A triumphant second novel by Meg Shaffer. With her signature style of weaving magical realism with beautiful characters, THE LOST STORY reminds us that we can always find ourselves, and those most dear to us, through the power of love.

Put it on your TBR List! Same author as ‘The Wishing Game’ and very similar vibe. The story was inspired by Chronicles of Narnia, think alternate worlds, magical creatures, friendship, loyalty, some romance as well. Reading this book was definitely a comfort read, perfect read for a day where you have nothing to do but curl up and dive in. I didn’t want to put this one down.

Jeremy and Rafe were teenagers when they went missing for six months in a local forest and reappeared without explanation. Fifteen years later and estranged, Jeremy needs Rafe’s help to find a woman who disappeared years ago in the same spot as they did. This fantasy/romance takes readers to a new world, invoking magic and well-known fairy tales. Recommended for new adults and feel-good fantasy fans.

Emilie needs help finding her lost sister, lost years and years ago in the forests of West Virginia. Jeremy, who was lost as child in the same forest, has an uncanny talent for finding lost girls. When Jeremy decides to help Emilie, he needs one more person to help - Rafe, Jeremy's best friend, who was lost with him. The only problem: Jeremy and Rafe haven't spoken since they were found 15 years ago. Jeremy and Emilie need to get Rafe onboard to find Emilie's sister. And that's just the beginning of this modern fairy tale for adults.

Whimsical and bittersweet, a testament to love and the bonds of family, both blood and found, this is an adventure that takes you through our modern world and into another. There was so much to love about this book -- the Narnia inspiration, the wonderful characters, the humor mixed with tragedy and horror laced throughout, and the recognition of Stevie Nicks as a goddess! No spoilers, but I particularly loved the ending, both hopeful and sad.

DNF at 38%

The concept of an adult fairytale sounded really appealing and was what made me want to pick up this book in the first. Sadly the execution of what the author was trying to say didn’t land for me.

I tried multiple times reading this book to get invested into the plot and the book but I just couldn’t. After reading around 130ish pages, I couldn’t read on anymore. I was too bored.

The writing is very easy to read and easily digestible. Unfortunately that may be the only thing I enjoyed.

First of all, thank you to Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As a massive fan of The Wishing Game, when I heard Meg Shaffer had a book coming out that was based on NARNIA (i’m obsessed with Susan Pevensie but a discussion for another time) I BEGGED for it so I could read the next book from a new favorite author. Now please take my minor criticism with a grain of salt because I was traveling while reading this book, and yet still read it in 5 days in combination with migraine and jet lag recovery. Anyways, I absolutely LOVED The Lost Story. All of the characters were so easy to love and their connections to one another were so meaningful. The plot and world building were all crafted so well and I would honestly describe it as mostly cozy portal fantasy, with some minor stressful exceptions. However, in moments of conflict I struggled to feel immersed enough in the story to actually worry about how the characters would get out of the situation they were in. However, this could have been because I was coming out of a minor reading slump and felt as though I couldn’t fully immerse myself in anything I read. HOWEVER, I enjoyed this book so thoroughly that even though it took me longer to read than it should have and I struggled to feel engaged at times, I am still giving it four stars.

I have tried to read this book 3 times now, and I just cannot make it past the 60% mark. I absolutely ADORED 'The Wishing Game,' and was really excited to read a C.S. Lewis inspired novel, but this was SO bad. The first half was so good, I very much loved the storytelling/writing and Jeremy/Rafe's backstory and love (SO SWEET, I teared up), but after they make it to Shannondoah, it's so painfully cheesy and cringey. The writing also seemed to suffer, and felt very stilted.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fantastic read. If you like fantasy, give it a try.

Another novel by Meg Shaffer after her debut, "The Wishing Game," and this one is as good as the first. Whereas "The Wishing Game" reminded me of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, this one is inspired by "The Chronicles of Narnia." Two boys on a field trip get lost in a West Virginia park and don't emerge from the woods for 6 months. They are nourished but offer little information as to how they survived. Fifteen years later, Rafe has no memories of what happened and lives as a reclusive artist. Jeremy, on the other hand, remembers the magical world that allowed them to survive and serves as a missing persons investigator with an uncanny ability to find his charges. When Emilie Wendell enlists Jeremy to find her long-lost sister, the lost boys are reunited in the quest to find what's left of her family and confront their shared past. A well crafted story that unpacks Rafe, Jeremy, and Emilie's past to help them build their respective futures. I appreciate Ballantine Books offering me the chance to read this ARC.

What a fun, magical ride! I loved Meg Shaffers previous book, The Wishing Game, and I love this just as much! This a book about not giving up, friendship and love all in a magical setting. If you’re looking for a fairytale for adults, pick this book up! Thank you Netgalley for my Arc e-copy of this book! #Netgalley #TheLostStory

I loved the authors first book and I adored this one as well. I feel like I can’t say much because I want you to go into this blind and just enjoy the journey. I wanted to read the book as soon as I finished the book and in my mind that’s the sign of a good book. I can’t wait to read more b this author.

Thank you for allowing me an ARC copy of The Lost Story
I couldn’t put it down.
I really enjoyed her first book the wishing game and this was just as good
I hope she writes a sequel to find out if they are all rejoined
I hoped so.
Definitely worth buying this book.

The Lost Story

I thought the storyteller narrator was a really fun aspect. The writing is whimsy and fresh. I think this book will be loved by many.

It’s a good story in its own right but I hate that it’s being marketed as an adult Narnia. Narnia is an all time favorite and I’m sorry, but this is not it. The only similarity is another world within our own.

