With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the review copy.

DNF at 35%

Things you might like about this book:
• Interwoven fairytales
• Complicated father-daughter relationship
• Slow pace and easy to read

For me this was mostly just a book that was the wrong fit. There were definitely elements that appealed but I found the main character too entitled and irritating, and overall I couldn’t get invested in the story. I was expecting more in the way of fantasy based on the synopsis but this was restricted to the fairytales (at least in what I read).

I have seen many reviews from readers who have loved the book, so if it appeals to you definitely check it out!

This is a really entertaining book. There are fairytales woven into the narrative.
This is definitely a mesmerising book
It is a brilliant debut novel.

What a great book to read at the beginning of 2023.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it quite slowly as there is so much to take in, but I was utterly absorbed with it.

It has such evocative imagery and I could really picture everything that was happening.

I thought Amanda Block was a wonderful, descriptive and beautiful writer.

This was a very thoughtful look at mental health and I loved the weaving of fantasy and reality throughout.

I did struggle a bit with Rebecca's character...blimey she had such high expectations of everyone around her whilst offering so little herself. I especially thought she was cruel to her mum, grandmother and Uncle. Obviously everyone protects a child. I also thought she was quite mean to Ellis a majority of the time.

However despite Rebecca and her unrealistic life expectations ...this was a fantastic read. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic mix of fairytale and reality, I loved the magic of the fairytales, the pacing was perfect and how little by little we discover alongside the character the secrets of each of the seven tales. The ending is perfection that reality can’t always live up to the stories, but that it shouldn’t mean less.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for approving me for an ARC of this book.

Our story begins with Rebecca being quizzed about her missing father by the handsome journalist, Ellis. Since Rebecca was a young child she has not seen him and no one in her family ever talks about him but when her nan gives her a gift, that was sent to her by her father, Rebecca’s interest grows.

Whilst reading through the fairy tales left to her by her father, Rebecca starts to unravel his story and learn why her father left her all those years ago. She enlists the help of Ellis and starts to track down people from his past, some of whom have rather harsh things to say about him.

I was intrigued by Leo’s story from the start and wanted to know what had happened to him and if Rebecca would find him again. It soon became clear that Rebecca was only hearing one side of the story and I desperately wanted to see her get the answers to all of her questions.

I adored the fairy tales and the hidden meanings behind them, it felt like Rebecca and Ellis were on a treasure hunt and that really gave the story a unique edge. The darkness described throughout out depicted mental health issues perfectly and showed the many ways it can manifest itself. From Leo’s mother to the difficulties he faced himself, this story gave a fresh take on a apt situation.

The Lost Storyteller is a cleverly written, magical book that beautifully entwines fairy tales with the modern world. I’m excited to see what Amanda block writes next!

I loved the mystery of this story, though it did take me a few chapters to sink my teeth into the story and get invested. At first I thought Rebecca was very unlikable and rude but as you unravel the story of the Stowaway, you find out more about her past as well. I was hooked by the time they revealed the notebook and developed the fairy tale plot twist and I couldn’t put it down after that until they resolve the mystery. It brought out more plot twists and a bigger cast of characters that intrigued me all the more. ⁠
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What I liked was that the ending was left pretty open; all the immediate plot points were resolved but there is definite room for an epilogue at the very least or maybe even a sequel. I feel like this has excellent movie potential, but there are also mental health issues as well as drug abuse that should be handled with a lot of sensitivity. ⁠
Overall this is definitely going to make it into my favourite books of 2021 because it was so captivating throughout, with the exception of the slow start.

This is a beautifully written debut, and I loved the innovative way in which the seven stories are woven into the main plot. It is really clever and I appreciated how they worked alongside Rebecca's journey to find her father. This is a 4.5*s for me, purely because at some points I wasn't really convinced by Rebecca's emotional arc. There were certain aspects of her emotional response to her missing father that didn't quite make sense to me, and then this muddles with her relationship with her mum who I didn't particularly like as a figure. Nevertheless, this is a strong debut! I look forward to seeing more from the author.

