I just finished The Shack and decided I'd get in on all the commotion, with my own review.
On the macro side (taking the book as a whole) I actually liked it. On the micro side (examining it point-by-point) I didn't.


Dislikes

• I really disliked the portrayal of the Trinity. Apart from being labeled as Modalistic, I just found Their personality too feminine for my liking. I know much of the reason for this book being written was to let God out of the box, but I found He/She was way too kissy-kissy for me. It was kinda gross.
• The book does indeed seem to support Modalism, which was rejected by the Christian majority in the late 4th Century.
• I also didn't like the author's explanation of why God chose to reveal Himself/Herself as Father, and not Mother or Brother, or Sister, etc. The reason was that God had known that most people throughout history would have severe "father issues" so He/She chose this title to fill that void. This may indeed be true, but it is built entirely on presumption.
• The fact that I have to refer to God as He/She when pertaining to The Shack is also quite unsettling. The fact is, whether we like or agree with it or not, God did indeed reveal "Him"self as a man. Sorry to all you feminists out there, but that's what we got.

Likes

• I really like the way the author tackled questions almost everyone has in a way that many non-Christians would actually read. Many say this book has a low view of Church and Scripture, and I would agree, but only somewhat. As the book went on, it seemed like the reverence for these special things increased. That being said, if someone read the book and wanted more information about Jesus, God, the Trinity, etc, there are few places for them to search out these feelings. Christians, and the Church seem to have a pretty strong monopoly on these subjects. It seems logical that a continuing search would lead here.
• I did like how the book enlarged my view of God. I really didn't have a problem with God revealing Himself/Herself to Mack as a large African-American woman. It was what Mack needed at the time.

Although doctrinally, this book is far, far from perfect (as we all are), I think it accomplished what I see as it's goal. It engages non-Christians on their level and even though communicates things that are doctrinally problematic, it ultimately points towards Christianity as the answer to all the questions life demands an answer to. If we Christians are truly upset about anything regarding The Shack, it should be because most of us are unprepared and inadequate in our ability to pick up where this book leaves off, and help these questioning seekers along their next stage in their journey for Truth.