From the synopsis, I was expecting something darker. FMC’s sister was kidnapped and she is in a quest to find out what happened to her. MMCs disappear in the woods and appear months later with horrific scars. While it obviously was going to be a portal fantasy, I was expecting dark fairytale vibes. I expected there to be some big mystery and a fight for survival, anbd that was definitely not the direction it went! Yes, there are heavier themes and scenes woven throughout, but it was also whimsical, fun, AND funny.
Meg Schaffer’s writing style wasn’t overly descriptive or try-hard; it struck the perfect balance and was absolutely stunning. I loved Jeremy, Emilie, and Rafe and their dynamic from the start. While it had a slower start, I enjoyed my time with the characters so much I didn’t mind it! As the story moves into Shanandoah, it becomes much more focused on Rafe and Jeremy. While we get multiple POV chapters, I wish there were more from Emilie to fill in some plot gaps and also just spend more time developing her character . With themes of family (both found and biological), forgiveness, belonging, and the unbreakable bond of different types of love, The Lost Story is easily one of my most enjoyed reads of 2024!

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Lost Story" and all opinions expressed are my own. This book really wasn't for me. I didn't like the whole fantasy in the forest thing. I had to push myself to finish the book. I like unusual and mystical books but this wasn't one of them.

Oh, my gosh, this book. THIS BOOK!

I’m still crying so I’m marking my review as having spoilers and just listing all the things swirling in my brain right now. I may come back later to organize these thoughts a little better.

I used to live in West Virginia, and my grandmother would always refer to it as “West—by golly!—Virginia!” (Not an exact quote from the book, but close enough that it had me smiling), so the moment I read those words, I knew this book would be special to me ❤️

This was a beautiful fairy tale, venturing into the category of cozy fantasy.

I love the notion that the kingdom and its royalty maintained their Appalachian accents. Actually, I love that this whole book was basically a love letter to West Virginia!

And also: The unicorn pencil! The Trapper Keeper! The, “No. Not this time.” The banter. The love. The scenery! Please make this into a series!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy. I definitely need to add this one to my print library on the “forever books” shelves.

Instead of fitting neatly into one genre category, this story overlaps into many. It’s a fantasy world, a love story, a Narnia-like escape, an adult fairytale. The author does a wonderful job of world building and transporting the reader to her world. I like how it was told by a storyteller.

A worthy successor to The Wishing Game. I didn't like it as much which was a little disappointing since I was really looking forward to the Narnia-type premise. It turns out, for me at least, the first half of the story was more enjoyable - I connected much more to Shaffer's "real" world over her fantasy world.

Shaffer's ability to flesh out the backstory and her characters was much more interesting and compelling and I felt like she didn't spend as much time figuring out the fantasy world; very much black and white Wizard of Oz vs. color Wizard of Oz. I didn't even dislike the fantasy world per se but it was like "shrug" this doesn't make any sense and I don't know why because, you know, "magic." Even the final showdown with the villain was a letdown. I feel like it was very obvious (which is fine) but it was done in a very anticlimactic way. On the other hand, the reveal of the villain in the real world (not who but what he did) is that much more dramatic and horrifying. I do get that Shaffer was perhaps trying to make a point about the difference between a make-believe world vs. reality but, again, the fantasy world was just so simplistic and undeveloped.

The story overall was still really well done. I went into the book thinking I'd get a story about found family (and it was) but what really surprised me was that the male MCs were a more primary focus than the female MC and I wasn't sad about that.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Lost Story! I definitely recommend this. It's a quick, perfect summer read; fun premise with heartwarming characters.

Did not like much in this book. From the amateurish dialogue to the forced relationships to the shoddy character building, I was never able to fall into this book as I would for most character driven fantasy novels. I think the author was overly ambitious on what she thought she could convey in a medium sized book. Although I liked the character relationships in theory, the execution was simply weak.

<spoiler>
I found it unrealistic that characters who knew each other for only a year and a half when they were 14 had this strong of a bond 15 years later. I also think that just because someone is technically your sister by birth, you are not entitled to a super strong sister bond if you do not know them. "But she is my sister" feels unearned when the character speaking knew her sister for a month when she was a baby and then didn't know her sister even existed for the next 20 years. It diminished any chance of an interesting or realistic familial bond.

The worldbuilding felt childish, which I know is the point, but I found to be boring. Give children more credit, they can come up with more interesting and creative things when building fantasy worlds other than unicorns and vaguely European villages. </spoiler>I also did not care for Storyteller chapters (the attempts at witty writing fell flat), nor did I find the ending to be particularly earned. For a book compared so heavily to the Chronicles of Narnia, this did nothing to evoke the feelings of whimsy and heroism I felt when reading that series.<spoiler> Including the titles of the books and an Aslan quote does not make the two books similar in my opinion. </spoiler>

This was a pretty fast and easy read if that is what you are looking for, just don't expect anything special or unique, especially if you are a fantasy enjoyer.

I read this book early through NetGalley.

I have been a fan of Tiffany's (Meg) since I read an advance copy of The Siren years ago. I didn't think I would love any of her books more than that series, but when I heard she was writing something different under a new name, I was intrigued. Then I read the book's description as she shared more details and I was hooked. When I saw it was available here, I leapt at the chance to read it early.

