Novel Review: The Shack
October 24, 2008
Title: The Shack
Author: William P. Young
Summary: From Amazon.com
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!
Positive Elements: This is a wonderfully descriptive and vivid story of the relationship between one man and his heavenly father. Mack endures through one of the most horrific tragedies imaginable to a parent: the loss of a child. During his grieving he has given up on God, church and all things associated with religion. In the story God reveals himself to Mack in many ways on many different levels. Simply, He shares in Mack’s pain and then brings him comfort. This story is a reminder that God does not like it when bad things happen to us but that he can purpose good out of it for those who love him. (Romans 8:28). With God’s restoration, Mack was even able to do something unimaginable to many of us; forgiving his daughter’s perpetrator. The burden of bitterness was lifted and Mack was able to have a life fulfilled. I am reminded of the verse in Isaiah 40:31 which says, But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint. Even in the midst of our suffering we can make a choice. We can flee and let bitterness, anger and doubt seep in, as it did in Mack prior to his meeting at the shack. Or we can embrace it and put our hope in the Lord that he will work it out for His will and purpose.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: The premise of the story revolves around the kidnapping and subsequent murder of a young girl. While not graphic in detail, the topic itself can be uncomfortable for many.
Profanity: None
Drug Content: None
Conclusion: I believe that this story provided an amazing insight into the restoration God provides us in our suffering. His hand is always at work in our lives. One of the verses that comes to mind is James 1:2-4 which says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trial of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Mack certainly did not find joy in his suffering but God was faithful to him and joy came to him as he persevered through his trial. I do have some issues with some of the theology presented in the book. Particularly with respect to the trinity. At one point Mack notices nail prints in God’s hand. I don’t believe there is biblical evidence for this to be possible. In one scene, Jesus tells Mack with regards to his followers that he had no desire to make them Christians. Christian by definition means follower of Christ and his teachings. I would urge every reader of The Shack to keep your Bible handy while reading as to reference any theological discrepancies.
Review: It’s All About Him
July 25, 2008
Title: It’s All About Him
Author: Denise Jackson
Summary: From Christian Book Distributors
Take an inspiring behind-the-scenes glimpse at one of country music’s most famous couples. Learn about Alan and Denise’s struggles and success, their love story and the near-failure of their marriage—and how rediscovering their faith dramatically shaped their lives. Includes an exclusive CD featuring their wedding song and Alan’s new composition about their shared journey. 256 pages, hardcover from Nelson.
Positive Elements: Mrs. Jackson takes readers inside an honest and poignant journey of the struggles she faces in a celebrity marriage. The Him in the title refers to God and not her famous husband. If you think that you will be getting an inside scoop on Alan Jackson’s personal life you will be dissapointed. Though raised in a Christian home, Denise’s child-like understanding of God failed to comfort her during several major life crisis, including the separation from her husband. When every attempt to console herself during crisis failed, Denise decided to renew her relationship with God. She surrounded herself with Christian women, participated in Bible studies and sought counsel from godly men and women. Matthew 7:7 says, ” Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” I find that in my own walk with God that when you desire Him and His will doors are opened. I was pleased to see that Mrs. Jackson focused on her self and her own spiritual growth instead of opting to fix her husband’s flaws. She makes comments that she is no scholar of the Bible yet Scripture is referenced throughout the book in an encouraging manner. To me this reinforces the idea that God and His word are open and available to all of us and are applicable to our everyday walk with its struggles and triumphs.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: None
Profanity: None
Drug Content: None
Conclusion: Finally a celebrity couple who really gets who God is and what he can do. It seems everywhere these days celebrities are endorsing this faith or that, dabbling in mysticism or some other New Age religion on the path to happiness. The Jacksons have discovered what so many in their industry have not found: that pure happiness and contentmen comes from our Lord. Denise makes it clear how easy it was for her to be enticed by wordly things when she lost sight of God. I admire her honesty in the book. Admitting personal failures is always taking a risk with your readers . I applaud this couple at their desire to restore their marriage and for doing the hard work to keep their family together. Mrs. Jackson does unecessarily include many references to her material possessions and extravagant wealth. I suppose she does this to provide the readers with a complete picture of the lack of fullfillment she felt despite “having it all.”
Novel Review: The Next Thing on My List
June 30, 2008
Title: The Next Thing on My List
Author: Jill Smolinski
Summary ( From Publisher’s Weekly):
Smolinski follows up her debut, Flip-Flopped, with an airy, hit and mostly miss novel about one rudderless woman’s accidental journey of self-discovery. After a Weight Watchers meeting, narrator June Parker offers a ride home to newly svelte Marissa Jones, and the two hit it off until Marissa dies in a nasty one-car accident. When June runs into Marissa’s hot brother at the cemetery six months after the crash, she makes a rash promise to carry out the dead girl’s list of 20 things to do before she turned 25 (even though June is 34). The challenges that follow—running a 5K, kissing a stranger, “dare to go braless”—serve less to improve June’s life than to highlight how unfortunate it is that she’s taken up a stranger’s goals instead of her own. Smolinski’s Los Angeles is a well-executed set—June tilts at windmills as a writer for a ride-sharing nonprofit—but the most human characters in it are June’s tyrannical and calculating boss and her secretly sensitive, underused brother. Though completing the list is a transformative experience for June, the leadup fizzles. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Postive Elements: Ms. Smolinski pens a story that all of us can relate to. We have all at some point wanted to accomplish something important. The characters are ordinary people who live their lives just like the reader(s) that the author is targeting. I enjoyed the flow of this story and thought that it “read” very quickly. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Sexual Content: There is a teen pregnancy in the story.
