I loved this book almost as much as the wishing game. I'm very excited to see what this author does in the future. The second half of the book wasnt as exciting though. The got to their destination and everything felt too perfect making it a little boring.

The Lost Story is a magical and enchanting tale of being lost and then found.

Emilie Wendell recently lost her adopted mother to cancer, and also recently learned that she wasn't truly alone in the world after a DNA test revealed that she has a sister who went missing in West Virginia decades ago after a kidnapping. Emilie seeks out Jeremy Cox, a missing person's investigator who is known for finding dozens of missing girls and women. She knows the likelihood of her sister being alive after all this time is low, but when she reveals to Jeremy that she went missing in the Red Crow Woods, the same place Jeremy and his childhood friend Rafe went missing fifteen years ago, he refuses to help her. Emilie is surprised when weeks later, Jeremy shows up with a change of heart - he will help her find her sister, but they need Rafe's help. And Jeremy and Rafe haven't spoken since the fateful day they were found in the Red Crow, six months after going missing. But Emilie won't be deterred, and if getting Rafe and Jeremy on speaking terms again can lead her to the one person she has left in the world, she will do whatever she can to make it happen.

I adored this story. It is whimsical, cozy, and enchanting, but also real and difficult and brutally beautiful. While this is at it's heart a story about a fairytales, it is also about children and adolescents, and the grownups that let them down and hurt them. It is tragic and sweet at the same time. It is clearly a nod to CS Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia, with children going to a magical land where they are queens and princes, and it also reminded a bit of the movie Hook, about returning to a place you loved in your childhood but forgot as an adult. It also speaks to the choices and decisions we make when we are younger and impulsive, versus those we make when we are older and and consider how our actions impact others. It was an enjoyable and quick read, and I laughed at some parts and cried at others. The queer love story at the heart of this tale was beautiful, and achingly real, and the love that all the characters share for each other comes through clearly on the pages. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. While I had a few minor issues with the pacing and some of the plot, overall it was a wonderful story and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and cozy fantasy read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

5⭐️
0🌶️

This indescribably beautiful, funny, and heartwarming hits you in the feels from page one with the pangs of those who are lost. The poignancy of those who are brokenhearted yet still smile through their pain and keep going toward the goal they know is out there, but they don’t know where. The Lost Story is a fast-paced novel to fill your heart with fantasy and joy, with unicorns to an adorable rat named Felix. Not one word is wasted in this story of finding the love you have lost for a time or finding the love you have dreamed of your entire life. Meg Shaffer has written just a fantabulous fairy tale that leaves your heart smiling in teary bliss!

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine Books, for the eArc. This extreme fan-girl review is my own!

This book is charming, fun, and whimsical with some dark moments and positive messaging. I definitely enjoyed it and think it is worth reading, especially if you are a lover of fairytales and classics like The Chronicles of Narnia.

There are magical elements, a bit of mystery and suspense, some romance and family/found family bonds. I am rating it 3.5 stars because I did not feel a strong emotional connection to any of the characters or the story. I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the story itself, but I did not feel emotionally invested in what was happening. It felt a bit YA even though the main characters were 30, so I struggled a bit with that too. I would definitely try another book or two by this author because I had a pretty good time! Thank you to the Ballantine and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

This was delightful. I LOVED this author's debut last year and this was definitely a similar vibe! I did find it to be a bit odd but not in a bad way and also a bit long but if you are in the mood for some fantasy/magical realism, this will be the book for you!!

The Lost Story comes out next week on July 16, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

When you read fairy tales, you'll learn fast there are only two types of mothers you'll meet in those stories. One-good and dead. Two-bad and alive.

Fathers usually fare better. They live longer.

However, without their wives around, they tend to make very poor decisions. Snow White had a good and dead mother. Then her father remarried her wicked stepmother. Cinderella's father also exercised very poor taste when looking for wife number two.

The father in "Rumpelstiltskin" took parental bragging to a whole new level when he swore to all who would listen that his daughter could spin straw into gold. One imagines if his wife had been alive, she would have quickly shut those rumors down by explaining to all and sundry that she'd married a narcissist.

