Rating: 2.5/5 stars

“Spellbooks tell you how people have done magic in the past” June explains. “they’re pre-made. Magic is like love. You see how other people do it, you have the stories and instructions they leave behind, but then you have to out how you do it.”

Imagine equal portions The Raven Boys and Spellbook of the Lost and Found and sprinkle in a little dash of The Craft and a hint of The Devouring Gray. The result should be something resembling The Lost Coast.
Between Californian red woods, magical realism and a witchy friend group, I had high hopes for this novel and was over the moon to receive an advanced copy from the publisher. Whilst it lived up to my expectations in some regards, I was quite disappointed in others, leaving me with mixed feelings in the end.

To start off with the good: The Lost Coast largely delivers what it says on the tin. It’s a story of a close-knit, diverse group of queer witches that find friendship and acceptance among each other. If you want to get your diversity kick on; this is the place for you, as diversity seems to have been the first thing on the author’s mind when writing this. Both racial-, sexual- and bodily minorities are represented and you can tell the authors passion for the subject from her perspective as a queer woman herself.
I also loved the setting: the foggy and majestic Californian red woods were a perfect choice to serve as the background of a witchy story. Amy Rose Capetta does a beautiful job of bringing the ancient trees, the vibrant foliage and the earthy forest air to life with her writing style that strikes the right balance between lush and readable. I had never read anything by the author, but I’d definitely count the writing style among the pleasant surprises this book offered.
My only problem with the writing was that the author sometimes “overtells” things, especially when it comes to points she’s clearly passionate about. Her point will be crystal clear to the reader by the scenes she has just shown us, but she at times can’t resist to tell us the exact same thing literally as well. I’m not sure if it’s a lack of faith in the reader, or in her own ability to bring something across, but it’s unnecessary in my opinion.
I felt this especially when the author talked about the characters sexuality, and the acceptance of diversity. That repetition, combined with the clear (and admirable) passion of the author, does come at the risk of almost lecturing the reader on the topic of diversity. Although I don’t think it crossed that line, it was close at times.

That also brings me to my next disappointment: the characters themselves. Because the author had such a large focus on their diversity, I feel like some of the development of the rest of their character arcs got lost along the way. It’s something I notice more and more in the last year or two since the surge in popularity of LGBTQ+ books, especially in YA. I have a post on my website all about this coming up, so I won’t go into detail on it here. The short summary is: I’m all for diversity, but even more for equality. A sexuality is not a substitute for a developed personality, and an underdeveloped gay character is still an underdeveloped character, no matter the best intentions by the author.
The framework for a great cast of characters was there: I’d just like to see a little more depth and development in them.
Finally, I don’t feel the plot was as exciting or unexpected as I was hoping for, mostly due to some pacing issues. I’d have liked the beginning to be a little slower, to ease us into the different POV’s, whereas the middle part could have used a little more action.

In the end, I think this is a book that will find a large and loving audience out there, even though it wasn’t a favorite for me. If you like books that focus on LGBTQ+ friendships, or any of the books I mentioned at the top of my review, ánd you enjoy those alternative witchy vibes: this one might be for you!

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it works pretty hard at being character driven. MOst of the plot centers around revealing elements of different character's backgrounds. Unfortunately that can mean that the narrative feels a bit disjointed.

The idea of a book following 6 witches had me hooked and I will admit that the setting was enough to creep me out with how atmospheric it was, but it was just a little too weird for me to be able to fully enjoy. It was an extremely quick read once I was fully immersed in it, but it took me almost a week to get 15% of the way through and then the remaining 85% I devoured within 24 hours. If you’re into odd magic and magical realism, this might be right up your alley.

I received an arc of this title for an honest review. After seeing the cover and reading what this book was about, I was so excited to get my own copy. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I understand where the author was going, but the execution just wasn't there.

I loved this so much! The writing was amazing. It was so lush and beautiful. I really felt as though I was walking among the redwoods while reading this.

The characters were very different from one another but were brought together in such a unique way. It was so incredible to read about witches in a more wicken sense.

The romance was precious. And while we do have asexual rep in this story (yay!) it is still incredibly sex positive and has what is possibly one of the best f/f sex scenes I’ve ever read.

Overall Thoughts:
If you like beautiful prose, spooky forests, and queer witches, read this book it comes out on May 14th!

