
Member Reviews

The Wishing Game is one of my favorite books! I was reluctant to read it but after all the fantastic reviews, I gave it a go and was blown away. When I heard Meg Shaffer was coming out with a new book I was so excited!
The Lost Story is about two former lost boys. Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell who were lost in West Virginia woods for 6 months as kids. Years later, a young woman recruits Jeremy, who has a skill for finding lost people, to help find her sister who disappeared in the very same woods.
This is a fairytale-esque adventure with portal magic and a bunch of fantastical creatures. Think The Chronicles of Narnia
Unfortunately, this fell flat. The beginning was very slow and hard to get into. I found the world building lacking and not much character development. I also feel like the story is a bit young adult. I'm sad to say this wasn't my favorite. I hope the author's next book works better for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

๐๐๐๐๐๐: 4โญ๏ธ
๐ถ๐๐๐๐: fantasy ๐
๐ผ๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐:
This was enjoyable read but itโs not my favorite
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐:
Magical realism
Great character development
Side of mystery
Beautiful imagery
The Chronicles of Narnia vibes
Found family
M/M romance
Cozy fairytales
Themes of friendship and second chances
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ ๐๐๐๐๐:
The pet rat
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ ๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐:
A little slow

I didn't know Meg Shaffer could beat the quality of her first book, but she did!! I'm in love with The Lost Story. The characters, the lush setting descriptions- it's all perfect. I can only hope she writes another! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer. This was my first book by the author and I really enjoyed the book. The interjections by a storyteller were unique and added a nice touch to the book. It was a sweet fairy tale type story and I would really say it falls in the YA category. The dialogue felt juvenile at times. There were a few tough topics brought up but the romance was completely closed door. I will definitely by reading more books by this author.

Meg Shaffer does it again! Another 4-star read for me after The Wishing Game, which I got from BOTM. If you read the author's note at the end of the book, you learn that this isn't just inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, but also Lord of the Flies. Now, I haven't read the latter, but growing up, I absolutely adored and devoured the Narnia series - which is why I think The Lost Story worked as well as it did for me. Other aspects I enjoyed about this book - it's captivating, I loved the characters, the plot was fairly concise (not a lot of extra 'fluff'), and it flowed very well overall. The pictures painted for me were so clear - from the landscape to the animals to the people themselves. Now, what didn't work for me? Why isn't it a 5-star read? I think the last 15-20% of the book kind of threw me for a loop - the way it ended was not something I was expecting, so it kind of took me out of the story for a minute, but I still would recommend this book for lovers of magical realism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
(4.5 stars) The Lost Story is another absolutely incredible fairytale story by Meg Shaffer! This magical, whimsical, tear-jerker of a book is written for the readers who grew up with tales like the Chronicles of Narnia, which inspired this story. Shaffer is now easily one of my favorite cozy/fairytale authors, since her books contain the perfect mix of fantasy and heart. I will absolutely be recommending her books to others, and will continue to read her stories in the future. And speaking of Shafferโs future books, The Lost Story NEEDS (and very much deserves) a sequel!! Iโm hoping this will come true based on the ending, as I would love to read more about the characters and Shanandoah!

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Meg Shaffer for the ARC copy. I decided to wait for the Audio and Purchased so I could tandem read. Worth the wait.
Honestly my only complaint was how fast it wrapped up. Give us one more adventure please. Meg Shaffer is definitely becoming one of my favorite writers. I only teared up in parts. I absolutely loved Rafe and Jeremy's relationship. Can we get another book please.

I couldn't even get through the first few chapters of The Wishing Game, so I was worried I would hate this one. But I ended up loving it. It was good from begginging to end. I loved the writing and the characters. I especially loved the "Storyteller Corner" parts. If you like the Wayward Children series by Seanan Mcguire, then I highly recommend you read this.

I was a fan of the Wishing Game and so anxiously looked forward to the Lost Story.
Simply put this book is an adult fairytale. It's easy to love the characters as they are so well done. The author does a fantastic job of describing this fairytale land making this book a delight!

This hurts my heart.
I loved Meg Shaffer's previous novel.
She is a phenomenal writer.
This just wasn't for me.
The Lost Story started off strong and the premise was unique but it couldn't keep my attention.
I wasn't invested. I thought about DNFing multiple times.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for my gifted advanced readers copy of this book.
I look forward to picking up Meg Shaffer's next book.

๐ณ Iโm pretty sure this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but this book didnโt wow me.
๐ณ I loved the first part of the book. I was completely drawn in by the situation, the characters, and the promise of something very unique to come. Iโm a huge fan of magical realism so I couldnโt wait until the men returned to the magical land they were lost in as boys. But the second half, when they were back in the magical land, felt rushed and sloppy. The world-building was weak IMO (I barely even pictured the scenes) and I didnโt engage at all. There was almost too much going on in the second half and nothing was given enough detail or attention for me to fully engage in any of it.
๐ณ Even the storytellerโs interludes were peculiar. At first, I found it charming and unconventional, but later it became an obvious plot device to advance the story without actually telling the story.
๐ณ While I appreciated Shafferโs previous book, The Lost Story fell short of my expectations.
Thank you @netgalley and Ballantine Books for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

