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booksarethenewblack 's review for:
The Lost Story
by Meg Shaffer
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I enjoyed my time with The Lost Story and was surprised at the intensity. There were times when it felt geared towards a younger audience. I keep going back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars. I'll probably round up to 4 stars, but think it's more of a 3.5.
I want to start with the writing and world-building. I think this is where this book suffers the most. I got lost because it began with one mystery and jumped into another. We then get the boys 15 years later, and things are in disarray, and someone is asking for help to find their sister. We were missing so much information and then given to us quickly. It just felt a bit disjointed and "info-dumpy." I'm honestly still a bit confused about the actual world. There's a lot of conversations about Narnia and so on. I felt like it was a bit of a copy throughout some of the elements. It reminds me of the Wayward children's books too.
One of my favorite things about this book is Rafe. Oh my gosh! He is why I've rated this book so high. I adored him and felt so bad for him. He doesn't remember the time when he was "lost." Throughout the book, he starts to remember more and more. I figured out what had happened pretty early on, and it was so stressful. His relationship with Jeremy was so sweet! I thought that Emilie was a great addition. I loved how she was sassy because it helped in more intense moments.
My second favorite thing about this book was the storyteller. After a chapter or a few chapters, we have the storyteller. They give us little tidbits or extra information. I loved that voice because it helped break up some dark moments.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! There were times I laughed and cried. It was such a quick read, and that can be because of the writing style. I did think the world-building was lacking, but it didn't take from the friendships. The relationships are what stand out and where the real magic is.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I enjoyed my time with The Lost Story and was surprised at the intensity. There were times when it felt geared towards a younger audience. I keep going back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars. I'll probably round up to 4 stars, but think it's more of a 3.5.
I want to start with the writing and world-building. I think this is where this book suffers the most. I got lost because it began with one mystery and jumped into another. We then get the boys 15 years later, and things are in disarray, and someone is asking for help to find their sister. We were missing so much information and then given to us quickly. It just felt a bit disjointed and "info-dumpy." I'm honestly still a bit confused about the actual world. There's a lot of conversations about Narnia and so on. I felt like it was a bit of a copy throughout some of the elements. It reminds me of the Wayward children's books too.
One of my favorite things about this book is Rafe. Oh my gosh! He is why I've rated this book so high. I adored him and felt so bad for him. He doesn't remember the time when he was "lost." Throughout the book, he starts to remember more and more. I figured out what had happened pretty early on, and it was so stressful. His relationship with Jeremy was so sweet! I thought that Emilie was a great addition. I loved how she was sassy because it helped in more intense moments.
My second favorite thing about this book was the storyteller. After a chapter or a few chapters, we have the storyteller. They give us little tidbits or extra information. I loved that voice because it helped break up some dark moments.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! There were times I laughed and cried. It was such a quick read, and that can be because of the writing style. I did think the world-building was lacking, but it didn't take from the friendships. The relationships are what stand out and where the real magic is.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.