The Shack

I am going to start this review by saying that this book was a Book Club assignment and in no way my choice. I was led to believe that the book was about a serial killer, and the father of the victim of said serial killer going back to the scene of the crime. Murder! Serial Killers! Sign me up.

Jesus? God? The Holy Spirit? Coming to terms with your faith and coming back to God?

I was scammed.

The book itself is an easy read. Mack, the father of a murdered girl, is introduced to us in a strange opening letter written by his friend Willie. Willie tells us all of Mack’s family history and prior issues in what I consider lazy storytelling- lots of tell and no show. When we get to Mack’s point of view, he promptly receives a letter that reads, “Meet me at The Shack -Papa”. Papa is his wife’s name for God, because they have such a close relationship. Wiki informs me that The Shack is a metaphor for “the house you build out of your own pain”.

We learn how his daughter died, how this affected his family, etc. Mack of course goes to the murder scene, The Shack, on the behest of some sketchy letter without telling his wife and then things get weird. He meets “Papa” who is a big black woman, Jesus who is a not good looking Jewish man and an Asian Lady who is the Holy Spirit. They all talk to him as separate entities, but they are the same, and explain faith in ways that made me bristle and scoff. It worked for Mack. It did not work for me. So I may be more biased than normal is explaining this book, but if you love the Lord this might be the book for you. Otherwise, save yourself the eye-rolling.