The characters are juvenile which is a little upsetting for an “adult” Narnia.

For the romance, in this instance, I felt like I needed an epic love or nothing at all. Second Chance romance is usually a favorite but the amnesia trope is not. And call me a prude but I don’t love intimacy, even implied, between children.

These seem to be me problems, which is fine. No story (except for Narnia 😜) is for every person.

Main character LGBTQ Rep

I was a huge fan of the wishing game, but I love the last story even more! This fantasy has it capital a LL. This modern fairytale is set in West Virginia of all places. West Virginia and beyond. This book will steal your heart. It is full of wit magic and propulsive action. The cast of characters… You will love them all 🦄 🧜‍♀️ 👑 🗡️

Narnia meets the X-Files in this magical fairytale. I could not put this book down once I started. It is truly an escape in book form. The story was so unique and I feel like the characters will stay with me forever. The narrative inserts made the book for me I could not wait till they inserted themselves again.

I do not like Narnia- I did a re-read of the entire series about 15 years ago and the ending of The Last Battle still really bothers me. Adult books inspired by Narnia though? Those are among my favorite books (e.g., The Magicians, The Hollow Bones)-- give me all of the Adult genre Narnia inspired book recommendations and they will be added to my ever-growing TBR!

The things I loved about "The Lost Story":
-Short chapter additions by "the storyteller"-- the narrator pops in with a few details every once in a while, and I loved these breaks.
-The characters: Jeremy and Rafe were wonderful characters and their growth throughout the story was always interesting, sometimes fantastical, and everything I want to see in a MM romance.
-In general, the lack of romance: I love romance stories, but this story was predominately about love of family and friends--- and I loved that focus.
-The fantasy and the mixed real-world. It was separated enough that I could follow it as a 'believable' story within itself. I wish Shanandoah existed by the end of the book.

This is my first Meg Shaffer book- I will 100% be reading "The Wishing Game" when I get a chance. I'm 10 books "behind" schedule this year, but I wanted to read this book slowly so I could enjoy every minute of it. It's one of my first 5-star books of the year, and it will likely be one of my top books for the year.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Group-Ballantine for an e-arc copy of this book. I loved everything about it and look forward to reading my next Meg Shaffer book! "The Lost Story" is set to be published July 16th 2024- it's an excellent mid-summer read!

What I liked: A good premise for a fantasy, including a secret magical world and a found family.

What I disliked: Having enjoyed the author’s prior book The Wishing Game, I found this book disappointing. Considering this is not a YA book, why did 30 year old characters have extremely naive and juvenile personalities; a cringy romance; and unnecessary plot interjections by a 4th-Wall Storyteller?

After going missing in a West Virginia forest in their teens, Jeremey and Rafe reconnect while helping Emilie find her long lost sister. Rafe, who remembers nothing of their six months missing, discovers there’s a lot Jeremy has been keeping secret about their own time lost. Will the boys be able to rekindle their friendship after 15 years a part?

In the fifteen years since returning, Jeremy had become an investigator having an uncanny ability of finding lost girls. After losing her mother, Emilie learns of a long lost sister who was seemingly kidnapped and never found. Even more interesting, she went missing in the same forest as Rafe and Jeremy only a few years prior to the boys. She tracks down Jeremy for his help. When he finally agrees he insists that he needs Rafe’s help. So the journey begins, for 2 lost boys and a girl searching for family.

This was a fun read! Portal fantasy is one of my favorite sub genres so I knew I would enjoy this book. I loved the characters and felt like they were all very realistic. I also loved the silly interludes from the narrator even if they were a bit cheesy sometimes. They helped break up the story and allowed for flashbacks to happen in a clear way. Meg Shaffer does a great job of describing the environment and setting the scene. I also loved the slow revelations throughout the story. It was somewhat predictable I my opinion but there were a few things that surprised me.

I do wish we got to spend more time in Shannanodoah. The descriptions were so wonderful that I wanted to get to experience exploring with the characters. Unfortunately most of the time in Shannandoah was rife with conflict which took all the focus. I liked the story, especially finding out who the villain was, but I wish there was a bit more fun before the drama started up. One of my favorite parts of fantasy books like this is getting to explore the world.

This book also tackled some huge issues especially in regard to the LGBTQ community so beautifully. That is what truly made it more of an adult fantasy in my opinion. Unfortunately, other than the more difficult topics the rest of the story felt more YA than adult. As much as I enjoyed the story, I didn’t feel like I was reading an adult book. I love both YA and adult so it worked for me but may not appeal to someone wanting adult fantasy.

Overall an easy and fun read with a great setting and solid characters! I would definitely recommend! 3.5 stars.

4.5 stars!

Meg Shaffer has officially become an instant buy/read for me! I loved The Wishing Game, and while The Lost Story definitely has a different feel, it was just as easy and enjoyable to read. There are definitely some darker elements in this book, so check trigger warnings as needed.

The Lost Story is set primarily in West Virginia and is a loose retelling of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. When Rafe and Jeremy get lost in the forest as teenagers it changes their lives forever. Fifteen years later they find themselves back in the same forest, along with a new friend, Emelie. Adventure, action, and character growth ensues.

The story is magical, mysterious, and has so much found family. I found myself growing attached to all the characters very quickly. It was an easy and very quick read. I greatly enjoyed my time reading it and cannot wait for Meg Schaffer’s next book!

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Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was the perfect little fairytale to get swept up in.

I recently read Stephen King's Fairytale, and it reminded me of that a lot - plus Narnia. A portal into a whole new world, where anything one dreams could happen, does.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.