3.5 stars. thank you to the author, to the publisher, and to netgally for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

i really wanted to love this one, but somehow it didn't click. that's tragic, because as a lesbian born and raised amongst the foggy redwoods, it SHOULD have felt made for me. unfortunately, i had difficulty connecting with the writing. it was very poetic, almost dreamlike, and at times that was gorgeous - at other time, it felt overwhelming and like purple prose, effectively taking me out of the story. there were many disjointed POV shifts, and some chapters felt more like poetry than story. without getting too much into spoiler territory, one of the final twists fell flat for me, perhaps because the villain felt more like a victim is nearly every way.

that being said, i loved the diversity (of gender, sexuality, race, ability, body size etc - it's wonderful), and the love story between, frankly, all the Grays. similarly, the relationship between danny and her mother is heartbreaking and realistic. those are the places this novel shines: the relationship between its leads, the represenation of a life that so often isn't shown in media. i truly hope this story finds some young lesbian or bisexual woman or nonbinary person who needs it. unfortunately, that person just wasn't me.

5☆
ARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.

I LOVED this. This was EVERYTHING I have ever wanted and needed in my heart. It was queer as hell and feminist as fuck. There was so much diversity and so much female love and support in this. This was perfection and one of my favorite books I have ever read in my life. My heart feels like it was broken and remade.

This writing was so atmospheric and descriptive. It really felt like I could feel the salt water on the air and could see the trees around me. This book made me feel powerful and intense and whole in a way that I dont know if I have ever felt before.

This book was a real struggle. I tried reading the ARC copy I received, but besides the formatting being all wonky, I just couldn't get into the story. So out of desperation, wanting to finish the story so I could review it properly, I bought the audiobook from Audible.

What gave this book a 3-star rating was the representation, diversity and the performance of the audiobook. There were different ethnicities, and LGBTQIA+ represented in this book, as well as the cast of characters/protagonists being women. That part was awesome.

I could not connect with the story or the characters. There were too many jumps back and forth in time. It made it hard for me to keep track of who was who, what they all meant to one another, and what was actually going on.

The main group of girls were witches, and one of their coven had gone missing. A transplant from Michigan to their tiny town in California is the one element missing from their coven which will help them find their missing friend. They help Danny find her power, treat her like an outsider and then get upset when she asks questions that hit too close to home. They don't truly let her in, even though they expect her to help them find the missing Imogen. Throughout it all, Danny starts to fall for Rush, who is Imogen's girlfriend. And we learn that Imogen is not the friend they all thought she was. She kept secrets and practiced magic without them, which is also the reason she went missing.

Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for it; perhaps it was just the story, but I just didn't like this book.

It was a bit of a struggle at the beginning, with too many people introduced at once and a poetic way of writing making it hard to figure out what was happening, but it worked itself into a really interesting book.

I really loved how natural everything was: their magic was more of a natural feeling and not spellwork, their love for each other, and the way Danny and Rush fell in love. I also loved the mystery aspect of it and it was really great watching the characters figure out what happened to Imogen.

2.75 Stars

This book was . . . weird.

A+++ for diversity, queerness, and all things body positivity.

However, the writing style just did not mesh with me. I COMPLETELY get why people are loving this book but the time frame jumped around so much and it was just like a blur to me. The first half of the book was the worst but I did really start to enjoy it in the last half.

I didn't feel like this was as dark or mysterious as it was sold to me originally. I mean, yeah, some bad shit happened but it happened off page so it didn't hit you the way things do when it's on the page.

The characters were ok. I feel like most of them weren't really developed enough for me to have a full idea of who they are or why. I didn't dislike any of them, but I didn't love them either.

Overall I felt this was just an OK book for me. Again, I can see why some people like it but for a lot of it (especially in the first half) I just felt lost.

I received an eARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

When first learning about the book’s premise, I was immediately rooting for this book to be good. The Lost Coast is about a friendship group of queer witches, all forging their own paths - what’s not to love? When Danny moves from Michigan to Tempest, California, she gets brought into the world of the dreamlike redwood forest, becoming part of this group of witches, the Grays, whose bonds to each other are overpowering. The Grays have recently lost one of their beloved and most powerful members, and desperate for Danny’s help in finding her, their quest becomes even more urgent as things start to go wrong in Tempest.

Let’s cut to the chase: I loved this book and it surpassed my expectations. I haven’t felt this sense of magic and belonging while reading a book since The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. The trees, the lush setting of Tempest, and the all-consuming friendships. It’s the sense that magic is real and it’s here.

