After reading the Wishing Game I was excited to see another book by Meg. However this story did not grab me like her other book. There were too many characters whose back stories felt rushed in order to create a magical kingdom. I do like the thought put into Shenandoah, but it ended oddly. Is there a sequel or is the reader to just imagine the ending they like. I would read future books by this author.

Rating: 4 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Review is all my own!

When I saw this was available on NetGalley, I had to grab it. I lovedddd The Wishing Game last year, and I was itching to read more of this author.

This novel had a lot of the things I liked about her first one -- the cozy, warm feeling, a unique and interesting setting that felt like a character, and a set of characters that feel like friends.

I will say that, for the first half of the book, Emilie, the main character, annoyed the SHIT out of me. How are we supposed to believe she was a whole adult when she acted like a middle school kid? But she eased up in the second half, and other people's storylines came forward more, and it got much easier to endure.

That being said, this book really read like a YA novel. It had all of the adventure and lost parents and whimsy of a YA novel (plus distinctly lacking anything controversial or risque). I didn't like it less for it... at times, it felt like a warm hug. And it read FAST. I cruised through the pages quickly.

I don't quite think it lived up to The Wishing Game's standards, but I wouldn't say it was a letdown either. It's a world I'll be thinking about for a while, and I really loved the way the author wove the story together, even if it felt a bit chaotic in the beginning.

I really enjoyed The Lost Story. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, it’s fantasy with som mystery elements in there and easy to connect to characters. I think some are comparing it to Narnia to harshly, better to think it’s inspired by! It is a magic lost Forrest after all. The only thing that got me was the pacing, it was a bit odd and took me longer than usual to finish

There were a lot of elements of the story I enjoyed including Rafe’s and Jeremy’s bond and the intermezzos with the Storyteller. There is mystery and romance and a fantastical world hidden in a West Virginia forest. Overall, the character development and pacing seemed off to me and I don’t think I got all of the analogies but I still appreciated the author’s exploration of found family and finding your place in the world.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Best friends, Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in Red Crow Forest. After being missing for six months they went from missing to list. Then six months later they reappeared taller, stronger and in perfect health. Jeremy’s mother wished him away to England and the boys did not see each other until fifteen years later when Emilie approached Jeremy to help her find her missing sister in the same forest where Jeremy and Rafe had vanished. Jeremy had the ability to find missing women or girls. Meanwhile Rafe is a troubled reclusive artist who lives isolated in a cabin in the woods. Rafe has no memories of the time he was missing whereas Jeremy knows but won’t tell. So begins the three’s adventure into a magical world. This is an adult fairy tale and has all the classic elements of a fairy tale.I enjoyed this story and would recommend this book.

The description of how this book was inspired by Narnia initially drew me in. However I had difficulty getting into the story and ended up not finishing it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of “The Lost Story” by Meg Shaffer in exchange for a review.

After “The Wishing Game”, I was eager to get my hands on Meg Shaffer’s follow up. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it. Comparing to “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is a tall order, and perhaps that didn’t help. It had too many words and not enough action. I couldn’t connect with the characters either.

Towards the end I found myself skimming just to finish it. I’m certain others will enjoy it but it just wasn’t for me.

I fell in love with Shaffer’s A Wishing Game, so I was beyond excited to get to read The Lost Story. This was a magical book and I fell in love with the characters. The premise of the book is not super realistic, but if you let yourself dive into the story and forget reason, I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I had so much fun reading this. I want to go to Shannandoah and hang out with Rafe, Jeremy, Emilie, and everyone else. I need to know more!! I will keep reading anything Meg Shaffer writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book is really enticing and will lure you in, it’s worth every word! West Virginia is a great and pretty setting for this. The time lapse from going to the lost boys to finding lost boys is very good. This was very well written you can tell the author carefully thought out everything & it was hard to put down. I really hope if you like fantasy you would be willing to give this book a chance because I can see many loving this book. Thank you so much to the Meg Shaffer, Penguin Random House, & NetGalley!

Really enjoyed this story! I love the relationships that were built, I would definitely recommend for those looking for a whimsical fantasy!

Sometimes not all those who are missing are lost, and for a few who have gone missing the truth about their disappearance is far grander than what people might be willing to believe in Meg Shaffer’s The Lost Story.
Best friends Jeremy and Rafe went missing in Red Crow state forest in West Virginia as boys, mysteriously reappearing months later with no explanation for where they’d been or how they managed to survive, and even thrive. Years later, Jeremy has become a missing person investigator, specializing in lost girls and has gained a fair amount of fame for it. Searching for her long-missing sister, Emilie asks for Jeremy’s help in finding Shannon. Jeremy agrees to help Emilie with some confusing answers and enigmatically states that they’ll need the aid of Rafe, who has no memory of their time in Red Crow but who will be able to guide them where they need to go, if he’ll set aside his resentment of Jeremy’s abandonment of him and agree to help them. Once ready and setting out into the forest an entirely new quest awaits them all in a world more enchanted and fantastic than could be imagined or believed but with the wonder and magic comes a cost to be confronted before the possibility of any happily ever after might be enjoyed.
With complex characters who sling witty banter without a second thought, cultural references strewn throughout, and a search for a missing person that becomes a most magical quest, the story is captivating and enjoyable as it taps into the childhood joys of fairy tales for the adults who still want to believe. There’s a distinct division between the magic and nonmagic realms and rules governing the magic realm are made clear, presenting difficulties in traversing between them and in divulging information about it as a measure of protecting it and the beings who reside there; there was blurring between the realms through dreams and Rafe’s art and then through the so-called king of the Bright Boys who Rafe had to confront, which raised a heavy topic of abuse and the narrative handled that topic with care. The brief chapters of Storyteller interjections provided both levity and some added context, sometimes for background on the characters or more generally in relation to how fairy tales typically function and how this particular story may then deviate from the norm, which was an entertaining aside from the main narrative thread that helped to round out the story. The events toward the end of this story pointed toward hope of a reunion, which offered an opening for another adventure with this motley crew.
Overall, I’d give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Meg Shaffer delivers a touching, emotional tale of loss reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia with The Lost Story. Following The Wishing Game, Shaffer shows just how strong of a writer she is by blending real world drama with fantasy tropes that are classics of the genre. This story allows Shaffer to show her strengths as well as continue her growth as a writer and makes her another author that I will follow from now on.

