The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer follows Jeremy and Rafe fifteen years after they were mysteriously lost in the woods for six months. While they have gone their separate ways, a young woman named Emilie brings them back together to help search for her long lost sister who went missing in the same forest. Is there a magical secret in the woods?

I loved The Wishing Game by this author so I was excited to read her next book and I’m happy to say that I loved this one even more! It might be a bit of recency bias but this book was truly magical. I went into it blind and I feel like that’s the best thing to do so I won’t say too much about the story. It takes a bit for the plot to get moving. The author really takes the time to flesh out the main characters but once this book hits the 35ish percent mark, it takes off and is such a fun time.

This book had everything I want in a cozy story. This book feels like a warm hug for most of it. There are a few points of drama and action as well to keep the pace going. There is also the sweetest romance ever that happens that had me kicking my feet!

With two amazing books, Meg Shaffer is firmly cemented as an autobuy author for me. Her books have the whimsy of a middle grade story but with the themes of an adult story and I adore them so much.

This is my first time reading Meg Shaffer and I did not know what to expect. Shaffer will now be on my list of Authors to look out for. Her writing almost has a fairy-tale-like quality despite the rough themes explored throughout 'The Lost Story'. Each character was deeply complex and had depth. Shaffer's world-building was great and you can tell she fully thought everything through.

Overall, a mesmerizing story.

Now this is a MUST READ, cozy fantasy!

Meg Shaffer does it again! The Wishing Game was one of my top reads last year, and The Lost Story has just earned a top spot for this year.

I love a good fourth wall break, so once the storyteller interrupted, I was all the way in! Add to that all the best ingredients of a "Once Upon a Time..." tale set against the backdrop of West Virginia, and I was hooked (as a Marshall girl with family still in WV, I might be slightly biased when it comes to the setting though).

I laughed out loud. I cried. I loved these characters and this world. I hope this isn't the last we see of them.

Oh and one final thought: West by God Virginia!

When I learned that Meg Shaffer had a book being released this summer after loving her debut novel, The Wishing Game, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy.
The Lost Story evokes many similar feelings that I had about The Wishing Well and it is well worth a read.
This story focuses on two men who were childhood friends, Jeremy (now grown and specialized in finding missing children) and Rafe (a reclusive artist living in the deep woods of West Virginia).
After becoming lost themselves in the woods of West Virginia as two teen boys they have been estranged and are now reunited by a young woman looking for her long missing sister.
I enjoyed the magical elements to this story and like many reviews have mentioned it’s loving nods to the childhood Narnia series.
While it did not immerse me as deeply as her first novel, it is absolutely worth picking up to escape from whatever your present world holds.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this advance readers copy.

You know that feeling when a book is everything you needed in that moment? A book that makes your heart lighter with every page, and you don’t want it to end because it makes you so happy? That was The Lost Story for me. It was the whimsical cozy fantasy I’ve been craving and I’m only sad that it’s over.

This book has all the ingredients of a perfect fairytale. If you don’t believe me, read the book, the recipe is included. Magical worlds, a brave prince, a princes in distress, and a villain that will break your heart are all part of what makes this such an enchanting read. There’s even an unexpected second chance romance that you can’t help but swoon over.

This book even comes with a narrator, The Storyteller, who reminded me of the grandfather from The Princess Bride. Every few chapters they are there to shed insight into our heroes past or use anecdotes from classics to foreshadow events to come. I found this aspect charming and looked forward to each of these short passages.

Like any good fairytale there is a morale of the story. Although this book is fairly light hearted, it does have some great messages about dealing with childhood/family trauma and healing. These meant a lot to me, as my own childhood was rocky at best, and I may or may not have cried a little 🥹

If you were the kid that spent your days imagining worlds of magic or always went looking for the doorway to a hidden world, this is definitely the book for you. It was *chef’s kiss* and I can only hope that the hint to a second book was actually a promise. Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The description drew me to this one. It is as interesting as the description implies and yet different as well. The boys (even as thier adult selves) have a healthy dose of teen boy asshole in them, but it read as more realistic than annoying.
I didn't love the end and I don't want to talk about why because it will ruin the reading experience. I would rather that certain choices had not been forced on characters by circumstances and the very last twist/reveal left me conflicted.

Pick this up if you love fated lovers stories, Lisa Frank notebooks (if you know you know), and don't mind an interrupting storyteller ( a la Princess Bride).

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine Books for the Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Meg Shaffer’s Book The Wishing Game, and was very excited to read her latest novel.

The story focuses on Jeremy & Rafe, who once went missing but came back to their normal lives but were unable to explain where they had been. Now estranged, they are brough back together when a girl asks Jeremy for help in locating her long-lost sister.

