Two boys disappear in their local woods and reappear mysteriously six months later. Fifteen years after that, a woman named Emelie's is trying to find her missing sister and goes to them desperate for help. What unravels in The Lost Story is a lovely combination of fantastical and real-world issues. Shaffer is adept at blending those seamlessly and creating a magical, heartfelt story with childhood trauma at its center. I enjoyed it as much if not more than her first book, The Wishing Game. The fantastical elements and the relationship between the two boys were the highlights for me. I'm happy to see a sophomore success for this author and will definitely pick up her future books.

I think fans of The Wishing Game will also enjoy The Lost Story but portal fantasy fans should also give this a try. The Lost Story released on July 16, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader copy.

Anything Meg Shaffer writes turns to magic. She has a way of crafting stories about the imaginary while giving entirely human emotions and thoughts. I didn't love this as much as The Wishing Game, but the bar was set so high from that book. I think if this had been Meg's first book, it would have been so delightful and lovely - it's just hard to compare when the Wishing Game was THAT good. Either way, I'm a fan of her books and will read anything she puts out.

One day in Virginia during a field trip two boys go missing in the woods. Six months later, after they’ve been presumed dead, these boys walk out of the woods. 15 years after, Jeremy uses his fame as a once missing child to promote his service for finding missing girls. Rafe, the other missing boy, lives in the woods and is a recluse. Neither have spoken since they left the hospital after their recovery. Now they must reunite to help Emilie find her sister who went missing 20 years ago from the same forest. But these woods hide more than children, it hides magic.

Okay. I grew up loving Narnia , that was my childhood series. And this is described by the author as an homage to that and other classic fairytales. And it shows! Omg I loved so much all of the nods to 80s and 90s fantasies and the “weird” children who spent their time imagining their lives in a fantasy story far far away. The characters were so endearing, and the trio have a great dynamic. Some may say the start of the book is slow, there is no magical land until 60% in, but I actually loved the first half more than the second.

There is magic, unicorns, sword fights, villains, and love. I highly recommend this book to anyone who grew up daydreaming about wandering into their own wardrobe and finding a magical story. I think knowing less going in allows you to better enjoy the journey. Just read it, trust me. There’s a Labyrinth reference.

Meg Shaffer’s The Lost Story takes on a whimsical yet emotionally charged journey, following two boys who return from a mysterious disappearance in the West Virginia forest, only to face their past again as adults. Shaffer weaves a fairy tale that is part adventure, part exploration of trauma and identity. Think The Chronicles of Narnia, but for adults/advanced readers.

While the novel’s premise promised me a magical escapade, I think the true heart of the story lies in its emotional depth. Shaffer balances the fantastical with real-world struggles of healing and forgiveness. Sometimes the fantasy elements took a bit of a backseat to the personal drama, and the pacing could be rushed (particularly in character development), but the story still has a lot of charm.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

To start off this review: I have no idea why this was classified as women’s fiction. The woman character is, in my humble opinion, not who the story is about. She is more there to facilitate the story of the two male characters. And also get a happy ending of her own.

See, her mom just died and she is not handling it well. Grief is hard. It is an event and it is something that is difficult to navigate.

The two men characters are old childhood friends who got lost in a national forest as teens and then came out. Now one helps find people who’ve been lost.

That’s when our “MC” finds him. She wants him to help find her older sister who was kidnapped before she, the MC, was born and she’s certain she’s alive.

So, what did I like about this book? In my notes, I wrote that it was like eating chips. Easy, simple, and you don’t realize how many you’ve had until you look in the bag. I didn’t realize I was halfway through the book until I blinked and my eyes starting burning.

Meg Shaffer has a way of writing that lulls you in with a comforting simplicity. And I mean that as a high compliment. Not all writing needs to be convoluted, not every conversation needs to be filled with polysyllabic words that require a dictionary to understand.

I loved the way the magic was done. I loved the Chronicles Of Narnia of it all.

What I didn’t like was that there were not trigger warnings or content warnings. So I’ll provide them.

Child abuse. And quite awful at that.

Spoiler ahead, warning for child abuse.

One of the characters, the one man who can’t remember his time in the forest, is gay. And his father took an electrical cord to his back one night and just whipped him.

It was awful. I would have appreciated that warning because it was so jarring to come across.

Ok, triggering portion over.

I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it, but make the decision for yourself given the triggering content.

I’m giving it a 4. It was a good read.

Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell get lost in the woods of West Virginia, but they end up in a magical world called Shenandoah. There Rafe and Jeremy explore the world, go on quests, and have fun, but they know they can not stay forever. They both come back looking healthier than ever and that raises some suspension. Unfortunately Rafe doesn't remember their magical time there, and Jeremy won't tell him what happened in the 6 months they were gone. Now on unspeaking terms, 15 years later, we find Jeremey is living his life and helping find lost people. Emily approaches Jeremy to have him help her find her lost sister, Shannon, who went missing in the same woods as Jeremy and Rafe. This leads to an epic adventure, the reuniting of lost friends, and a new relationships being formed.

