Book Review: The Shack

I recently finished reading The Shack by William Young. This book has been blowing up for a while. I’m a little late to the game, but I finally decided I need to read it, to see what all the hype was. It’s a powerful story about a man who loses a child and questions how much God truly loves him. Or if God’s even real, for that matter.

So did I like it?

Not really. I guess I’m falling on the other side of the line with this one. I simply found it a little boring. I think the problem is that I’m not really into fiction all that much. And if I do read fiction, it’s usually a classic. I guess that way I feel smarter for reading it and that gives me the momentum I need to finish the book. Usually I read to learn and grow–some personal growth type of book is what I normally choose. I lean to the practical stuff. So I guess I only read fiction about 10% of the time.

Now let me say, I think it’s a good story and written well. I can certainly appreciate why this book has done so well and understand why it has been so important for so many people. It was very honest.

What was the one thing I liked most?

I really like how Young portrayed God in this book as a chubby Jamaican woman (Matrix anyone?). It took me off guard and forced me to listen more intently to the dialog that was being said. And that’s exactly the reason God appeared in that form to the main character. So I really liked that aspect. That particular thing really drew me in.

The Shack just didn’t find a home in me.