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. Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy. Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories. Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

Okay, after reading the Wishing Game - I was SOOO OVERJOYED that Netgalley approved my request for The Lost Story, and it did deliver! Overall, I was hooked from the first page, enjoying the characters, the sacred love story, and the reimagining of the Narnia world. I look forward to reading Meg Schaffer's next magical adventure.

As soon as I read the blurb for The Lost Story, I knew it had the potential to become a new favorite, and I'm so happy to report I was right! I loved The Wishing Game, but The Lost Story has a special kind of nostalgia (Narnia vibes, anyone?) that makes it the perfect choice to curl up with on a warm Spring/Summer day. I adored Jeremy and Rafe, the central characters of the story. Their relationship is really what kept me reading, and it all came together so well in the end. Meg Shaffer is now an auto-buy author for me, and I couldn't be happier!

Absolutely read this book if you like heartwarming, nostalgic contemporary fantasy. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this!
In every way that Shaffer's last book, The Wishing Game, was nostalgic and magical, The Lost Story is x 1000. They say this is modeled on Chronicles of Narnia and, while the parallels completely exist, it is in its own way more beautiful. Jeremy, a once 'lost' child who now finds lost people as a profession, Emilie, a young woman looking for her lost sister, and Rafe, a troubled man who feels he is missing a piece of himself, are the perfect trifecta to help you suspend belief and visit a new place. I loved the imagery, the touchpoints on grief and overcoming, and the choices each character had to make to find their 'home'. The LGBTQ+ love story is just beautifully developed and engrossing. All in all a complete knock out.
I think one of the most unique parts of her story is the narrator, the Storyteller! These breakthrough chapters remind you that you're supposed to be in a "fairytale" and feels straight out of the Princess Bride. These chapters are witty and grounding at the same time and really drive the story home.
This would make a beautiful movie but is truly just a supremely brilliant sophomore novel.

I am absolutely smitten with Meg Shaffer's debut The Wishing Game, so when I got this ARC for The Lost Story I was thrilled. I am sure it's going to be wonderful, and more updates to come as soon as I finish!

*Slaps counter* Another! Can Meg Shaffer please keep these coming? Such a quick and magical read. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to like this but I just couldn’t connect with the story or the character. I think the story just didn’t come together for me and the character development wasn’t there.

I finished The Lost Story quickly, but I had to take several days to ruminate before writing my review. It’s safe to say that I was more excited to receive an ARC copy of this book than any other I’ve reviewed so far! Meg Shaffer’s 2023 debut, The Wishing Game, was my absolute favorite book of all last year. In the same vein, The Lost Story is both whimsical and heartwarming. However, this one almost fell flat for me. Almost!

What saves this story? It’s the characters. Jeremy and Rafe, the boys who were lost in the Red Crow State Park for six months when they were teenagers, now estranged from one another fifteen years later. Rafe has lost his memories from when they were lost, but Jeremy remembers, and also seems to have a magical power for finding lost people and objects. Emilie, who asks Jeremy to find her half sister, Shannan, who was lost in the same park years ago after being kidnapped by a known child predator. Jeremy knows exactly where to take Emilie, but first, he must reconnect with Rafe to help them find the way.

These three characters make the whole book- I loved them so much! Their banter was so much fun, and I felt deeply connected to them all the way through. So why does it fall flat, then? It’s that the plot seems too basic for a portal fantasy, in a way that’s unfortunately trite. This is the portal fantasy I might have written if I were given the time, but I’m not a published author and no one ever accused me of being creative. I’m merely amateur.

I think this book could have earned an extra star by going deeper into the magical realm and spending more time there. At 350 +/- pages, there’s room for more. A proper fantasy can easily be 100 or more pages longer, because a fantasy reader thrives on intricate world building and descriptions of magical entities and intrigue. Perhaps this is an introductory fantasy, meant for readers not yet comfortable with the genre? In that case, edit from the first part of the plot in order to buy more time spent on the second part. I wanted to know more, and I felt rushed through what seems like it could have been a beautiful and multidimensional world.

Nevertheless, The Lost Story is a fun and easy to read novel. Parts are heavy and the reader should beware of potential triggers such as descriptions of physical abuse. Still, the heavier themes are dealt with sensitively and didn’t overwhelm the overall positivity of the plot. I overall enjoyed the prose and pacing of the story and think this will make a great summer read.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC copy of The Lost Story in exchange for my honest review!