June has to complete a task on the list that involves “kissing a total stranger.” There are also several sexual references made to her not having had sex for a long time due not having a boyfriend. Finally, she openly lusts after a man to whom she is attracted.
Violent Content: None
Profanity: I recall a few instances of profanity in this story. They easily could have been left out.
Drug Content: None
Conclusion: This novel is a great summer read. I enjoyed the theme of the story, as well as the characters. I only wish the ending was a little different. This story got me thinking about things. Should I have a list of things that I want to accomplish before I meet God? I decided the answer was no. I was just going to do better about living my life day to day. Taking care of and loving things that are important — family.
Novel Review: The Other Mother
May 30, 2008
Title: The Other Mother
Summary (from Publishers Weekly):
Gross’s third novel (following Getting Out) documents the front lines of the Mommy Wars, but its real strength lies in exposing the complex inner battlefields motherhood can open up. Eight months pregnant Amanda, a successful children’s book editor and dedicated New Yorker, picks up with her lawyer husband and moves to suburban Teaneck, N.J. Her new neighbor, Thea Caldwell, is a full-time mother of three who still lives in her childhood home and who arrives bearing brownies. When the newcomers take extended shelter in the Caldwells’ basement following a damaging storm and, later, when Amanda hires Thea as her newborn’s nanny, the growing intimacy between the two breeds resentment, bitterness and misunderstandings. The series of external crises designed to create tension and suspense are, in the end, less compelling than the women’s own inner demons, revealed through alternating, and overlapping, first-person narration. Jersey resident Gross shows the strife between SAHMs (Stay at Home Moms) and WOTHs (moms who Work Outside the Home) to be a lot more nuanced than it’s often portrayed. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Positive Elements: The author takes the reader into the well defined lives of a stay-at-home mom and a work-outside-the-home mom. Many books on the subject tend to favor one position over the other. This story presents both sides of the story with a compassion and understanding. Each mom faces complex and challenging situations unique to her chosen walk of life. However, the author also links together the common bonds all moms have regardless of work and home status — the love of our children. This book is an easy read and a good story. The chapters are told from the point of view of the main characters alternately. This enables the readers to understand the opposing viewpoints of both moms, while never really favoring one over the other.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: None
Profanity: There were a few instances of strong language. Unfortunately, it wasn’t essential to the story of the book.
Drug Content: None
Conclusion: This is not just another book about the so-called mommy wars. I enjoyed this book in part because it explores the issues we moms face on a daily basis ( guilt, vulnerablity, time for ourselves, parenting mistakes, family choices). Women are always comparing ourselves to each other. We do it with husbands, houses, dinners, etc.. It gets worse when we have children. Amanda and Thea both take on judgemental attitudes to each other and in turn take moments to question their own respective positions as as working mom and a stay at home mom. One particular moment in the book turned me off. During an emotional and heated moment between the two women, they kiss. Its hard to determine the author’s intent with that scene. It is not described as coming from anything sexual but more from need of being comforted. It was a strange scene and should have been left out. This book would be very good for dicsussion in a book club.
Novel Review: The Secret Between Us
May 17, 2008
Author: Barbara Delinsky
Summary: (from Publishers Weekly) Relationships are brought to the limit in Delinsky’s splendid latest exploration of family dynamics. On a rainy night, Deborah Monroe and her teenage daughter, Grace, are driving home when their car hits a man. The victim, who turns out to be Grace’s history teacher, is unconscious but alive. Although Grace was driving, Deborah sends her home and takes responsibility for the accident when the cops show up. Deborah is juggling a lot: as a family doctor, she is in private practice with her über-demanding widower father, who is trying to hide a drinking problem; her son, Dylan, is vision impaired; her mother’s death continues to affect the family; Deborah is still dealing with her ex-husband’s new, separate life; and her unmarried sister, Jill, has just announced she’s pregnant. Grace’s guilt about not taking responsibility for the accident makes her withdraw from friends and family, and the accident victim turns out to have a more complex private life than anyone imagined. The author seamlessly resolves relationship issues without sentiment, throws in a promising romance for Deborah and offers a redemptive scene between Grace and her grandfather. Delinsky combines her understanding of human nature with absorbing, unpredictable storytelling—a winning combination.