Amy Rose Capetta absorbs you into her lyrical world of wonder. This is a book for those still looking for who they belong with. The sense of belonging and comfort in Capetta’s novel comes from the connections Danny forges with her found family of witches finds, and the fact that all the main characters (and bear in mind this novel has a rather large cast) are queer. The book begins, “I’d seen a dozen rainbow flags between San Francisco and this stretch of wildness. Every single one felt like a welcome sign.” Every queer character was like another welcome sign; this fellowship I felt was beyond anything I’d experienced in a book before. Hawthorn is black and bisexual; June is Filipina and attracted to femme girls; Leila is nonbinary and is gray ace and aro; Rush is, as she puts it, is “Fat. Queer. White…Cello player”; Imogen is also attracted to women.

What is refreshing in The Lost Coast is how the Grays are so certain of themselves, and we get to witness Danny being given a space and example to also come into her own. What’s wonderful is the way Capetta makes the embracing of one’s queerness as powerful as magic. This is one particular passage that has stuck with me:

“And my mom might be okay with gay, but queer would make her cringe.
I’m shaking with the power of it.
I take out my phone and send a quick text.
I’m alive.”

As an extra note, something I also appreciated in the novel was the positivity towards sex. There is no room for shame with the Grays. Danny learns to be unapologetic in admitting that she likes sex and has had sex with a number of people, despite being demeaned in the past for being a “girl slut”.

Capetta’s lyrical writing style is also to be applauded: her figurative language never feels forced, but eases you into this world and atmosphere. Every sentence is exquisite. As well as the characterisation of the Grays winning my heart, what kept me coming back was the way the story unfolded, as we learn more about the mystery of what happened to Imogen. Whilst reading The Lost Coast, I often thought I had the upper hand, thinking things would turn out one way, but the way information and details were developed constantly surprised me as the world and the characters became richer. I couldn’t help thinking this book would make a great TV show.

The only issue I had with the book is that I want more. I became very attached to all the Grays very quickly (an impressive feat considering the speed in which Capetta introduces us to them at the beginning of the novel), and I still feel there is more room for us to learn about them. I felt their pain and struggles vividly. I yearn for more about these characters.

This was a beautifully written book. I will stand by this, no matter what. You might not want to read about witches wandering in the woods or about characters with varying sexualities expressing their love so openly, but you cannot tell me that Amy Rose Capetta doesn't craft beautiful sentences. Well, technically you can, but I will think you are weird.

This story was a very atmospheric mystery that kept my interest at every turn. I've heard that there have been some comparisons between this book and the Raven Cycle, so let me tell you right away: the Raven Cycle doesn't hold a candle to the Loast Coast.

You are allowed to object, but first you have to read it.

This book was over all very lyrical and very timely. I felt like the writing was very easy to read but still very beautiful and vivid. I loved how is a mixture of mystery and magical realisme but was not absurd or confusing. Very good representation of LGB Q community and this book as well. I did not see every twist and turn coming which is refreshing. I loved the scenery of California redwoods. A very unique book. The only thing I didn't really like is I felt at times that we were missing some character development on a few of the characters. Imogens character was never really fully explained and neither was the main character. Still a strong book

The Lost Coast is such a gorgeous book that explores loneliness and finding your people. It's a universal story that any teen (any human, really) can relate to and I look forward to getting this book into the hands of my writing students, especially those who identify as LGBTQIAP+. No doubt they will connect with The Lost Coast and feel like it was written just for them. .

The introduction for the book; “the spellbinding tale of six queer witches” was all it took for me to need this book in my life.

Representation matters.

The storyline may not have been the most exciting thing or something we’ve never seen before, but the diversity in this book is beautiful. The book has sexual and racial diversity that I’ve wanted for so long to be in mainstream books.

This rating took a very long time for me to think about... only because this book was both a hit and a kinda-miss? there were parts that I loved and there were parts that made my really cringe... this book started off as a solid read (constantly hitting that 5 star rating) and it progressively lowered, but would then shoot up again.

The characters were really well-built and I constantly had the need to know more about the story but there were times where I felt like the plot developed slow and I was having to push myself through. Overall, it was a good read and I will be coming back for more of the author's books, but I felt like there was something fundamentally missing as well.

