The Shaky Shack
At first blush, The Shack, by William P. Young, is an engaging read that lures the reader in with a tale of tragedy and mystery and includes all the qualities of a good suspense flick. That all comes to a screeching halt when the main character visits a dilapidated shack and encounters “God” along with a colossal dose of convoluted Christianity.
Young is a believable story-teller and raises solid questions that deserve investigation. As a result, this could have been an excellent book. Yet the reader finds the author’s insistence on ignoring Biblical teaching while writing a Christian book odd at best. When Young reverts to a liberal application of his imagination, Pantheism, and New Age philosophy to write the same book, it results in a marshland of theology.
While Young raises questions that are honest and worthwhile, his answers fall short. A word of caution to would-be readers: this book is a work of fiction, not an explanation of Christianity.
The Falling Away
The Falling Away by T.L. Hines is the story of a man who is no stranger to darkness. As he runs away from the demons that haunt him, he collides with a force that enables him to go on the offense.
Hines weaves an interesting story. The characters are likeable and make the book a good read. Best of all, Hines wastes no time with flowery descriptions and so the tightly written book hits the ground at full steam and finishes the same.
The undercurrent of the supernatural in this book is a great addition. It keeps the reader slightly off-balance and makes it impossible to guess what is coming next. Another plus, the supernatural involvement never crosses the line into “scary.” As a result, the reader can enjoy this book snuggled under the covers at bedtime without risking nightmares. In this reader’s opinion, however, Hines’s interpretation of spiritual activity should be considered, but not accepted as gospel.
As a whole, Hines’s writing style and plot line excel. This reader enjoyed each page and never skipped ahead from disinterest. The Falling Away is a book readers will want to recommend to a friend.
What I’m Not Reading
Ever start a book and just did not finish it? Maybe you stalled out somewhere in the middle? “The Final Summit” by Andy Andrews is that kind of book. The reader will keep hoping the book will pick up steam but it does not. Although the majority of the book occurs in Heaven, the story falls short of divine.
There are some highlights. For example, Eric Erickson joins the group and tells his story of infiltrating the Nazis to stop Hitler. This appearance is outweighed by the inclusion of characters like Mark Twain and others. When writing a book set in Heaven, the reader expects those in attendance to have clearly stated their faith in Christ. (Unlike Mark Twain who claimed, “[The Bible is] a mass of fables and traditions, mere mythology.”
Rather than quitting in the middle of this book, readers will wish they’d skipped it altogether.
Jesus Calling
In homeschool, we’ve picked up a new Bible devotional called “Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids.” The devotional is written by Sarah Young especially for children ages 9-12. Each page is labeled with the corresponding date and is short and sweet. Plus, it is written in the first person point of view as if Jesus is speaking directly to the reader.
Pros: this devotional is easy to read. Also, it is interesting that it uses the word “I” when referring to Jesus. Cons: If you are looking for an in depth Bible study, this is not it. I'm also not sure this will hold the attention of most twelve-year-olds.
I doubt we'll keep it as a regular Bible curriculum. However, my nine year old picked it up to read on his own. That means "Jesus Calling" won't be going into the "give away" stack.
