I was fully expecting to love this story. It’s an adult fairy tale inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. There were some parts of it that I found had a magical quality to them, but overall, I was confused by the tone of the story.

The main characters were all adults but the parts of the story when they were in the magic realm felt childish. I had to remind myself that these characters weren’t teenagers. I didn’t feel any attachment to the characters in particular because they felt quite young while some of the themes were more mature.

I enjoyed the magical elements and felt like this had great potential. I need the world to be fleshed out more. The story line and magic reminded me more of Peter Pan than Narnia.

This book contains scattered mild profanity, queer relationships, kissing and implied intimacy between two men.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! “The Wishing Game” was one of, if not my favorite, read of 2023 so I could not wait to get my hands on this book! As a child who grew up on CS Lewis, this is a tale I thoroughly enjoyed for its modern (and Wild and Wonderful West Virginia) take on “The Chronicles of Narnia”. My lower star rating is only due to unexpected themes throughout. I do love Meg Shaffer’s writing style and references to “back home”.

I recently read Meg Shaffer's other novel and enjoyed it, so I requested this. I had heard incredible things about it from a bookish friend or two. I do find her books a little lighter than the kinds of books I most often tend to read, but I do enjoy her stories.

I absolutely loved this book. This story was so immersive and unlike anything I’ve ever read. I finished it in a day!

3.5 ⭐️

Meg Shaffer is the queen of enchanting and magical stories and this one is no different. I loved this story and how quickly I was transported into the world of Shenandoah.

I loved Jeremy and Rafe but found Emilie to be annoying at times and not even really part of the plot, if that makes sense?

Would recommend this book if you love magical realism, found family, and a touch of romance!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an arc!

Meg puts a great fantasy into the real world with this story. It has wonderfully developed characters who seem like people we know and love. It's a story that resonates with readers of past fantasies.

<i>The Lost Story</i> is simply beautiful. It’s a fantastical tale of the bonds of friendship, the love of the family we are born with, and especially the family we choose. It’s called “a fairy tale for grown-ups,” and there is nothing more fitting to describe the story. It’s an adventure full of action and emotion. Shaffer’s words paint a vivid picture of the world these characters are living in while making me smile through the tears.

Meg Shaffer is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever read. I’ve been a fan of her writing as Tiffany for over a decade, and I am absolutely in love with the stories she is writing as Meg. I can't wait for more.

I did enjoy the feel of this, but I think people need to stop saying “just like Chronicles of Narnia” because there are parts that are appropriate for younger children.

An adult fairy tale based on Narnia? Count. Me. In.

It’s a book about books, a fairy tale about fairy tales, and a love story about siblings, friends, family, and lovers. It was sweet and tragic and everything you expect from a fairy tale. A fantastic sophomore release.

I really wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. I loved The Wishing Game but this one did not seem to capture that same magic for me. It has all of the elements, but they just did not seem to gel together cohesively.

Part of the problem is that this book is inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. Where The Wishing Game was inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and was like a warm hug with nostalgia for that book, Narnia is just too vast, too complex, and too profound to capture in the same way.

And so much of this book's narrative occurs off page. So much occurs before the events of the book that when Rafe and Jeremy return to the magical land of Shanandoah (yes, that's how it's spelled in the book) the reader feels as if they had missed out on most of the story.

That fact leads to pacing issues. I also took issue with the fact that this is supposedly an "epic" love story between these two characters. Who fell in love and had a deep deep relationship...at age 14...for six months. Now they haven't seen each other for 20 years, and one of the two doesn't even remember the relationship, and we're supposed to just sigh with contentment? I just didn't have buy in. I also didn't really understand the relationships between Emilie and her sister. It was too much to have both of those relationships being worked out in such a short book. There was very little character development so that I could root for them to reunite/fall in love/etc. I felt like I knew the rat better than the human characters.

I didn't feel as if the author painted the world for me in a way that I could picture it. Again, so many of the elements were just told to me as a reader, not shown to me. The book has an overall weirdly YA feel and the adults don't really act like adults. And that's unfortunate because there are some overall heavy themes here where you want to root for the characters to work through their past trauma to become healthy adults.