This book was amazing. I have read other books by this author and this one did not disappoint. I loved the premise, setting, and the plot of the novel. The characters enhanced the story. The pacing was just right with the book being hard to put down.

I want to thank Candlewick and NetGalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review

I really believe that this book is one of my biggest disappointments of this year, not because it’s bad but because I thought I would love it, and I didn’t, so I ended up a little sad after finishing it. Sometimes it happens, you know, you have a book that doesn’t feel like it’s made for you, and while everyone loves it you don’t know what’s going on, well, that’s me, lol. The book has some good points that I would like to highlight below and also tell you a little about the things that didn’t quite convince me

The book begins by following Danny, she has just moved with her mother to Tempest, California. There she meets a group of queer witches who call themselves The Grays, and soon Danny discovers that it wasn’t a coincidence and that on the contrary, they attracted her to the city with a spell because she has something that the girls need. Danny can find Imogen, the most powerful of the Grays, disappearing since a night that goes into the woods alone.

I’m going to do this review a little differently than what I usually do, and I’ll separate it in two points, I’ll talk a little bit first about the things that I liked and then what just didn’t work for me.

Things I liked…

The Diversity: This book is really beautiful in terms of diversity, the book follows a group of queer witches so there’s a lot of sexual rep (lesbian, bisexual, ace, etc) but we also have racial diversity and body positivity, which’s great and I always appreciate when an author writes about a group of girls so different from each other, but so united at the same time. I think this will make many people feel identified and can see themselves in the characters which is wonderful, we all deserve good reps in books

Atmospheric Setting: The places where the story takes place are so beautiful and atmospheric I really loved them, besides I feel they’re my kind of places since a lot happens in the woods and I adore the plots in woods and more when there’s witchery in the middle. If you concentrate a lot you can even feel that you’re there, so I think great work.

Things I didn’t like…

Plot Construction & POVs: I had a lot of problems to understand the plot in general, I started and the constantly POV change was already a problem for me, in general, this doesn’t bother me, the short POVs can be entertaining and also make you go fast through the story, but it’s very difficult when it’s not clear who’s narrating each part, and also you don’t even know where you are, or at what moment of time is happening, as they jump from the past to the present, and all this was a big impediment for me to enjoy the book. Because, being 100% honest, it was very difficult to understand something of what was happening.

I’ve heard several people say it’s a whimsical story and I agree, but maybe it was too whimsical for me. Maybe the idea of ​​the author was to give us an ingenious, mysterious and complicated plot, but OMG, I couldn’t connect and is really disappointing, especially because I would like to tell you a little more about what it really is about, but I don’t think I can because I’m not sure neither myself. There are chapters that are simply there and don’t contribute in any way with the plot. There are chapters that are about Crows and others about some of The Grays and others are about Danny, and although I tried very hard to understand, I couldn’t do it, and it’s a shame because it has everything I love in a book, from witches to an atmospheric place, but the plot construction is simply not for me, it’s very messy

Some important parts and “revelations” happen in a rush so I haven’t been able to enjoy them, there are some things that happen out of nowhere and it’s very hard for me to visualize them in my head, due to all my confusion about what was really happening

Sadly, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, even though I know it’s not them, it’s me lol, really. Maybe because I was so lost in I couldn’t concentrate on them, although perhaps in another story I would have enjoyed them.
I think that if this wasn’t an ARC maybe I wouldn’t have finished it, and it hurts me in my soul to say it, but it’s real.

It’s the first time this year this happens to me, but I just feel that the book is, honestly, not for me, you know? and it’s really difficult to express what I feel with words, so I apologize because maybe the review isn’t so clear as I would like it to be. Not for this, I wouldn’t recommend it, I can tell you that it’s a book about queer witches, located in a beautifully atmospheric place where I would like to get lost in, and it has a very whimsical plot.
If you feel like reading it, go for it!!, IT’S NOT MY THING but I’ve seen that most people are loving it, so maybe this is an unpopular opinion and that’s fine.

The beginning was a little difficult to get into with all the characters being introduced, but they're each so different from one another that once I got to know them a better it was impossible to get them mixed up. Our main character Danny has been searching for a place where she fits in when she meets the Tempest witches and finally feels like she's exactly where she wants to be. I could totally relate to the need to find a group to call your own. Seeing the coven slowly accept her as one of them as she worked on finding one their missing sister witches was extremely satisfying. I really grew attached to their little group and loved how they all supported each other, even when mistakes were made. The female friendships were just amazing. I do feel like there could have been a couple more mother daugther scenes, but I did like that some parents were actually involved.


