A modern fairy tale, this book incorporates thriller, fantasy, romance and adventure aspects. Jeremy and Rafe were the “lost boys” who disappeared for six months in the Red Crow forest when they were 14 years old. Rafe has no memory of the six month period and Jeremy refuses to talk about it. But the boys became estranged from each other with Rafe living as a recluse and Jeremy using his special skills to find lost girls. Fifteen years after their disappearance, Jeremy and Rafe must work together to go back into the Red Crow forest to help Emilie find her sister.
This author is definitely a skilled storyteller. The story is very creative and the world building is done well - it was easy for me as a reader to picture the imaginary land that the characters travelled to. I enjoyed the mythical creatures and good versus evil themes. And the romance aspect was done well and didn’t take away from the fantasy. The ending of the book lends itself to a sequel or a trilogy or maybe even a series. I found the book to be entertaining and enjoyable. My only criticism is that there might have been just a little too much “fluff”.

When I was approved for this ARC, I was PUMPED! I really loved The Wishing Game and had been so excited to read The Lost Story.

The whole story line is beautiful and magical. I am not much of a fantasy reader, so The Wishing Game was a bit easier for me to get into because it was more “realistic” than this one, but The Lost Story still kept my attention and kept me wondering what was next. The characters and relationships were so well done. The whole book gave Narnia vibes.

Thank you so much for the chance to read and review this beautiful story!

Happy release day to The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer! What an incredible follow up to last year's debut The Wishing Game which I also loved. Meg Shaffer does an amazing job mixing in fairytale aspects to her stories that are so captivating. Her characters are so easy to connect with and you find yourself rooting for them every time. I loved the progression of this story and the journey that Rafe, Jeremy and Emilie went on together. Meg has solidified herself as an auto buy author for me and I look forward to seeing what she puts out next.

In The Lost Story, Jeremy and Rafe went missing in the West Virginia wilderness as teenagers. After months, they reappear- Rafe with no recollection of anything and Jeremy unwilling to tell their story. Years later, Jeremy works as a famous missing persons’ investigator and is approached by Emilie, who is looking for her missing sister. Jeremy knows he can find her, but he’ll have to enlist the help of Rafe (whom he hasn’t talked to in years) and return to the forest and magical land beyond where they went missing.

The Lost Story is such a whimsical, fun fairytale of a book. I think one of my favorite parts of the whole story was the description of the beautiful land of Shanandoah. It was so descriptive and immersive that I felt like I was right there in that fairytale world with them! I thought it was interesting how we learned the story of their childhood disappearance along with Rafe as he regains his memories of their time in Shanandoah. I loved Jeremy and Rafe’s relationship and how it evolved and changed as those memories were uncovered. This was just such an enchanting story from page one! There were a few parts that lost my interest a bit and I thought the beginning and the end felt a bit disjointed, but overall I really enjoyed it! It’s a unique read for sure!

Thank you to @netgalley and publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read The Wishing Game last year and *loved* it. I listened to The Lost Story and, while I didn’t get into Shannondoah as much as Clock Island, it was still a magical journey. As Jeremy and Rafe return to the land one of them has forgotten, the mysteries unfold. It felt like a blend of Narnia, Peter Pan, Hansel & Gretel, and many more! I challenge you not to swoon at the end!!
*Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the review copy

Going into this book I honestly had no clue what it was about or what to expect, but I really loved it! I had no clue this was sort of a Chronicles of Narnia/Alice in Wonderland retelling (or at least had elements of those iconic stories) but it felt so magical and nostalgic. I thought the concept was so cool, with it being almost a mystery that you are trying to solve the entire book of why these boys went missing, a magical world that they get lost in, and such cute undertones of romance.

Rafe and Jeremy went missing 15 years ago in a forest and haven't seen each other since then. Rafe has been stuck with visions and nightmares of a fantasy world full of magical creatures, while Jeremy has a talent for finding girls who go missing. When Emilie approaches Jeremy to find her missing sister, Jeremy realizes he must see Rafe for the first time and go back into the forest.

