A magical, deeply moving modern fairy tale about young love, the power of wishes, and resilience. I was so taken with this one. Thank you to Meg Shaffer for tackling some very difficult topics with the perfect words.

This book has made Shaffer an auto read author for me. I just simply love the way she writes and these worlds she creates!
Thank you #randomhouse and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Ughh this was not for me. I feel Like I’m not Shaffer’s ideal reader and that’s okay. This was marketed as a Narnia style story but with a little more grit and again, as with Wishing Game, it was just cringy. I’ll steer clear of this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I had to DNF at 30%. The story itself was very engaging and I truly enjoyed the fantasy. I do not normally read any fantasy, but I was really getting into this book. I think there should've been a little better description of what the content was going to be because I personally do not read LGBTQ content. I just don't enjoy it. There was nothing graphic (as far as I made it in), but stories that include this don't interest me particularly.

The Lost Story is sweet and bittersweet. The novel beautifully discusses old wounds, family, love, and friendship.

Tthe boys, Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell ar bees at friens. They went missing in a West Virginia state forest. Search parties were sent to find the boys but had no luck. Then they mysteriously appear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived. After all, they were in the forest when they got lost. Fifteen years after being “home” Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months he was missing. 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. Emilie has been told that she had a sister but was dead. Then Emilie finds out that she may still be alive. Regardless, Emilie wants her to either be buried or living with her. She wants to know her sister. Can Jeremy find her sister? Jeremy alone knows the 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 beauty and 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 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. 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. Is it worth it? Will they find. Emilie’s sister?

The novel is a central mystery that focuses on two lost-then-found boys. The central plot is a mystery that focuses on two lost-then-found boys. Rafe and Jeremy disappeared on a school outing to Red Crow State Forest in West Virginia, only to reappear — suddenly, and without explanation — six months later. For Rafe, the missing months are simply gone from his memory. Jeremy sticks to an undetailed story: they were lost. is an adventure filled with sword fights, romance, and gut-wrenching stories of the dark past that led the boys to the forest in the first place. I loved the two boys and their adventures. I also liked that the author writes the tender love between Jeremy and Rafe and the magical depiction of the world they once left behind..

This book was a roller coaster for me. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Meg Shaffer's first book s0 I had high hopes for this one. The first half of the Lost Story had me hooked. I lost an interest in the middle when they entered this mystical land. But by the end, I was back invested in the book and these characters. Meg left it open for a followup novel and I would for sure buy it to follow these characters. Although this wasnt my favorite, I would read anything Meg writes.

The Lost Story is a wild ride. Based outside Morgantown, WV, it centers around 2 boys who become friends as teenagers, and unlock a door to a magical kingdom, but then must find it (and each other) again as adults. This is definitely a book for adults, but for those of us who loved Narnia and other books like that as kids. There are some fun moments of fantasy, danger and romance. I want to go to Shanandoah and be with this crew! The relationship between Rafe and Jeremy is just the best.

Think Narnia but for adults

Emilie loses her mother and begins the search to find her missing biological sister with the help of former missing child Jeremy Cox (now famed missing persons investigator). Emilie’s sister however, went missing ten years before Jeremy, in the same woods. Jeremy decides he needs his childhood best friend Rafe, who also went missing with him, to help find her. Going back in the woods is not going to be easy for Rafe or Jeremy as they face the magical world that they lived in for months.

I really loved The Wishing Game by this author but wasn’t as invested in this one. This one was much more magical and you had to suspend reality which was a bit more difficult for me than I anticipated. I still loved the story and the ending - we all need a bit of magic in our lives!

Jeremy and Rafe were young boys when they went missing in a forest in West Virginia. They were gone for 6 months and then suddenly reappeared, giving no explanation of where they were or what happened to them. People eventually stopped asking them about it and moved on with their lives, glad the boys were home.

Fastforward 15 years, and Rafe can no longer even recall what happened to them during that time. Jeremy has become a sort of vigil-ante detective who finds missing children who are impossible to find, and he seems to have an uncanny ability.

