Member Reviews

A very entertaining sophomore novel from the author of one of my favorite reads of 2023. Bonus points for the LGBTQ+ representation. If you enjoy magic and fairy tales, give this a read.

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I can’t remember the last time I felt so conflicted over a book.

I immediately liked the fairytale style in which the story began. The presence of the Storyteller was a fun addition, one that broke up the tone in an interesting way. And this was an excellent way to provide meaningful asides without hindering the pacing. I really enjoyed the poetry penned by in-world characters. There’s something fairytale-esque about Appalachia, so West Virginia was almost as wonderful a setting as the more fantastical world in this portal fantasy. There were portions of the story that harkened to others, be they Narnia or Coraline. I can see fans of The Raven Boys and the Wayward Children series being especially fond of this book.

But there was something about the entire story that made me sad. I felt entrapped by the synopsis, which wasn’t a wholly accurate representation of the tale being told, in my opinion. I mentioned Narnia and Coraline above. This felt like the Other World version of Narnia. Because Narnia divorced of Aslan is no true Narnia.

The writing was wonderful. The settings were beautifully drawn. The characters had depth and charm. I should have loved this. I can still recognize the merit. This is a wonderful book. But I felt that it promised something it didn’t even try to deliver, and forced into my hands a story I wouldn’t have chosen.

So many people are going to love this book. I can see it being healing for some, while for others it will just be a new friend. I just wish I had known more what I was getting into, so I could have tempered my expectations appropriately.

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The Lost Story captivated me from start to finish with its enchanting blend of magical realism and real-world intrigue. The way magical elements are seamlessly woven into our everyday world is simply mesmerizing. The mystery of the missing boys, who reappear to hikers looking healthier than when they vanished, adds an eerie and compelling twist that kept me hooked.

The relationship between the main characters is deeply complex and beautifully tortured, adding layers of emotional depth to the narrative. The "stray" friend in need of help adds another dimension to the story, making it even more engaging.

One of the standout elements for me was the rat who weaves the story together—such a unique and magical touch! The storytelling is pure magic, leaving me eager for more.

Overall, The Lost Story is a spellbinding read that blends mystery, magic, and rich character dynamics. I can't wait to see what comes next in this captivating world.

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After surviving in a forest for six months, best friends/teens Jeremy and Rafe, suddenly reappear... unable to provide details. Is their "amnesia" real or fake?

Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Lost Story picks up 15 years after the 14 year old boys went missing. Rafe is a reclusive artist and still doesn't remember anything while Jeremy is a missing persons' investigator and remembers everything but refuses to tell Rafe; why? And, will Jeremy agree to help Emilie find her older sister, Shannon, who went missing in the very same forest decades ago?

After loving this author's debut, I was very excited to read this one. The premise and the way the story was presented was unique and felt very much like a fairy tale (as the author intended). Just like Jeremy and Rafe, I was enchanted by the magical realm of Shanandoah and was eager to find our more about their adventures while lost. My only complaint is that the story felt a bit short and some scenes could have been longer and more descriptive. With that being said, one part near the end made me tear up, and I loved the overall message of love, redemption, and forgiveness.

On a side note, and oddly enough, memories were bound into a book similar to The Binding (3 stars) which I just listened to on audiobook. But, in my opinion, it was executed much more effectively in this one.

Lastly, The Wishing Game (5 stars) remains my favorite by this author!

Location: West Virginia and Ohio

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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The Chronicles. of Narnia was my most favorite series growing up, so I was excited to read a fairy tale for adults. This story did not disappoint. Meg Shaffer really outdid herself, I loved the characters, I loved Shenandoah, and I loved the writing. Thank you for the opportunity to read this story!

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Meg Shaffer is so back with an incredibly heartwarming story for those of us who still hold out hope that we might stumble upon our own kind of Narnia.

I love how both of her books explore different types of relationships, from love to friendship to found family.

While it’s definitely adult (and with some difficult adult themes), it also feels YA at times? Just something to keep in mind if that’s not typically your cup of tea! Not a bad thing for me.

Someone else said it suffered from a bit too much telling vs. showing and I have to agree. I initially gave five stars but took one away because there were a number of events I reallly wanted to experience as a reader. It just left me a tad unsatisfied.

Overall, though, a really sweet book and a super quick read.

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An adult fairy tale about two boys that go missing in the forest and return months later
in good shape but not remembering what happened to them. Years later an encounter
leads them back to the forest.

This is a charming story with a nice little twist that would lead me to hope that there
is a sequel.

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I have no idea what Meg Shaffer's motivation was for this story, but I can't help but think it was a gift to my generation (Gen X) and the fairytales from our childhood.

It is a fairytale that, to me, reads a little old school... in the best way possible! It reminded me of the fairytales I grew up loving... Princess Bride, Neverending Story, Labyrinth, etc. There was a simplicity about it that I loved, and the quirky humor was perfect. I loved all the characters, the story flowed easily and at just the right pace.

I can absolutely see myself reading this one again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Absolutely loved this Chronicles of Narnia inspired story! Definitely more adult themed but we all grow up at some point, right? I really enjoyed the magical realism and being immersed in the story and all the plot twists involved in the story with the main characters. It kind of ended with a teaser that maybe there could be more coming!?! I would highly recommend reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up to 4.

A fairy tale with all of the important elements- magic, unicorns, mermaids, royalty, a love story, and dark enemies. This book was inspired by Chronicles of Narnia but also gave me Princess Bride vibes.