This book is so magical and whimsical and exactly the type of fantasy world I wish I could've stumbled into when I was a kid, just like the Chronicles of Narnia. I loved the way that Queen Skya was the narrator and the concept of young children writing themselves fantasy worlds to escape into to avoid the horrors of the real world. I found Rafe and Jeremy so endearing and loved watching them come back into themselves. Overall the book was so cute, so nostalgic for the fantasy worlds I wished to escape in when I was younger, and the vibes all around were fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Group - Ballentine Books for providing me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Jeremy and Rafe vanished for six months during their teenage years. When they returned, Rafe couldn't remember anything about their disappearance, and Jeremy refused to share what he knew. They had been in a magical fantasy land hidden deep within the forest. Now, Emilie seeks their help to find her sister, who vanished in the same area 20 years ago.

If you enjoyed Meg Shaffer's previous book, The Wishing Game, you'll love this one too. It’s an easy read, reminiscent of a YA novel.

Just Wow. This story hit all my magical feels. It has heart, it has whimsy, found family and a wonderful adult fairy tale that just make you happy. It has an amazing story with an adventure to find a missing long-lost sister, a race to unlock forgotten memories, a magical land that is plucked from every thirteen-year-old girls head. While the overall story isn't hard to figure out, the overall feel of the story just leaves you with all the warm and fuzzy feeling of reading an amazing story.
I love all the characters but especially Jeremy. I just felt for him so much as he protected Rafe, as he was the holder of the secrets, as he knew what had to be done and how to get there. He was a little gruff, a little sarcastic but just full of heart. Yup, major crush on Jeremy.
The storyland characters are all amazing and fun and of course a fairy tale magical land wouldn't be right without a scary desolate land with a big bad evil. All true fairy tales have a hero that must overcome the big bad evil and, in this story, we find that with Rafe. Rafe's love of his father is so complex. He wants his approval and love so much that he would lie about beating his dad in an archery contest and his dad's judgement and prejudice is so twisted it turns him to true evil in this story land.
The writing is beautiful. I found myself highlighting several sentences and paragraphs because they resonant with me as a lover of stories. I adore the break in from the storyteller. They are like a breaking of the 4th wall in a movie and I love that feeling that we are being included in the story. I
I will be highly recommending this book to anyone that loves a good love story, found family and magical land. A true fairy tale that is just beautifully written and a joy to read.

An absolutely incredible fantasy story!! I loved the interruptions from the narrator, it gave the book such a whimsical feel! I was hooked within the first few pages and didn't want to put the book down after that! The characters are so detailed and easily to fall in love with. This was such a wonderful story!!

5 ⭐️

I went into The Lost Story pretty blindly. I heard things about it being similar to Chronicles of Narnia and mystical/matical, but that’s it. I’ve never read anything by Meg Shaffer before!

I absolutely adored this little magical story. 🥹😭

I was invested the entire story. It was mysterious, magical, mystical, cozy, sweet, homey, and all around good vibes.

I lovedddd the storyteller aspect, I thought it was cute and funny!

Each of the characters had such a personality, and I felt like they were all very connected and close knit. There were a couple relationships that hinted at what they were, but never clarified. I did enjoy that, but also want to know more!!!

The sister relationship in this story is so heartfelt and emotional. I was not prepared for that, at all. It was beautiful, heavy and well rounded.

I was not aware of the LGBTQ+ aspect of this novel and LOVED it, but some people may not. It was super interesting how that came to be.

Watch the trigger warnings, please please please. They are heavy.

I could see kind of why people say Chronicles of Narnia vibes, but just the ideal - not really the same at all, imo.


I thought this was SUCH a cute mystical and magical fantasy book. It felt youthful and pure, without feeling like I was reading a YA or child’s book. Just gave me so many good feelings. I felt warm and right at home. 🥹💗

I want to read it all over again!

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the early read!

The book came out todayyyyy 7/16!!!

"The Lost Story" is a captivating tale that intertwines fantasy with heartfelt character development, set against the mysterious backdrop of the West Virginia mountains. This novel is a must-read for fans of portal magic and otherworldly adventures, reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia or Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell vanished in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to reappear six months later with no memory of where they’d been or how they survived. Fifteen years after their miraculous return, Rafe is a reclusive artist scarred by the unknown experiences of those lost months, while Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator with uncanny abilities.