Just didn't really gel for me, but I know lots of people did love it so if it interests you give it a try.

I have been in a reading slump so I was excited when my library told me this book was waiting for me on the hold shelf as Meg Shaffer does not disappoint. And she did not. I adored this read. It took all my favorite fairy tale tropes, along with a narrator who can't help butting into their own story, added in an absolutely heartbreaking and delightful second chance love story complete with quirky younger sister sidekick and pet rat. There is not necessarily anything surprising here; the narrator is very clear this is a story following all the usual fairy tale rules. You know this story already in many ways. But the characters and the atmosphere and how Shaffer weaves together her fairy tale are fabulous and delightful and kept me reading into the wee hours to find out what happened next.

A pleasant story that flowed well, a fairy tale vibe with the blend of fantasy and realism. I liked the concept of the two worlds via a portal, although the first part of the book was more interesting than the fantasy world. Overall, an enjoyable story, though it would be nice if publishers alerted readers to LGBTQ content, this is no different than a reader looking for a mystery, thriller, horror, etc. It’s not that I won’t read a book with LGBTQ, I just want to know in advance so that I can make that choice.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This book had my little story-loving soul screaming! It was so precious, and I didn't think Meg Shaffer could give us something better than the wishing game, but she somehow did! It was cute, sweet, action=packed, and precious. Those are the words that come to my mind! Wish this was a movie already!

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer takes readers on a magical journey where reality and fantasy collide. Emilie, seeking her missing sister Shannon, teams up with her friend Jeremy—known for his unique talent in locating lost people. Together with Rafe, they enter a mystical forest that feels like something out of a storybook. There, they encounter strange creatures and enchanted landscapes, while each grapples with their own secrets and past traumas.
The story beautifully explores themes of friendship, self-discovery, and healing through the power of storytelling, making it both an adventure and a heartfelt journey.

I enjoyed this one so much I had to purchase the audiobook version! You must check this out if you haven't already done so!

The Lost story is a great read that starts off as a more "True Crime" story before delving into a fantasy. The characters were enjoyable, and the story was sweet. I did wish it would go a little more depth with some of the more mundane days. It felt a little glossed over and rushed towards the end and was a bit short. I really do hope there is a sequel to this story.

I adored Meg shaffer's first book and was so excited to read this, but was super disappointed when approximately 25% through there was a LGBTQ relationship that took center stage of the book. I wasn't able to finish it due to that content, and wish it had been made known earlier on in the book or in the book description.

Like her previous book, this book was enjoyable and easy to read with characters you wanted a happy ending for but not a life-changing book. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters and the queer representation and possibly neurodivergent character. The story flowed well and was a breeze to read with only the beginning a little slower paced. Nothing was a surprise in the narrative but I didn't mind since this book felt comforting. I also will always love good pet rat rep.

If you love fairy tales, especially like OZ or Alice where the characters go into another world and wonder what happens after and when they all grow up (and maybe if they lived in West Virginia) is for you.

I really enjoyed this book and the fantasy elements, but also with the found family aspect as well as the best friends to lovers. This book truly was so heartwarming and I just really enjoyed it. There was good world building and I loved how this really highlighted how stories can be an escape. If you want a fantasy book with two great male main characters who are childhood best friends to lovers, AND two wonderful female main characters who are lost sisters reunited then this is for you.

Magical! I absolutely adored this book. It was strange, wonderful, and whimsical. Meg Shaffer has an ability to craft a story that is somehow about everything all at once. Equal parts, plot driven and character focused, The Lost Story takes you on a journey of discovery as two boys, once lost, try to find their way home again and a woman joins them on a quest to find her long lost sister. As they come together to try and get the answers to all the questions they seek, they go on an adventure and learn what it truly means to be lost and found. Captivating, moving, and imaginative, The Lost Story is one of the best books of 2024!

A magical coming of age story with a twist. If you love The Chronicles of Narnia and you're always looking to expand on that world and CS Lewis's inspiration for you. you'll find it in The Lost Story.