Wow...where did the week go?
It's been a busy week at the Chestnutt household with no slowing down in sight! Lots of commitments, travels, and activities in the coming weeks so blogging will be less frequent, or maybe more so now that I've proclaimed it won't be. We all know how that goes, right?
Well, onto my latest book review. I branched out with this latest book selection, it's a NY Times Bestseller and I like to mix in a few serious, life changing books here and there.
But I have to admit, this week's review will be my hardest to date. This book has me a bit torn and as I looked at other Goodreads reviewers today, it appears I'm not alone. I found it really interesting how diverse the ratings were. Most readers either LOVED this book and gave it 5 stars or HATED it and gave it only 1 star.
As for me? I'm going with three and a half. But before I get into the details, let me show you the cover and the Book Description first. I love the cover, absolutely great, gorgeous images that speak volumes to your heart after reading this book...
Goodreads Book Description:
Mackenzie Allen Phillips's 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 this 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 his life forever.
In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrevelant 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!
My thoughts:
There were things I adored about this book and others that bothered me badly. I certainly have mixed emotions and I'm going to do my best to share both the pros and cons, in my opinion, for this book.
Part of the problem is the hype, before I picked this book up I'd heard how great it was over and over and over again, so my expectations were pretty high. And honestly, I was hugely disappointed, it just wasn't to die for in the way I thought and hoped it would be.
As for the story itself, the concept is great and the tale moving, but for me the biggest disappointment was the middle. It was like a vaccuum of creativity and I felt like someone else's ideas about religion were being explained to me in a boring format. It was kind of the formula of, you know about this, well this is why. And guess what? This is why this is why it is. I got bored easily and it was very hard to make it through these mundane conversations that felt too much like reading and not enough about getting lost in a story.
However, I have to say there were amazing parts throughout Mack's journey as well. Even typing his name floods my mind with thoughts of his heart wrenching story and I wish he were alive and I could meet him. I loved his character that much.
Not to mention there were moments that will forever live in my mind and make me think. Beautiful painted pictures and scenes that bursted of creativity that I previously mentioned was lacking towards the middle. I laughed and cried several times throughout the reading of this book. And when I say cry, being a parent, I mean bawl-tears spilling down my cheeks-I can hardly breathe-crying. So be forewarned.
All in all ~Was I moved? Yes. Did I think about some of the subjects for days afterward? Yes. Did I love the ideas behind the entire book? Definitely. Could it have been even better? Uh huh.
Anyone else out there read this one? I'd love to know what you thought...feel free to leave me a comment.
Up next for me are a few less serious but fun page turners, so look for upcoming reviews on these beauties:
That's it for me this Wednesday. Hope everyone's week is going well! Half way to the weekend!
Is anyone else melting?
*take care*
kristi
Hmm...a little about me perhaps? 
