I had such high hopes for this book. I absodevoured The Wishimg Game, but this one fell flat. It was more of a romance story about pining for a lost love than anything. I will read the authors other works in the future, but can't say I would recommend this specific book.

Thank you to Meg Shaffer, Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books, and Net Galley for an eARC of The Lost Story!

3.5/5

The Lost Story is a cute a quirky fairy tale about a girl named Emily who seeks help from a boy named Jeremy to find her sister who she's never met and disappeared 20 years prior. Jeremy and his best friend Ralph also went missing when they were younger, but were found a few month later. Jeremy has not seen Ralph since they returned from being missing, but Jeremy knows he'll need Ralph's help with find Emily's sister so he rekindles their connection. Then the three go into the woods to find Emily's sister.

This was a very feel good story. While it covers some serious topics, there were very few moments where I thought something bad was going to happen and change the direction the story was headed. The characters all became best friends nearly instantly and the witty banter had me laughing out loud. I liked the descriptions of the forest in West Virginia and how the author slowly hinted at the true nature of Ralph and Jeremy's relationship. I loved hearing stories from their childhood and seeing their relationship regrow after so many years apart. The boys had a very adorable friendship with the girls and it was just truly heartwarming.

My overall thoughts: A cute story with great imagery. If you like magical realism and witty banter with queer representation, this would probably be a good book for you!

The found family trope is central to fleshing out "The Lost Story" by Meg Shaffer, and the execution of that portion was great.

However, I just didn't love this book. I think my expectations were too high after absolutely loving "The Wishing Game."

This one is filled with magical realism but it felt like it took too long to really get going for me. It also almost felt like two different books slapped together at times.

I did enjoy that we got a glimpse into a LGBTQ+ romance in the process, but I don't think that it felt fleshed out enough either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for selecting me for this ARC.

"The Lost Story" is a sweet tale of the power of imagination and how stories can change your life.

Emily wants to find out what happened to her sister who disappeared 20 years ago. She asks for the help of Jeremy, who is renowned for finding lost people. This search takes Emily on a journey she never imagined, and takes Jeremy back to a time he thought he'd imagined.

It's fun, the narrator breaks the fourth wall between different parts of the book, and I love every scene that involves Rafe and Jeremy. Emily wasn't my favorite character, and I think that's why this was more of a three-star read for me. The plot also slowed way down towards the end, which made it a little harder to get through.

This was the biggest disappointment of 2024. It was advertised in a very dishonest way, specifically for fans of C.S. Lewis. As with other popular books I have read, I would have loved to know ahead of halfway through the book that I am reading LGBT material. To say this was inspired by Narnia was a GIANT stretch…

Meg Shaffer has done it again! The Lost Story is a breathtaking, nostalgic adventure that blends magic, loss, and redemption into a fairy tale for grown-ups. Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, this book taps into that deep longing for the fantastical worlds we once believed in, making it perfect for anyone who still checks the back of wardrobes—just in case.

Jeremy and Rafe’s story is heartbreaking and beautiful. Their mysterious six-month disappearance as children left them changed, but only Jeremy remembers what happened. When Emilie Wendell comes searching for her missing sister, they must return to the enchanted realm they once called home. The journey is haunting, full of wonder, danger, and emotional depth that kept me turning pages late into the night.

Shaffer’s writing is mesmerizing, painting vivid imagery of a world that feels both dreamlike and real. The descriptions of the Painted Sea and towering, pastel-colored trees made me ache for a place that doesn’t exist outside these pages. The book explores themes of grief, trauma, and healing while weaving in a sense of adventure that feels timeless.

Fans of The Wishing Game will love this, but The Lost Story stands on its own as a masterpiece of modern fairytale storytelling. I adored every moment and didn’t want it to end. This is a book that lingers in your heart long after you finish. Highly recommended for those who love magic, found family, and second chances.

I have always been so intrigued and captivated by magical stories, ever since I was a child. Whether it was taking off to Neverland, falling down a rabbit hole, stumbling into a fairy circle or stepping through a wardrobe, I have always loved the idea of escaping this real world to go to one completely different from anything I've ever known. I still have a soft spot for these stories, which is evident by how much I've loved both of the works by Meg Shaffer that I've read.