Best. Decision. Ever.

This book... I don't even know how to put it in words. Fantasy. Romance. Intrigue. Suspense. Mystery. It's all there. Well-drawn deep characters with histories and personalities. Relationships that bloom quickly yet realistically. A fantasy world that is... I want to go there!

Truly, I loved this book. It is beautifully written, richly detailed, and leaves you wanting more. Definitely worth not only a read, but multiple reads!

This book was a surprisingly super enjoyable read for me. I knew that it would have themes and vibes that I would enjoy, otherwise I wouldn’t have requested it, but it really did take me by surprise on how much I enjoyed it. I felt like there were so many layers to this story. There was the obvious overarching fantasy side of it, which gave me massive Narnia vibes and was exceptional. Then, there was the missing person side of it, which was such an interesting aspect of moving the story and the plot along. Then, there were the interpersonal relationships. Between the romance between Rafe and Jeremy, to the relationship between Rafe and his father and then the relationship between Emilie and her sister. Honestly, with all the different dynamics, there really is something for everyone. And, the ending is something that really caught me off guard. I was not at all expecting it to go in the direction it did, and while part of me was sad, there was also a part of me that felt like it really was the perfect ending for this story.

This is totally a fairy tale for grown ups and I really enjoyed the whimsy of it. This had just the right amount of twee in it and I closed this book thinking how magical it was.

3.5 stars rounded up! I didn’t know if I was going to like this one. I loved the Wishing Game so I was hopeful. This was a unique story that at times was hard to follow but Meg does a great job painting the picture and making you love the characters!

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

I don't know what Meg Shaffer put into this book but I could not put it down. I read the first 100 pages in one sitting, and found myself wanting more. And even though the first 1/3 - 1/2 were excellent, I found the second half lagging just a little bit. I thought the use of an external/anonymous storyteller along with the plotting and pacing of a fairytale was very unique and engaging. I did feel like I was stepping back into the stories I loved as a child.

One is never too old for fairy tales, especially one as mesmerizing and emotional as The Lost Story. I was fully immersed in this magical book that took me to places I didn’t expect to go! This book is incredibly clever and original, the storytelling a true work of art. Beyond the fantasy, this is a riveting, heart wrenching story of family, what it’s like to be lost, what it’s like when you are forbidden to love, and, more importantly, how wonderful it is to be loved and revered for just being yourself. Emilie, Jeremy, Rafe, Skyra, and even Fritz, were three dimensional characters who lived and loved, who hurt and forgave. I hope they do all live happily ever after. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher.

The vibes were so cute in this novel! It made me so happy and I know my inner child enjoyed every second of it. Highly recommend!

I was very excited when I saw that Meg Shaffer had a new book coming out. I loved The Wishing Game and was very curious about The Lost Story. So, when Random House sent me a widget, I jumped on it. I didn’t even read the synopsis. I hit accept and then downloaded so fast that I think it might have confused my computer (there was a pause).

Because I was so excited about this book, I went into reading it with a little trepidation. I have been burned in the past by being excited and then the book not living up to my expectations. Well, The Lost Story did live up to my expectations and then some.

The main storyline of The Lost Story follows Emilie, Jeremy, and Rafe on their quest to find out what happened fifteen years earlier and what happened to Emilie’s older sister (she disappeared in the same forest a couple of years before the boys went missing). The storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. But, I was getting frustrated by what I thought at the time was a lack of information or insight into Jeremy and Rafe’s past. That frustration lasted until they found Shanandoah again and Jeremy could explain everything to Rafe. And when I say everything, I mean everything. I’m not going to say much past that because of spoilers.

Every so often (usually when things get serious), the Narrator interrupts and explains situations or gives humorous outtakes of what is happening. Usually, I wouldn’t say I like the shift in POV or character, but in this case, it worked. I giggled over some of the things the Narrator said or alluded to. Of course, the Narrator’s identity is revealed at the end of the book; honestly, I wasn’t shocked at who it was. I had my suspicions, and the reveal confirmed them.

The Lost Story touches upon some heavy topics (suicide, drug use, child abuse) throughout the book. The author handled those topics with grace. I was also very thankful that only a little detail (other than what happened the night Jeremy and Rafe disappeared) was given.

The main characters brought so much to this book—Emilie, with her determination to hire Jeremy to look for her sister. Jeremy was the stable one whose line of work exposed him to the horrors of missing children, teens, and adults. And Rafe, well, he was damaged, and the author wasn’t afraid to show it.

The fantasy angle of the book was terrific. This book was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, and it showed. Everything in Shanandoah was vivid and looked like a child had created it. Because of how vividly the author described it, I would have been happy with just a book set in Shanandoah.

The romance/LGBTQ angle was perfect. I won’t go into it except to say that I loved how the author wrote the love story. It was heartbreaking, poignant, and heartwarming all at once.

