Hello! I’m here to discuss my thoughts on the second book by an author whose debut I absolutely adored last year. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
Last year, in 2023, I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Meg Shaffer’s debut, The Wishing Game, to review. It was such a beautiful story that had me staying up well into the night to finish and had me sobbing at multiple points for multiple different reasons. You can click here to read my full thoughts about it, but long story short is that I loved Shaffer’s writing, characters, story and atmosphere so much. I’ve been out of the loop when it comes to most new releases this year, a side effect of my new job, but I am so incredibly grateful that an associate marketing manager from Random House Publishing reached out in February with a e-copy of her newest book, The Lost Story, said to have been inspired by C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. I knew it was a story I wanted to savor so I waited until a little closer to release date. Since that date has now been reached, I get to share all my thoughts.
When Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell were young boys, they disappeared into the West Virginia state forest, seemingly out of thin air. Six months later, hikers in the same forest come across the boys again, who provide no indication of where they’d been or how they’d survived. Only Jeremy left the forest with his memories of those six months, and he left Rafe at his hospital bed with little explanation of when they’d see each other again. Fifteen years later, Jeremy is famous for finding mission people, “a lost boy who’d gone on to find lost girls.” When former vet tech Emilie Wendell tracks him down to ask if he could help find her missing half sister, a girl who had gone missing in the same forest as Jeremy, he is reluctant. But in the end, Jeremy knows what he’ll find in that forest, and, after some much needed coaxing, he recruits Rafe to return to the forest where they disappeared, and, if they’re lucky, they’ll disappear into the world of their dreams that’s waiting fifteen long years to welcome them home.
I don’t know how Meg Shaffer does it, but every time I pick up one of her books I feel like I’ve been transported to a magical place where your wildest dreams can become a reality. The Lost Story has everything from queens, knights, princes and princesses to golden apples, unicorns, and crows. But where there are dreams there must also be nightmares, and Shaffer does not shy away from the inclusion of difficult topics, such as attempted child abduction (in the past), parental abuse and familial loss (not on page but referenced), and wondering if those close to you will ever accept you for who you truly are, and who you love. [Please take care of yourself and if anything I’ve mentioned can be triggering for you please seek out other reviews or skip this read, your mental wellness is always more important than a book.] Each character is incredibly distinct, has their own motivations and reasons for their actions, and the banter between them, even when they first met, made it feel like they’d known each other for years. And in terms of Jeremy and Rafe specifically, a lot is explored and explained in terms of why Jeremy left all those years ago, and kept himself away from Rafe even though that is the last thing he ever wanted. There is also a sweet and tender romance, as any good fairy tale should, that I wasn’t quite expecting (at least, I wasn’t sure in the beginning who it was going to involve) but it was incredibly welcomed and flowed seamlessly throughout the actions of the book. There were some twists I wasn’t expecting, some big-bads I had to decipher, but overall this isn’t really an action and plot heavy book – it’s a character driven story that explores what it means to be lost, and how good it feels to finally be found.
There is an aspect to this story that I really loved but I feel like others might not. There are occasional interlude chapters from the perspective of the storyteller, that address the audience directly, give clarifying background information on characters’ lives or important prior events, and sometimes move the plot forward by summarizing certain events that are less important in the grand scheme of the story. The identity of the storyteller is not revealed until the final interlude chapter, however there are context clues that allow the reader to guess who is writing them. Personally, if it’s done well, I really enjoy when books can address the audience, and it really felt like those chapters were telling me a story. They gave the book an extra whimsical feel, and made me feel like I was reading a fairy tale. I can see how other readers can disagree, though, as these occasionally will fall into the “telling not showing” category of writing, and can make the book feel disjointed. It is certainly a matter of preference, and while I loved their addition I can see how other readers might disagree.
While I will admit that I did enjoy The Wishing Game just a tiny bit more, Meg Shaffer’s The Lost Story is an incredible sophomore novel, full of whimsy, magic, headstrong characters, and so much more depth than meets the eye. It is truly the best kind of fairy tale story for adults. I feel like she writes the perfect books for me, and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next. The Lost Story is set to be released on July 16th, 2024, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday, and consider picking up a copy if you’re interested! *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Where to find The Lost Story:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Penguin Random House
Meg Shaffer’s site
Thoughts About Things 