I love the wide range of representation within their group. We have Danny, a queer girl with a fondness for kissing other girls, and Rush, a fat queer witch with a condition called synesthesia which lets her taste words. Then theres June, a Filipino lesbian and Leila, a nonbinary gray ace. We also have Hawthorn the black bisexual who started the coven and Imogen the lost lesbian witch. I appreciated how they were all more than their labels. They each had their own personalities and backstories. Out of all of them I think Rush was probably my favorite character, but June was pretty great too. Theres also a sapphic romance that turned out better than Id hope considering one of them was already in a relationship. I liked that we got to spend time from some of the other witches perspectives both in the present and in the past, but one of the flashback when the witches were very young was a little confusing and it's purpose was never really explained.


I really enjoyed the atmospheric redwood forest and the witches different affinities. The magical elements weren't fully explained, but it worked for the story. I would have loved to know even more about the ravens and the redwood trees, especially after getting some chapters from their point of view. The mystery did a great job of keeping me engaged. My theory as to who was causing trouble in the forest was correct, but there were many other elements I didnt see coming. I loved the message and the overall themes in this book. The point it made not to shame Danny for wanting to kiss a bunch of different girls meant a lot to me. There was also the desire to show affection for all the people before them who couldnt that really resonated with me. I just loved how it was so very unapologetically queer. Its definitely a book Ill be recommending to a lot of people.

I have plans to feature this book in a few more posts like my monthly wrap up, 5 star prediction results, queer recommendations, and some others.

'Time isn't the only way to know someone.'

Danny feels lost, disconnected, uneasy. She keeps getting up and walking away, from school, from home, and from her mother, who doesn't know what she can do to help. That is, until Danny looks at a map of the USA and is drawn immediately to Tempest, in northern California. So her and her mother up and leave, in an attempt to fix whatever is wrong with Danny.

Danny doesn't know why she's so drawn to Tempest, but when she arrives, it soon becomes clear that The Greys - a group of witches known as the weird girls of the town - have cast a spell to bring her there to do what they cannot - bring back one of their own. Imogen disappeared one day, and none of their magic can bring her home. But when a boy ends up dead, Danny's not sure she should have ever made her way to Tempest.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

And yes, I do feel like I need to scream from the rooftops about it. 

First off, I need to talk about the cover.

This is one of those covers where I read the book on my Kindle and feel the need to go out and buy it too, so I can have a copy of this beautifulness in my life too. 

Sometimes, you pick up a book and you read a sentence, a paragraph, a page, and you know. You just know, that this book is going to be something special. This was that book for me. I knew from the very beginning that this was going to be a five star read. Capetta writes so beautifully, and I was immediately drawn in.

But it wasn't just the writing. It was everything.

The Greys - the five girls of Tempest who are outcasts because of their weirdness - are a great set of characters. While I do think that June and Leila needed a little more page time because I often found them melding together and found it hard to pinpoint their individual characteristics or personalities, I loved the group as a whole. Not only is it amazing to have a book with so many female characters at the forefront (and to be honest, there's only two main characters of importance throughout the whole novel) but they're queer witches!! 

QUEER WITCHES!!!

This is everything I wanted from The Raven Boys. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE The Raven Cycle, and this has a very Raven Cycle-y feel to it with the magic and rituals and mysteriousness. But that was a very male orientated book (yes, yes I know Blue and her family were amazing characters too, I'm not trying to dismiss that.) But The Lost Coast is so female centric. And so queer centric! The Grays are all queer - whether they use that word or bisexual/demi/pan/ace/lesbian - they all like girls in some way or another, and none of it is a big deal. They kiss each other on the lips as a greeting, they hold hands just because when walking, they are not afraid of their sexualities, but neither are they over sexualised. They just are.

I've seen some reviews that comment that the differing points of views and time lines can be a bit confusing, but I didn't find it so. You often switch from Danny's first person account to a third person overview of some of the other characters, but I loved this switch, this jump away from what Danny knows. Again, the jumps back in time weren't difficult to follow and I loved the meandering way the story gets told, through these different perspectives and timelines. 

I can't think of anything I didn't love about this book. And the best thing about it is that now I can go and add Amy Rose Capetta's back catalogue to my to-read list!