The Wishing Game had aspects of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Lost Story reminds me quite a bit of Narnia and the Wizard of Oz which I grew up watching/reading and absolutely loving, so of course I loved this. From the found family aspect (which I'm finding more and more of in stories) to the adventure, I was hooked through this entire book and am so thankful to have read it.

An adolescent queer fantasy book, this was a medium paced read which I enjoyed. The characters were lovable.

Magical realism aren’t usually books I go for, but I couldn’t resist another Meg Shaffer book after The Wishing Game being one of my favorite books of 2023. This book is a little fantasy, a little romance and a little mystery all mixed together in Meg’s wonderful storytelling way.

Jeremy forced to keep the secrets of their travels from Rafe kept them apart for years. And for Rafe to discover a sister he didn’t know existed… It all really pulled on the heartstrings.

I flew through this book. Comparing it to Narnia is the perfect comparison.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantne for my ARC of this book.

I wasn't sure what to expect going in to this story, but by the end, I was hooked. The characters were well developed but I still want to know more about them and want to know what happens next to them! That's a sign of a good story...

The way the book started - looking for two lost boys versus the way it ended could not of been more different. It was a magical journey from beginning to end with many "a ha" moments in between.

My hope is that since the ending was left with many unanswered questions and details that there will be a follow up book to give us closure! I liked the book and look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to Random House Publishing - Ballantine, NetGalley and author Meg Shaffer for this digital ARC.

I have always been a big fan of stories that start off in our mundane world and leap into the fantastical. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis was one of my favorite books growing up. The idea of being able to leave my boring life behind is just so exciting to me, and Shaffer did not disappoint.

I really enjoyed switching P.O.V.s as well. I like seeing the story from multiple perspectives, and I think Shaffer did a good job at this. I felt that the characters were relatable and each had their own interesting story to tell.

My only complaint was that the first 40-ish% of the book seemed to really drag, but that could be due to the fact that I was too excited for the fantastical part to begin.

• Family Dynamics • Magical Kingdom • lgbtqia+ • Strong Female Characters

TW: Talk and some small description of child abuse, mention of suicide, and substance abuse.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. It was the perfect amount of realism, fantasy, hard truths, and wishes come true. I love the story and character development; it was beautifully done!

As young teens, Rafe and Jeremy go missing for six months. Upon their return, Rafe doesn't remember anything and Jeremy disappears with his mom. After years of being apart and leading very different lives, they come back together to help Emilie find her long lost sister. Their journey isn't easy, mentally, physically, or emotionally, however it is beautiful.

Highly recommend this book. It will go on my comfort read shelf for sure!

I loved the author's previous novel, but unfortunately this did not live up to the expectations I set for it. The character dialogue felt very adolescent and while the setup was intriguing, it was not enough to keep me reading.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy.

I was drawn to The Lost Story because of the synopsis, I was instantly captivated by the premise. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the story and the characters and ended up skimming the end of the book.

Oh my heart, this is the book I’ve been waiting for since I finished The Chronicles of Narnia all those years ago. I’m going to go read it again.

I have always loved Narnia, Peter Pan and other imagination stories that involve stepping into another world. This book was easy to read and find yourself lost in. There were heavier topics included than I expected like the relationship the boys had to their parents, adoption, and missing children, but overall I enjoyed the story and the friendships/ relationships between the characters.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Stars: 2 out of 5

I was very excited about this book because the blurb gave me the same vibes as the Wayward Children series by Seannan McGuire, and I loved the first few books in that series. Unfortunately, this didn't live up to the expectations.

One of the reasons is that the story takes too long to get going. We don't travel to the magical world until almost halfway into the book, so everything before then is set up. That would be fine if the pacing of this section wasn't so sluggish. I found myself yawning and wanting the author to get on with it on more than one occasion.

My other issue is that I didn't particularly like the writing choices in this book. The interruptions by the "Narrator" were extremely off-putting and yanked you right out of the story every time they were inserted between chapters. 

Another issue is that I couldn't connect with any of the characters, so I wasn't invested in their stories. This is particularly true for Jay and Raif. The author sets them up as these star-crossed lovers destined to be together but separated by circumstances, but that didn't work for me. Call me old and cynical, but I find it hard to believe that Jeremy would pine for his high school sweetheart for 15 years after the fact. I mean they were 14 when everything happened and were only together for 6 months. Are you telling me that he couldn't move on? Yeah, not buying it. Same goes for Raif who didn't even remember those 6 months or that he was in love with Jeremy. 

