3.5/4 stars

What a whimsical read! I liked the fantastical elements as well as the conversation around familial trauma and loss. I wish there was more world-building - it felt like this book was longer than it should have been with the sparse amount of details that were provided about the different settings. Some of that length can come down to the stilted, almost juvenile, dialogue between our characters. I think the author was going for descriptive, detailed, and lyrical, but it just felt bogged down by unimportant jabs. The pacing was also a bit tough for me as the first 50% of the book was purely about reconnecting the characters, so it felt slowwwwwww. Whereas the last 50% of the book was the adventures in Shanandoah and it felt extremely rushed with very little exploration of this whimsical world itself (which was disappointing since everything led to those moments in Shanandoah). The interruptions by the narrator were cute, but decidedly annoying at times, although I did love the background knowledge given in some of those sections. Overall, not a bad book, just a bit too simplistic for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Meg Shaffer for allowing me access to an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

DNF @ 60%. I really enjoyed the first half of the story, but I feel like this idea wasn’t fleshed out enough. The characters didn’t feel true to life and their dialogue was forced, especially their humor. Being thrust into a fantasy world mid story is all fun and games, but when everything you need to know is immediately infodumped on the first page of their arrival, it takes some of the magic out of it.

I was really looking forward to this one because I really enjoyed The Wishing Game. Meg Shaffer knows how to warm this cold cynical heart. As someone who has been a huge fantasy fan since childhood, I really appreciate the strong nods to flagship children fantasy stories and series (think Narnia, Willy Wonka, The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride, etc.)

The Lost Story takes place on a dual timeline, past and present, and highlights the relationship between 4 “lost” people. There is a strong nod to childhood trauma and child runaways in both of Shaffer’s books and the escapism into fantasy worlds that helps some children heal from said trauma. In a small West Virginia town, teenagers have gone missing in the vast forest on two separate occasions. A young woman, abducted and assumed to be dead, who was never found and two young boys who went missing for 6 months, assumed runaways, but returned with no memory of where they had been, or so we are to believe. These three lost souls have a relationship that transcends reality and they work together to find one other lost soul, who cannot be found until she wants to.

The Lost Story is magical, heartwarming and sad all at once; and includes a LGBTQIA romance. Alongside our four main characters, we have our Storyteller POV (reminiscent of The Princess Bride ala breaking the fourth wall throughout both timelines past and present) and most importantly the cutest fancy rat mascot.

The Lost Story comes out on July 16th and is a perfect cozy magic realism/fantasy read for the summer. Thank you to Random House Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book; all opinions are my own.

This was like a big hug to lovers of fairy tales who are now adults. I loved the homages paid to fairy tales we grew up with like Narnia. (Loved the Easter egg to THE WISHING GAME with the nod to Clock Island). I felt skyas character was a bit flat (but that was also her purpose) and I was left wanting more from Emilie. I thought she would be playing a much larger role in the whole scheme of things.

Thank you so much to Random House for the ARC!

THE WISHING GAME was my favorite book last year so hopes were SO HIGH! I loved how the charatcer's in that one felt like friends and how even through there was a magical element, it wasn't the main theme.

This is nothing against the writing itself, but the level of magic in this one didn't work for me. Not surprising since Narnia didn't work for me either, so clearly it's not that there's a lack of talent, it's just that I have a lack of imagination required to make the story come to life.

The writing was beautiful though, but not something I would go out of my way to read again.

I'm sure this will still be a huge hit for many!

It will be available July 16th!

Absolutely captivating story with magic, adventure, and heart. I loved the way Meg unfolded the story and the obvious and subtle nod to Narnia. I adored this book and Meg Shaffer is officially an auto-buy author for me!

At Tome Student Literacy Society, we have a list of language and content criteria for the books we select for our annual book award list, the Tome Society Book Award. Upon a language search in this book, we discovered that it did not meet our specific criteria for language. Due to this, we elected not to finish this book for review purposes for our organization. We would like to thank the publisher for the opportunity to review an e-book of this title.

This book was absolutely fantastic! I wanted to read it as quickly as possible to find out what happened, and also never wanted it to end! Meg Shaffer writes such beautiful stories and this is definitely one of my favorite books of the year!

to anyone who has ever wanted to escape to a fairy tale, this is a love letter to you. Beautiful! I didnt want this to end, ever. This is the type of book that makes you wish you could read for the first time again.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Jeremy and Ralph, also known as the Lost Boys, disappeared in the Red Crow Forest and reappeared six months later. As inseparable as they were prior to their disappearance, they did not speak to each other for the next fifteen years. Emilie is seeking answers to her sister’s disappearance in the same forest as the Lost Boys. Jeremy and Ralph agree to help her. They not only find out what happened to her sister but also find out what happened to the Lost Boys during the six months they were missing. Be prepared to be transported to a magical place filled with unicorns, rain berries and royalty. I adored the book “The Wishing Game” and had high expectations for this book as well. Alas, I didn’t hate this book but also didn’t love it. Thank you NetGalley and Ballatine Books for the Advanced Reading Copy.

This was a DNF for me. I didn’t realize the book had an LGBTQ+ relationship. I know this won’t be an issue for many, but this book is not for me.

Let me start by saying WOW! I will not be able to say enough good things in this review do do it justice but I will certainly try my best while keeping the spoilers to an absolute minimum.

I am certain you've seen this book everywhere and for all the best reasons. This book is filled with nostalgia for the book I read when I was a kid. Finding magic in all the unique, mysterious places and imagining a portal somewhere in the woods of West Virginia. I love how Meg Shaffer is able give walking through the woods such a magical feel, even on the page. I often find clarity and peace in my own local woods and this gives me a bit of magical thinking each time I go.

Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie are wonderfully crafted characters. Each are damaged in their own ways and yet each is trying their best to overcome their own personal trauma. Emilie seems to become the little sister to the two "lost boys" and they need her charismatic energy to help draw them back to the world they once left.

This book has emotion, heart, healing, found family, and magic.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me an advance reader copy of this book but I also want to thank MEG Shaffer, herself, for joining me and my cohost on our podcast Books are Magical and talking about this book with us. She was an utter delight and we love d picking her brain about this beautiful world.

Meg Shaffer’s previous novel, The Wishing Game, was one of my favorite books last year. So, I was incredibly excited to receive an e galley of The Lost Story.

In this title, the author develops an imaginative story that pays homage to CS Lewis. Just as Lewis did, Shaffer creates an alternate and magical world populated by unique characters and situations. As in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, characters lives will be transformed.

Two boys, Rafe and Jeremy, disappeared only to miraculously return six months later. How did their relationship and lives fare after this? What happens to them and a young woman named Emily fifteen years later? No more plot reveals as readers will want to have their own experience while reading this.

Good and evil, many kinds of love, and adventure await in this highly recommended title. BookPage has given it a well deserved star review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

I read The Wishing Game a few months ago and was happy to be able to read this one as well. What a great adult fairytale. If you enjoyed Chronicles of Narnia then I would bet you’ll enjoy The Lost Story.
Jeremy and Ralph (dubbed Rafe by Jeremy) are thought to be lost for 6 months. But when they’re found, they are healthy, they’ve grown and they’re happy. Were they lost?? What happened in that 6 month’s?
15 years later, Jeremy is an investigator for missing persons. He answers an ad placed by Emilie who is looking for her lost sister who disappeared into the same woods that Jeremy and Rafe had been. But Shannon has been missing for years. Jeremy immediately knows he has seen her sister. He takes her to meet Rafe and together they decide to go back to the place they haven’t even talked about for the last 15 years.
Thank you to NetGalley, Meg Shaffer and Ballantine books for allowing me this arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5

Shaffer has a true talent of taking children’s classics (think Narnia) and putting an adult twist on them. She transported me back to my childhood while simultaneously reminded me of the struggles/joys that being an adult has. So yes I am officially an adult fairy tale fan.

Ten years ago, ten year old Jeremy and Rafe went missing. After months of being missing, the police deemed them “The Lost Boys” until one day two hikers stumbled upon two strong healthy looking boys in the forest. Everyone was baffled at their reappearance and how healthy they looked despite being missing for months.

Fast forward 20 plus years, Jeremy is a famous finder (finds missing people) and Rafe lives in the woods where he does NOT want to be found. Emilie needs their help finding her sister. Jeremy tells them they have to revisit the woods they got lost in as boys. Rafe is hesitant but agrees. They begin their quest to find Emilie’s missing sister and find themselves in a different world. A beautiful world of love and beauty. A world where ANYTHING is possible (unicorns, magic, foods). Jeremy and Rafe find themselves reunited with creatures and people they never thought they’d see again. Danger quickly approaches as the Ghost Town (think dark creepy hell) is made aware of their arrival. The world of beauty battles with the world of gloom and the battle could result in the boys dying or reining victorious.

I would add this to your TBR immediately if you need a quick escape from reality. Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for the ARC!

The Lost Story
I Just finished The Lost Story, and this book also took me back to my childhood and gave me all the Narnia Vibes. Meg knows how to write an “out of the box” story that keeps you on your toes! Thank you to @netgalley for the arc!

Synopsis/ Review:

Jeremy and Rafe emerge from the Red Crow forest after being “lost” for 6 months and assumed dead by the local police. Rafe cannot remember a thing about his time in the forest. 15 years later Rafe is a recluse and Jeremy spends his time finding missing girls. The two haven’t spoken since their return from the forest. Jeremy and Rafe reconnect when Emilie asks Jeremy to help find her sister who went missing in the Red Crow Forest many years prior. The 3 go on an incredible journey into the Red Crow Forest that leads them to a faraway land complete with a knight, a prince and a princess!

I absolutely loved this right from the start. It hooked me right in and I was invested in the characters and their storylines. I enjoyed how the author weaved the magic into the “real world” and how the characters all dealt with, and faced their childhood trauma
,even when they tried to leave it behind. Will all of the characters get their happily ever after? You’ll have to read to find out!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a nice escape from reality! It was fun, enchanting and had me feeling many emotions. The set up was good as well as the chemistry and banter between the three main characters. If you loved “The Wishing Game” you will love this book. I would recommend this read for anyone!

#TheLostStory #NetGalley

This book is everything I hoped it would be and more. As someone who loved The Chronicles of Narnia as a child, this story filled a fantasy/fairytale void I have been searching for as an adult. Meg Shaffer creates the most enchanting world and characters you will love from the first page!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine Books for this ARC!

I love C.S Lewis and this book, The Lost Story, by Meg Shaffer, reminded me so much of his stories. It had me with the prologue and didn't slow down. I kept seeing things in the story that reminded me of past favorites, yet presented in a way that was fresh and intriguing. I am looking forward to more books by Shaffer!
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

The Chronicles of Narnia is my favorite book series, and I loved The Wishing Game, so when I saw this one come up I was so excited!

This was full of magic and intrigue. I loved the story and found it hard to put the book down once I started reading— so I flew through this! This had such a fun fantasy feel and it really transported me to another world! The characters were believable and easy to relate to and there was just the right amount of action and story.

If you loved Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Pan, and other fantasy stories, pick this up for sure!