5/5!
I love the magic that Meg Shaffer puts into these stories. I loved the Wishing Game last year, so that made this an automatic pick up for me and let me tell you that I was not disappointed. If you like magical realism and feeling like you are being transported to your childhood, you HAVE to check this book out. It was phenomenal.
Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my e-arc copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of The Lost Story!
Two teenage boys go missing in Red Crow State Forest in West Virginia and after six months everyone has given up hope of them being found alive when they suddenly reappear - one completely fine and the other missing his memory of the entire time they were gone. Jeremy grows up to become a missing persons locater superstar. He is approached by a woman whose sister also went missing in the Red Crow and she is desperate for his help to find her. Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie must go back to the Red Crow but they will never be the same.
I enjoyed this book but I really wished we got more of what happened in Shenandoah. The flashbacks are never fully fleshed out stories and the time the characters spend there in the present is actually very short. A lot more time is spent in the real world talking about past and present problems and I wish there was more "show, don't tell" to the actual plot. For being hyped as a grown up Chronicles of Narnia retelling, this book barely delved into the Narnia part, which is arguably everyone's favorite. The descriptions of Shenandoah are very middle schoolesque and the tension is very low. The fantasy world felt almost middle grade. There was so much potential for this book but I was ultimately disappointed.
3.5 stars but rounded to 4

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer is a good, magical fantasy read. I loved the journey part of it and the jumping between different worlds. I didnโt really understand the relationships between all of the characters. The timeline and pacing was also a little confusing to me. This book was good, but I think that her debut novel was better.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The lush descriptions of nature and scenery gave me a clear picture of the settings and scenery, and I enjoyed the clever use of symbolism. The premise and opening of this book immediately drew me in, and I enjoyed the character journey from start to finish. In particular I thought that Rafe's family dynamics were explored in an interesting and nuanced way, though I would also caution that there are mentions of child and spousal abuse.
The one thing that prevented me from rating this higher was that I felt as though the reader isn't trusted to understand this book on their own. Especially toward the end, there is a lot of telling and not much showing. If something odd is happening, you will be told directly. If something is going to be important later, you will be told directly. I would have liked to be able to be surprised by the story more, and moreover I felt patronized at times. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books. This is my honest review.
3/5 Good character work, but felt a bit spoon-fed.

I keep saying I donโt like fantasy but clearly I do. While I wasnโt overly thrilled with Meg Schafferโs first book, I absolutely loved this one. It has everything youโd ever want in a fantasy novel, plus it pays homage to some of the great fantasy books of childhood.
When best friends Jeremy and Rafe were teenagers they were lost in the woods of West Virginia. Just as mysteriously as they disappeared, six months later they reappeared looking just as healthy and robust as the day they went missing. Rafe canโt remember anything from the night before he disappeared onward Jeremy refused to talk about it. 15 years later they are no longer friends and Jeremy is well known for his skill of finding missing girls and women. When heโs approached by Emilie, a young woman looking for her long lost sister, he knows itโs time to get Rafe and head back into the woods to help Emilie find her sister and Rafe to find his memories.
I loved everything about this. Ms. Shaffer has created a book so magical you can feel it through the pages as youโre reading. Her descriptions are so vivid and the story really came alive within my head. While it is categorized as Womenโs Fiction I think teenagers who are fans of the fantasy genre will love it too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for an advanced copy of this. The Lost Story hit the shelves on July 16th.

Thank you Random House Publishing Ballantine for the ARC opportunity in exchange for a review. The back and forth perspectives in the story was fun.
This story makes me want to pick up The Chronicles of Narnia again. I wish it was longer to expand some of the scenes or perspectives from other characters or other books, maybe in the future? :)

Utterly and indelibly enamored. This is the greatest love story ever told. Iโm mad I didnโt read it sooner and I need more of this magical world immediately. What a gift.

I really, really liked The Wishing Game, which was Meg Shafferโs bookish retelling of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In The Lost Story, she pays homage to the Narnia stories: Two boys disappear into the West Virginia woods, only to appear six months later seemingly unharmed, except one canโt remember where heโs been โ or anything else about the past 6 months. Fast forward 15 years, and Jeremy, one of the boys, now makes a living off his uncanny knack for finding lost girls. Heโs contacted by Emilie, whose sister disappeared 20 years ago from the very same woods where Jeremy and Rafe went missing. Emilieโs sister is alive, and Jeremy knows where to find her: Shanandoah, a magical hidden land. Jeremy, however, no longer knows how to return to Shanandoah, but Rafe does, even if he doesnโt actually remember the place itself.
I loved the setup of this โ the mystery of where the boys had disappeared off to and why, and how Emilie and her sister are connected: The vibes of the West Virginia forest, that Emilieโs sister was kidnapped by a would-be rapist, the hints at the sinister reason Jeremey and Rafe disappeared - all stellar. I liked less what happens when Jeremy, Rafe and Emilie leave the real word and enter Shanandoah didnโt entirely live up to the premise. The magical land is clearly meant to have sprung from the imagination of a child, though some elements are appropriately dangerous and creepy, and if it had delved further the direction it was going, it would have been great. Instead, thereโs a redemption arc I could have done without and a crisis that felt more contrived than an earned twist.
Still โ anyone who grew up reading Narnia and dreamed they too might find themselves whisked off to a magical land will find something to enjoy here thatโs more than just nostalgia.
โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ๐ซ 3.5 stars rounded up
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this captivating novel inspired by C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia," we follow two childhood friends, Jeremy and Rafe, who vanished as boys into a mysterious forest and returned with secrets untold. Years later, Jeremy, now a famed investigator, is approached by Emilie, who seeks to find her missing sister in the same forest. As the trio delves back into the magical realm where Jeremy and Rafe once escaped reality, they confront their haunting pasts and unearth long-buried secrets. This fairy tale for adults blends magical realism with deep emotional exploration, making it a mesmerizing read. The story beautifully captures the essence of childhood wonder alongside the painful journey of coming to terms with one's past.