Wow, so I was not sure what to expect from this book because when I read the title, I immediately thought of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. Straight talk: the last Peter Pan retelling I read was totally not my jam!
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So, while I was a little apprehensive, my Bookish Buds ™️ were all requesting this NetGalley ARC and I was super struggling with FOMO.
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This book was better than expected! It was fast paced and engaging from the first page and I binged it in two evening reading. My only complaint is the Storyteller Corner aspect of this book. I didn’t love it.
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Whew! I managed to post this review in the final hours of Pub Day! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for a free copy of this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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I loved this magical tale. It reminded me of a grown-up version of a childhood fantasy novel (many of which were referenced here!) It got even better when I realized it was a sweet queer love story. It went a different direction than I thought it would, but it made it even better. It dealt with some tough themes in a kind, sensitive way. I hope to get the chance to visit Shanadoah again.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fun read. Tough to put down. Story works well with minimal lapses in pace. Easy to lose yourself in.

Following the death of her mother, Emilie is hoping the renown Jeremy Cox can help her find her sister - who went missing when she was 3.

I liked the idea of a magical world, how Shannon created it, and how it came alive in her hour of need….but the rest of the story fell flat. I liked Jeremy and Rafe - their relationship was sweet and we got a lot of background about them, but I just felt like overall nothing really ever happened.

Such a beautiful story with depth and meaning.

The Lost Story brings imagination to life. If given the possibility to live in all your favorite fantasy worlds, would you do it? Or would you stay in the “real world?” For Jeremy and Rafe, there are things they’re looking to escape. For Emilie, she seeks lost family. All are intertwined in ways they never imagined.

I loved the vivid descriptions and character development. While Emilie initially appears to be the focus, Jeremy and Rafe are the true stars. Their growth and relationship arc was a joy to unfold. Shaffer’s writing style lends itself to magical realism.

All around, highly recommend. Leaves you with that warm fuzzy feeling while still understanding the world isn’t just fluffy. And of course, books are magic.

Jeremy and Rafe have been called The Lost Boys ever since their mysterious and unexplainable disappearance as kids. They emerged from the woods those 15 years ago looking as if they had thrived, not just survived, for 6 months alone. As an adult, Rafe lives a very secluded life with no memories from their time away. Jeremy spends his time helping find lost women and girls. Jeremy is approached by Emilie to help her find her sister, a girl who has been missing for quite some time in the same woods that he and Rafe were lost in. Only Jeremy knows that those woods lead to a truly magical world and they are all about to enter it.

This was such an enchanting story that gripped me from the very beginning! Parts of the beginning did feel a bit slow at points but it all led up to a truly magical world. It was such a fun journey and I loved the incorporation of the storyteller chapters that gave us more insight along the way. This is a great story for lovers of fairytales!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

I am heartbroken. I wanted to love this book so much, as Shaffer's debut novel instantly became and will forever be one of my all time favorite reads. I tried to really temper my expectations with this book for that reason, but it just didn't have anything I needed it to have. The world-building was oftentimes confusing and was extremely childish. I know the childishness aspect was part of the point of the world itself and how it came to be, but it was hard to look past and was hard to enjoy as an adult novel. I will absolutely read things written by this author in the future, but this one just wasn't for me, and that's okay.

2.5 rounded up
This was one of my most anticipated books because I absolutely adored The Wishing Game. Perhaps I had this one too hyped up in my head 🫣🥺
I really loved the way it started and I was so intrigued to learn about the mysterious disappearance of Jeremy and Rafe. But then it actually got to that part and it felt like a big pile of fantasy throw up 😬 It seemed like any element of a fantasy novel ever was included in this book. I did like the ending though and I liked the magic pencil storyline! Overall, it's a very creative, unique book and it was very middle of the road for me because it had pros and cons. I would recommend this to people who like fantasy, or anyone looking to read something different! The "storyteller" has random bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout which broke up the book nicely for me, but might not be everyone's style.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the e-arc! I look forward to reading Meg Shaffer's next novel.

"Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." - C.S. Lewis

The Lost Story by Meg Schaffer is inspired by C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia so it is no wonder that I LOVED this book!

“Once upon a time in West Virginia, two boys went missing…” begins the store of Jeremy, Rafe, Emilie, and Skya. When Jeremy and Rafe were boys they went missing for six months only to suddenly reappear. Fifteen years later, where they went and how they stayed alive is still a mystery to everyone but Jeremy. While Rafe became a recluse that creates beautiful art, Jeremy is a famous missing persons investigator.

