O Retorno à Cabana: Uma jornada rumo à redenção

by William Paul Young, Alves Calado (Translator)

É possível perdoar o imperdoável?

Dez anos após os acontecimentos devastadores narrados em A cabana, Mackenzie Allen Phillips continua vivendo sob a sombra da perda. A tristeza e o luto ainda assombram sua família, sua fé e sua forma de enxergar a si mesmo.

No dia em que Missy completaria 16 anos, Mack é confrontado com um pedido impensável: as autoridades querem que ele vá ao corredor da morte falar com o homem que assassinou sua filha.

Dividido entre o dever de ajudar a encontrar os corpos de outras vítimas e a dor de ficar frente a frente com o responsável por seu maior pesadelo, Mack finalmente cede.

Em meio ao silêncio desolador da prisão, ele se depara não apenas com os aspectos mais cruéis da natureza humana, mas também com o peso da própria raiva e a profundidade de sua decepção com Deus.

A jornada de Mack conduz o leitor pelos abismos do luto e pela surpreendente humanidade que existe naqueles que mais tememos.

Ao mesmo tempo delicado e brutalmente honesto, O retorno à cabana é uma história inspiradora sobre a esperança diante da dor, o valor do verdadeiro perdão e a cura.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Spirituality, Religion

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2026

About the author

Wm. Paul Young is a Canadian author. Young was the oldest of four. He spend the majority of his first decade with his missionary parents in the highlands of Netherlands New Guinea (West Papua), among the Dani, a tribal people. When he was six he was sent to a boarding school.

The manuscript, that later became The Shack, was intended only for his six kids and for a handful of close friends. After multiple rejections by publishers, Young and his friends published the book under the name of their newly created publishing company. The Shack was one of the top-selling fiction books of 2008 and will be a major motion picture in Spring 2017.

Young lives in Happy Valley, Oregon with his wife and has six children and several grandchildren. He is also the author of Crossroads, Eve and the non-fiction book, Lies We Believe About God.

Reviews

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into Return to the Shack with very high expectations. The Shack is a five-star book for me because I felt God's love so clearly through its pages. While I know the original book has been criticized for its theological ideas, the goodness, truth, and hope I experienced through it outweighed those concerns for me personally.

So when I learned that Wm. Paul Young was returning to these characters nearly two decades after the original novel's 2007 publication, I was excited to see what else he had to say. Unfortunately, while I liked Return to the Shack and didn't hate it, I had several significant theological concerns that I didn't experience in the same way with the first book. Ultimately, this was a three-star read for me.

One of my favorite conversations was between Mack and the doctor about good and evil, particularly the question of whether any sin is irredeemable. Their conclusion that goodness triumphs over evil resonated with me. I especially appreciated this line: “Good and Love and Kindness and Gentleness would never be defensive or weak. They would be offensive in the best of ways.” I loved the reminder that goodness isn't weakness and that love can be powerful.

I also enjoyed seeing Mack interact with Kate. He treated her with the gentleness she needed in a vulnerable moment, and I appreciated the tenderness of those scenes. Nan's directness with Mack was another highlight. She reminded him that marriage requires both people to feel respected and trusted, which was an important part of their relationship to explore. I also enjoyed Willie and the sweet side romance with Sam.
There are meaningful moments of compassion, tenderness, and hope in this story, and I can understand why its message will resonate with many readers.

My biggest issue was the book's treatment of heaven and hell.
At one point, Mack reflects on hell as both experiencing the consequences of our choices and encountering God's consuming love, which burns away everything in us that isn't love. Elsewhere, a character explains that heaven and hell are not places but orientations toward Love: turning toward love brings life and joy, while turning away from it brings an experience of hell.

I agree that sin has consequences in this life and that God's holiness and love are powerful over it. However, I disagree with the suggestion that heaven and hell are not actual destinations after death. My understanding of Scripture is that heaven and hell are real, and that salvation through Jesus Christ is a gift of grace that we are invited to receive. Jesus saves us from the wages of sin and from eternal separation from God. I believe that our response to Christ matters, and I struggled with how these passages appeared to blur that distinction.
I recognize that Christians hold different views on hell, judgment, and the ultimate fate of humanity. Nevertheless, these ideas were a significant stumbling block for me, and I think Christian readers should be aware of them before picking up this sequel.

I also found myself disappointed by the lack of emphasis on Scripture and Christian fellowship. Throughout a story that spends so much time exploring God's character, grief, and faith, I wanted to see the characters encouraged to turn to the Bible, to know God through Jesus, and to seek encouragement and fellowship within the church. John 1:1 identifies the Word as God, and John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh. These truths are foundational to how I understand Jesus and God's character, so their absence from the story's spiritual guidance felt like a missed opportunity.
This omission stood out particularly in the storyline involving J, the serial killer, who is described as struggling with the Gospel of John. I thought this could have been an opportunity to explore the person of Jesus and the message of the gospel more directly. Instead, I was left wanting more engagement with Scripture and the hope it offers.