I really liked the beginning of this book & was very intrigued to see where it was gonna go but I can’t say I was too crazy about the hidden world. Yes Shanadoah sounds amazing, but it just seemed kinda childish. I did like how the story was written though, I thought the storytelling aspect was super cool.

Eh. I don’t really think I liked this book. I really liked the Wishing Game. But I didn’t connect with this one very much unfortunately.

📖 Book Review 📖

📱 "The Lost Story" by Meg Shaffer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
publication date: July 16, 2024

This well- written story is said to be inspired by “The Chronicles of Narnia” however the whole time I was reading it reminded me of “The Unmaking of June Farrow” which I loved!

Two teenage boys go missing for 6 months in the acres of West Virginia forest. When they return Jeremy and Rafe can’t explain where they went, how they got there and how they survived. Fast forward 15 years, and Emilie is looking for her long lost sister, who went missing in the same forest. Jeremy is now a missing persons’ investigator with an amazing recovery rate so Emilie seeks him out for help.

I loved the first 50-70% of the book and really had high hopes for something amazing. I loved the world of Shanandoah and the time the characters spent there. If you enjoy magical realism I would highly recommend this one.


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The Lost Story is a wild fantasy book with a romance side plot that every C.S Lewis Chronicles of Narnia fan will love. The story begins in West Virginia where two best friends, Rafe and Jeremy, mysteriously disappeared only to miraculously reappear 6 months later. Fast forward 15 years where Jeremy is a famed missing persons investigator and Rafe is a reclusive artist still struggling with the scars of the past. Here we meet Emilie, a vet tech who elicits the help of Jeremy to find her sister who has been missing for years and learns she vanished in the same forest that Jeremy and Rafe did. And so begins the magical adventure, unlikely friendship is found, confronting the past, and even a second chance at love.

All main characters had their own journey within the adventure. Whether it was finding peace from the past, renewed love, found family, etc… and it’s perfectly balanced! But then all the journeys intermixed with the magical world and story. I loved it and the ending had my jaw on the ground! 😳

I thoroughly enjoyed this book overall and definitely recommend everyone reads it. Yes, there were times I got a little confused and overwhelmed with the different fantasy elements but sometimes having the hard copy helps organize that. But overall I didn’t want to stop reading once I got started!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Ballantine, and Meg Shaffer for the opportunity to read this ARC copy!

As a fan of Meg Shaffer's previous novel, the Wishing Game, I knew I was going to love this going into it.

The Lost Story centers around Jeremy and Rafe, two best friends, who went missing for six months with no explanation of what happened during that time. Now, fifteen years later, they return to the forest they went missing in order to help a young woman locate her lost sister. This story is filled with magic, storytelling, unicorns, and found family. I absolutely loved the magical realism in this story and definitely recommend for fans of Chronicles of Narnia and fairytales,

I look forward to reading more from Meg Shaffer!

The Lost Story is OUT 7.16.24.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Emilie seeks out Jeremy, master of locating the lost, to find her long lost sister. The catch is that she was last seen in the same woods that Jeremy and best friend Rafe also went missing in for six months. Their inexplicable return left them healthier than ever and Rafe without any memory. After parting ways Rafe became a reclusive artist and while Jeremy has put his super searching power to good use they must reunite after 15 years to try and recover Emilie's sister and everything else that they've lost.

Loved this story! Lots of components such as reuniting with family, found or otherwise, coupled with adventure, magic and mystery. Enjoyed the "storytellers corner" as well.

I read Meg Shaffer's last book, The Wishing Game, and I really enjoyed it. I adore Narnia, and the new book, The Lost Story, has been compared to the classic. I love a fairy tale for grownups!

From GR:
As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell 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.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book. My review rating is based on the summary of this book.

Intriguing and fantastical tale with strong ideas and interesting motives, deserving a strong review. Thanks for the arc.

DNF at 75%. It started off great, but then it just lost me. It read more YA which would’ve still been fine, but I wasn’t submerged in the story at all. The characters were lackluster as was the world building. I was too bored, and didn’t care enough about the story or characters to continue reading.

