This was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. I haven't read it so I don't know how it compares but I really enjoyed this book. I was a fan of the author's first book so I was excited to check this book out. 3.5 stars

*Free Review Copy*

Let me start by saying The Wishing Game was one of my favorite books of 2023. I was excited to receive a review copy of The Lost Story, hoping for another creative, sparkling adventure. To me, The Lost Story wasn't exactly that.

As a pretty voracious reader and plentiful enjoyer of Fantasy / Magical Realism Fiction, The Lost Story just didn't "pop" for me the way that other tales do. It wasn't a convoluted story and was written with nice prose, and I could certainly see someone really enjoying this but, truth be told, it just felt like any/every story to me. It didn't strike me as overly clever or creative or anything much new.

Someone who hasn't read much Fantasy and is interested in a story of magic mixed with our modern world might very well enjoy this book. For me, it was fine, and that's about all.

Very much looking forward to Meg Shaffer's next book because she is a lovely storyteller and I like her mix of modern + magic. I know there is more good stuff to come.

Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and Netgalley for this Free Review Copy.

An interest story but it felt like two books mashed together. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the story but had so many questions after finishing it due to plot holes/missing explanations. I loved Jeremy and Ralph’s relationship and all the side character. The first half is like a missing persons mystery and then we fall into a fantasy realm.

3.75⭐️

I was thoroughly impressed by The Wishing Game by Shaffer and eagerly anticipated the release of another novel.

However, The Lost Story didn’t resonate with me as strongly as its predecessor. While the narrative was beautifully crafted, I found it challenging to maintain my engagement. Nonetheless, Shaffer's exceptional writing remains evident throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I still look forward to reading more from Shaffer in the future.

Shaffer has a knack for writing fairytales that somehow feel like realistic fiction. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as The Wishing Game but I was still drawn in to the magical world she created. Rafe and Jeremy go missing in the woods as children but then return completely unscathed. They travel back to a place they love years later in an effort to help a young woman find her lost sister. We get transported to the enchanted world where they will discover a lot about themselves and each other.

Pick this up if you think you’ll enjoy a love story with magic and unicorns with LGTBQ rep.

<i>The Lost Story</i> was a fun combination of a crime documentary meets something like Narnia. This started out strong. It was really good, until it wasn't. I appreciated the mix between reality and fantasy. Once the fantasy started to run away with the story, it started to lose me.
Reading about Jeremy and Rafe getting lost in the woods was like a ripped from the headlines true crime story. And then they mysteriously reappeared. Yes! Tell me more. The story jumps ahead and Jeremy and Rafe, even after dealing with so much together as kids, no longer speaker until Emilie comes along looking for their help. Her sister went missing and she wants their help.
I really enjoyed the connections that were made. The fantasy was just a little too much for me. And the story being interrupted by the storyteller was fun until it became super annoying.
I wanted to like this book more than I did.

This entertaining adult fairy tale inspired by 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 has a beautiful message about found family. I loved the characters and the playfulness even when the story was addressing serious issues, and the narrator/storyteller was a great device. If you're looking for a magical escape, this is it.

Thanks to Random House and Ballantine for the copy to review.

The Lost Story is a unique, low stakes fantasy that’s whimsical yet full of emotional depth. There’s a small romance, but the story focuses heavily on character growth and development. I found the pacing to be a little slow for my taste and the writing style more YA than I anticipated. I wish the themes could’ve been a bit heavier and mature, as there was a ton of potential. The Lost Story fell a bit flat for me and lagged in terms of plot movement. I think it was just an okay read, nothing really brought it to the next level for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Picked this one up after thoroughly enjoying Meg Schaffer’s novel The Wishing Game and this one was different! This is a story that goes between the real world and an enchanting magical one. It has some real world issues mixed in with some just plain ole fun and escapism. Two boys who have very different home lives become friends and go missing only to show back up with no recollection of where they had been. The story of discovery and remembering ensues as well as the continuation of the life they had been away from. I would call this fantasy “light” for those that want to dip their toes in.

This. Book. I was instantly hooked by the plot of the story. Such a unique story and I loved the character build. I loved it!

Reading The Lost Story was like getting a warm hug. This was such a joy to read. This is not my usual type of book, and I kind of went into it blind, but I’m so glad I took a chance on it.

