I really tired with this one but I had to DNF at 59%. I was really looking forward to this because I loved The Wishing Game. There was a lot of potential, however, I couldn't connect with the characters and the narrator was jolting in between chapters.

I had really high hopes for this book but it fell very flat to me. I was so excited by the description of a “Narnia type fairy tale”. However, the story just did not have enough time to develop. There wasn’t enough time to invest in the fairy tale land and the characters. It felt very rushed and disappointing.

I really enjoyed Meg Shaffer's last book, The Wishing Game, and was excited to get her newest novel. The Lost Story was a quick read about adventure, action, and losing yourself to find yourself. I can see a bit of why a comparison to The Chronicles of Narnia was made when reviewing this book as there is, while darker, an escape into another world through an unexpected doorway that leads to a quest and adventure with magic and mythic creatures. I really like the mystery that surrounded the plot of the novel, following Jeremy and Rafes' disappearance as children to them helping Emilie find her lost sister. The characters bring a lot of heart, growth, and interest to the story and watching them interact and discover feelings and overcome worries was wonderful.

This was just a lovely book. It was at times moving, whimsical, witty, and irreverent. It seems some reviewers are disappointed that this was an LGBTQ story, at least in part, and maybe it would have been good to list it as such to keep away homophobic readers who will give it one star because they were caught off guard. I typically don’t read LGBTQ romance, but this story was so good, it really didn’t matter. It wouldn’t have made as much sense without that element. I think my favorite line was something like “He has Jeremy, he has the world”. 😭 I actually liked this book much better than The Wishing Game. It felt magical to me. I enjoyed the Storyteller asides as well. The breaking of the fourth wall really worked for me in this book. It may seem like the pacing was off because they don’t go into the magical world until 40% of the way through the book, but I actually really liked that. The magical world is not really the most important part of the story, in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

I absolutely loved this book, but I'm having a hard time articulating what I love so much about it without spoiling it. This felt like Narnia, but for adults (and better). All the characters and the plot are delightful, the story moves quickly, and there isn't a moment when it fells like the book drags. I simultaneously want more, but also feel like the ending is perfect and doesn't need anything else.

The Lost Story is a super charming, emotional portal fairytale set in West Virginia. If this is up your alley, I recommend going in blind like I did because the reading experience was magical.

I loved the characters and the adventure and I sincerely hope we get more. It does read like a fairytale and there were parts that were a little too cheesy or sweet for my taste, but to me it was mostly charming so I wasn’t bothered too much.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I loved this book! It was not what I was expecting at all, but I'm truly learning magical realism is my favorite! I loved the story of two worlds, I loved them coming together, I loved the love story woven throughout!

It took me a while to get into this book, I think because of all of the leading up to getting to the other world and the backstory. However once I passed the halfway mark I was super invested. Jeremy getting shot in the back was so devastating since it made them have to leave. However I am super excited to see there will hopefully be a second one because I want them to go back and get married. Definitely a great read!

“Fair Warning: If you’ve never believed any impossible things before, now is a good time to start.”

This is such a fun story. It feels like a warm blanket, a big hug, a hot chocolate warming your fingers. It feels nostalgic and you can feel that it's based on Narnia. It's an adult book and a comfort read. There are princes and princesses, hidden worlds, forest to get lost in, knights with swords and, of course, an evil villain. I liked the tough topics it tackled but with a sensitive and understanding heart. I loved the characters and this world. What a fun read.

I'm so glad my book club chose to tackle this one. We read this is faster than our typical reads and we've all been loving this easy, fast, comfort read.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Meg Shaffer is a master at creating magical realism for adults. What happened while they were missing remains a mystery and the once best friends have never spoken to each other after. It was such a fun ride and I highly enjoyed it.

Meg Shaffer has done it again with The Lost Story. I LOVED The Wishing Game. It's one of those books I wish I could read for the first time over and over. While The Lost Story didn't have the same effect on me, I still fully enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. While reading, I could see the resemblance to Narnia, but it also reminded me a bit of The Magicians. It's definitely an adult fairy tale that was super entertaining.

I recommend this one for sure!

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
4.5/5 stars

The Lost Story takes you on a journey. Two boys, Jeremy and Rafe, lost in the woods and come home to a different world. Were they rescued or were they returned back to chaos of their own lives? As the reader I did not understand the boys' bond, until Emilie needs them to help her find her sister, Shannon. The boys know her sister who has been lost longer than they were. Then the journey begins. Bonding the men back together and creating a new bond with Emilie. All seem sad in their lives and need this jounrey to bring them back to life.

This journey is magical and brings hope that these lives will move forward. The defend each other, they love each other and they become a family that they seemed to all be missing over the years. They even defeat the past which has found them in the beyond. However it ends with a question of what the future brings again. I am not sure a sequel is needed in their story. I think people were expecting a happy ending, as I was and I was left with what ifs.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC Copy!

I was so excited when I saw that this book was coming out. I absolutely Loved The Wishing Game because it transported me to everything I loved about being a reader when I was a child and I was not disappointed at all with this story. The world was so nostalgic and magical to me as someone who read CS Lewis often as a child. I was once again transported to the childhood happiness that was reading under the covers with my flashlight.