A charming story about dads and daughters and all the complicated feelings involved with growing up, understanding and forgiving.

I must say I was expecting some fantasy elements and, fairytale apart, there wasn't any.
I appreciated this story that mixes family relationship, going back and trying to discover what happened to a missing father.
Rebecca is a well developed character even if I found her a bit too unsure.
The author did a good job in developing the characters and the fairy tales are excellent.
I was a bit disappointed by the ending.
I think that this author could write excellent fantasy.
It's an atmospheric, engrossing and well written story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A magical debut of the love of families- the love between a parent and a child.
I loved the use of the fairytales to narrate parts of the story - the darkness described was a great metaphor for some of the mental health issues covered. The relationships between the characters were complex and intriguing and I really enjoyed how we were invited to understand the past from the different viewpoints.

This was a very good book. Elements of fairytales, truth, love and the bonds we have despite everything. Very good first novel!!

Rebecca only has vague memories of her father. He was an actor who disappeared out of her life when she was six. Now, over twenty years later, a journalist is writing a story about cult tv characters and wants to find her father. Rebecca has never really asked questions and her mother's family have kept silent on the subject but when she presses she is met with a wall of silence until her grandmother gives her a book of fairy stories written by her family and left as a gift all those years ago. Maybe these hold the key.
This really is a book that grows on the reader. Rebecca is fairly awkward in terms of character and in terms of the writing but she develops well. The stories are a wonderful way of linking the search together and have a crucial link to the outcome. What sets this book apart is the way that mental health is treated and the challenges for the families who have to deal with a loved one - the great Aunt who never wants to see Leo again, the father who couldn't cope with his wife's depression, the actor who couldn't cope with fame and the family trying to protect the child too young to see what was happening - all handled with utmost sympathy and grounded in reality.

I loved it so much! Beautiful novel about mental health and the toll it can take on a family. Also about growing up without a father, and trying to redefine your family relationship as an adult. Subtle, moving and full of magic.

I can't believe it is a debut for this author - and I can't wait to read more.

It is always a treat when you start a book with some faint preconceived notions of the type of story you will encounter but end up getting something completely different!
I should probably explain better if I am to get any casual observer of this review to understand where I am going with this. Rebecca is a steady, reliable employee. She leads a boring life which her mother helped her design. She visits the family at regular intervals and enjoys their company, but she has no spark. The dullness of her life and mind at the beginning comes out with great clarity.
This might have remained her life if a random journalist did not track her down to re-introduce her to her father and his disappearance from the public eye. Once she starts to ask questions (in turn offending her mother), her grandmother provides her with a crucial missing piece that she keeps secret from all - a book of short stories.
These seemingly fantastical stories have an autobiographical bent, leading Rebecca to better understand her own father and maybe even figure out what had happened to him. Our lead character upends her life, much to the surprise of everyone who knows her.
It is a very well written narrative with a lot of different emotions and shades. It feels as much like an amusement park ride as an intriguing family history reveal. Much of my review is based on how surprised I was with every passing chapter. I enjoyed the twists and the growth of the central character, as well as the actual solution of all the mysteries within it.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone who finds the blurb or this review attractive.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I am struggling to find words to express how much I loved this book, even as I write this over a week after finishing it. The Lost Storyteller is easily one of the best books I have read this year so far, and it's almost hard to believe it's only this author's debut!

This book has everything: a compelling mystery in the search for Leo, Rebecca's father; family secrets; creepy, multilayered fairytales; atmospheric settings; a slow burn romance; and, above all, the strength of human relationships. This book is about Rebecca's search for her father, yes, but it's also about so much more.

As Rebecca embarks on her journey into the past, which takes her across England and Scotland, she takes us readers along a parallel journey. This is a journey of self-discovery, about finding your place in the world and being true to yourself, discovering little by little what are the things that matter the most and going after them. It's a journey of acceptance and, possibly, forgiveness, without shying away from the difficulties and the ugliness that sometimes lie in between.