Two boys go missing in the Red Crow forest in West Virginia. They reappear months later after a magical adventure that only one of them can remember. Fifteen years later they find themselves returning to the same forest to help a woman find her lost sister… and the return to a fairly tale begins.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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What happens when the children who, by fate or accident, stumble into a magical alternate universe for a period of time but are returned to the real world? How do they function as adults in our world after such an experience as children? What if they get an opportunity to return? These are the questions Meg Shaffer, the fantasy author alter-ego of Tiffany Reisz, asks in The Lost Story. Jeremy Cox, a posh British boy who lives in West Virginia because his mum is a concert pianist and music professor at the university, and his best friend Ralph (pronounced Rafe, the British way, rhymes with "safe") Howell, a self-professed redneck boy in his class, get lost in Red Crow State Forest for six months when they're fifteen. They come back long after the authorities have given up finding them alive, healthy and more muscular than they were when they disappeared, with skills they didn't have before. Only Rafe doesn't remember a thing, and Jeremy isn't talking.

Fifteen years later, the men haven't spoken to each other since Jeremy's mom took him back to England. Now he's a professional finder of lost girls and women, and fate, in the form of Emilie, has brought them together again to search for Emilie's missing older sister. Their mission leads back to Red Crow State Forest, full of secrets that affect all three of them.

Shaffer's expertise in creating characters you'd want to hang out with in real life is masterful. The tension and banter between Emilie, Jeremy, and Rafe, especially the awkward pain of Jeremy and Rafe getting to know each other when one side remembers nothing of their prior relationship and the other remember everything, is beautifully written.

Fantasy novels require a significant amount of worldbuilding in the magical universe, and Shaffer paints hers with wild abandon. Colorful skies, unicorn snuggles, perfectly fitting clothes in the castle's wardrobes, a sea that looks like a painting, regenerating evildoers to fight: it's a place built for the young and pure of heart. It's a fairy tale landscape, which is a lovely foil to the not-overly graphic descriptions of some of the more adult themes in the real world of West Virginia. Shaffer doesn't neglect WV in her worldbuilding either, and paints a lovely picture of the actual state forest and area as well as enough of the culture to make it a unique place I want to visit.

The fairy tale elements of The Lost Story carry through to the end. The plot is fast paced with action and twists, whip-smart with banter, and completely engaging with complex relationships and secrets, so it's damn hard to set aside for anything else. The only reason I wasn't done in a day was because I foolishly started this book the day I was supposed to be packing and driving for a vacation. The Lost Story is a wonderful fantasy novel and I can't wait for the sequel. Please write a sequel!

The Lost Story is available now anywhere you get your books.

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This book was so fun! I loved the storyteller interludes. I felt whisked away in an adult version of a fairy tale.

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4 stars! This book is perfect for Narnia and Peter Pan fans. The first roughly half of the book went by too slowly for me, but it picked up in the second half! There were things in this book I could have never conjured up in my own mind. The best part of it wasn’t the magical elements, it was the found family and relationships we saw throughout the book.

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Two teenaged boys from West Virginia find a portal to a fantasy world called Shanandoah. When they return to this world, they lose one another, and their adult lives are complicated and less than charming. But the plight of a lonely young woman searching for her lost sister brings the young men together again and back to Shanandoah.
I love a good fairy tale, and The Lost Story is an outstanding fairy tale. It gets billed as a Narnia novel for adults, about which I 100 percent agree, and would be delighted if there were further chronicles of Shanandoah.
I would recommend this to those who love fairy tales, tales of romance and adventure, tales of lost souls living in the margins finding their way home, tales of people who find the courage to boop fear in the nose.

[Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

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This is a cute story for people that want to reminisce about fairy tales. If you loved The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe when you were a kid you will probably love this. It’s a unique spin on a romance story.

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book.

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I finished this book a week ago and I'm still not quite sure I have the words for it.
This book was a beautiful testament to love and devotion but also mysticism and mythology, families and forgotten histories, the power of stories.

The world that was woven was magical and lovely. The characters were flawed and broken, but strong and resilient. It's the kind of book that I want to recommend to everybody, but also I don't want to hear bad word against it.

Two boys go missing on a school field trip In an area that feeds into the Appalachian trails. 6 months later, hikers come across two boys looking stronger and better fed than when they they disappeared the one appears to have a head injury, and one says something in a language that can't be deciphered.
Fast forward several years to a young woman struggling what to do after her mother dies But she maintains a mission to find the sister that went lost in the same stretch of woods. The only person who can help her is one of the boys who had been returned. Their journey requires the second boy, with all their brokenness upon returning, all their history, and what they experienced years ago when they were lost, to try to reunite the sisters.

#arc
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#theloststory

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Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random House!

I was really excited for this book. Unfortunately I DNF'd at 58%. This started off so interested, but unfortunately, I had issues relating to and connecting with the characters. I think this is because the writing style (which seems childish, almost like this was a MG book) made it hard to connect with the adult characters.

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The first word that comes to mind when describing this book is beautiful. The imagery, the writing, the characters… It’s a soothing book to read and will capture your imagination completely. As an adult who read The Chronicles of Narnia as a child, this is a perfect re-entry to a fantasy world and will make you feel like coming home. Shaffer is very talented and I can’t wait to see where she takes this next, as I feel sure there will be a sequel. I also have her book The Wishing Game on my TBR and will be moving it up after reading this. Do yourself a favor and jump into this delightful fairy tale!

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What if Narnia was real, and what if it could be access through a tree in West Virginia? So, maybe not Narnia, but this is the story of Shanandoah, a magical world of unicorns, valkyries, queens, mermaids, and battles with the lost souls.

It’s a story that begins with two boys who go missing only to be found months later stronger and healthier in the woods of West Virginia, and a girl desperate to find her sister who went missing in these same woods.

Yes, it’s fantasy, but I loved it.

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Sadly this one just wasn’t for me. I can put my finger on what it was but it wasn’t my style. Maybe it was the time of year I read it in or something. But I will give this another try later on.

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