Meg Shaffer has created a fresh, yet hauntingly familiar, modern-day fairytale in The Lost Story. "Lost boys" Jeremy and Ralph mysteriously reappear outside of Red Crow Park in West Viriginia, six months after disappearing and assumed to be dead. Fifteen years after their return, reclusive artist Ralph and missing persons investigator Jeremy are thrust back into this mysterious world when recently orphaned Emilie hires Jeremy to find her lost sister Shannon, who coincidentally had disappeared in the same place as Jeremy and Ralph.

With nods to Narnia, Oz, and Neverland, Shaffer creates an immersive magical world true to every fairy-tale trope, but with a decidedly modern feel. Throughout the story, Ralph, Jeremy, Emilie, and Skya/Shannon explore what it means to be home and what true love looks like.

I literally wanted to hug this book when I was finished and will definitely purchase a physical copy for my shelf of personal favorites.

“Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again” -C.S. Lewis

This was a great read. We are immersed in a world where fantasy is real. I loved that Shanandoah became real to save Skye (and later Rafe and Jeremy). What if books weren’t only an escape, what if we could climb into the story.

I found some elements of the story predictable but, it was an enjoyable read and I recommend it. During the six months Rafe, Jeremy and Skye spent together in Shenandoah they seemed to have had an impossible number of adventures. This is reminiscent to summers as a child that seemed to stretch on forever. I’m hoping there will be a sequel to this book!

I liked The Lost Story! I loved The Wishing Game, so I was excited to get another whimsical story from Meg Shaffer!

Context & Characters
Jeremy & Rafe were lost in a West Virginia forest for 6 months when they were 14 years old. The miraculously and mysteriously reappeared healthy, but Rafe doesn't remember any of the 6 months. 15 years later, Jeremy is a missing person's investigator and Rafe is a reclusive artist. Emilie, is a vet tech who just lost her adoptive mom. Emilie's sister went missing 5 years before Jeremy & Rafe did in the exact same forest. Emilie contacts Jeremy to help her find her sister. Jeremy must reconnect with Rafe to find Emilie's missing sister and rediscover what happened when they went missing themselves.

I really liked the premise of the novel and the setting. The setting of Shanadoah was so whimsical and magical. Shaffer does a great job transporting us into another world.

I think a lot of people will love this book, but unfortunately there were some elements that I didn't enjoy. The major conflicts and world-building were explained away as "its a fairytale" which didn't really work for me. But, if you can fully suspend disbelief, this may work for you! I found "The Storyteller" chapters jarring and unnecessary. This was also more "cozy fantasy" than I was expecting which isn't my favorite subgenre. I definitely could feel the Chronicles of Narnia inspiration though!

I do think this is a good read if you're looking for an adult fairytale with whimsical writing and a cozy, found family plot.

There are some content warnings and heavier topics.

Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballentine and NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to Meg Shaffer and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of The Lost Story. I absolutely LOVED The Wishing Game so I was super pumped to read The Lost Story. Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I liked the characters, and how the story came together in the end. I do feel like the first half of the story was long. It felt like it took a long time to read and due to that, it felt like the second half of the story was super quick and a little bit rushed. Overall, I would give the book 4 stars.

This is a light-hearted adult fantasy book with elements of LGBTQ. I haven't read anything prior by Meg Shaffer but now am inclined to. If you would like a trip into fantasy check it out.

I adored Meg Shaffer’s first book “The Wishing Game” and was super excited that I received the Advanced Reader Copy of “The Lost Story”. This book is a little more magic and had LGBTQ+ representation (which was done fantastically). I really enjoyed the characters, the setting and the story.

This is the story of Jeremy and Rafe who at age 15 become lost in the woods and months later are found in the same woods with no memory of what happened. 15 years later they are no longer friends and Rafe lives as a recluse in the woods and Jeremy finds missing people. When Emilie asks Jeremy to help find her sister who was lost in the same woods years earlier- Jeremy and Rafe come together to help Emilie. This was a fun fantasy story. This book tackles some tough topics but it balances well with the light fairy tale aspect. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House- Ballentine for the advanced reader copy!

The Lost Story follows two boys who went missing long ago and then turned up without a scratch. Where were they? Years later, the men are reunited when the sister of a lost girl asks for their help. As they search the mysterious forest, they are reminded of their own adventures long ago. Can they find Emilie’s missing sister? What truly happened to them in the woods?