The story is just as it is described, an adult fairy tale. It was delightful overall.
Personally, I felt that the flow of the story was a bit choppy and at times predictable but still a great ride. The writing paints a vivid picture of the land of Shanandoah. It evokes Wonderland or Narnia in the best way with a modern twist. And continues the message that “Love is Love,” and it always wins.
I really enjoyed the Storyteller Corner inserts as a perfect omniscient narrator.

If you need a little magic in your life, this book is for you.
4.5 stars.

I found tons of nods to narnia! Cute book, did I love it, no. Would I say it’s a nice pallet cleanser? Yes. Cozy fantasy read.

Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of 'The Lost Story' by Meg Shaffer in exchange for my honest review!

Gah, I loved this so much! The premise is so good: two teenage boys go missing in Red Crow Forest and show up 6 months later, no recollection of where they've been, and not nearly as malnourished as one would think. Fast forward 15 years... Emilie is looking for her long lost half sister who disappeared two decades ago. So she seeks out someone who's known for finding missing girls, and who's been lost himself once before. What happened to the lost boys? Where did they go? What happened to Emilie's sister? I can't tell you too much more or I'll spoil it.

This was both whimsical, mysterious, funny, and heartfelt. Best friendships, queer relationships, and a world unlike our own. I highly recommend! Immediately adding Meg's other book to my TBR :)

This is out 7/16!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC opportunity.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer is a Narnia-esque tale. Two boys who lose themselves in the forest for 6 months as teens and miraculously made it out are no longer friends. Jeremy helps families find missing women and girls all around the world. Rafe is a recluse who lives off the grid, and can't remember his time in the forest. Neither are happy about it either. Emilie is looking for her missing sister, who vanished in the same forest as the boys 15 years past. In order to help find her, Jeremy has to convince Rafe to go back to Red Crow with him.

What ensues is an adventure of discovery, of what it means to be a family, what it means to love, and what it means to find yourself in a place you could never imagine.

Read this book if you like young adult fantasy, C.S Lewis, and found family stories.

This book is a solid 3.5 read for me. I think the concept was great even though I have never read C.S Lewis myself.
My main complaint was the book oscillated between a very YA writing style and themes, but with totally adult characters who said some borderline things. Given that everyone was between 23-30 years old, it would have been better written as an adult book. Also the book started a bit slow, we don't get to the good stuff until about 50% in the book, and I just don't think that much build up was needed.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an e-arc of this book.

This book was definitely Narnia inspired and you can really feel it in the pages that the author was paying homage to Narnia and c.s Lewis. In a way it was almost a love letter to fairy tales and it was done and clever and craftful way that really sucked you into the story.

One of the things that I really liked about this book was that it took the tropes and the arcs of a fairy tale and placed them both into a modern setting and into a fantastical one, and I think that worked well for this book. This book was not super fast-paced by any imagination but it worked because a lot of it was based on mystery and character development and a need to set up both the past, present and future.

This book was charming in many ways and it definitely wasn't exactly what I expected, and in some ways a less sad bridge to terabithia. That's definitely The vibes this book was giving me at times. But it also is like a dream that children have when they're younger that they're going to be a knights or a prince or a princess. And it really made me tap into my own childhood fantasies again of what it was like to believe and magic and I really loved that part of the book.

The book does deal with heavy subjects but in a respectful way and I think it was very telling how the author used fairy tales as escapism. And finding the magical in reality and our everyday life.

This was a very well written and entertaining book and I will definitely recommend it!

Really loved the true crime/ fairy tale mash-up. Was not expecting to like the 4 main characters so much. I had my doubts about Skya and her true intentions at first but I am glad I was wrong. I appreciate that the author did not spend long passages on world building and scenery. We were given just enough to see the beauty of the world and give us a grasp of the landscape as the characters moved through it. I also appreciate that there were no outlandish creatures. Every creature and being was similar to a real or previously known made-up creature. The storyteller "plot twist" was expected but not corny.
The realism that the characters acknowledged the original story was written by a child and therefore had issues and plot holes was refreshing. I would expect adults to admonish the writer for the errors, but they just went with it and worked through the difficulties.

I would love a sequel to see where the boys go in life and how the girls continue to rule.

I was so thrilled to receive an ARC for The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer. Her debut novel, The Wishing Game, was my absolute favorite book of 2023 and I could not wait to read her next story.

The Lost Story did not disappoint.. This whimsical, magical fairytale was heartwarming and funny. The relationships between the characters could be felt as I read and they felt like family. Jeremy's sense of humor and his banter and side comments fit the story perfectly,

Like The Wishing Game, I read this book in one sitting, I couldn't put the magic down.

