Book of The Month discussion

Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

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.

Chapter 11

first, I love that this is loosely based on Narnia. It has such a perfect feel to it!

OMG and I love the map in the beginning!

(view spoiler)[ I love these three so far!

Jeremy and Rafe! Ugh, their story so far is so so sad. I'm really hoping, in our ingredients for a story - that one of them is not the villain!

Emilie - she's adorable. and I love her story. Jeremy keeps calling her princess. I wonder if her sister is some sort of "royalty" where ever they went/she is.

Jeremy always finding things is interesting. (hide spoiler)]

26 chapters

I love how nostalgic this book feels

(view spoiler)[ I love these twists. The knight, the prince - I knew who the queen was but now we know we have a bad guy
I assume the bad guy is Rafe's father. This is going to be pretty bad but I think they will be able to best the dad this time.

I hope Rafe gets all his memories back! (hide spoiler)]

I got this one on Libby. How do you like it so far?

I really love it! It's so good!

and done. this one was so good!

(view spoiler)[ I just knew it was going to be the dad in the end.
my heart dropped when jeremy got shot with the arrow so I'm really glad that the dad helped him get out.

and I agree, there has to be other entrances into the forest. I think they'll find one, for sure!

I also understood Rafe not wanting to get those memories back quiet yet. I was glad Jeremy let him take his time.

Loved the sisters and how they worked together (hide spoiler)]