The found family element was my favorite part of this story. When Emilie barrels into Jeremy’s life, the pair could not be more different. Yet, he still offers to help her. That offers brings Rafe back into his life and even though many years have passed and the boys have been through so much, it’s still like coming home. Even with all their history they still make room for Emilie and accept her with open arms.

The setting was also a big part of this story and I absolutely loved getting lost in Shenandoah. This is my first novel by this author and I just loved her writing style. She really transports you to this world and makes the magic seem real. I loved the magical creatures and the matriarchal society. Bonus points for the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for a review copy. I will definitely be reading this author’s next book!

Thank you Meg Shaffer for this absolutely wonderful book! I loved this fairy tale for adults. The plot, the characters, the magical land - it was pure perfection. Thank you!

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer is a story inspired by C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. It's about two boys that go missing in the West Virginia state forest and then mysteriously reappear six months later. And now, many years later, they return to the same forest to confront what happened. This time they bring Emilie with them, as her sister vanished there as well. This story was magical and heartwarming, and I really enjoyed it. It talks of repaired relationships and special friendships. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I was swept away by this story and these characters. This is a story about found family, lost love, the ways we hide, and what it takes to be found.

This review pains me. But I just could not rate The Lost Story higher than a 3. I loved the Wishing Game so much and wanted to fall in love with this one too. It wasn't there for me. I don't have a whole lot to say.

We don't actually get to the fantasy/Lost World until the 50% mark and in my opinion that's just too late into the story. The first half was so, for lack of a better word, boring. The fantasy world, Shanandoah, had so much potential to be great. But it just felt flat and underdeveloped.

3 stars for the effort and the unique fairy tale element at the beginnings of the chapters. And it wasn't ALL terrible. The characters were loveable. Rafe and Jeremy's relationship was fun and interesting.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
#magicalrealm
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

I do wish for future readers that the synopsis would be rewritten to expose a little bit less of what happens. Since I sign up for these ARCs usually months in advance, I have almost always already forgotten what the book is to be about. That said, there is still much more to be told in this book. How/why they became friends. Their family's dynamic. And more.

This book is definitely worth a read. I will still continue to pick up all of MS's books. I like her damaged characters and honestestness she gives them.

I do wish she had given more description to the story of Rafe, Jeremy and Emilie's trek through the woods to get to the magical realm that the boys had disappeared into 15 years ago.

#romance
#NetGalley
#randomhousepublishing
#ballantinebooks

I think I let my own hype for this one get too high, because it was slightly disappointing to me. Her debut last year was one of my top ten books of the year, I truly adored that book so, needless to say, I was very excited for this one. But it just didn't at all give me the same feelings I had when reading The Wishing Game. The writing/prose was stunning, I tabbed this one a lot. I liked the characters just okay, but I didn't realize this was going to be so romance heavy. I liked the narrator interjections. The pacing was too slow-building and the plot fell a little flat for me. The world-building was severely lacking. I mean, it's Narnia inspired, I expected way more enchanting, magical aspects. Overall, it was just okay, it really didn't live up to my own expectations. 3.5 rounded up.

Whimsical, compelling story that is reminiscent of fairy tales and yet so appealing to adults. A love song to reading and books and magic and everything that makes us creatively human. Pacing and plot was even and entertaining. I was hooked almost immediately.

Meg Shaffer does it again!

I loved the wholesome, magical, whimsical feel of The Wishing Game, and The Lost Story is just as fantastic!

In a quick, simple summary, this story is about two boys that stumble into a fantasy world, grow up, then find their way back to the 'real world' then have to deal with all the complications of life that come along with their experience.

Anyone that likes fairytales will love this book.

I am already highly anticipating her next book!

Fifteen years ago, Jeremy and Raffe went missing from a West Virginia state forest only to return six months later without explaining where they went. Now, Rafe is an artist who has no memories of what happened in those 6 months and is haunted by his unknown past. Jeremy is the only one who knows the truth about their disappearance and works as a private investigator who specializes in finding missing girls and women.

Emilie hires Jeremy to find her sister who went missing from the same forest as the lost boys, years before they went missing. Jermey and Rafe have not spoken in 15 years, but they can only save Emilie's sister by working together. The three must head to the magical realm where they spent those 6 months to find everything they lost.

The narrator breaks the third wall while explaining parts of the story throughout. It reads like a fairy tale for adults and I loved every minute. I could not put this book, inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, down.