While they were elements of this book I enjoyed such as the relationship between Rafe & Jeremy, some of the more fantastical/narniaesque moments, this book suffered from planning issues, and character development, especially in the case of overly quirky Emilie and flat Skya. It doesn't get to the fairy tale world until 50% of the book and while the whimsy is worth the wait, the story feels disconnected and the ending an unnecessary cliffhanger.

There is nothing better than becoming caught up in a story you can't envision the ending. Such is the case with "The Lost Story." I couldn't read fast enough. There's a lot to be said for the story and one must be careful not to give away the fascinating ending by siting particular incidents.. Magical twists and turns kept the story fascinating. This book would make a great movie.

Thank you to net galley for the E-ARC of this book!

What a cozy book to snuggle up and read on a rainy day.
The characters and their personalities are just so cute. Their back stories and the mystery of what happened to them in the woods had glued to this book.
Her writing is easy to read and fun. The storyteller in the book reminds me of the Disney narrators in princess movies and I love it.

“All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room?”

Wow. Just, wow. I thought I had found my favorite book of the year in The Wishing Game. Then I was provided this eARC of The Lost Story. And it might just take top spot. I could not put it down!
The story hooked me from the very beginning. When I first read the synopsis, I was skeptical. It sounded so different from The Wishing Game, I thought, how could I love it as much? Well, challenge accepted.
The Lost Story is just so delightful. I laughed, I cried. I fell in love with every character. I did not want the story to end. It is such a unique fairy tale story. I loved the Storyteller chapters. It was such a fun way to break up the story and give added context to certain aspects of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review. You definitely need to read this book when it comes out in July!

I recently had the pleasure of diving into Meg Shaffer's latest novel, and let me tell you, it was a journey like no other. From the very first page, I found myself captivated by the enchanting world she had crafted. This story is so magically whimsical. Meg Shaffer was able to weave myth and present it flawlessly. Each character had strong ties to one another, even the more minor characters. Each had their own personality, and it is shown through the pages. I was able to connect with each one of them. With their colorful personality, Rafe, Jeremy, and Emilie brought life to the story. The beauty and struggle of the quest were the transcendence of this world. There are no words to describe how unique this story is. It's a must-read. I can't wait for Meg's next novel. Every time I read one of her novels, it takes me to a place like Narnia. It brings me back to the simpler times as a kid. Meg Shaffer's ability to transport readers to such vivid and imaginative realms is truly remarkable. This is a book that will stay with me long after I've turned the final page, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone in search of a captivating and unforgettable adventure.

I would like to express my gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! Oh how much did this book took my breath away. The way I connected to this book needs be studied because I cannot stop thinking about this. Literally. Magical is one way to describe this book. Need I say more when I say this book has been inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis? Exactly, that should say everything about this. Simultaneously, it was much more than just a magical story. It was steeped in well executed depth and emotion and beautiful storytelling that managed to move me, touching my heart so deeply.

The story explores the idea that dreams can come true at any stage of life if one is open to embracing them. I longed to lose myself in Shenandoah; letting go of all my troubles and distress, losing myself into the story. And I really did. This reminded me why I am a reader in the first place, I love to get immersed into stories and escapism gives me immese happiness. And this book truly excelled in making me feel like that!

And can I also mention how this book references Gilmore Girls, and Batman, Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac??? Because that made me so happy!!! This book also felt so nostalgic at times. And at times, healed my inner child.

The story revolves around Jeremy and his friend, Ralph, who disappear in Red Crow State Park for six months. When they mysteriously return, physically stronger and well-fed, they have no recollection of what happened. Jeremy, now a missing persons investigator, knows the truth behind their time in the woods, but has avoided reconnecting with Ralph. However, they must come together again when a woman named Emilie asks for their help in finding her missing sister.

What truly made me appreciate about the story was how well executed was the world building, How immersive was the world! Again, providing great escapism. The characters captivated me, they were steeped in such complexities that I couldn't help but instantly fall in love with them! One way to win me over is focusing on topics like self-exploration because how much they have the power to touch my heart if done well. And well it was done perfectly! The way the friendships and romance were explored was truly exquisite! Big props to the author!

It encompasses elements of a cozy fairytale--with a queen, princess, knights, unicorns, sword fighting, mermaids, and a magical land. The book's whimsical and magical elements, reminiscent of Narnia and The Wizard of Oz, are particularly enchanting.

Despite the fantastical elements, the book also tackles important and challenging issues such as suicide, adoption, death, abuse, and family drama. These themes add depth and emotional resonance to the story. The inclusion of LGBTQ representation, and the presence of a pet fancy rat contribute to the diverse and intriguing aspects add to the amazing narration.

The writing style is had the ability to keep me hooked from the first page until the end. The author skillfully incorporates interludes where a storyteller provides helpful information, breaking the fourth wall in a masterful way.