I really enjoyed this book, and have become a big fan of Meg Shaffer's writings. I will be recommending this book to my patrons that love a good fairytale. If possible I would love for Shaffer to expand on this book and write a sequel.

Narnia for adults! Finally someone recognized that maybe adults need fairytales more than the kids. Adults also need that escapism where you can ride your mighty horse as a knight, eat apples that will light you up from inside, and live happily ever after. This book definitely made me happy especially during the tough days of work.

Two boys were lost in the woods in WV, at least that's what people thought of them. When they came out of the woods 6 months later in better shape than they entered there, people had questions. One of the boys was spirited away to England by her mom and the other went back to his home to his secretly scary dad and powerhouse mom. Years later these two boys now men decided to help a girl who was looking for her big sister. They weren't doing this because they wanted find one more missing women but because this missing woman meant everything to them.

I really liked the chapter dividers where narrator directly talks to the reader in a playful manner. It was to have that adult conversion while what goes on between two dividers can be somewhat childish. I loved the way how this fairytale was written, what was its starting point, and what could be in the books for the future.

Jeremy Cox and Race Howell went missing for six months in Red Crow State Forest. When they were found, neither boy could give any details about their time away or what happened to them.

Shortly after their return, Jeremy returns to the UK with his mother, promising to come back to the States but never returns. Rafe, an artist and part time handyman, lives with an unsettling feeling that something is missing. Before the death of his father, he often lost large chunks of time, driving in his sleep toward the forest where he was lost.

Jeremy is a private investigator with uncanny abilities to find missing women and girls. One day, a young woman named Emilie Wendell asks him to help find her missing sister. She went missing in the same forest where Jeremy and Rafe were lost, and Jeremy knows he can never return there unless Rafe comes with.

The three must return to Red Crow State Forest and confront what really happened in the past. The time for secrets is over.

The Lost Story is filled with references to Narnia, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan. It’s a fun puzzle to spot all the fairy tale references throughout the story. It takes all the troupes of the fairytale genre and uses them in predictable and recognizable ways.

It takes a long time before the fairytale aspects take place, though. I had expected the fantasy world to consume the plot, but this story is more about dealing with trauma, forgiveness and embracing your true identity. It wanted the whimsy of a fairy tale with the hard hitting trauma of a contemporary novel, and unfortunately for me, the blending wasn’t as successful as I’d have liked.

The plot moved so quickly we don’t have time to care about characters before many intense scenes happen. There were also little world building or setting details which made the world feel surface level.

I think if you are ok with character development that moves very quickly and you just want a fairytale vibes type of read, you might enjoy The Lost Story.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House for the arc. All opinions are my own.

“All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room? A story written by a stranger and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is.”

I really like that Meg Shaffer writes books for adults that bring back the magic of childhood stories. Her first book felt like a love letter to the series and authors that kept us spellbound as kids, and this one feels like a modern throwback to whimsical portal worlds like Narnia and Wonderland and Oz.

This book tells the story of two young men and what happened after they returned from the magical world. What happened when reality set back in, when they grew up, when they moved on. But can anyone truly move on from an experience so otherworldly?

I enjoyed the premise, the world building, and that one of a kind middle grade fantasy feeling that was somehow infused into an adult story. I do wish there had been a bit more depth and layers unpeeled in the friendships between some of the characters, because I love those deep found family relationships and craved more of the scenes with them. Overall I enjoyed this book and will definitely be readily awaiting the author’s next book!

As boys, best friends Jeremy and Rafe 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.

This was a delightful fantasy novel that made me feel like I was in the enchanted world myself. I love the characters and storyline. Adult fairytales have become one of my favorite genres and this one is now on my favorites list. It is heartwarming, whimsical and charming.

Thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you love Narnia you are going to love this book! It takes you back to when your little and fills your imagination and makes your heart filled with joy!

Fairy tales for adults! How fun.

The Lost Story is about youth that need to be rescued from their life for different reasons. I wish that everyone had a happy home where they were loved and cared for. But I guess that is a fairy tale for now, too bad. The place the youth go during these escapes from their life obey the rules of fairy tales for the most part. There are queens, princes, knights, castles, great horses and unicorns. What more could you ask for? Oh and there are villains.

This story is interrupted by short chapters called Storyteller Corner. These chapters provide breaks, suggest rules and give you updates. The one about the rules of fairy tales is really cute, true and fun.

The Lost Story is a loose retelling of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in modern day. Two boys disappeared in the woods without a trace. Six months later they reappeared in excellent health with no explanation as to their whereabouts. Now that the boys are adults they are reunited to help a stranger find her missing sister.

I loved the premise of this story. Portals to magical realms hidden in the woods? A world full of magical adventures? Sign me up! While I enjoyed this book I was taken out of the story repeatedly by the juvenile writing style. It clashed significantly with the adult characters in the novel and took me out of the story. Had the primary characters been teenagers I don't think this writing style would have been quite so jarring. I did enjoy the character growth quite a bit and also really appreciated the ending of the story. Overall this was a fun reading experience that would be a great read for Narnia fans.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy!