Jeremy is the only one who knows the fantastical truth about their disappearance: while the world searched for them, the boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. Now, Jeremy’s unique skills are needed again to help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the same forest. To save Emilie’s sister, Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie must return to the enchanted world they once knew. This journey forces Jeremy and Rafe to confront their traumatic past and the secrets Jeremy has kept since their return.

The narrative shines brightest through the characters of Rafe and Jeremy. Their shared history and the mysteries of their past drive the story forward, making their relationship both compelling and heart-wrenching. Emilie serves as a catalyst for their reunion and the quest, though her quirky personality and inability to "self-regulate" can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.

Shaffer masterfully creates a magical world teeming with mermaids, ghosts, valkyries, and unicorns, making the adventure both enchanting and perilous. The Lost Story is an engaging read that balances the fantastical with deep emotional stakes, making it a standout for those who love immersive fantasy worlds and character-driven stories.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Oh, what a nice escape from reality while reading this magnificent book. What a delightful story with wonderful characters. If only there was really a place like this where one could escape from the horrible things that are happening in this world, I'd be there. I consider this a fairy tale for adults that was beautifully written and magical. I just loved it. You're never too old for fairy tales. If you like fantasy and fairy tales, this is the book for you. I loved Meg Shaffer's first book and after reading this one, I will continue to read her books. I'm a fan!

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer presents a promising premise of a magic portal in the mountains of West Virginia but falls short in execution. The odd pacing delays entry into the enchanting world until halfway through the book, only to rush its exploration thereafter. While the ending offers moments of redemption, it draws out unimportant details. Shaffer's writing style attempts to juxtapose reality with fantasy but often misses the mark with awkward dialogue and trite humor, particularly in the first half. Although the characters and romance are engaging, and the magical elements intriguing, the fairytale realm feels underdeveloped and unconvincing, resembling adults playing make-believe rather than a fully realized world. Ultimately, while The Lost Story has its strengths, its poor execution detracts from its potential.

I absolutely loved Meg Shaffer’s debut, The Wishing Game. It was charming, poignant and an utter delight, making it one of my admittedly rare 5-starred books. So when I saw she had a new book coming out, I snapped up the advanced readers copy. I’ll say up front that The Lost Story did not give me all the reading feels Wishing Game did, but it’s still quite good (4 stars).

When they were about 14 or 15 years old, Jeremy Cox and Ralph Howell went missing in a forest near their homes in West Virginia. They were gone for six months and everyone assumed they were dead. Then, one day, they just reappeared.

In the 15 years since then, Ralph has kept a very low profile; as an adult, he’s kept to himself, living in his father’s cabin in the woods. Jeremy, on the other hand, has become well known as an expert at finding missing girls and women.

Emilie, a veterinary aide from Ohio, finds Jeremy and asks him to find her sister. Emilie’s sister, whom she never knew, disappeared in the same forest the boys did five years before they went missing. She wants to know what happened to her, and Jeremy is her best hope.

What she doesn’t know, until after Jeremy finally accepts her request, is that Jeremy and Ralph (whom Jeremy always called Rafe, a nod to Jeremy’s British roots) weren’t just surviving in a forest for six months. They found a doorway that led them into a magical world called Shanandoah. And they will have to go back there to find Emilie’s sister.

While this is a journey to help Emilie, it’s just as much about Jeremy and Rafe’s unfinished business. Best friends (and possibly more?), the two hardly spoke again after their time in Shanandoah. Rafe doesn’t know why, and Jeremy has had to keep a lot of secrets, even as it broke his heart. Going back will open up old wounds but will also be the means to heal them.

The Lost Story is a magical tale about the lure of fanciful kingdoms just on the other side of secret doors, the power of writing and imagination, the bonds of family and friends, and forgiveness. A lovely nod to C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.