Overall, the book is lauded for its engaging characters, heartfelt love story, and imaginative reimagining of Narnia. I am left eagerly anticipating Meg Schaffer's next book!

Immense thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing me with an arc of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 actually, but that's just semantics. I was HOOKED from the first page. I reached out to the author on Instagram and told her I would read anything she ever writes forever and I mean it. This was so beautifully written. There were times when it felt like too much of a fairytale to me, but that didn't stop me from reading. My logical brain just likes to cause trouble sometimes.

I have to confess to never having read any CS Lewis. If I had read it while growing up, I might have enjoyed it slightly more. I LOVED the breaks in between chapters from the story teller and how we were filled in on some backstory and only given what information was necessary. Brilliant! My only complaint is that it felt like the "adventure" part of the story could have played out a little bit longer. So I guess I'm saying, I needed (or wanted!) more.

I famously never look up what a book is about before reading. I just go, hey, today is the day for this book. But it felt like a fairy tale intervention that guided me to read The Lost Story while on a weekend getaway to the mountains of West Virginia - a story entangled in those very same mountains and forests and that even mentioned a town down the street from where I was staying. It felt like a little magical guidance that I picked it up to read and thank you to that fairy godmother, because it was the perfect read for my weekend.

What a magical, heartwarming, just what I needed story. If you loved The Wishing Game, you are going to love this one.

This is a fairy tale for adults - not adults as in it's racy, but as in the protagonists are in their 30s. It's like if the Narnia kids grew up and decided they wanted to try to go back.

Jeremy and Rafe, best friends, got lost hiking in the West Virginia woods at 14/15. They were found 6 months later. Flash forward 15 years, Rafe still remembers nothing of what happened after he went missing, and Jeremy now spends his time finding missing girls and women.

Enter Emilie, whose half sister went missing 20 years ago and she needs both Jeremy and Rafe, and their magical world they went to, to find her.

This is so just lovely. Everyone loves each other. There is dealing with parents and resentment and working through things as an adult. But there's also much love. And a lot of cute fairy tale winks from our narrator. Yes, there's a narrator.

I had a wonderful time and I think you will too.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley who provided the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Lost Story is out July 16, 2024.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Fans of Meg Shaffer (Wishing Game) will certainly want to pick up The Lost Story. The story grabs the reader from the beginning. Since their mysterious emergence after being lost for 6 months in the West Virginia woods, teenagers Jeremy Cox and Ralph Howell have trouble re-entering the real world.
They spend 15 years separated from each other, never discussing what happened. Ralph, troubled by dreams and PTSD-type symptoms becomes a recluse artist. Jeremy uses his super-natural talent for finding things to rescue people lost in the wilderness. When Jeremy is hired by Emily to help her find her long-lost sister in the same woods where Ralph and Jeremy were found, the story takes off.
This Narnia-inspired story for the YA reader is well thought out and expertly written.

After falling head over feet for The Wishing Game, I was giddy to be invited to read an advance copy of Shaffer’s follow-up: The Lost Story.

The Lost Story, largely inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, is a fairytale for grownups. Jeremy and Rafe disappear into the woods as boys and emerge unharmed and healthy 6 months later. Rafe has no memory of their time away, while Jeremy is left with a mysterious ability to locate missing women and children. Jeremy makes a living off this gift, and introverted Rafe hides away in a cabin, carving mystical creatures into furniture, with no real understanding of where these fantastical beings came from.

When Jeremy crosses paths with Emilie who is searching for the half sister she never met, the two meet up with Rafe - the only one who knows the way back to the magical land that was their home as boys, the land that will lead them to Emilie’s sister and to memories long forgotten.

While I didn’t connect with this story the same way I did with The Wishing Game, I adored getting lost in a fairytale again. The storyteller chapters were charming. The Stevie Nicks references were perfection. The Lost Story is a tale for those who need a little magic in their lives.

Thank you to @netgalley and @meg_shaffer for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The lost story
[contains some spoilers] The lost story is a great modern fairytale with compelling characters. I found myself thinking about it throughout the day wondering what was going to happen next and where they would wind up. I love the concept of a young girls fantasy coming to life and saving not only her but others that come into her orbit. While it was a fantasy, it tackled some difficult subjects well and did not feel super childish. My one big complaint is the “storytellers corner”. I felt the story stood on its own and did not need this aspect. I found the storyteller corner to actually be pulling me out of the story and world the author was creating. It seems this was done to achieve the “royal disguised as a nobody” ingredient, however, I feel this was fulfilled with Emilie being an unexpected Princess. Overall I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to others but would enjoy it more if it did not include the storytellers corner aspect.

This book was delightful. I loved the magic and the fairytale aspect. I loved the characters . It was fantastical and not grounded at al in reality but I loved that.

My one complaint is that the ending left me wanting more. Will there be a sequel?

Content warning for child abuse.

