THE LOST STORY by Meg Shaffer

4 stars

As a huge fan of Meg’s book The Wishing Game, I could not wait to plunge into her latest novel. This whimsical adult fairy tale aims to refresh the imaginations of all of us who immersed ourselves as kids in the Chronicles of Narnia. It even starts with a quote from C.S. Lewis,”Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

It’s a mix up of two plots: 1) teens Jeremy and Rafe disappearing in the local West Virginia woods which leaves their parents and all adults in the community fearing the worst possible scenarios and forming urgent search parties until all hope has been lost and 2) the kids actually entering into a secret magical Eden with consuming adventures, the very best of friendships, and the very best of times.

This dichotomy of the seriousness of children disappearing, feared to have been kidnapped, molested, or killed sits uneasily juxtaposed to the cheerful whimsical world in which the children assume roles as royalty or knights, vanquish clearly evil enemies, play with magical animals, and luxuriate in a fabulous Medieval palace. For further contrast, a new threat has entered a section of the realm called Ghost Town- not the so-called Bright Boys who are up to no good and can be easily vanquished, but the true Ghost of Rafe’s dead abusive dad. Here, the whimsical and truly abusive starkly mash-up.

But then again, Shaffer is making the point that isn’t that true of all great fairy tales we inhaled as children where underlying the magical tale are deep threats, scarcely veiled evils and survival lessons to be learned?

Enhancing this is the truly hilarious Storyteller, who with a wink and a nudge in amusing asides, keeps showing us the fabric from which all fairy tales get woven.

Bravo for this ambitious and hugely imaginative undertaking. Next book, PLEASE!

 Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.