When Emilie, desperate to find her missing sister, seeks out Jeremy's expertise, he believes they'll find her in the mystical forest where he and Rafe vanished. Rafe, kept in the dark about their past, is reluctantly drawn back into the mystery. As they embark on their quest, long-buried memories are uncovered and tragic ones revisited, you will be immersed in a wonderful fairy tale.

Schaffer's masterful storytelling weaves a spellbinding narrative that immerses readers in the adventure. I can’t say enough good things about this novel! I'm grateful to Random House and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of this captivating novel. If you're looking for a delightful, fairy-tale-inspired read, "The Lost Story" is a must-read.

I am not a big fan of fantasy but Meg Shaffer I will read time and time again. As a book lover, there is not doubt people will devour this book and the amazing, wonderful worlds she creates that takes you straight back to your childhood!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Lost Story follows Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell, childhood best friends whose mysterious disappearance as teens holds the key to solving another disappearance fifteen years later.

The thing that sold me on this book was its billing as a fairytale for adults, and Meg Shaffer certainly did not disappoint. This book has it all: magic, adventure, mysticism, and love. Though I would've loved a hundred extra pages for more depth -- often it felt like the book was leaning a bit too heavily on "fairytale" and not firmly enough on "for adults" -- I did have an excellent time reading this book, and it's definitely convinced me to pick up more Meg Shaffer in the future.

Jeremy and Rafe were best friends before they came back from the forest. Fast forward 15 years and they haven't seen nor spoken to each other in all that time. When Emilie asks for Jeremys help finding her sister who went missing in the same forest a couple of years before he and Rafe did.

Jeremy can only find her with Rafe's help, and at first he declines, but the lure of finding out the answers to what happened to him while he was gone is too good to pass up.

I really enjoyed the way Rafe and Jeremy interact with each other, I love their banter, and how they talk about their shared past. Emilie is great, she says what she thinks, she rambles, and has a soft spot for animals. She fits in great with both the boys.

I thought the world building was great, especially once they get to the magical place of Shenandoah, and all its residents... minus the bad guys who are definetly bad. This story was a lot of fun, with some heartfelt moments and I had a great time reading it.

I've known from the opening chapter that this book was a 5 star novel. Actually, I'd give this more than 5 stars if possible. I thought The Wishing Game was 5 stars, and this novel blows Wishing right out of the water. Shaffer has now become a MUST read for me! This is a story of love, and believing, and finding lost things, even yourself. Side note: if you are from West Virginia or love WVa, this novel is a bit of a love song for WVa.

"Rafe and Jeremy are best friends who were lost as teenagers and now are lost to each other. Helping Emilie allows them to find their way back to each other. Magical lands, vast adventures, swashbuckling and dangers are faced before the end of the story. I'm not going to say much more, other than this is inspired by Narnia, and don't forget to read the author's note at the end of the book.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost."

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

I loved Meg Shaffer’s book The Wishing Game last year, so I wasted no time adding The Lost Story to my TBR the moment I found out about it. It sounded amazing: a story inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia about two boys who were lost in an enchanted world as children and must return there as adults to confront their shared past.

I really, really wanted to love this book but it just didn’t work for me. I love Shaffer’s writing style, which is clean and whimsical and engaging, albeit a bit YA in feel. The book is based on a wonderful and ambitious concept that unfortunately didn’t quite come to fruition. Even as someone who doesn’t read a lot of fantasy, I know that 350 pages is not enough space to do justice to the world-building that needed to take place to make the magical land of Shanandoah truly come alive. The characters aren’t very well-developed and I didn’t feel any connection to them. Their dialogue does not feel natural and often comes across as juvenile. I also wasn’t a fan of the Storyteller literary device, which felt like it was hitting the reader over the head and telling rather than showing, adding to the YA vibe.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

The Lost Story is the gay Narnia book of my dreams. Equal parts funny and touching Shaffer handles some tough topics with a good deal of grace. From the first chapter the characters feel like old friends, and it's wonderful to go along on their journey. This book feels like a gift- like it was written just for that little kid inside many of us, who yearned to go through the Wardrobe with Lucy. I loved this characters and will be forever wondering what other adventures wait in their futures.