Finally, there are a few instances of profanity. I found these unnecessary and would have preferred the language to be omitted.

Ultimately, Return to the Shack has moments of genuine tenderness and some beautiful reflections on goodness, love, forgiveness, and the way we treat people in their darkest moments. I appreciated those aspects of the story, and I don't regret reading it. However, I struggled with its portrayal of heaven and hell and its lack of emphasis on Scripture. These concerns prevented me from connecting with the book as deeply as I did with The Shack.

I know readers will approach this story from different theological perspectives, and some may find its exploration of love and redemption deeply moving. For me, though, the sequel didn't have the same impact as the original. I finished it appreciating certain moments while remaining unconvinced by several of its central spiritual ideas.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a free e-book copy to read and review. This is my honest opinion.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little hesitant because The Shack left such an impact and the bar high for me. And I will say, I still prefer the original it just hit differently on an emotional level. But this book had a quiet, deep way.
It was like reading a story and more like sitting down for a real conversation about faith. The kind where you pause, think, maybe even feel a little challenged, but also comforted at the same time. It does not try to recreate the same experience as the first book, and I actually appreciated that. It leans more into unpacking ideas like forgiveness, identity, and how we see God and ourselves.

There were a few moments that honestly pulled me in and made me stop and reflect. Not in an overwhelming way, but in a gentle nudge kind of way. It is one of those reads that does not rush you, it just sits with you.

If you are open to something more thoughtful and reflective, it really does have something meaningful to offer. It felt steady, honest, and encouraging without trying too hard.

Return to the Shack definitely added something valuable to the initial storyline.

★★★★

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Hannah The Cajun Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Christian, it’s hard not to read and review a book like this through the lens of biblical truth and personal conviction. If I’m looking at it purely as a work of fiction, it was an enjoyable read—well written, with a unique style. I really liked the POV of a friend retelling the story in a journal-like, third-person way. The prose is captivating, and the author definitely has a poetic way with words.

That said, since this falls under Christian fiction, a few things didn’t sit right with me. The language caught me off guard at times—not excessive, but enough to feel out of place for the intended audience, especially the use of God’s name in vain. I read plenty of fiction that includes rough language, but this one felt different given the context.

More importantly, the theology is where I struggled. The author leans into the idea of universal restoration (that all will ultimately be reconciled to God), which doesn’t align with my personal beliefs. That made some parts difficult to fully engage with, even though there were also moments that reflected beautiful and relatable biblical truths.

Overall, I can appreciate the writing and storytelling, but I had some hesitations from a faith perspective. ⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC and chance to give my honest opinion!

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a theological mess. Only read the first five chapters and quit at the start of the 6th. Received a free advanced copy and thought I would give it a read. This book is chock full of heresy and is dangerous to those who are not strong in their theology, and at best massively unhelpful and misleading. There are no surprises here as Return to The Shack picks up where The Shack left off both in story and theology. The theology was problematic from the start. I finally put the book down where Jesus is talking to Mack about what it means to abide. According to Young, everyone abides with Jesus, regardless of if they are a Christian, all of the time until they die. Sin cannot separate us from Christ even before we accept the gift of His grace. I could go on. Not only is this book unhelpful, but it undermines the most essential tenants of Christian orthodoxy making it dangerous heresy. Stay far, far away.

[Jake Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shack is my favourite book of all time. It first fell into my lap when I was a teenager, and it played a pivotal role in leading me down what would become a twenty-year path toward God, Jesus, and Christianity—something I had real problems with at the time, much like Mack, and for much the same reasons.

So I had mixed feelings going into The Return to the Shack. I was excited (it’s a sequel, and who doesn’t want that), but I was also anxious. What if it didn’t live up to the first? What if the story fell flat and somehow tainted my love for the original?

When I read the blurb, that anxiety only grew. It seemed to suggest that Mack had reset—back to his uncertainty about God, back to living in the all-consuming loss of his daughter, Missy—as if his weekend in the Shack had been undone. That felt especially jarring, given how the first book ends, with the Great Sadness gone and his life marked by a renewed sense of joy and connection.

Of course, I didn’t expect him to be completely free from the pain, but I did expect him to keep God at the centre of his life, his love, and his relationships—especially with his wife, Nan and his children.

The book opens much like the first, with Willie narrating through his journal, and it’s now years on from that weekend in the Shack—Missy’s 16th birthday. Despite being released almost twenty years after the original, it doesn’t feel like any time has passed. The pacing, tone, and reading experience pick up exactly where the first left off.

