Trustpilot
Few Christian novels in recent decades have generated as much heat — and as much genuine life-change — as The Shack. Cited by Premier Christianity among books that have shaped the Church, it is a story that divides opinion but rarely leaves anyone unmoved.
The premise is stark: Mackenzie Allen Phillips “Mack” is still living under "the Great Sadness" — the grief of his youngest daughter's murder — when he receives a mysterious note inviting him back to the shack where she was killed. What follows is a weekend-long encounter with the Trinity, depicted in ways that are deliberately unconventional and, for some readers, theologically startling.
The book was written by WM Paul Young initially for his own children, photocopied and shared by hand, before word of mouth turned it into a publishing phenomenon.
What has connected with readers is not the theology but the emotional territory: the book asks lots of big questions and certainly provokes opinion and thought. With more than 18 million copies sold, a Box Office feature film and various books responding to the book make this entry one of note. Here on Eden it’s one of our most reviewed products and certainly provokes a reaction from its readers.
Customer reviews ranging from 5 stars to just 1 star:
“I’ve never read a book that challenges my thoughts and beliefs like this story. First try, I couldn’t get passed the first few chapters that left me grieving and angry for what happened to one of the characters. When I picked it up again, I couldn’t put it down. It provides a new way of looking at God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that truly makes you think. But greater than that it’s the way the writer delves into the deep, dark thoughts about justice and grace, mercy and love. One of those books you never forget. And there’s a film too.”
“I was a bit sceptical that the story sounded upsetting, however I read on and am very glad I did. My first read was from a relative's neighbour, who kindly lent it. It moved me to tears several times. It's wonderful to be able to read about other people's journeys in faith and affirm how God is always with us. This copy was bought to share.”
“Having read the book twice, I found the book full of error and the way William Young treats the trinity is unBiblical, unfortunately he mis-represents God's truth. Alot of people are reading this but unfortunately they are not getting the true God of the Bible. The Shack undermines the atonement of Jesus, Christ died for our sins because we deserve punishment for our sins - William Young leaves out that God punishes sin and therefore distorts the word of God.”
Read all the customer reviews here.
Want to know more about the full 100 Books list then read our blog article here.
About the Author: WM Paul Young (born 1955) is a Canadian author who worked a series of ordinary jobs before writing The Shack in his fifties. He followed it with Cross Roads and Eve, both of which continued his exploration of grace, identity and divine relationship.