What a world Meg Shaffer has created in Shenandoah! An adult fairy tale I couldn’t put down, I was instantly drawn in with Emilie’s character as she met Jeremy, she needs his help to find her half sister she just recently learned she had. As a teen Jeremy and his best friend Rafe disappeared for six months into the same forests of West Virginia as Emilie’s sister had five years previously, the difference was Jeremy and Rafe reappeared, but were unable to tell what happened to them. Their story takes us to an enchanted world where forgotten memories are uncovered, and explores friendship, good vs. evil,, fairy tale motifs and so much more, I was swept into it and loved each moment. A storyteller fills us in on background and what I thought of as ‘reality checks’ between different chapters, they were witty and added a fun twist to an already incredible ride. I’ve not read the author’s earlier book, but have already ordered it. I highly recommend it to those who love magical realism, and if you’ve shied away from the genre until now, give this amazing book a try as an introduction to it,
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for an advance copy and the hours of pure joy it gave me.

The Lost Story is a book for anyone who still checks the back of every antique wardrobe they encounter for the entrance to another world. It is a love letter to children's fantasy books and those of us who loved them. Written for those who never felt like they belonged in this world, but hoped to find our place in another.

The book starts with two boys who were lost in the woods, only to return six months later with no one knowing where they went or how they survived. As adults, one builds his life on finding lost children, the other is more or less a recluse. Emilie seeks out the former to help her find her sister who went missing in the same park as the boys five years before they disappeared, only she was never found.

Meg Shaffer has once again written a book that is so profoundly special, that captures something we lose as we grow up but never stop seeking. Hopefully in reading this book, you too will find what you have been missing.

Thank you to Meg Shaffer, NetGalley, and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy of this book. I was completely blown away.

I fell in love with the bookish nostalgia Shaffer’s first book, The Wishing Game, brought me, so I was eager for her next one. If there’s something I love just as much as the books of my childhood, it would be fairy tales. I grew up obsessed with fairy tales, so discovering the groundwork for The Lost Story was laid with them made this book feel tailor made to me. This is a story grounded in both fairy tales and reality, one where the villain is a little complex and a little looming, where the romance is sweet but fraught, where one woman spends her life building the perfect world for herself and her lost sister. There’s something lovely about Shaffer’s writing, and it transported me straight into a new fairy tale, where even if things felt like a child’s whim and fantasy, it was still somehow endearing to an adult.

When they were boys, best friends Jeremy and Rafe went missing in a West Virginia forest for months after an ugly confrontation between Rafe and his father. Years later, they’re estranged, with only Jeremy remembering what happened to them when they were missing. Now he makes a living finding those who are lost, and it’s this uncanny skill of his that Emilie needs, because she’s looking for her lost half-sister who vanished in the same forest after she was kidnapped as a teen. So they set out to round up Rafe, the only one who can lead them to where Emilie’s sister is, a woman Jeremy says he and Rafe know, but won’t say how or why. But stepping into a magical world is not easy, not when secrets linger, and the past will come back roaring, casting a shadow in the only place where Jeremy and Rafe were happy.

The Lost Story reads like a fairy tale. It’s grounded in the ingredients that make up one, and Shaffer never lets the reader forget. It’s told in a charming, soft way, one that invites readers in, to poke their heads in and discover magic might just be around the corner. Of course, because this is grounded in childish fantasy with adults populating the world, it comes across as a little odd, but I found the writing so lovely and the story so wishful that I didn’t care while I was reading. Though, yes, it was strange to read about grown men and women gallivanting around a magical world created by a child.

But the central story is about Jeremy and Rafe. Brought back together thanks to Emilie’s mission to find her lost sister, even though they were separated when Emilie, the younger sister, was just a baby, they have a lot to deal with and confront. There are reasons why only Jeremy remembers and can’t breathe a word of it to Rafe, but it creates a divide between these two boys who were once so close they were practically inseparable. Watching them find their way back together through all the secrets was both beautiful and a little heartwrenching. Their pasts come to light for the reader, and the way they became so tangled and their adult lives a bit of a mess tugged at my heart. Not much is easy for them, but the love between them, whether both will admit it, is clear to see. I adored these two together. They go through so much with and for each other, with choices being made for them because of how much they love each other.