After finishing, I’m glad to say my doubts and fears were all in vain.

This book is equal to, and in some respects even surpasses, The Shack, which I didn’t think was possible. I read it in a single day; it’s raw, captivating, and had me in tears many times throughout.

I won’t include quotes or spoilers until publication, as per the publisher’s request, but I’ll come back and update this review once it’s released.

This is a book I’ll re-read 10, 20, 30 times, just as I have with The Shack. Why? Because each time I read Young’s work, I don’t just read it, I experience God through it. No matter how many times I return, there is always a sense of divine timing, of connection, and of things lining up in ways that point to God’s grace and sense of humour.

For example, I had an ’80s song stuck in my head all week, “Every Time You Go Away” by Paul Young (a smile-worthy synchronicity in itself). Especially the line, “every time you go away, you take a piece of me with you.” No idea why—I don’t listen to love songs. Then my mum, who also experienced the life transforming impact of The Shack back in 2007, told me about this new book. I reached out to the publisher that same day; they sent it across, and three quarters of the way through, I came across a moment where Loretta and Mack are singing this exact line of the song. God’s humour!

The ending of this book, without spoilers, was everything I hoped it would be and more. It makes you laugh, cry, and feel the love of God in every fibre of your being.

An incredible read, and my new favourite.


⸻
A NOTE ON THE CHRISTIAN BACKLASH
⸻

I want to wrap up this review by addressing some of the Christian criticism I often see directed toward The Shack, and already toward this book as well. It is something that confuses me, because the Trinitarian God, and the characters of God, Jesus, and Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) we meet in Paul Young’s writing, reflect the God of the Bible entirely.

If your understanding of God leans toward an angry, vengeful figure to be feared, then I would suggest that something has gone wrong in that understanding. Either the Bible has been misinterpreted, or too much weight has been given to misguided church traditions that emphasise fear where God is concerned. Phrases like “God loves you, but if you make Him angry, you’ll go to hell” distort the reality of God’s heart, and the truth of Christianity, which is about following Christ.

God has never sent a single person to hell; hell is the natural consequence of choosing separation from Him. Now, one might ask, “If God loves us as you say, then why does hell exist at all?” I was one such person long ago, and the answer is simple:

He loves us too much to force us into His presence, because love, by its very nature, must be freely chosen.

What is heaven, after all? It is not simply a place we go by making the right choices, but the fullness and embodiment of His love and presence. For hell not to exist would be to remove that freedom to choose Him, and that is something God will never do.

Judgement, then, is not merely something imposed externally, but something shaped by the state of our hearts. And where God does judge, and He does, He judges in love, not in punishment.

As someone who has read the Bible, studied the Hebrew and Greek texts, and spent years researching near-death experiences alongside academic journals, I have never encountered a portrayal of God that is fundamentally angry, vengeful, or hostile. Even the Hebrew word often translated as “fear” in the Old Testament is “yirah,” which carries the meaning of reverence, awe, and turning toward God, not fear in the modern sense of being afraid.

The same loving pattern appears again and again in the NDE research. God the Father, and Jesus, are encountered as pure love, often described as standing in the presence of love itself, where condemnation has no existence. In the accounts where individuals encounter hell, there is a consistent awareness that what they are experiencing is not imposed by God, but a self-prescribed reality, reflecting the condition of their own hearts. And in those same accounts, when they cry out to God, the prayer is answered, no matter who they were in life.

The movement of God’s heart is always toward restoration, not rejection.

One line from The Shack that often draws criticism is when Jesus says, “I’m not exactly what you would call a Christian now, am I?” This is often misunderstood. Jesus is not rejecting Christianity, nor distancing Himself from it. He is pointing to a deeper truth: He is not a follower of the system built around Him, but the source of it. This challenges the human tendency to reduce faith to labels and words, rather than relationship and experience.

I also see Christians taking issue with the suggestion that God may continue working on those who choose separation from Him after this life (universalism). But this raises a simple question: does God’s love ever fail? Is there anywhere God’s love can’t reach? And if so, does that not make Him a limited God?

If a child chooses a destructive path, does a parent stop loving them, or stop hoping for their return? Of course not. Parental love does not work that way, and yet we are willing to entertain the idea that our capacity to love our own children is greater than God’s capacity to love His. It is, on the face of it, a foolish notion.

If you believe the Bible fully encapsulates God’s nature, and that He can be reduced to mere words on a page, I would suggest that this, too, is a misunderstanding. The Bible reveals God, but it does not contain Him. It is a window (a very small window at that), not the entirety of what it points to.