This, for me, was the true strength of this book: its honest, multilayered depiction of family, love and life, mental health and the battles that are fought just under the surface, unknown to everyone else. The author's beautiful writing style certainly helped, as she perfectly managed to paint a picture with her words, so much so that I could almost see this playing out as a movie (which very, very rarely happens to me). I was completely captivated by this from the beginning right up to the very last page. I loved the delicate yet honest way in which mental health was described, showing the character's persistence and resilience as well as the struggles.

The seven fairytales written by Leo for Rebecca are a brilliant inclusion, and definitely helped this book to become even stronger. These allegorical tales were the perfect blend of creepy and magical while helping to give a clearer picture of Leo's character. Now, I have to admit from reading the summary at first I thought there would be a magical element to this (think The Hazel Wood or Inkheart), but that wasn't the case and I am actually really happy about this, as I think grounding the story in reality made its message even stronger.

The Lost Storyteller was a wonderful surprise since, while I had an inkling I would enjoy it, I never expected to love it as much as I did. I am very much looking forward to Amanda Block's next work.

‘The Lost Storyteller’ tells the story of Rebecca who’s on the hunt for her once-famous father after a journalist approaches her asking questions about him. The only thing is she he hasn’t seen him since she was a child. To her he was a person of the past.

But is there more to the story than what she first thought?

When she finds a book dedicated to herself and once belonging to him, it sparks her curiosity even more as to find out about her father.

The book has seven seemingly innocent fairy tales written by him but what she soon finds out if that they’re actually full of clues to who he was.

As she goes on her journey to find her father, she brings his book along, reading each fairy tale as she went along her journey in the hope of finding out more about him and where he is. Along with the journalist, Ellis, she finds herself on a quest all over the country and in a fairytale of her own. The book itself to me felt like a quest of its own. As most fairytales go, she soon finds herself falling for the journalist and overcoming obstacles to fulfill her quest.

The fairy tales are woven in beautifully throughout the story. The prose is stunning and highly descriptive throughout. The author even does a fine job of describing each place that Rebecca visits although she has been there herself. As we follow her on her journey we learn more about Rebecca and her father as well.

I was gripped with every page as she attempted to find out where her father is.

Full of intrigue, hope and wonder, ‘The Lost Storyteller’ is a beautiful and stunning read. This is a magical story from debut author, Amanda Block.

Out now!

When you describe the book as 'perfect for fans of Ruth Hogan', I click. There's no need to say anything else. I'm convinced that this is the book for me.

However, I felt that this book wasn't what I expected it to be. I expected this book to be something I instantly clicked with, but it just wasn't. It had all the elements I usually like, but I just simply didn't enjoy it as much.

I really enjoyed the fairy tale aspect, that was beautiful, and those are the parts that will stick with me the most.

The writing is also easy to follow, though I think if the writing was a bit more polished this could have appealed to me more. It was okay, it wasn't spectacular. It didn't move me to feel anything special...And that was just it. I just wasn't really captivated or emotionally invested.

I am someone who loves character-driven stories, and I need dynamic, interesting characters to keep me interested. From the very beginning I felt like these characters were somehow so far away from me...like I am reading here and they are miles away, not in the words and letters and ideas that are right in front of me. I feel like I needed MORE when it comes to characterisation.

This book had a lot of potential, and since this is the author's first novel, I genuinely hope she can only improve and build upon her craft. I wouldn't say no to one of her future novels, because the concept and ideas are there, only the execution needs to be better.

A rare insightful look at mental illness.

Rebecca Chase is nonplussed when journalist, Ellis Bailey arrives at her office – unannounced – he wants to trace her father, Leo Sampson. Leo had played the hero in a children’s television series called The Stowaway and then vanished without a trace. Ellis works for a site called SideScoop which specialises in news and entertainment.