I was excited to receive an ARC of this book through NetGalley as I recently read the Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer and LOVED it! Sadly, The Lost Story was lost on me because I never truly connected with it!

This book was a complete slog for me to get through and took me what seemed like forever to finish. I liked the premise of the story initially, but then it just all fell apart. I didn’t feel like a lot happened for the majority of the book and found myself reading only a few chapters a day because I was just very bored with it. I wanted to be able to give my review as this is the purpose of providing readers with copies in advance, so I kept plowing on a few chapters at a time.

The characters were quirky and likable, but I just didn’t feel a real connection with any of them. I felt a lot was missed in developing Emilie and Skya’s relationship as sisters. There was more depth to Jeremy and Rafe’s relationship, but that one too felt like it was lacking a lot.

The Storyteller chapters seemed confusing and unnecessary to me for most of the book but that was eventually cleared up a bit in the end.

Overall, this fantasy/fairy tale just wasn’t for me. If you read The Wishing Game and loved it, just go into this one expecting something completely different and in my opinion not nearly as captivating.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity. Publication date July 16, 2024.

There were several aspects to this story that could have easily killed it for me… But Meg Shaffer is such an incredible storyteller that regardless of how cringe certain parts were (*cough cough* storyteller corner..) the story still came together beautifully. It was an addicting, lighthearted read.

On a side note, this was my first time reading a book that featured a M/M romance. Had I known it played such a significant part to the plot I likely would have skipped this book. But I’m glad I didn’t. There is nothing awkward or graphic to read about. It’s a sweet, coming-of-age love story.
3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

4.5 Stars!

In West Virginia, Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing and vanished during an end of school field trip to Red Crow State Forest. They were gone long enough that people had stopped referring them as missing and now called them lost. They mysteriously reappeared six months later. They were in perfect health. They were taller, stronger with bright eyes and clear skin. How did they survive?

Fifteen years later Jeremy becomes a missing persons investigator and Rafe is a reclusive artist who lives in a cabin in the woods. He has scars inside and out and can't remember how he got them.

This book was such a delight!


The world where this book took me to was just amazing. It was so beautiful! Here is a sneak peak of the description of the Painted Sea. The shore off Painted Sea was swirled with colors, like a child had spilled their jar of rainbow sand everywhere. Pinks and Blues and Greens and Purples. The water was so clear that you could see through it like a window. Small Silver Dolphins and lazy rays played in the surf.

The trees in this world soared a thousand feet too tall. The trunks a hundred feet. These trees had leaves every color of Easter, pink and green and blue and yellow and white. They looked like the trees you might have scribbled as a child with fat Crayola markers to color one tree. Yes, these were a child's imaginary trees made real somehow.

This book was inspired by C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. This amazing novel is an adult fairytale. I loved her book, The Wishing Game and I loved this one even more. It was my favorite adult fairytale. I loved all the characters. They all were well done.
I want to thank Netgalley and Random House Ballantine Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Shaffer does it again. I was a HUGE fan of The Wishing Game and have basically told everyone I know about it. When I saw that a new book of hers was available, I immediately requested it. The Lost Story weaves in elements from your favorite childhood books with an adult layer that is so crucial- what do we remember about our joy? I laughed out loud, cried, and felt the warmest cozies from this book. Would recommend to lovers of The Wishing Game, Narnia chronicles, and countless other books where you felt alone until you saw yourself on the page.




Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a whimsical story yet moving and deeply emotional.
In a beautiful blend of magical realism, Shaffer creates a unique version of magic reminscent of Harold and the Purple Crayon meets Narnia in the West Virginia wilderness.
Blending difficult subject matters, the book follows three main characters as they deal with heavy emotions of grief, longing, and trauma. In pursuit of a missing person, they discover a whimsical fantasyland, but even a Lisa Frank fictional land they realize avoidance isn't a solution. Full of wonder, friendships, found family and adventure i enjoyed this book immensely.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is the perfect fairy tail for adults. I enjoyed this so much.

So, I'm just gonna say it plainly. This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I really loved Meg Shaffer's The Wishing Game (and I mean really loved it), so I was excited to receive this advanced reader copy from the publisher. However, it felt a little lackluster in its story and plotting. 