Just as no cosmologist will ever fully comprehend the complexities of the universe, we will never fully comprehend the complexities of God. And what He does beyond what is clearly revealed is not ours to define. What we are called to do is simpler: to rest in His love, to trust in His goodness, and to live in response to Him.

Words, after all, are limited. They are nothing more than symbols, open to interpretation, and often misunderstood. You need only look at the state of the world, today and throughout history, to see that. We have taken words and weaponised them. We argue, debate, defend, and divide over them, yet most often miss the truth they were pointing to in the first place.

Which is why, at the centre of Jesus’ teaching, experience matters. The truth of God was never meant to be purely intellectual. It is something to be lived, encountered, and known.

Jesus was clear when He said, “Those who have seen me have seen the Father.” If you want to understand what God is like, you need only look to Him. His life, His actions, and His willingness to love and forgive, even when it cost Him everything, reveal the heart of God more clearly than anything else.

And that is the God reflected in The Shack.

For those who struggle with that portrayal, I simply pray that you are able to lay aside any preconceived or misinterpreted ideas about who God is, and return to The Shack within your own soul, where you will find Papa waiting for you with open arms. God bless you all.

[Dashea Carlson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved The Shack so I was excited to read the sequel. It was okay. It does have some cursing which I do not love. I do not agree with parts of the book biblically, but it is fiction.
Editing to add: a week after finishing this book, I am still being reminded of things that were not biblical. I feel like this book could give people a false sense of security. I do not recommend.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[readwithmichele · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK: Return To The Shack: A Journey Into Redemption
AUTHOR: William Paul Young
PUB DATE: October 6, 2026 by @apirarybooks
PAGES: 272 pages
RATING: 4.5 stars
GENRE: Contemporary Spiritual Fiction

Thank you to Apiary Books, the author, and @netgalley for gifting me an advance digital copy of this sequel to The Shack. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK SYNOPSIS: This sequel takes readers back into the world of The Shack (written in 2007), revisiting its powerful themes of grief, faith, forgiveness, & healing. It digs deeper into the questions about God and suffering that made the original story so thought-provoking, while offering a fresh perspective on what it means to find peace after loss. Ten years after the events of The Shack, Mack and his family are still dealing with the grief of losing Missy and the ways it has changed their lives. When Mack is asked to visit the man responsible for her death, he’s forced to face his anger, his faith, & some very difficult questions about forgiveness. Return to the Shack is an emotional story about loss & healing, and whether it’s possible to forgive the unforgivable.

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: Having loved the first book, The Shack, I was excited to hear there was a sequel and immediately jumped at the chance to read it and return to this story, It touches on grief, loss, faith, & the difficult question of how you forgive someone who has caused unimaginable pain. I think anyone who has experienced loss or struggled with forgiveness will find something here that really hits home. It was emotional & thought-provoking. Such a meaningful follow-up to a book I loved so much.

[Marian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this only because I remember reading the author's first fictional book, a bestseller and unique story about how God showed up to a grieving father whose child was murdered. This sequel is terrible; I don't know where to start. Listed as Christian fiction, I suspect that both conservative and liberal Christians will have many problems with the main character, how God shows up (cultural appropriation is a theme that book clubs can discuss thoroughly here), and the dialogue with the serial killer. So many parts of the prison story and conversation between a grieving dad and the killer were unbelievable. I understand it's meant to be a story about forgiveness and possibly serve as a witness to others but the novel is melodramatic and unrealistic.

[Claudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

When The Shack was first release, I read it, talked my husband into reading it, and then we bought quite a few copies as gifts for others whom we wanted to have the experience of reading this story. So, I was so excited to learn that a sequel was to be released. Unfortunately, I had an unsettled feeling as I read this book that did not go away. I can't place my finger on what caused it, but at the 52 percent mark on my Kindle, I chose to walk away. Nothing about the book has drawn me back to finish it even though I had made it just past the halfway mark. I imagine this book will be perfect for some reader, who will then tell others about it, and buy gift copies. It just won't be me.

[Leigh Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was honored to be able to read this advanced copy of The Return to the Shack. I had such a strong reaction to the Shack and will always remember one particular scene, where Mack was able to see his daughter in Heaven, that made me literally sob. Having lost many loved ones, that scene will always resonate with me. I was excited to read this sequel.