I had mixed feelings throughout this book. I loved Shaffer’s last book so I wanted to love this one just as much but it didn’t flow properly in a few places. The pacing seemed drawn out in the beginning and then very rushed at the end. And yet, I still found myself crying in many parts towards the end despite some of the predictability. I really loved the plot but thought the delivery could’ve been better in some areas. Would still recommend!

I AM IN LOVE WITH MEG SHAFFER'S WRITING. THIS IS UNFAIR. I thought I loved The Wishing Game but I love this book so much more. They are fairly different so if you're looking for the same thing you won't find that here. This is much more fantastical and I just loved all these characters so much. I was pleasantly surprised by the recipe in the back of the book as well. Just dang. Meg Shaffer owns my soul now.

I loved this book! An adult fairytale, cozy fantasy inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. This book had me smiling almost the entire time I was reading it. Jeremy and Rafe together, their chemistry was amazing. Queen Skya and Princess Emilie I love. I want to continue reading about Shanandoa and their lives and adventures. I’ll definitely give this one a reread.

I absolutely adored this modern fairytale. The characters were all so heartwarming. The story was beautiful and sad and made me feel so much nostalgia from reading books like this when I was younger. This was a wonderful story full of action, humor, love and found family. I loved the Storyteller who broke the 4th wall. Tho book would make a great movie! I’m hoping with the way it ended there will be a follow-up story. If you loved The Wishing Game, you’ll love Meg Shaffer’s newest.

The Lost Story is about two teenage boys who were once lost in the magical Red Crow Park. They found their way home but were sworn to secrecy. Rafe's memory of the incident was removed and Jeremy was given the gift of finding other lost people. The written story begins fifteen years after the boys had returned home. Rafe and Jeremy have had no contact since their return. Rafe has become a bitter and reclusive artist while Jeremy locates the lost. Jeremy is approached by Emily, a young adult, who wants to find her missing sister. Shannon is somewhere in Red Crow, as the boys had seen her while they were lost. Jeremy has to enlist Rafe to take him back to the Magical Red Crow Land and help him find Shannon. Emily insists on going with them. All in all, this is a great story. My only qualm is that for the first 1/2 of the book I kept doing math in my head about the ages of the "boys." They were in their 30's! But the writing was as if they were still 15 years old. This caused me to rate the book at 4 rather than 5 stars. This book should appeal to ALL ages, even young adults. There is an underlying LGBTQ theme so maybe that is what makes it an adult book. I look forward to the next book by this author. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This review is my actual opinion, in my own words. I highly recommend the escape to Red Crow Land that this novel brings to the reader.

Raise your hand if you are still hoping to live in a fairytale 🤚🏼

🌳 REVIEW: THE LOST STORY 🌳

By Meg Shaffer

📖 SUMMARY: Fifteen years ago, Jeremy and Rafe went missing in a state forest — and six months later, reappeared with no explanation for where they were. Now adults, they are not in contact. Rafe has zero memory of what happened during those six months and locks himself away from his community. Jeremy became a well-known missing persons’ investigator, and remembers everything from their time away and has purposely kept it from Rafe … how they found a magical fairytale land, became close friends of the queen, and lived among magical creatures like unicorns. With a request from a stranger, Emilie, to find her sister, who disappeared in the same forest and still hasn’t been found, it’s time to reconnect and help Rafe remember the truth.

💭 THOUGHTS: Loved loved loved this book! There is something so comforting and nostalgic about it — and I felt the same way about Meg Shaffer’s previous novel, THE WISHING GAME, as well. I saw another reviewer call this a modern-day, LGBTQ Narnia, and that is spot-on. The romance storyline in this will break your heart and put it back together again. I cried at the end, which isn’t out of the ordinary for me, but trust me when I tell you that the tears were warranted! This book had the perfect pace and I didn’t want to put it down. Add it to your TBR for a perfect escape.

Thank you @ net galley and @ random house for the ARC. This comes out next Tuesday, July 16!

✨ MADE ME FEEL: both uplifted and also really sad?? if you read it, you’ll understand

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you are still waiting to find that wardrobe that leads to Narnia

TW: abuse