Wow wow wow! Meg Shaffer does it again! The sophomore slump does not exist with Shaffer! I loved Shaffer's debut novel last year, but I think I loved The Lost Story even more. Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia just enough, but without making me feel like it was a rip off, this novel was perfection and an instant favorite. Prior to the reader's arrival in the story, two best friends Jeremy and Rafe went missing as boys in the vast West Virginia forest and appeared unharmed 6 months later, unable to explain where they were or account for the time they were gone. Fast forward 15 years and Jeremy is now a famous missing persons investigator, while Rafe is a recluse. Jeremy and Rafe are preparing to return to the forest, together, for the first time to find a missing person. Filled with magical realism, friendship, betrayal and more, this novel is heartbreaking, healing and a big hug,

✨ A cozy, part mystery, part romance, and mostly fantasy that had me hooked from the start.

✨ This was an overall easy read, but it did delve into serious topics such as abuse and mental illness.

✨ I loved the main characters and felt as though their character development was done in a way that was both realistic and inspiring.

✨ This truly was a small adult version of Narnia!

••• quotes •••
💬 “...scared is a feeling, not an excuse.”

💬 “Joy is quieter than people think it is. Especially the joy of getting back something you thought was lost forever.”

💬 “I wasn't lost because I wasn't here. I was lost because I'm lost without you.”

💬 You are my kingdom. Where you are is where I belong.”

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

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
✏️✏️✏️
🌶️

Thank you @NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is one of my favorites of 2024! I could not put it down! With a loose interpretation of one of my childhood favorites, The Chronicles of Narnia, it kept me interested throughout and the fantasy world created was incredibly realistic.
We follow Emilie, Jeremy and Rafe into the woods of West Virginia as they search for Emilie's long lost sister. Their dialog was so much fun and easy to follow. The world they enter through Red Crow Forest is described so perfectly I could see how beautiful it was and envision everything as if it was a play on a stage in front of me. And the narration by "The Storyteller" was a perfect an essential part of telling this story. As the storyteller would break the fourth wall it felt as if they were talking just to the reader and added so much to the story.
I highly recommend this story for the characters, the plot and the wonderful message that it leaves us with throughout the story. I was sad to say goodbye to these characters when the story ended because they felt like my friends by the end.
All of the opinions in this review are my own but I am so grateful to Random House - Ballentine for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this heartwarming fantasy book.

"The Lost Story" by Meg Shaffer is a captivating blend of fantasy and mystery that transports readers to a magical realm hidden within a West Virginia forest.

The novel follows best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell, who mysteriously disappeared as teenagers and returned six months later with no memory of their time away. Fifteen years later, Jeremy, now a renowned missing persons investigator, and Rafe, a reclusive artist, are drawn back into the forest to help Emilie Wendell find her missing sister, Shannon.

Shaffer’s storytelling is reminiscent of classic portal fantasies like C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, with a modern twist. The narrative weaves together themes of friendship, love, and the enduring impact of past traumas. The magical world of Shanandoah is richly imagined, filled with both beauty and danger, and serves as a poignant backdrop for the characters’ emotional journeys.

While some characters, like Emilie and Shannon, may feel underdeveloped, the deep bond between Jeremy and Rafe adds a layer of emotional depth to the story. The novel’s pacing keeps readers engaged, balancing moments of action with introspective passages that explore the characters’ inner struggles.

For me, "The Lost Story" is a nostalgic yet dark fairy tale that will appeal to fans of fantasy and those who enjoy stories about the power of memory and the search for lost loved ones.

I scrambled to request this after absolutely adoring The Wishing Game. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work as well for me. I do think this book will be enjoyed by so many people, but I struggled a bit with the pacing of it. There were moments I was completely drawn in, and then moments where if I put down the book, I wouldn’t pick it up for days. Towards the ending, things are happening so fast and I feel like that’s when the world building was starting to happen, but I think I just wanted more a little earlier.

I did enjoy the characters and the world felt really whimsical. The romance was really sweet, but awkward at times. Overall, I still look forward to Meg’s future books, at her debut was 5 stars for me.

Yes all books are magic! This one has just a little bit more with a big dose for romance.

Thanks Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Meg Shaffer has an ability to create magic and adventure with characters who are fully drawn and charming. She won me over with The Wishing Game and kept the promise of her talent and skill in The Lost Story. Told as a fairy tale, including the insertion of explanatory chapters by The Storyteller, Shaffer tells the story of two boys who are lost as teenagers in the West Virginia wilderness. Jeremy and Rafe are sensitive and talented and when they suddenly return home after being missing for six months, things have changed in their lives. Then Emilie comes along, seeking Jeremy’s special gift of finding lost girls, as she’s just discovered that she had a sister who was lost in the same wilderness where the boys were lost. She wants to find her sister’s remains.
The story unfolds from there, with travel back to the woods and the creation of a glorious, fantastic world. But is it fantasy?
The book reads at times like a middle grade novel, but it is immensely readable. It is hard to put down. As with all good fairy tales, there are moral issues to deal with, and the treatment of that subject matter is not juvenile. I appreciate the way this author breaks down complex issues to our level and that is both hopeful and infinite.
The Lost Story was released July 16, 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for this delightful ARC.