I did like the book, but I can’t say it had the same hold on me as the first. However, I’m not sure what I expected. I appreciate the heavy topics the book forces the reader to examine in relation to their own heart: Forgiveness, redemption, the afterlife, trauma, capital punishment, to name a few. Additionally, this book offers an important perspective about prisoners, especially those on Death Row and the protocols surrounding it. There was a line about capital punishment that made me think —not exactly differently—but it confirmed what I was already feeling: “Death Row is where they kill people who kill people to prove that killing people is wrong” (Young 93). Wow.
I didn’t give it five stars because I wasn’t completely captivated, although there were moments. The book centers around more discussion than it does action, so that may be part of the problem for me. I also was a bit confused as I strove to follow the conversations with Jesus about The Moment. There were times where I had to reread pages to gain a better understanding, but I do appreciate books that make me think.
Ultimately, the book’s lesson, Mack and Nan’s lesson, on forgiveness is inspiring, as Mack so clearly explains to J that his ability to forgive J is “a miracle. It shouldn’t be possible. But it is” (Young 233). Do we really have the capacity to forgive those who have taken everything from us? We must try. Mack reminds J that he knows “what it cost God to forgive” all of us (Young 237).

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this book 4 stars not because I LOVED it or agreed with every part but because it made me think, gave me and my husband lots to talk about and made me love Jesus more.

I’ve read The Shack twice and it is a page turner. The Return is not as much of a page turner. This one is more like WPY was tired of answering all of the questions people had about the Shack and said, “I’m writing a book to REALLY lay out my theology!”

It was still a good story—death row, FBI agents, etc. but the drama and surprise of the first one isn’t there. (Same with all sequels!)

Anywhoo. If people were mad about his theology before, well, they are definitely going to hate this one. He has 2 foundational beliefs that if you also don’t believe, the rest will be hard to swallow. First, that we have always and always will be in union with Trinity. Second, God’s plan and Love is for the redemption of all things. Universalism? That’s a little too cut/dry. But, it can certainly feel that way if you have none of his vocabulary under your belt.

I think he does a good job explaining both things logically if not with chapter-and-verse. Maybe with chapter and verse, too. But again, this is fiction.

My favorite parts were Mac’s interaction with Trinity. And the very real way He did that, I have experienced (and do experience) myself. [See Face to Face Ministries and the Immanuel Approach.]

Overall, as with The Shack, go in with an open heart. Go in asking Jesus (and Papa!) what He wants you to see and know and glean. Love does Love you. And that’s the Truth I see in this book.

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to this book, and was incredibly disappointed with the production of it. The tone and voices were very whiney, which can break a book. Nan, in particular was extremely challenging to listen to.

Starting out, I loved the shack and credit that book to cultivating a relationship with Jesus. It was a life changing read. And though it was fiction, it hit on many topics that point to knowing Jesus, God the Father, and the Spirit. That being said, there were parts of this book that unfortunately were not biblically accurate. That really diminished my desire to continue listening, but I pushed forward.

Muslims and Jesus... (Where to begin?) The Islam "Jesus" named "Isa" is not the true Jesus. They don't believe He was the Savior, they don't believe he was crucified or rose from the dead for the redemption of man. This is a fictional depiction is Jesus. Isa and Jesus are not the same.

After reading about Muslim Jesus, I started noticing many political buzz words, and the story was done for me.

Another interesting piece is the book; the more Mac normalized the people on death row, the more frustrated I became. It was almost as if what they did to get on death row was no big deal, and they somehow were the victims of being there. 🤔🤦

Overall, I wanted to LOVE this book, but I did not. If you loved the shack, I'm not sure I would recommend reading this book.

[John O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought there would be a second part to The Shack, it seemed like the original was a masterpiece on its own! I was mistaken! This story was everything I hope for in a book, to laugh, to cry, to contemplate deep thoughts or issues…..and to see myself taking a journey as the pages turn. I wouldn’t say you have to “be religious” to get, or enjoy these two books, just a belief that there’s more beyond this life.

I’d like to think I could follow Mac’s journey in this story, but in discussing hypothetically a broader view of this book with my beautiful wife, I honestly can’t say which path I would follow?! I recommend these two books to anybody and everybody as long as they read with their minds open!!

Thank you WM. Paul Young for writing these stories. I’m grateful you reminded me that the “things” we have, or face in life are just “things”…..but what awaits us after is all that matters and too often we all forget, or push that aside.

[Michelle · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Return to the Shack: A Journey into Redemption by William Paul Young.
This story revisits the original one The Shack, picks up ten years later following Mack, Nan, Willie and the convicted murderer who goes by J. Even so many years after Missy's death is still in front of everyone's mind, even J who sits on Death Row. We follow along as the FBI asks Mack to do something unheard of, and the decisions that every one must make in order to find peace for others as well as themselves.
This one will sit with me a while, the decisions made are thought provoking. I dont know if I was in the shoes of these people what decisions I myself would be capable to make.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Julie Buckley · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Like its prequel, this was a book I couldn't put down. And both books came to me at times I really needed them. I liked the expansion of the "big questions" themes in this book--not only ideas about forgiveness and finding God even in the face of tragedy, but also deeper and more helpful themes like letting go of outcomes and focusing on doing the next right thing, never knowing the whole story so choosing Love, etc. The story itself was gripping, and I wanted to know and understand through the characters how and why broken people break others. This book had much less focus on the Trinity and more faith universality than The Shack, and that worked better for me as a (Christian) UU.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fan, especially compared to the 1st book. There were good parts, but I didn’t love it.

