Ballantine Books
336 Pages
I am not a huge fan of fantasy stories. There are some exceptions, but by and large, I tend to avoid them. In full disclosure, I do read a lot of summaries of the new release books in the Fantasy section at the Lockport Public Library. Most often, I simply place the books back on the shelf and move on. On occasion, one of them ends up coming home with me for a couple of weeks. Such was the case with The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer. I liked this one so much that I recommended it to a couple of friends before I even finished the book.
Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell disappear while visiting a state forest in West Virginia. Despite numerous search parties after the fact, there is no sign of the boys. They leave no trace at all. It is with great surprise and relief when they suddenly stumble out of the woods six months later. There is no explanation where they were, nor how they were able to survive all that time. People were just happy that they had returned and questions went unanswered and forgotten.
Fifteen years later, Jeremy and Rafe are adults. Once good friends, they’ve drifted apart. After their six-month disappearance, their lives have changed, sending them on differing paths in life. Rafe is a reclusive artist who refuses to talk about his ordeal. Meanwhile, Jeremy has adjusted better, assisting families of people who have disappeared without a trace. It is in this capacity that Jeremy is drawn back into the forests of West Virginia.
Emilie Wendell’s sister has disappeared. When she discovers that other people have disappeared in that same forest, she reaches out to one of those who miraculously returned. She attempts to persuade Jeremy to take on her sister’s case since he made it out of those mysterious woods. He was initially hesitant, but eventually accepted the job and offered his services.
Jeremy knows the secrets from the woods. He’s kept them locked deep inside since his return all those years ago. Partly for his own safety, but mostly for the safety of his friend, Rafe, who was oblivious to his time elsewhere. He cannot do it on his own. He has to bring Rafe into the fold. There’s no other way for Jeremy to penetrate the mysteries of the West Virginia woods without his partner in the disappearance.
This story mixes a group of stories into a new narrative that is engaging, fun, scary, and redeeming. Think of Narnia, Terabithia, Oz, and Fantastica all combined into a single story. The mythos constructed by Shaffer leads the reader on a fantastic voyage through some of the greatest imaginative worlds of our youths. This story enchants the readers and the characters alike.
One of my favorite things in novels is great character development. This novel features major characters who are very well developed. Rafe in particular seems to have a great arc, from a student who thinks he’s invincible, to a troubled man who has visions of things he can’t explain. These visions trouble him and lead him into a troubled adulthood and forays into illicit substances. LIkewise, Jeremy has multiple layers to his character. He knows the truth, but for the sake of his friend, he has to keep silent, even if it destroys their friendship.
The mystery in the woods ends up as one of the main characters in this book as well. The magical place transcends simply being a place where the action occurs. It is a living, breathing place that transforms the rest of the characters to its will. I loved every aspect of this place.
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer is going to go down in my Top Ten of the year. I could not stop reading this book once I started it, and I had to let my reading friends know. One of my favorite books (and movie) was The Neverending Story. This book took me back to those halcyon days of my youth. If you want to read a fantastic book in the literal sense of the word, this is the novel for you.
Craig Bacon loves magical books that bring back memories of childhood.