And I might have been okay even with that if those two characters were interesting. As it stands though, they behave like they never left their teenage years, even though both of them are in their thirties in this book. I'm sorry, that's not how thirty-year-old people in general behave, not unless they have serious developmental issues. Which I could understand in Raif's case, because he had amnesia and carried a hidden trauma because of that all those years, but Jeremy seems like a well-adapted individual who traveled the world and saw plenty of good and bad stuff. What's his excuse for behaving like a hormonal teenager? That's why I feel like this book reads like a young adult book, even though it's not marketed as such.

I have nothing much to say about Skya or Emily because they serve more as plot devices than actual people, so their characterization is non-existent. 

My biggest issue with this book is that this fairy tale has no "teeth" - nothing truly bad happens to any of the characters. Everything is too easy and harmless. At no point in this story was I worried about the characters or the decisions they had to make. And since the stakes aren't all that important, nothing feels earned. Good fairy tales know that there is darkness as well as light in the world, and that to have heroes, there needs to be dragons. Heck, Skya even talks about that in the book! Unfortunately, the author loved her characters too much to truly make them suffer, so her dragons were nothing more than tame lizards, easily defeated.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Meg Shaffer’s The Lost Story is a captivating follow-up to The Wishing Game, blending heartfelt storytelling with magical realism. The story showcases, with its 20 - 40 year old cast of characters, how you are never too old to be sucked into a magical wonderland. The perfect book for those, like me, who still secretly hope that one day, an owl will deliver us an acceptance letter, or our closet will open to a winter wonderland.

Told through the lens of an omniscient storyteller, the chapters bounce between the main plotline and the storyteller's personal opinions. Shaffer’s bold narrative style mixes the casual tones with profound allegories, offering a whimsical and deeply emotional reading experience. By creating a magical realm where the characters can exist authentically, Shaffer crafts a poignant commentary on the enduring struggle for queer liberation and the universal longing for a place to belong. One can thus infer that the moral of the story, as all good fairy tales have a moral, is that people are not born with hate, hate is thrusted upon us - but it can be untaught.

Ultimately, The Lost Story is a tale of self-discovery and belonging, celebrating the enduring power of wonder and the chance to rediscover lost parts of ourselves. A must-read for fans of nostalgic magic and richly layered stories.

Thank you to Meg Shaffer, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for pre-approving me to receive an electrical Advanced Review Copy of The Lost Story. I especially would like to thank Megan Whalen from Random House Publishing Group for reaching out to me regarding the novel.

This is Lost Boys, Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe into a mythical magical realm. Fifteen years ago, Ralph and Jeremy vanished during a school trip to West Virginia. When they returned mysteriously stronger and healthier six months later, Ralph, renamed Rafe by Jeremy, had no memory of their experiences. Jeremy promptly moved to England with his mother, severing ties with Rafe. Fast forward 15 years: Rafe is an artist grappling with mental health issues, and Jeremy, is now known for finding lost children, especially girls, Jeremy knows he must find Rafe when is hired by Emelie to locate her missing sister, Shannon, who had disappeared from the same forest a few years before the boys. The trio embarks on a journey to a magical yet perilous realm, confronting themes of love, friendship, family, and forgiveness along the way. With its focus leaning towards the YA genre, This book was not for me maybe because of the fantasy perspective or the YA genre. "The Lost Story" blends contemporary fantasy with heartfelt human drama. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

Having recently finished the previously published The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer, I am happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine!

"But you don’t really need a magic pencil to write a magic book. All books are magic."

I went into this story with high hopes and ready for anything and everything to happen. The details and settings grabbed me right away; I was there with the characters in West Virginia and Shanandoah. I was humming along to Landslide for a bit. There were so many wonderful visions of another world to absorb. And then… the dialogue! What a constant distraction and disappointment that became for me. Even in this world of imagination it felt so ridiculous and forced. If only the magical unicorn pencil could have had the power to edit some of that dialogue to make more sense to me here in the real world.