book report: The Shack by William Young

I read a pretty good book the other night in one sitting. The Shack is more novella than novel. It attempts to address the problem of evil in a dialog between a grieving father and God as Trinity at the site of his daughter's murder, a shack, hence the title. It's opening and ending are gripping but the middle gets bogged down a bit. There are some flashes of really great writing. My favorite is

As the word echoed in the chamber, panic rose inside Mack like a swelling tide and slowly he sank into his chair. Instantly he felt guilty, as memories spilled through his mind like rats fleeing the rising flood. (157)

I have one more. This is more of a theologically appealing passage.

Mack's chest and muscles instinctively tightened. He didn't like remembering Josh and the canoe, and the sense of panic that suddenly rushed back from the memory.
"It's extremely hard to rescue someone unless they are willing to trust you."
"Yes, it sure is."
"That's all I ask of you. When you start to sink, let me rescue you."
It seemed like a simple request, but Mack was used to being the lifeguard, not the one drowning. "Jesus, I'm not sure how to..." (180)

Jesus is used as a personal name and not as an epithet. ;-)

I enjoyed the character development, especially of each person of the Trinity. It was a good read. It moved me emotionally and challenged me theologically. It doesn't solve the problem of evil, but presents some helpful ideas in a narrative format.

The author hopes it will be made into a film, but he needs more people buying it. Therefore, I recommend you visit the website of The Shack and order yourself a copy, it's worth the investment. It's also available at Amazon and other stores.