[Michelle Nicole · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I have to sit with this for a while…

[Kristina (Nerdy_Biblio) · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[Erin Laramore · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of the original story of The Shack (it totally upended my perception of God and showed me how I put Him in a box), I was thrilled when I saw there was a sequel and immediately requested it from NetGalley. Though I typically don't read reviews beforehand on books I really want to read, I found myself checking out the low-star reviews and I'm glad that I did, as it gave me the heads up that there was some profanity in this book. Though I typically don't deal well with profanity at all in any of the books I read, for some reason I wasn't quite as bothered with this one - possibly because I knew it was coming. But, be aware, there is a bit of profanity sprinkled throughout this story. This book takes place 10 years after the original, when Missy would have turned 16. We once again follow the story of Mackenzie (Mack) Phillips and the struggles he is encountering. Though he has grown since the beginning of book 1, his struggles with what has happened have not completely gone away and the struggle to forgive and move on is a daily struggle. At the beginning of this book, Mack and his wife Nan are separated, their other kids are grown and moved out and Missy's killer on death row has asked to talk with Mack in exchange for providing information on the 3 other girls he's killed. This brings back all of the feelings associated with book 1 again and I loved how Mack's relationship with God was not only refreshed, but He came in new ways to him and brought him to complete forgiveness. There were once again some challenging belief systems given in this story, some of which I can ascribe to, others not as much, but I appreciated the way that Jesus came alongside Mack to help him process and move through things. This story was once again a beautiful story of God's love for His children, and the lengths to which He will go to show them. I would strongly recommend this story to anyone who is struggling to forgive someone who wronged them or any who need to challenge their own beliefs about God. I would strongly recommend reading The Shack first, though, as you might otherwise feel a bit lost reading this one. Special thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each day, every person has opportunities to heal or harm, respond or react, pray or provoke, change or calcify, embrace warmly or erect walls, apologize or avenge, learn or lethargize, affirm or deny, trust or manipulate, fear or love. The concept of forgiveness for a person who has done great harm is one thing, but what if you were invited to meet face-to-face with that person on Death Row?

Imagine the terror of being known only for the worst day of your life. Living with invisible signs on your cages that say, Animals: No change allowed; no transformation accepted. Emerson wrote that every human should be judged by the best day of their lives, but he never was never sentenced to Death Row. Death Row is where people kill people who kill people to prove that killing people is wrong. But concrete and steel don’t create freedom; freedom is a transformation of the heart. Everyone’s in a prison of one sort or another; we just don’t know it. For those on Death Row, the prison is just more visible.

Everyone’s on death row, also; it’s just a matter of time. We can choose to live, or we can choose to wait to die. Instead of worrying about things that don’t exist yet, we can trust the One who loves us. God created all of us good; the world may have broken us and we may keep breaking ourselves and breaking others, but that doesn’t mean we have to stay that way. Justice is making our enemy our brother.

Jesus beckons, shhhhh...be still, wait, and rest in Him. Lift up the edge of your blanket and relax into His care. This is going to be okay; you are not alone. Don’t be afraid. He is a redeeming genius and He can take any mess you bring to His table and make a meal out of it–a meal of bread and wine.

William P. Young’s Return to the Shack is like a map, a crumpled-up guidebook to a parallel voyage many of us are on. It is an invitation to choose Love, Kindness, Peace, Patience, Purity of Heart, Goodness and Self-Control, and when we stumble, to get back up, dust ourselves off, laugh at our mistakes and learn from them, ask for forgiveness when needed, and continue on down the road.

[Sarah Stull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this ARC of Return to the Shack by Wm. Paul Young by Netgalley and Worthy Publishing in exchange for my honest review if I so choose to provide one.

This beautiful book took me on a very emotional and thought provoking journey and I imagine that it will do the same for all it's readers in a completely different way for everyone. I had read The Shack back in my 20's and loved it! I shared it with friends well before Goodreads or NetGalley or Facebook even existed in my life or at all and it carried an impact that will not be forgotten.

So naturally I was excited to be given this wonderful opportunity to be apart of the early readers of it's follow up novel, but was very nervous after reading the single review that shed it in a disparaging light. So I waited and began to see more positive feedback and all I can say is WOW!! I don't know how he did it but this was probably the most insightful and inspiring book about Love and Forgiveness, Freedom and self repair and a hundred other topics that speak right to your soul that I have ever had the honor and pleasure of reading!!

