has lost a loved one and has asked the age-old question "Why did God allow this to happen?", read this book. It will change your life.

I have heard amazing things about this book but when I read it, I just couldn't get into to it. The first few parts explaining the girl's disappearance were okay but once he got the note from "God", it got a little too weird for me. I don't like religious books in the first place but I thought this one would be different...I was wrong. I don't know, the writer seems to be strong in character development but I'm sorry hanging out with Jesus in an old shack is a little out there. Not my thing but be your own judge.

I've read reviews of opposite nature (love/hate) for The Shack.
Personally, I felt the story could start many people talking about God and prayer but I never forgot it was intended to be just a story. When we as fallible humans start judging things as if we have the power and knowledge God does on how things will be used, then we are limiting God to those things we can think of.
Although not a big fan, I did not regret reading the book. Rather, I find that by pairing this book with books like Forgiving Ararat by Gita Nazareth and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, one might be able to look at each book with a new understanding.

Well, this is not usually the type of book I would buy, but it seemed highly recommended. I found it hard to suspend disbelief and get into the story. Too often I found that the author seemed to be preaching to me by writing conversations the protagonist had with God. It was reminiscent of being in church. As a new parent, I found the catalyst event made me uncomfortable and I wanted to abandon the book early on. I persevered but didn't find my enjoyment increased any as the book continued.

I must admit I was a bit skeptic prior to reading this book but thought I would start and just let it go if I was not "too interested" - well !...I found this to be an extremely challending read and very thought provoking. It is not a book about religion, it is not about your beliefs, it is about your fundamental self and life at its most profound. It is not typical of my usual reads but I am very glad I read it.

Well there were parts of this book that I absolutely loved and parts that were really dull and uninteresting.....Numerous times I put this book down and found myself not wanting to read it anymore.....although over all it was an ok read and I would recommend it.

There was alot of hype about this book, so I decided to give it a go. The first 75 pages were interesting enough. But then the book took a turn for crazy-town. Whether one agrees with the religious ideologies hypothesized by this author, the manner of story telling was hokey at best. The reader is left to wonder: is this a figment of Mack's imagination, is he dead, unconscious, dreaming? What could explain such a departure from reality? I'll admit, I cried at the end, but I'm a bit of a sap that way. Ultimately, I didn't appreciate the story-telling, think that the hype has WAY over-rated this book, and I cannot in good conscience recommend this. If theology or the after-life are topics of interest, you would be far better served by my recommended titles below - both excellent!