The end of The Lost Story brought tears to my eyes. The author brought closure to many of the storylines but left some open. It made me wonder if another book would be written in this world, and the end certainly made it seem that way.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Meg Shaffer for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Lost Story. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

What another delightful book by Meg Shaffer. I enjoyed her first book and was curious to see if the second book would be as enjoyable. This one did not disappoint. I always love a story with an alternate world and portals and The Lost Story had that, as well as a cast of characters who I was rooting for from the beginning. Each had their own experiences they were dealing with, but the three together worked well as a team to support each other. The magical world sounds amazing and I so enjoyed imagining them there. I devoured this book in two days and highly recommend it to anyone who likes portal fantasy books. The one aspect I didn’t care for was the Storyteller Corners. I have never been a fan of this and think it detracts from the story. I did read them but often felt jarred out of the story when they appeared.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced reader copy.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group / NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: Child abuse

The Lost Story began as a promising adventure inspired but the chronicles of Narnia, but fell short of the magical escapism it promised.

The story begins with “lost boys” Jeremy & Rafe, a pair of teenage best friends that mysteriously went missing in a Virginia state park 6 months prior. Fast forward 15 years later, when a young woman named Emilie seeks out Jeremy, now a famous missing person’s investigator, to help track down her missing older sister. Together they convince Rafe to join them in the magical realm where they spent 6 months as teens, and secrets of their time away are revealed.

This was overall an entertaining and quick read, but not without its faults. The pacing felt off, especially when trying to tell the story and build a world in under 400 pages. The characters seemed like they would be more at home in a YA novel, and I found myself eye-rolling at being reminded constantly of Emilie’s obsession with Stevie Nicks. I did enjoy some of the themes explored, like the relationships between friends, sisters, and mothers w/their children and the importance of finding others that accept you for who you are.

Any book that opens with the famous CS Lewis quote (also known as the dedication in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe),
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again," is a book I can get behind.

And friends, Meg Shaffer wrote this book JUST for me (but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy it too).
I'm convinced.

The Lost Story opens with the discovery of two lost boys in the woods, Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell. They were missing for six months, yet emerged from the (fictional) Red Crow Forest of West Virginia stronger and healthier than ever. Fifteen years later, we meet Emilie. Emilie is a lost girl, mourning the death of her mother and searching for her lost sister, who was last seen entering that same forest. When she recruits Jeremy to help her find her sister, the two boys must return to the forest, joined by Emilie, and face threats that you could only imagine.

If you grew up reading Narnia, wishing there was a way for you to cross over and live in a magical land made just for you, this book is for YOU.

Books referenced in this book:

- Narnia
- Wizard of Oz
- The Princess and the Goblin
- The Bible

and more!

CW: homophobia, death of a parent, child abuse, grief

if you captured the essence of a fairytale and matured it just enough, you would have this book. i've never read narnia (although now i'm thinking maybe i should?), but this perfectly tapped into my memories of childhood reading and bedtime stories. i enjoyed a lot about it - the exploration of parental relationships and childhood trauma was a big highlight for me, and i liked what the storyteller's corner added to the narration.

however, this book did have a few issues. like in a fairytale, the characters were somewhat one-dimensional and underdeveloped, and most of their relationships just didn't seem genuine. another issue i had was with the pacing. the first half of the book was quite long, which i did like, but i think that made the second half, after they actually entered the world, feel rushed. by the end, it became a little more tell-not-show, with lots of random time jumps and some heavy lifting at one point by the storyteller voice. because of this, characters' reactions to some pivotal moments and revelations were completed glossed over.

like 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦, this was what i would term a comfortable read: it was well-written, cozy, and easy to get through, but ultimately there was just something missing for me. overall though, a magical book that i would definitely recommend.

thank you to random house for the ARC! my review is already posted on the storygraph (6/10), and will be posted on retail websites on publication day.

3.5 rounding up to 4 stars

Meg Shaffer has once again created a magical world for children of trauma. An unexpected but welcome read during pride month, This story highlights friends turned lovers, a prince and a knight, who need to save each other in both the real world and in a kingdom beyond a magical door. I loved the commentary from the Storyteller that was peppered throughout the novel. I am glad I saw Meg Shaffer’s note before starting that this was a rough draft, as I did feel like there were several errors and missed context that I hope were added into the final book when it comes out next month. I will say that as sweet and whimsical as I found the story as a whole, this one fell a bit short of the feelings that The Wishing Game left me with. I felt the exposition leading up to our journey into Shanandoah was way too drawn out (almost the first 50% of the book was spent prepping for the actual adventure!). I felt like the time in the fantasy world was rushed in the 2nd half and I felt like there could’ve been more drama or conflict with the Bright Boys and in the ghost town. I did like the metaphors within the story to support how it feels to come out to less than supportive/abusive parents and the will to run away and get lost when you’re in a helpless situation. Overall I love Shaffer’s writing and I enjoy her stories and modern interpretations of fairy tale worlds she builds. This was a fun escape.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

This is an odd story that takes very real trauma and interweaves it with the fantastical. Dark vs light, good vs evil, battles within and out.

I loved Jeremy and Rafe, the chemistry and banter was smartly written. I wanted more of Shannon. I felt like more of her backstory would have been a benefit.

It is a story that will make you think of it after you finish. Ruminate if you will.