I want every one that I know and love and don't know and don't love to read it! Wm. Paul Young has created a piece of wisdom in this book that I feel blessed to now have woven into my existence and I will be sharing this upon its upcoming release with my tribe and beyond! My Eyes are open to the "healing kisses of grace". And I will do my very best to trust the Ripples!

Thank you to Worthy Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC and MOST OF ALL Thank you to Wm. Paul Young for a true Journey into Redemption!!

[Ifeanyi Omoike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book a week ago, and I couldn’t write the review. I just couldn’t. But today, I decided it was time to face it and write something.

I really loved The Shack, and it left such a huge imprint on my life and my relationship with God. This sequel took that imprint so much deeper. Return to the Shack is a story of forgiveness, real love, vulnerability, and second chances. I can never forget how this book made me feel or how it made me want to give people a second chance.

I loved the way William P. Young gave us enough context at the beginning to introduce us to Missy and remind us that she would have been sixteen, while her family was still grieving her loss. I also loved Mack’s relationship with his daughter, Kate. That was one of my favorite parts of the book. I always love father-daughter relationships.

But the greatest highlight for me was watching Mack embark on his frightening journey toward healing, and, even more terrifying, witnessing what unfolded between him and the man who killed his daughter, Missy. I honestly don't even know what to call that experience. It was a journey, a relationship, a confrontation with pain and trauma—all at once.

There are messy, vulnerable experiences that stay with you for a lifetime, and this was one of them. I pray that everyone who has experienced the gut-wrenching loss of a loved one to murder will find healing and discover the possibility of forgiveness through the pages of this book. I also pray that they will experience the love of God, which passes all understanding.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton (Hodder Faith) for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Danielle Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

"heaven and hell are not places, but
orientations to Love. When you turn toward Love, you
experience life, freedom, and joy. When you turn away
from Love, you experience hell"

I read The Shack a good number of years ago. I would consider myself an atheist but I always have read books to get a glimpse into the minds of people who don't think like me. I loved the bravery of confronting those questions atheists often throw at people of faith
.'well if God is real why does he allow the terrible things that happen?' Of walking us through exactly why the Christian God could feasibly exist whilst terrible things continue to happen.

Did it change my mind? No it didn't. Did it help me understand why many people of faith find such peace and comfort from it? Yes.


I was very excited to be offered the ARC of Return to The Shack which confronted an even bigger question - how could a person find forgiveness for another who had taken their most precious thing? Could you forgive the killer of your child? This book walks us through how Mack and Nan grapple with this impossible task. I found the story moving and interesting - on the edge of saccharine sometimes maybe but even then I understand if you are trying to write about the Love of a God for his creations, sometimes it's going to feel a bit much.

I really resonated with a lot of what this book has to say on how we treat ourselves and others. I remain an atheist but will always be a believer in love.

If you liked The Shack then I think there's a really good chance you'll love this too.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was overjoyed to read Return to the Shack, as The Shack is one of my all-time favorite books.

Set ten years after Missy’s death, the novel lays bare the grief and trauma that Mack, Nan, their children, and even Willie have endured in its aftermath. One of the book’s most compelling questions challenges readers to consider how they would react if their child’s murderer wanted to meet. Could you forgive them? Could you even bring yourself to see them?

I appreciated that none of the characters are portrayed as perfect in either their thoughts or actions, and that the story reflects the growth, struggles, and realities that have unfolded over the past decade. God and Jesus remain strongly present throughout the book, although they are not as prominent as they were in The Shack. Instead, Return to the Shack focuses more deeply on interpersonal relationships and explores when and how we connect with God and one another to navigate life’s challenges. The character of J is so complex that at times I found myself sympathizing with him.

Wm. Paul Young did this sequel justice. The story had me laughing, crying, and questioning how I would handle the seemingly impossible choices facing Mack and Nan.

A must-read. ★★★★½

Thank you to Wm. Paul Young, Worthy Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Shack a few times when it was released all those years ago, never expecting there might be a sequel. It was lovely to go back to spend some hours with Mack, Nan and Willie, after all this years.

It's difficult to write too much without giving spoilers but as another reviewer said this story is more about 'unpacking ideas' around forgiveness, the love of God, being God's beloved, and the meaning of justice. It's fascinating to be able to experience this 'unpacking' in a story rather than a non-fiction book or sermon. There were moments when I felt I was being preached to, but they were minimal and tended to be more noticeable in the first half of the story.

The second half of the story is very emotional as we are invited into Mack's discussions with the man who killed Missy, his daughter. Further, Mack's interactions with Nan and how he was discovering how to better love her were insightful and emotional. The final scenes between the killer and Mack are breathtaking in their emotional intensity and God's presence. They were very special.