But it’s also a story of sisters. Emilie and Shannon never really knew each other, because Emilie was adopted away as a baby. Yet the memories Shannon had of the brief time she had a sister were etched in her, and she wanted more than anything to get her sister back. When Emilie’s adopted mother dies, all she has is her pet rat Fritz and the knowledge of a sister who was lost in a West Virginia forest, not knowing her sister has created an entire kingdom for them to live happily in. I really liked Emilie. She’s young, barely an adult, but doesn’t back down from anything. Her naivety sometimes shone through, but she’s devoted to those she cares about and she has a huge heart. I loved her rat, who was an absolute delight and a really fun detail to include. Shannon comes across as much older, even though she’s queen of a land full of fairy tale elements. It felt like it kept her young at heart, which stayed pure as gold. This reunion was heartwarming, but certainly not the main story as I felt Emilie was often forgotten and pushed to the side in favor of Jeremy and Rafe’s story. I never, though, got the feeling that Emilie minded.

The Lost Story is a delightful portal fantasy, where one can step from this world into a fantastical one created by a child’s wishes, dreams, and one very special pencil. I loved the story of how this world came to be, and I’d love to have my own magical pencil. This really played into the fantasies of my own childhood, where the stories and fantastical worlds I created in my mind could come to life. Oh, if only. I loved this book because I got to see this fantasy play out. It was a little weird to see a grown woman ruling a world that was clearly created by a child, but, if I had the chance to live forever in a world I created as a child, well, I’d be overjoyed and would never leave. It’s a bit black and white, with places that are good and magical and a place of shadows where one character’s past haunts.

A fairy tale has a villain, at least Disney told me so, and this one certainly has one. This villain, though, isn’t introduced right away, but saved for closer to the end. It sometimes felt a little like an after thought, but it fit well with how the story played out, though I wish it had been a little more evident much earlier on. I liked that it did take up a good chunk of the story, but it’s also easy to guess once all the pieces are fit together. Part of me wishes the villain had been introduced earlier, but The Lost Story isn’t really a fairy tale, but a love story in the guise of a fairy tale. It did sometimes make too much of this story feel like fluff, but it’s delightfully fun fluff.

I had a fantastic time reading The Lost Story, and I never wanted it to end. I love the hope that the reader is left with at the end, and the idea that the magic isn’t out of reach forever. I loved that it allowed me to live out my childhood fantasies. Jeremy and Rafe were wonderful and I loved their story, but, for me, this was much more about getting to see that child’s world come to life. There’s adventure in these pages, and a love story, and a story of sisters, and a story of banishing the ghosts of one’s past, but, for me, the real treasure was the discovery that maybe, just maybe, another world exists somewhere out there and it’s not too late to find it. Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, the description mentions this is for those who still knock on the backs of wardrobes to see if Narnia might open up to them, and I find that’s all I needed to fall in love with this book, because I’m still looking for these portals.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a really lovely, whimsical, fun book, and I enjoyed every bit of it. While the book doesn't shy from the hard conversations, it didn't get dark to the point where it was never un-enjoyable. Honestly reading this was a blast from the start and the only minor quibble I have is that it went on for a smidge too long.

Huge Thank you to Random House for the ARC.

Wonderful happy story! Such a joy to read a book that will bring so much love to your heart that you will be lighter for it. Meg Shaffer's writing is beautiful and heart warming in a world today that seems like Ghost Town. I loved this story to Shanandoah and back, and I look forward to returning for Rafe and Jeremy's wedding someday.

"The Lost Story" was a wonderful love letter to the classic fairy tales of our youth. While the most obvious reference was to Narnia, you couldn't help but get hints of Wonderland or Oz as well. Don't think it was just about the only magic was the mystical kingdom though! The relationships between the characters brought its own magic to the book. However, within the frame of these fairy tales, there was heavier subjects addressed including missing children, kidnapping, abuse, and homophobia so I suggest readers be prepared.

I give this a 3/5 stars because while it was an enjoyable, I felt that too many of the possible plot twists were too heavily leaned into, taking away any shock factor they could have provided. I understand this was in part to lead into character development, but would have liked it to been more shocking and less predictable. However, I can say I got misty-eyed at the end and do definitely see myself reading a sequel should one come out. This seems to be a standalone for now, with loose ends tied up nicely, but the author also left enough room for the adventure to continue, and I hope they do!