This was my first book from Meg Shaffer and overall I enjoyed it! This was a lighthearted, fast-paced book with inspiration from the Chronicles of Narnia. I enjoyed the portal fantasy element and the queer relationship that unfolded between Rafe and Jeremy. One of my favorite parts was how Rafe and Jeremy were able to find a safe space to be together in the forest. Emilie is a sweet character who is very motivated to find her sister. I didn’t necessarily love the interjections from the Storyteller, but it was a unique storytelling move. Readers who enjoy lighthearted portal fantasies and LGBTQ+ rep should check this book out!

Thank you to Meg Shaffer, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Though quite different from The Wishing Game, Meg Shaffer wrote another stellar novel. Get ready to get lost in the woods in the beautiful magical world called the Shanandoah, or if you’re there… are you really lost?

I absolutely loved this. I also really enjoyed The Wishing Game. This had more magic than that one and this one is queer. This gave me all the feels and whimsy I love in a book. Ending left the characters future open, but I think this story concluded beautifully.

As someone who isn’t an avid fantasy reader I went into this hesitant but really enjoyed this! While it for sure had its dark moments the overall theme gave me a cozy vibe. I love a found family trope and this definitely fulfilled that for me. I recommend if you’re looking to dive into a light fantasy world for a bit.

Wow!, amazing, I have been missing out. I have never read this type of book before, and it just carried me away from the first word to the last. I haven't read this type of book and I had never heard of Meg Shaffer, sorry Meg, but I sure am glad NetGalley offered me this book to read. My instinct said read it, and I always trust my instinct, and it was right, I needed to read this book.
I received an ARC from Ballantine Books through NetGalley.

This is beautiful. What a wonderful premise with a very fairy tale atmosphere. I think those who love the Narnia Tales or any books that are reminiscent of lost in the woods adventures will really love this. Characters in the book are memorable and the story is beyond enjoyable.

Recipe for a perfect fairy tale. This is a modern fairy tale for sure. 15 years two boys got lost in the West Virginia mountains. They mysteriously return months later better than when they left. Now they don’t speak. Rafe is a recluse, and Jeremy finds missing girls for a living. Now Emilie needs Jeremy’s help to find her long lost sister. Only Rafe can help…that’s when the fairy tale begins.

✨T H E L O S T S T O R Y✨
🅶🅴🅽🆁🅴—𝐹𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓎
🗓ℙ𝕦𝕓 𝔻𝕒𝕥𝕖—𝕁𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝟙𝟞, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟜

“𝓨𝓮𝓼, 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓬. 𝓜𝓪𝔂𝓫𝓮 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓬 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼.”

✂️ P L O T L I N E
In this Chronicles of Narnia retelling, Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell grew up as best friends and went missing as kids. 6 months later they reappear with no explanation. Rafe has lost all memory of their time away, and Jeremy has made a promise to never tell Rafe the truth of where they were. 15 years later, they must confront their past life together in order to help Emilie find her missing sister that also went lost in the same woods.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
This is such a fun and whimsical read. Meg Shaffer really knows how to build a world that makes you feel like you are in it. I loved all the characters in this book. Rafe and Jeremy had such a beautiful love story that made me swoon. I would consider myself more of a magical realism fan than a full force fantasy reader. If you are a fan of fairytales, fantasy, and love, then this is a must read for you!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🪄Fairytale Fantasy
🚪Chronicles of Narnia retelling
🌍World building
💕Romance
🏹Adventure
🏳️‍🌈LGBQT+ vibes
💡Self discovery
🏠Found family

👑𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾👑
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: “𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒. 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝐼'𝓂 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒, 𝓁'𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝑒. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝒾𝑒, 𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒷𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇."


🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Random House- Ballantine, and Meg Shaffer for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts 💕

Read this if you like:
Fairy tales
Magical worlds
Found family
Friendship
Queer rep

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

Peter Pan meets Narnia in this modern day fairytale that takes you straight through the wardrobe door, along the yellow brick road, and down the rabbit hole, without ever leaving your room. Like ✨MAGIC.

Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful story of two best friends, Jeremy and Rafe, who go missing and stumble upon a magical land called Shanandoah. After six months, they reappear but can't really explain their disappearance. Fifteen years later, they reconnect to help Emilie find her sister who went in the same Red Crow State Forest, WV. Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie enter into this secret and enchanted land to reconnect with Emilie's sister.
This book was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. As someone who loved the land of Narnia, this story felt like the adult version. There are all the elements of a fairy tale and fantasy with dark and light elements. The author takes the reader on the roller coaster of emotions that the characters feel and share on their journeys. You cheer for the heroes and hiss for the villains. The relationship between Jeremy and Rafe is complicated and simple all at the same time. Emilie finally gets to feel whole again when she meets her sister and hears the story of the past.
If you enjoyed The Wishing Game or love Narnia, you will find this an enchanting story and it would be a perfect beach read for the summer.

