The Lost Coast

 
4.5 (2)
 
0.0 (0)
355 0
The Lost Coast
Age Range
14+
Release Date
May 14, 2019
ISBN
978-1536200966
Buy This Book
      

The spellbinding tale of six queer witches forging their own paths, shrouded in the mist, magic, and secrets of the ancient California redwoods. Danny didn’t know what she was looking for when she and her mother spread out a map of the United States and Danny put her finger down on Tempest, California. What she finds are the Grays: a group of friends who throw around terms like queer and witch like they’re ordinary and everyday, though they feel like an earthquake to Danny. But Danny didn’t just find the Grays. They cast a spell that calls her halfway across the country, because she has something they need: she can bring back Imogen, the most powerful of the Grays, missing since the summer night she wandered into the woods alone. But before Danny can find Imogen, she finds a dead boy with a redwood branch through his heart. Something is very wrong amid the trees and fog of the Lost Coast, and whatever it is, it can kill. Lush, eerie, and imaginative, Amy Rose Capetta’s tale overflows with the perils and power of discovery — and what it means to find your home, yourself, and your way forward.

Editor reviews

4 reviews
Overall rating
 
4.5
Plot
 
5.0(2)
Characters
 
4.0(2)
Writing Style
 
4.5(2)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
A beautiful novel about queerness, community, and love
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
3.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
WHAT I LOVED:
On one side of the United States, a group of queer girls with magical abilities who call themselves the Grays have lost one of their own. Though her body is present and still walking around, her spirit is gone. On the other side, a girl named Danny is uncontrollably wandering and her mother is so desperate to make her stop she lets her child choose their next home. With the point of a finger at Tempest, California, Danny and the witches collide–and people start to die. Then the race is on to find the rest of Imogen before what’s killing people comes for them too.

I just– How do people find words sometimes? Where did Capetta come up with all these beautiful phrases in this time- and space-bending tale of love and community?

The highlight of the novel comes toward the end of the novel. Part of the novel concerns a long-dead witch who sought to escape her forcible marriage to a man by running off with her female lover. When trying to help the girl find peace, it philosophizes queer affection as an act of remembrance for all those who came before and couldn’t openly express their queerness. The way the Grays casually kiss and embrace one another fits perfectly into this philosphy.

WHAT DID THAT NEVER OCCUR TO ME BEFORE?

WHAT LEFT ME WANTING:
Despite everything I love, the novel is a bit overwritten. The voluminous, often purple prose isn’t a bad thing and is quite beautiful at its best turns, but when it’s indulged at every opportunity, it distracts from the content itself. There are also too many POV changes for my taste, which once again distracts from the core content for perspectives that don’t reveal anything important.

FINAL VERDICT:
The Lost Coast is a solid novel about queer community, love in all its forms, and magic. This is for the ones who want to make the phrase “queer magic” something a little more literal.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
lyrically enchanting
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
THE LOST COAST is lyrical, ethereal, and deliciously haunting. Danny has moved to Northern California with her mother, to a small town called Tempest, where she felt pulled. She has been keeping parts of herself hidden due to cultural homophobia. In Tempest, she soon finds the Grays, a group of girls who are witches and queer in a way that is completely normal. They used a spell to bring Danny to them in order to find one of their own, Imogen, who is there physically while also gone. As Danny enters the fold, deaths and mystery surround them like the fog around the trees, and the path forward is anything but simple.

Each brief chapter follows different perspectives, including those of the ravens and the trees. Despite having so many points-of-view and jumping through time, the book is easy to follow and completely enthralling. To understand what happened to Imogen, we must understand the Grays and Danny, and this is complex and beautiful.

What I loved: The feel of the book is absolutely enchanting and as foggy as the redwood forests. The tone and windy paths were absolutely enthralling, and I loved the whole read. The book is so consuming, and it’s easy to get lost in time as you trace the many paths that flow through the story. The diversity here is incredible, and the whole cast is so perfectly written.

Final thoughts: This surreal and magical story is hauntingly delightful and completely absorbing. I highly recommend for fans of Stiefvater’s Raven Boys series. Although the beginning is slow, the book will soon wrap you up in the enchanting surreal story of the Grays. This book is mystery combined with magical realism and a lyrical narration that will absolutely captive YA readers.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

User reviews

There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? or Create an account