Thank you to Meg Shaffer, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Loved this! A fairytale like book with similar vibes to Narnia. Bring back my childhood! So much thought was put into this book and I just could not put it down. It is on my list to purchase a hard copy for my shelves.

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. This is the premise for The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer. I read it and thought it would go one way and it just didn’t really go in anyway that worked for me. I’m not exactly sure the point of the story and I have been going back and forth on this review for a while. I enjoyed reading the book, the writing was pretty basic and easy to read but the content was just not for me. Overall 3 ⭐️. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an arc copy.

📚 The Lost Story
✍ Meg Shaffer
📖 Fiction/Fantasy
⭐3.25/5

➡ Fifteen years ago, Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell walked out of Red Crow Forest in West Virginia virtually unharmed after going missing for six months. Despite being almost inseparable before their disappearance, Jeremy leaves their small town immediately after they are found and the two haven't spoken since.

Now, Jeremy spends his days channeling an impossible sixth sense that allows him to find missing girls and women around the globe while Rafe lives an agoraphobic existence in a small hidden cabin in the woods. When Emilie Wendell tracks Jeremy down and asks for his help to find sister who went missing 20 years ago in the same forest that Jeremy and Rafe disappeared in, he knows that only Rafe can help him track her down. But to get Rafe to agree to go back into the forest, and to the lives they left behind 15 years ago will take more than a little magic.
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🙏 Thank you to Ballantine Books, NetGalley and Meg Shaffer for an advanced copy of The Lost Story. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: I really enjoyed Shaffer's 2023 release The Wishing Game and felt like it had just enough magic without veering into fantasy territory. With The Lost Story, it's safe to say that Shaffer has officially made the fantasy jump. Toggling between the real world and a fantastical realm imagined by a teenage girl, The Lost Story is adventurous and mystical with touches of heart and romance that reminded me of her previous book. The book explores themes of belonging, family and escapism and I think it would be a great book to discuss as part of a book club!

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: Though I was drawn in by the creative premise, I did find that the focus was less on the story than the details of the imaginary environment where the story was set. Despite getting decent backstories about each of the characters, I didn't feel emotionally attached to them and I didn't feel the connection between Emilie and her sister. I want to say that it's because this read like a movie and I needed the visual connection to what was happening but it also could have been because most of their conversations were very surface level. Beyond that, I was confused about some of the royal relationships (i.e. I think there were multiple romances happening in the castle) and how the narrator interjections were supposed to play into the book (again- this very much read like a movie). I do think this book will work for anyone that loves fantasy and getting lost in mystical worlds- that's just not my personal forte.
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Read if you love:
*Chronicles of Narnia & beloved children's fantasy series
*found family
*magical realism + fantastical realms
*adventures!
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See also: Rules for Vanishing, Starling House (for a more horror-ish take on imaginative realms), This Will Be Fun

The Lost Story is an adult fairy tale-lost kids, a magical forest, magical people, and royalty. Jeremy and Rafe were supposedly lost is a forest on a field trip. Many years later, they were “found”. Years later, Jeremy would help find missing children. Emile approached Jeremy to help her find her sister that she had never met. Jeremy knew Syka was in the forest.

The book alternates between the past and the present.

The past-Jeremy and Rafe decided to stay in the forest to escape their lives. The met the queen of the forest “Sylka”. Rafe’s dad tried to keep him and Jeremy apart after they returned from the forest. He had a abusive relationship with Rafe.

Present-Emile hired Jeremey to find her sister who was Sylka. They all went into the magical forest to find her. The Bright Boys tried to trick everyone in the magical forest. Rafe’s father helped save Jeremy when he was dying. In the end, the boys admitted their friendship was more than just best friends. Emile was made a princess and stayed in the magical forest with her sister. Jeremy and Rafe lived their lives together after returning from the forest.

Skye was the magical story writer who wrote this story before if ever happened.

Thank you to NetGalley for an AR.

I wasn't looking for a Chronicles of Narnia influenced book. This wasn't as good as The Wishing Game, which I LOVED. It wasn't bad, it was interesting enough but I just didn't fall in love with it.

I was so excited for this as The Wishing Game was one of my favorite books of 2023. Unfortunately, it started out with a great premise but it sort of fell apart. The narration was a bit off, dialogue felt stilted, and while the characters were likeable there was no depth in the relationships between Emilie & Sky. It was an easy read and creative idea but just didn’t hit the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this story and it started so strong for me I couldn't wait to see where it was going. Then about a quarter way through it just kind of fell flat. I was still entertained by the story and wanted to see how it would end but I never got that can't put this book down feeling. It felt to me like it was more YA then an adult book the characters for as old as they were just felt very juvenile in the way they spoke and acted. Would still recommend this book for anyone to try just wasn't the book for me. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.