I loved the wishing game last year and it was my favorite book of the year. I did enjoy this but not nearly as much as the wishing game. I loved the first half more than the second I will say. I also just adore Meg Shaffer's writing and will read all of her books.
This was whimsical and funny but to me it was just lacking what her first book had.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group & NetGalley for the digital ARC of The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer. All opinions are my own.

After reading Meg Shaffer’s debut novel, The Wishing Game, last year, I was SO excited to get my hands on a copy of The Lost Story. This book tells the story of 2 boys who are lost to a fantasy land, only to mysteriously appear 6 months later. The book takes place 15 years later in the aftermath of their return and their journey back to the fantasy land of Shanandoah.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t wowed by this novel like was with her debut. I had trouble connecting with the characters, and the story felt disjointed to me at times. I just never got fully swept away in the writing. I wanted more atmosphere than I got. I appreciate who the characters became by the end of the story, but I wasn’t wholly satisfied.

Overall, I’d give this novel a 2/5 stars. It just wasn’t for me, but I hope it’s the right book for other readers!

4.25 stars

This was such a fun nostalgic read for everyone who's wondered what happens after the kids who've found a fantasy world have to return to real life. Jeremy and Rafe went missing as teens in a forest in West Virginia, reappearing after six months with no explanation. Rafe had no memories of the time, and Jeremy wasn't telling. Now, 15 years later, they aren't in touch. But Jeremy is a famed missing persons investigator, and his newest client, Emilie, went missing in the same forest--and Jeremy thinks the same magical realm--that the boys did.

I loved how much this reminded me of Narnia and similar stories I read as a kid. It did a great job of combining the magic and innocence of childhood with the wry and knowing voice of adulthood. The romance was surprisingly touching and I actually teared up a few times--friends to lovers supremacy! I highlighted tons of lines, half because they were beautiful and half because they were hysterically funny. And the story ended on the perfect note. Just a great standalone novel that reads like a light palate cleanser but sticks with you emotionally like a series you've spent years in. Now brb while I wander off into a forest hopefully. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. Fifteen years ago, two teenage boys got lost in a West Virginia forest. Six months later they returned, unharmed, unable to explain where they'd been. Now, one of those boys has made a name for himself through finding missing people, and the other is an artist who lives as a recluse in the mountains, with only a garden full of fantastical sculptures as company. They're brought together again by a young woman searching for her missing sister, who helps them realize that, maybe, the only way to move forward is by going back.

Whimsical and magical, The Lost Story is the very definition of a fairy tale for grown-ups. Meg Shaffer is such an incredible storyteller, with an ability to weave words and worlds that puts her right up there with some of the best fantasy writers. For me, her books bring back the nostalgic feeling of being transported to a make-believe world for the first time: going through the wardrobe to Narnia, taking the train to Hogwarts, waking up in Oz. In The Lost Story, she transports us to another place...but that's all I'll say, because you should discover the magic for yourself.

At the same time that The Lost Story feels like a fairy tale in its execution, it also deals with contemporary themes like overcoming trauma and complicated family dynamics and doesn't shy away from difficult topics. But mostly, this is a story about love and acceptance, and it was a pure joy to experience. I'm so excited to watch Meg Shaffer's writing career unfold -- and I hope we haven't seen the last of these characters or this world. Thank you to Ballantine Books for the early reading opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine Books for the Kindle ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fifteen years after Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell returned after having been declared missing for six months, Jeremy is approached by a young girl name Emilee who is searching for the truth behind her sister's disappearance in the very same forest the the boys had been lost in called Red Crow.

Since the boys return, Rafe, who can not remember what happened to them has become a recluse artist who has painted and carved from wood fantastical creatures and people. Jeremy, on the other hand, remembers what happened to them but refuses to tell Rafe for reasons you will learn when you read the book. Jeremy has a special ability for finding lost people and things and has made that his life's work.

After meeting Emilee, Jeremy knows it is time to go back to Red Crow and he must have Rafe with him to help Emilee find her sister.

In the woods is tree that is a portal to another world.... read this fun, entertaining fantasy to see how all this plays out.

I feel that this should be sold as a young adult story. The author did something fun with little interjections throughout to clarify a few things along the way, which is a unique style of writing.

Some themes that are covered in this book: domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, child abduction, male lovers, fighting.....

I liked Shaffer's first book much more than this one, but this is a fun little fairy tale!