#TheLostStory #NetGalley
Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Review will be posted to Net Galley, Book Bub and Goodreads June 8, 2024. Review will be posted to Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the publication date.

I so wanted to like this, both because I enjoyed Meg Shaffer's debut and because the premise seemed so fun. It ended up being fine, but there was a lot of missed potential here.

Fifteen years ago, Ralph (Rafe) and Jeremy went missing for 6 months in the woods. They became estranged in the furor that arose after they reappear. Now, when Emilie comes to Jeremy--a professional people-finder--for help finding her long-missing sister, Jeremy must reunite with Rafe to return to the magical land they'd visited during their mysterious disappearance.

This has been marketed as an adult fantasy, but other than a few implied sex scenes, this reads like YA. I would not be surprised to learn the author imagined much of this when she was a teen, just like one of the characters in the book. Key characters are underdeveloped, and we are told to care about their experiences before we understand who they are and what motivates them. The plot doesn't seem to have many stakes, and even the most dramatic moments feel predictable. There's also a cheeky narratorial voice that's less clever than it tries to be.

It wasn't offensively bad or anything, just bland and in need of some editorial guidance to make it richer.

I’ve been on a really lucky streak lately. Three of the last four books I’ve read have been five star reads for me (and the other was a solid four!).
I saw all the buzz about The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, but haven’t had the chance to read it yet. When I was approved for a digital prerelease copy of her brand new book, The Lost Story, I was really excited to check it out. (Thanks so much, Meg Shaffer and Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read it!)

The Lost Story is a modern fairy tale, inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, which I read and loved as a child. I was only a few pages in before I was fully immersed in Shaffer’s fairy tale world. Rafe and Jeremy are best friends who disappeared in the West Virginia woods as teens only to reappear months later, unharmed. Rafe has no memories of their time in the woods, and Jeremy won’t speak of anything that happened while they gone.

Fast forward to fifteen years later, we meet Emilie, who is asking Jeremy (who is now a famous locator of lost women and girls) to help her find her missing sister-in the woods of West Virginia. Jeremy says yes, but only if Rafe will come on the journey as well.

Shaffer could have been born to write fairy talesl-I was 100% in, all disbelief so willingly suspended. The payoff here is immense, and not just with the great plot. The relationships between the characters are beautiful and realistic, with an emphasis on the importance of found family, and the beauty in life, like art and music (shoutout to Shaffer for not only the many Stevie Nicks references, but also for mentioning Silver Springs, my favorite!). The story is so unique-even as it was winding down it was still a complete page turner. I am definitely going to have to check out The Wishing Game as well. I strongly recommend this for anyone who enjoys whimsy and wants to read a great book that hits a little different than the usual romance and fantastic fare (no insult intended-those are my favorite two categories to read.) The Lost Story is so well done. The story could stand on the sheer novelty of the plot, but it doesn’t. It is such a well written and compelling read. Five stars.

Best friends, Jeremy and Rafe go missing as teenagers in a forest in West Virginia. They mysteriously reappear 6 months later with no explanation of what happened. Years later, Jeremy works to find missing people and Rafe lives a reclusive lifestyle when Emilie tracks Jeremy down to help her find her sister that disappeared in the same woods he and Rafe did. Emilie learns that Jeremy does remember his time in the first and they were not missing but in a magical realm. They also met her sister. Enlisting the help of Rafe, Jeremy and Emilie venture back into the forest to find Emilie’s sister and maybe Jeremy and Rafe will find their way back to each other.

I absolutely loved The Wishing Game and was looking forward to this next novel! It did not disappoint! I immediately was sucked into the world of Meg Schaffer and could not put the book down! I didn’t love it as much as The Wishing Game and felt that it could have been a good story without the romantic aspect between the two boys but otherwise it was a 4 star book for me!!

"All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room? A story written by a stranger and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is."

I love Meg Shaeffer so when I saw she was writing another book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
And its Narnia inspired???? Say no more.
As always this was beautifully written. Magical, enchanting and whimsical. I couldn't out it down and I wish I could read it again for the first time.