Anyone who enjoyed The Shack will appreciate returning to it. Well, it's more returning to visit Mack and I'd encourage you to read it if given the opportunity. I feel very fortunate to have received an early ebook copy from Hachette via NetGalley, however, this has had no bearing on my review.

[Lisa Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Worthy Publishing for the privilege of reading this advanced reader copy.

I read this book in one sitting and it left me pondering in self reflection.

Return to the Shack unfolded like an to sit with parts of myself I usually keep hidden. Its reflections caused me to slow down enough to notice the places where old hurts still live and where I still carry unforgiveness as a kind of armor.

The book’s message on forgiveness was grounding. It reminded me that forgiveness isn’t a gift offered to the one who caused the wound, but an opening to heal my own heart. It is the choice to release what keeps us bound, to release the grip of pain that no longer serves us. That truth settled in slowly, like a gentle reminder I didn’t know I needed.

The theme that love is ultimately stronger than evil felt less like a promise and more like a reality waiting to be lived in. A love that persists, that transforms, that wins not by force but by presence.

It nudged me toward questions I’d avoided and softened places that had hardened over time. More than a companion to The Shack, it became a space to pause, to consider, and to remember that healing often begins with the courage to see oneself clearly.

[Paige L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Return to the Shack! I thought it was a unique way to bring closure to Mack’s journey through faith. This story and trauma is extremely intense and unimaginable and it’s probably so hard to put all of those feelings into words, unless you experience them yourself. I think those emotions could have been tapped into a bit more BUT I think the author still did a great job of bringing us into the hurt and pain and aftermath of this tragedy AND doing it all through the lense of Faith!!

I love that this book expresses grief as a journey and that healing doesn’t happen over night; that even though Mack had his experience at the shack, he was still going to struggle with life and relationships. It was such a real and honest expression of it.

I gained a new awareness to what prisoners who live on Death Row experience. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like if I were in Mack or Nan’s shoes, and I hope I never am, but I think this story (both books) really puts things in perspective for me. This whole story has been so thought provoking and made me think about a lot and is encouraging me to dive deeper into my faith with Jesus.

Overall I very much enjoyed this sequel! Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read it in advanced!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mack Phillips visits the serial killer who abducted and murdered his daughter. When these two profoundly damaged men meet Mack is forced to revisit his anger and disappointment with God
Thank you to NetGalley and Worthy Publishing . My review is voluntary.
This book is a sequel to The Shack You don’t need to read The Shack before starting Return to the Shack, as the key points are summarized. However, reading it first might give you more context.
The reader is drawn in by the prospect of watching a meeting between a victims and a perpetrator of a crime. They may well have pondered the question, could I face the person who harmed me, what would I say, what would I feel ? Such meetings is highly emotionally and this drives the action of the novel forward
The novel investigates; living life in the face of loss, the redemption of the irredeemable and dealing with gods silence. Difficult and confrontational questions are asked but no easy answers are offered. The book will appeal to all those interested in these questions both Christian or otherwise as it can be approached from a theological or philosophical stance.

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read The Shack multiple times over the years, and it's one of those books that seems to speak to you differently depending on the season of life you're in. Because of that, I was excited—but also a little hesitant—to pick up Return to the Shack and thank you to NetGalley for my early reader copy.

I'm happy to say it was a great read.

Rather than trying to recreate the original story, this book takes many of the themes from The Shack—God's love, healing, forgiveness, grace, and relationship—and explores them in a deeper, more conversational way. It helped me revisit some of the questions and truths that made the original so impactful while offering additional perspective and reflection.

This is definitely a slower, thoughtful read rather than something you rush through. I found myself highlighting passages and pausing to think about them long after I finished the chapter.

4.5 stars for me overall as it was a meaningful companion to a story that has stayed with me for years. If The Shack impacted you, I think you'll find a lot to appreciate here as well.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a thought-provoking read! I loved revisiting these characters, even years later. To see the growth over time and how difficulties truly shape the future was fascinating to see. I liked how the author gave space for the characters to be messy, get it wrong, and then try again.

Some of the topics and theological questions that it brought up are going to stick with me for a while. What is true forgiveness? Are we willing to lay down our pride in order to be who Jesus is calling us to be? How do you face mistakes and accept consequences? Are your assumptions built on biblical principles? Where (or rather Who) does your sense of justice come from?

"Why would Jesus encourage us to turn the other cheek, or repay evil with goodness, or do good to those that misuse us, or even to love our enemies? Could it be that Goodness and Love are not the weaker position, but the way of true transformation? That Good is true power?"



I received an ARC from Worthy Publishing via NetGalley. A positive review is not required & all opinions are my own.