I'll start with the characters because I liked that aspect of the story the best. There was so much promise with these characters. I loved Emilie, Rafe, and Jeremy. They were magnetic at times, so I had no problem with the characters at all. Each felt real and you could truly feel their desires on the pages as you read them. What brought this story down was the plot. 

The premise for this novel had so much going for it, but the actual urgency and drive to keep reading wasn't there for me. I think it was because it felt so nontraditional with its layout. You had this big battle-like scene in the middle of the novel, then happiness until about thirty pages from the end. I think what would have made it so much better is saving the battle scene for the end and letting the last tragic thing that happens happen right after the battle scene. It would build more tension in my opinion and make more sense.

Overall, this book had promise and it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I think it could benefit from a plotting rewrite, but that's just me. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review!

***My review for this novel will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, BookBub, and my blog (heididischler.com) on July 17th.***

"The Lost Story" by Meg Shaffer is a captivating and beautifully woven tale that transcends the traditional boundaries of fairy tales, inviting adults back into the magical world of their youth with a fresh and inclusive perspective. Shaffer's novel is a testament to the power of storytelling, love, and the bonds of friendship, making it a memorable journey for anyone who holds a special place in their heart for tales that transport you to another world .

I could not put this book down and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to read an advanced copy! The ending had me in tears, a testament to Shaffer's powerful storytelling. For anyone who cherishes fairy tales and appreciates meaningful representation, this is a journey you'll wish could go on forever. I can't recommend it enough!

"The Lost Story" takes the reader on a captivating journey to a world where mystery and adventure intertwine with friendship and reality. Meg Shaffer is a master storyteller and reminds me of why I love to read. Readers are transported to another realm with characters whom they love and care about. Themes such as love, loss and the power of storytelling take center stage. I cannot recommend Meg Shaffer's books enough including "The Lost Story" and "The Wishing Game".

MAGIC! I cant even begin to explain how magical and wonderful this book was! Meg Shaffer is fast becoming one of my very favorite authors! Once I started reading I couldnt put this book down. 5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader!

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I would've liked this book more... if it weren't for the constant narrator interjections. They were supposed to be snarky fourth wall breaks to add a bit of levity/wit, but they were just corny and unnecessary. The reason for them being there was not justification enough for their existence. As an example, one chapter ends in a fade to black situation. The narrator then comes in to tell you that it's stopping there without adding graphic detail, and that's it- no addition of anything substantive, just reiterating what you could already infer from the very common writing device.

Narrator aside, I enjoyed the story enough. It was a quick read. I found the relationship between Rafe and Jeremy to be sweet and believable. The girls were necessary for plot points, but didn't feel that important. The story had several fantasy elements, but felt mostly rooted in reality, since a lot of the focus was on the boys' relationship and dealing with past traumas.

Page turner that keeps you on your toes with each page. Two boys Jeremy and Rafe are lost in the woods in West Virginia a story that can be found in any newspaper today. The boys are found six months later coming from out of the woods. One is injured and being carried out by the other. Story moves into the future where we meet the boys again. One has the power to find children and young woman. He has just gotten off a case when he is contacted by a young lady, Emilie, who is interested in finding her lost sister who disappeared in those same woods. At first he has no interest in helping her but after some persuasion he agrees as long as his friend Rafe will help him. Together they go on a fantastic adventure that will thrill and excite the reader. Something you never expected but are afire because you have.
Great characters that will make you believe in another world, wonderful story that you never want to stop reading.

4.25/5

Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia, The Lost Story is that and so much more. Meg Shaffer is an incredible storyteller who will take you on a thrilling and moving story about what it means to be lost and then found.

The story follows three main characters who are all looking for something: Jeremy is looking for a way back to his lost love, Rafe is looking for some answers from his past, and Emilie is looking for her sister who has been missing since she was a teenager. Their paths collide and lead to Shenandoah, a land of fairytales and magic.

Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie are so distinctly their own vibrant characters that it was easy to cheer for them throughout the entire book. Their banter and camaraderie made this such an easy and enjoyable read.

Shenandoah assures us that fairytales are not just for children. Shaffer did an amazing job to make the world vivid and fantastical. Shenandoah is weaved so eloquently to "the real world", it'll make non-believers rethink their stance on writing off magic and fairytales.

Filled with deep emotions, self reflection, and adventure, The Lost Story is a must read!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing me with an eArc of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.