Having read (and loved!) the Wishing Game, my expectations for this follow-up were high…and they were met! The book opens with a premise that would be characteristic of a low-key thriller, but quickly opens up into a different world altogether. The evolving friendship between Rafe and Jeremy, what happened in the time they disappeared, and how Emilie fits into their story is just part of the tale. The novel also dives into found-family, abuse, and first love in a way that is authentic and beautiful.

I gifted several copies of The Wishing Game last year, and this will make my list of recommended books this year as well! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

A very unusual but captivating story about love, family, and fairytales. Rafe and Jeremy were lost in the Red Crow forest when teenagers and returned; however, Rafe didn't remember what happened and Jeremy left the country and never told him. Fifteen years later, Emilie asks Jeremy to help find her sister who was lost in the same forest. Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie return to the forest to discover a world unlike their own where they must rely on their bravery and love to get them through.

I had read and loved The Wishing Game by the author, so I was delighted to get the opportunity to read her latest book, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Although I am not much of a fan of fantasy/magic, the author did such a good job writing this unique book that I enjoyed it. I would label it an adult fairy tale, not appropriate for young (pre-teen) readers.

The book description's opening lines were that The Lost Story was inspired by Narnia. That sets high expectations. The thing that made The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe so magical was the world-building. Four siblings in a terrible situation find themselves in the magical land and the longer they stay, they find themselves in an epic battle of good vs. evil that mimics what is happening in the real world. It was Magical from start to finish and led you to want to return later in subsequent books.

The Lost Story had a very slow beginning and a drawn-out ending. The middle was enjoyable. But the characters felt forced at times. Because there was so much secrecy/hidden memories built into the storyline, it didn't ever fully come together to draw you in. Recalled memories told to another are not the same as the original experience.

Overall, my feeling when closing the book was that it felt like I started a series with book two. Had this not plugged the Narnia inspiration would I have enjoyed this more>? Potentially, Probably.

There’s a story in your heart where your childhood lives. It’s where the disappointments and grief and anger of a soul that’s not old enough to say so lives. This story, says it. It paints the picture of imperfect families, small minded hometowns, and a child’s escape from all of that into a world of wonder and beauty- a place where we can become our own hero. Where we can choose our own families and lovers and dreams and chase those things without fear. This book healed that broken part of me. As an adult I’ve done a lot of work to help myself heal from childhood trauma, I’ve had to parent myself, and hold my hand through the past- and this story has the ability to help us all do that. Cs Lewis began it all with Narnia, and Schaffer opens another door to a new world in The Lost Story for us to treasure.
This LGBTQIA YA fantasy takes two lost boys in the woods of Virginia back to the time they spent there as adults to an alternate reality where anything is possible and nothing is lost.

4.25 ⭐️
** I want to preface this review by mentioning that I read an uncorrected proof of this book. Meg noted on her instagram that she’s since made at least 200+ changes. I can’t wait to read the final copy and hopefully bump up my review. **
As a longtime fan of Meg Shaffer aka Tiffany Reisz I was excited to read her latest offering. The Wishing Game was one of the best books I read last year so when Meg announced on her Insta that The Lost Story was up on NetGalley, I couldn’t request it fast enough. The sheer delight and shock I felt when I was approved… 🤯🤩🥳
I wanted to love this as much as I loved The Wishing Game, but sadly I didn’t. The writing was still beautiful, the story still pulled me in (I read it in less than 24 hours) but something felt like it was missing. I think the story felt too quick- too condensed- I simply wanted more. I’m sincerely hoping there will be a book 2 to complete the story as it feels unfinished.
Some authors have a very distinct voice/ writing style and Meg Shaffer is one of them. Her world building and characters are always exquisitely constructed and executed. In the case of The Lost Story, some of the things I love most about Meg’s work felt more flat. From almost any other author, I don’t think I would have felt this way- probably bc my expectations are lower. But having read all her work (as Meg Shaffer and as Tiffany Reisz) I’ve experienced how she can transport a reader with her words. As a fairytale I wanted to be transported. I wanted to fall in love with these characters and this magical kingdom. Instead I finished the book feeling like I didn’t really have a connection with the world she created. I just wanted more. More story, yes- do they get back?! What happens next?! But also, more of the story of what happened during the original visit. The snippets we were shown made me want more. I also wanted to get to know Queen Skya more and she just didn’t develop for me. I felt like I was missing important events, conversations (possibly from the past) or something that would have fleshed out her character more.
All in all, it was a beautifully written story by an author I love. I’ll inevitably read it again once it’s published just to see what’s been added/ changed.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House and Meg Shaffer! I’m so glad I got to be one of the first people to read this. Truly ♥️

Oh, my heart!!!

It's been a while since I read a book that fit perfectly in my life, right when I needed it. This is that book.

Rate and Jeremy are the kind of friends we all wish we had. The kind of friendship we all shared with someone. Even when things go south, you never forget your deep meaningful relationships. And thus, we are reminded.