Editorial Review:

Product Description:
Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

As an atheist/agnostic type, I read this book at the insistence of a Christian friend in turn for her reading an atheist book of my choosing.

It is absurd how many people think this book might actually report a true story, including my Christian friend. The story is all fiction, admitted by the author, even the main character of Mack was made up. I don't understand how individuals can ever believe a epic dream where the person flies, swirls in color and is serenaded by forest animals. Furthermore, after being emotionally distraught over his loss and experiencing massive head trauma, he supposedly remembers intricate details of his encounter with God totaling 150 pages and containing numerous long theological discussions.

There are plenty of flaws in the books presentation and content, but one stands out as most humorous. God appears to Mack as a big black woman in order to not reinforce a stereotype of God as a bearded middle aged white man. From a visual perspective this explanation make sense. However, when majority of the shack encounter involves this big black woman doing and saying the most stereotypically black things, this character choice becomes terribly ironic.

Average Rating:

Rating: - Embarrassing for Christians...
As an atheist/agnostic type, I read this book at the insistence of a Christian friend in turn for her reading an atheist book of my choosing.

It is absurd how many people think this book might actually report a true story, including my Christian friend. The story is all fiction, admitted by the author, even the main character of Mack was made up. I don't understand how individuals can ever believe a epic dream where the person flies, swirls in color and is serenaded by forest animals. Furthermore, after being emotionally distraught over his loss and experiencing massive head trauma, he supposedly remembers intricate details of his encounter with God totaling 150 pages and containing numerous long theological discussions.

There are plenty of flaws in the books presentation and content, but one stands out as most humorous. God appears to Mack as a big black woman in order to not reinforce a stereotype of God as a bearded middle aged white man. From a visual perspective this explanation make sense. However, when majority of the shack encounter involves this big black woman doing and saying the most stereotypically black things, this character choice becomes terribly ironic.

Rating: - what is the fuss all about?
so far i've read up to the tenth chapter and cant understand what all the fuss is about concerning this book.
we are going to discuss in our next Men's meeting and go thru the book chapter by chapter.
I had been skeptical when reading all the negative reviews to even buy the book but im glad i did buy it and its hard for me to put it down when i read it.
so far i love every chapter and with the help of the Holy Spirit i'm learning valuable lessons.
I will admit i cant picture God as a black woman baking in the kitchen or listening to rock music but i can relate to how the father, son and holy spirit interact as one and its kind of beautiful.
Why people are creating a fuss over this novel saying its heresy is beyond me.
I would love to see this being made into a movie in the future.
Im as born-again evangelical and have made Jesus Christ my savior and lord and know the bible fairly well even though im no theologian but neither were Peter, John, Paul etc...
Just enjoy the book and stop making a mountain out of molehill as the expression goes.
You might just learn something...

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Rating: - audio book
This audio book DRAWS you in from the first words! Memorizing and a "must listen to" type of audio. Can barely wait until I get to the next book. Xcellent naration too. Just feel GREAT after listening to it.

VERY POOR service getting it........but I'm so glad to FINALLY have gotten it. Would NOT buy from this seller again.

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Rating: - The Shack
This is a wonderful book. Well written and keeps you looking for more. I have purchased this book several times (more that 3) and given or loaned (never got it back :) it to other people to read. Keeps everything in proper prospective of what's really important.

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Rating: - What a mistake
I am not sure how I managed to get this book (in audio form) but somehow it must have been among things suggested for people who had purchased other things I had from Amazon. It may have been free as I certainly hope I didn't waste money on it. I have subsequently deleted it after listening to the beginning while stuck in traffic. I would rather get a root canal. I would like to give it 0 stars since I can't figure out how to give a negative number.

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