Emilie Wendell reaches out to Jeremy for help to find her long lost sister. He believes he can find her, but he needs the help of Rafe. Together, the three of them return to the enchanted world in the forest where Rafe and Jeremy had disappeared to so many years ago.

I loved Meg Shaffer's first book, and so I found this one to be a little boring. It was very whimsical, and kind of a lot was thrown in there, from a Fleetwood Mac obsession, to random animals like unicorns and mermaids. The first 40% of the book is a lot of set up and honestly is a bit slow. The second half was better but I had lost interest in these characters by then. I think the book tried a bit too hard to be Narnia-ish.

I loved loved loved Meg Shaffer's debut book The Wishing Game and had high hopes for The Lost Story, but it fell very flat for me. I DNF'd it at 25%. I had no interested in the plot, the characters, or what was happening in the book. It may not have been the right time for me to read the book and I will try to pick it up again in the future, but for now it is a no go from me.

Thank you Meg Shaffer, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this story. It has a touch of mystery, a handful of fantasy, and a whole lot of love story—everything to make an incredible story. 5 stars.

Loved this. I’ve really enjoyed everything by this author. She’s an autobuy author for me. I love how every one of her stories is completely different from the others but you can still feel she’s the author. A very strong voice - one I really enjoy.

I just finished reading “The Lost Story” by Meg Shaffer, and I can’t wait to share how much I loved it! This book is an absolute gem. From the very first page, I was hooked by the enchanting narrative and the beautifully crafted characters.

The story follows a journey of discovery, both literal and emotional, as the protagonist unravels a mystery that has been buried for years. Shaffer’s writing is so vivid and immersive that I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing every twist and turn alongside them.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is how it seamlessly blends elements of adventure, romance, and self-discovery. The plot is full of unexpected surprises that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the emotional depth of the characters made their journeys incredibly relatable and moving.

If you’re looking for a book that will captivate your imagination and touch your heart, “The Lost Story” is a must-read. It’s a beautifully written tale that reminds us of the power of stories and the importance of uncovering our own truths. Highly recommend!

The lost story was unlike any story I have read before. It was a combination of "Princess bride", " Bridge to Terabithia" and "Narnia." The story reminds you how important imagination and friendship can be. This story reminds the audience that even when you have true scars from your past, they do not define and control you, but they do shape you into the wonderful person you are now. Though parts of the plot are predictable there are a few twists that you don't see coming. Overall this book was a nice break from reality and a good jump into the magical worlds many of us have hoped for.

The Lost Story allowed me to jump back to my days as a child when my imagination could run wild and create fantastical stories with just the stroke of pencil on paper. The Lost Story is just like that feeling but with more of a grownup narrative.

Best friends Jeremy and Rafe disappear in the West Virginia forest and despite all the search efforts and their parent's pleas, the boys remain unfound. Until six months later they emerge from the forest, looking overall healthy and clean, which raises more questions than the boys have answers. Fifteen years later, they are estranged, Rafe living as an artist recluse and Jeremy famous for his efforts to locate other missing persons. Emilie contacts Jeremy to see if he can help her locate her sister who went missing in the same West Virginia forest. In order to help Emilie, Jeremy must reunite with Rafe.

I loved the world that the author created in this book and the depth of the characters. I felt it was definitely open for a sequel and I (fingers crossed) can't wait to read it! If you truly want to get lost between the pages, then The Lost Story is one you won't be able to soon forget.

This is not your typical fairytale! The book is a modern twist on a magical place seperate from the real world. What I loves most is there was no princess searching for her true love! Although, there was still a love srory. The Lost Story was so good! I loved the characters and the history between them all.

An enchanting fairy tale for adults, inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, with elements reminiscent of Lord of the Flies and Alice in Wonderland (at least for me) and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. I thoroughly enjoyed The Wishing Game, so I was excited to read this one. I was not disappointed. The setting and the characters were described so well--I felt like I was right there with them! The pace was quick, and the storyline was intricately plotted. I look forward to seeing more from Meg Shaffer!

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.