If I could give this book all the stars in the sky, I would, but since this is just a book review, I am forced to give it 5/5.

I’m honestly a little disappointed that I read The Lost Story, now. It’s not even published (coming July 16th!) and now I have to wait…and wait…and wait…for book two. I love this book too much to have to sit around and wait, but I guess if Jeremy had to wait 15 years to go home, then I suppose I can do my best to wait for Meg Shaffer’s next book.

The Lost Story has everything; suspense, thriller, fantasy, horror, adventure, love, an emotional rollercoaster that makes you shamelessly smile out loud and crushed every little inch of your soul into the deepest depths of darkness… I know how it sounds, but I promise I’m not overreacting.

This book is incredible.

Come on now. It even has a map.

“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.” The Lost Story, Meg Shaffer

Pure fairy tale magic. True delight of escapism.

So different from The Wishing Game--one of my fave books I read last year--but just as enthralling and endearing.

Story 5, Characters: 5, Engagement Level: 5
Recco?: yes!
Eve advice: Don't skip chapter 17!

Highlights:
- Something for everyone: mystery, fantasy, action, and romance -- it covered it all.
- Relationships: from friendships to family to romance, they were all complex and heartfelt with such a range of emotions
- Storyteller corner interjections: comical Princess Bride style but better
- Intriguing dropping breadcrumbs of the story along the way
- Fun pop culture reference from Stevie Nicks to Gilmore girls, Firefly, Hunger Games and more.

Midlights:
- Starts a bit creepy so I was worried that theme would carry forward, but thankfully it did not.

Lowlights:
- Ending left the door open--hope it's not a tease and there will be more stories.

Have been anticipating this title ever since I heard the author was writing another book and thrilled to have been able to read it and share my delight to entice future readers.

Favorite quotes
"I want to be courageous, I swear. I just would prefer to be courageous inside my house."

"If you've never believed any impossible things before, now is a good time to start."

"All books are magic. An object that can take you to
another world without even leaving your room? ... 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."

4.75 stars

The world-building in this story was absolutely amazing. And the characters? They were so complex and captivating I couldn't help but fall in love with them. The way the author explored friendships and romance was truly exquisite. I love that this book had all those cozy fairytale vibes, with a queen, princess, knights, unicorns, sword fighting, mermaids, magical land, and even a charming prince. Plus, this book tackled important issues like suicide, adoption, and family drama, which added depth and emotional resonance. And I absolutely loved the LGBTQ representation here. The writing style had me completely hooked from the beginning, especially when the storyteller directly addressed the reader. It added such a unique and engaging element to the story.

Bravo, Meg Shaffer. This was captivating from the start, very refreshing in comparison to other recent reads. It definitely had me wanting more and rooting for the characters.

I was very excited to read this book after absolutely loving Meg Shaffer's first book, however, it didn't seem to be as well done. I enjoyed the premise, going back to a special childhood place as adults, but it just seemed to fall flat when they actually went back. The beginning was great. I loved getting to know all the characters, the build up to the return wasn't bad, but when they actually returned it just felt like a middle grade book rather than an adult one. It came together a little too quickly, resolved too quickly, and then went into a happily ever after for far too long. I was a little confused as to why it had not ended until a last minute conflict followed by even more happily ever after.
It ended with, I think, a way to add another book but it definitely did not leave me wanting more. Not much character growth, despite 15 years passing, and too many loose ends that really didn't make much sense.

This is definitely a bit more magical than I first anticipated, but overall a great read. The story had everything from friendship, some romance, and of course some fantasy.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was SO close to being a better overall read, but a few things held it back. First, the good - the characters are likable, the fairytale vibe is enchanting, the love story is sweet. I mean, it was a "good" book. But just like her first book (which I could not finish for this one reason alone), this is an adult book written in such a middle-grade way. It lacks real depth, grit, or complexity. There is not enough tension for the story she's trying to tell. Just because you throw adult themes in a book - and here there's talk of suicide, kidnapping, domestic abuse, homophobia, drug addiction, and more - that doesn't make it an intellectually or emotionally layered journey fit for an adult audience. I mean, there is very little discernable difference between how the two male characters read on the page at 15yo and then later at 30yo. All this time has passed, and...so what? Same for their mutual female friend. And what is up with all of them? Are they a throuple? Why hint at that so heavily and then never take it anywhere? This happens a few times in the book, with plotlines just left hanging. The pacing of the story is also problematic. What I'm guessing is meant to be the main climax of the story (maybe??) is at about 60% into the book with a villain you can see a mile away, and it just kind of fizzles. The book then clunks along for another 40% of the time, with a few weak attempts at 3rd act conflicts and resolution. I liked the book enough to finish it, but it's probably not one I'll be putting near the top of my list for 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced digital copy of The Lost Story.