Rebecca could vaguely remember her father but all traces of him had vanished from her mother’s cottage in Devon. She had simply been told that he’d disappeared – leaving her with the impression that he wanted nothing to do with her.

Ellis’ arrival in her life brings back startling memories of a dynamic man and someone who spent a lot of his time entertaining her. With Ellis’ help and against her overprotective mother’s requests to leave him well alone, Rebecca sets out to find out what happened to this mysterious man who vanished. The only item which might help her is a book of fantasy stories that her grandmother has kept hidden from her since it arrived on her 9th birthday.

I started reading the book wondering whether I’d get past the first chapter. I took a strong dislike to Rebecca. When I reached the first of the seven “fairy tales” – more like dark fantasy tales, my interest peaked and I couldn’t stop reading, regardless that I still didn’t like Rebecca. I wanted to know whether she’d find Leo…...

I’m always terrified of giving spoilers and yet how can I really comment on this book without mentioning that Amanda Block has managed to write a story that goes to the heart of manic depression? But to get to that point – you need to read this extraordinary novel. The fantasy stories are especially enlightening and brilliantly written.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

A beautiful blending of fairytale and reality. There were times I thought I might get bored with the basic premise of Rebecca looking for her father, but the magic of the fairytales bound the narrative together and kept the story alive. I loved the pacing and how little by little we realise (as does the main character) the emotional depth that is uncovered within each of the seven tales. The ending was so satisfying due to its disillusionment and normality - that sometimes reality can’t always live up to the fairytales but that doesn’t mean it’s not as meaningful

In a Nutshell: A book with great potential but could have been better written.

Story:
Rebecca, a 25 year old stuck in a dead-end job, is caught unawares when a journalist approaches her for information about her father. After all, she hasn’t seen him or thought about him for almost twenty years. But the journalist, Ellis, is clear that the story behind the disappearance of Leo Sampson, the erstwhile star of a popular children’s show, will be worth digging into. Rebecca finds herself wondering if there is really more to her father’s absence from her life. Together, they decide to solve the mystery.

This is a kind of book that would have really clicked with me. It had all the elements that I enjoy in books. But for myriad reasons, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have. And most of the problems lie with the characters in the book.

I didn’t like Rebecca’s character at all. She comes across as quite an undecided person who sways back and forth in her decisions. I wasn’t convinced about how she kept her dad away from her thoughts for most of her teen and adult life and then suddenly becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about him.

Rebecca’s mom, Rosalyn, is supposed to be a strong, independent, lovable woman. Then why was she adamant about not telling her daughter anything about her own father? Especially as the reason behind Leo’s absence is not something like murder or abuse but a mental health issue. Is that such a huge problem that it needs to be buried under a curtain of secrecy?

On the other hand, the two male lead characters are very well-written. Ellis, the journalist who wants the scoop, comes across as a realistic, level-headed person who knows what he wants and doesn’t hesitate to get it. But the star of the show is Leo himself, even when he isn’t at the front of the scene. The way his mind works, the way he copes with his problems, the way he strives to do his best by his daughter… you will sympathise with him and admire him. The only character from this book who will really make a mark on your mind is Leo Sampson.

The writing is decent enough to keep you going. The plot contains a reference to a book of seven fairy tales written by Leo. And these seven stories-within-the-main-story are the highlight of the book. What creative tales they are! Brilliantly written, excellently connected to Leo’s problems. Unfortunately, because the book blurb contains a reference to these fairy tales, I was expecting the story to contain fantasy or magical realism. Unfortunately, this is restricted only to the above tales. I think the author will work wonders if she writes a full-fledged fantasy/magical realism book, because her strength in that area is clearly visible in those fairy tales.
Overall, the story is a bit predictable but still enjoyable. For a debut full-length work, it does a decent job. But again, I hope the author writes more books related to other-worldly rather than worldly matters. She will surely shine in that genre! And I will be an eager reader of those books.

A 3.5 from me for this work, rounding up to 4.

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.