I loved The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, so I was so excited for this one! I didn't end up liking this one nearly as much as I liked her previous novel, but it still had some elements that were fun and original. I loved the play on Narnia but with a very original twist. I wasn't super invested in any of the characters, and I felt like one of the main characters, Emilie, was only there along for the ride. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet LGBTQ+ romance, loves Narnia, or likes books that aren't too heavy fantasy.

Is this a literary masterpiece that's going to change the world and be hailed a modern classic 5-star rating? No. It *is* a made me cry, made me feel seen, flavors my reading in a way no other books can 5-star rating.

Meg Shaffer has a way of writing stuff I would normally find corny, too fantastical, too feel good and making it just right. She keeps an amazing balance of lightness and depth. Sure, we're in a Narnia-esque world with unicorns, and princesses, and a pet rat with a royal title BUT we're also inside the scared hearts and minds of children desperate to escape the darkness around them.

I will say this didn't grip me the entire time. It takes a minute to get it's feet off the ground, but the exposition eventually felt really necessary to the end plots. I felt SO much for Rafe and Jeremy, like those are my boys. They were both so fully realized and their relationship felt super real. I mean, this book made me CRY and that never happens. She snuck up on me, for sure.

Not as immersive as The Wishing Game for me, but hit closer to home emotionally I think. Meg Shaffer is becoming a go-to author for me. She has such a unique voice and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC!

As children we discovered the magic of fairy tales. As we deal with life’s stresses as adults it is important to remember that magic. Meg Shaffer gives you that fairy tale, filled with the loyalty of friends, magical creatures and a quest against evil beings. Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell entered a West Virginia forest as teens and were not seen for six months. When the lost boys were found there was never an explanation for the disappearance. Rafe had no memory of the time. He became a reclusive artist, living in a cabin in the forest. Behind his cabin is a sculpture garden filled with fantastic creatures. Jeremy became an investigator, specializing in finding lost girls and women, displaying an uncanny ability to succeed. He has not talked to Rafe since they were found fifteen years earlier. He is approached by Emilie Wendell who wants him to find her sister Shannon. Emilie was adopted and only recently learned that she had a sister when she took a DNA test. She was kidnapped years before the boys disappeared in the same forest. She was believed to have died but her remains were never found and Emilie would like to find her final resting place. Jeremy surprises Emilie, telling her that he and Rafe saw her sister and she is still alive. If they are going to find her, however, they will need Rafe’s help.

Jeremy and Rafe’s reunion is off to a rocky start until Jeremy promises to tell him about the ipmissing six months when they find Shannon. With Rafe’s help the three companions find the entrance to a magical realm. Shannon is now Queen Skya, who has always hoped for a reunion with her sister. Shanandoah, named after the Queen, recognizes Prince Rafe and the Queen’s knight Jeremy and the adventure begins. The tale is narrated by a storyteller, who explains the essential elements of a fairy tale and comments on the events in both worlds. It is not until the closing pages that the storyteller’s identity is revealed. This is a beautifully imagined story of love and loyalty that brings back all of the thrills of those childhood stories. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing this book.

A unique book - I enjoyed the back and forth switch of the narrators and the characters, I felt that it really added to the story and I thoroughly enjoyed Shaffer's writing as much as I liked her first book.

Shaffer created their own Narnia within a West Virginian forest in a story filled with mystery, romance, and fantasy. And while Jeremy and Ralph went as kids, they return as adults, which is when we travel to this magical realm with them. But their return isn’t everything they hoped it be as they are no longer friends and the mystery of why not make it harder for them to be what they were to each other the last time. I enjoyed this story and the changing relationship between Jeremy and Ralph. However, this magical realm felt a little simple and that there wasn’t any big surprise unpredictability from it. Before they travel back to the realm there is mystery and questioning going on, but once we enter the realm that all fell away and what happened felt easy and predictable. But it was still filled with magic and I liked it.

Overall, this was a good fantasy book that I recommend.

fairy tale fantasy to break things up ? Last week I read this book that has similarities in concept with Alice In Wonderland, Narnia or even Neverland.
15 years ago best friends Ralph and Jeremy disappeared from a hiking trip and the search and rescue teams didn't find a thing until they suddenly reappeared six months later - well nourished and fit but unable or unwilling to answer questions about their whereabouts. With Jeremy moving to England with his mom shortly after their friendship suffered and they became estranged. Now 15 years later Ralph still lived near those mountains whereas Jeremy has made it a job to assist the search for lost children.
When Emily hires Jeremy to find her sister Shannon who disappeared in the same woods as the boys but even earlier Jeremy knows it's time to reach out to Ralph.
The trio embarks on a journey to a magical yet perilous realm, confronting themes of love, friendship, family, and forgiveness along the way.